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Track: Hillsborough boys win hot USF/Steinbrenner Invitational

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By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 19, 2011

USF/Steinbrenner Invitational

Girls Team Standings (top 10): Orlando Evans 56, Lake Mary 55, Kissimmee Osceola 42, Hillsborough 39, Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 28, Central 28, Miami Jackson 26, Wharton 24.5, Fort Myers 20

Girls Individuals: Discus — Chelsea Gobourne (Sarasota Riverview) 118-3; Shot put — Raqurra Ishmar (Central) 42-8.5; High jump — Tikiera Relaford (Central) 5-8; Long jump — Lloynecia Matthews (Evans) 17-0.5; Triple jump — Dejoun Dennard (Armwood) 34-4.5; Pole vault — Erica Sergeant (Lake Mary) 11-4; 110 hurdles — Ashley Favors (Riverview) 14.27; 100 — Tynia Gaither (Osceola) 11.54; 1600 — Kelli Williams (Mitchell) 5:07.15; 400 — Robin Reynolds (Jackson) 54.21; 800 — Emily Edwards (Fort Myers Canterbury) 2:18.31; 300 hurdles — Narricka Williams (Hillsborough) 44.67; 4x100 relay — Kissimmee Osceola 47.13; 200 — Tynia Gaither (Osceola) 23.17; 3200 — Olivia Ortiz (Lakewood Ranch) 11:21.81; 4x400 relay — Lake Mary 3:54.65

Boys Team Standings (top 10): Hillsborough 64, Countryside 48, Alonso 39, Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley 38, Plant 30, Chamberlain 28, Jesuit 26, Newsome 25, Punta Gorda Charlotte 24, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic 22

Boys Individuals: Discus — Ike Edwards (Jesuit) 167-4; Shot put — Hunter Joyer (Wesley Chapel) 59-3.25; High jump — Gigi Petion (Alonso) 6-6; Long jump — Karee Pitts (Ocoee) 21-6.5; Triple jump — Jeremiah Green (Hillsborough) 45-9; Pole vault — Alex Kazanski (Wiregrass Ranch) 14-6; 4x800 relay — Steinbrenner 8:01.85; 100 hurdles — Rayshawn Jenkins (Admiral Farragut) 14.47; 100 — Defario Phillips (Kissimmee Osceola) 10.64; 1600 — Max del Monte (Chamberlain) 4:18.47; 400 — Franklyn Mosely (Alonso) 49.25); 800 — Otniel Teixeira (Lake Brantley) 1:55.10; 300 hurdles — Evan Jennings (Hillsborough) 38.73); 4x100 relay — Lake Brantley 42.40; 200 — Brandon Holloway (Alonso) 21.47; 3200—Tyler Cardillo (Charlotte) 9:33.99; 4x400 relay — Newsome 3:23.46

TAMPA — Hillsborough sophomore Jeremiah Green didn't bank on the spotlight searing him like a heat lamp Saturday.

"Ooh, that sun was beating me down," Green said as dusk arrived at the second annual USF/Steinbrenner Invitational. "That sun was like a hawk on your back."

Jumping, sprinting and basting (sometimes all at once), Green was, arguably, the busiest member of a Terriers team that repeated as boys champion of the 12-hour meet. Hillsborough's 64 points were 16 more than runnerup Countryside.

They were only two of 79 schools that converged on USF's campus. Meet organizer (and Steinbrenner girls coach) Ladd Baldwin said there were more than 2,000 entrants with a peak on-track temperature of 102 degrees reported.

Green won the triple jump with a personal-best 45 feet, 9 inches, placed seventh in the 200 meters, ran the 100 and did a leg of the 4x100 relay that placed fifth.

Evan Jennings was the Terriers' only other individual champ (300 hurdles).

Also enjoying a sweltering day in the sun was Chamberlain junior Max del Monte, who won the 1,600 (4 minutes, 18.47 seconds) by pulling away in the final quarter-mile after being boxed in early. del Monte's coaches hand-timed his last quarter at 59 seconds.

"I'd say for the first 800 meters, it was all over the place. There was absolutely no rhythm whatsoever," del Monte said. "There was just a lot of bumping around."

Alonso junior Brandon Holloway further cemented his status as the bay area's premier 200 specialist, winning in a personal-best 21.47. Holloway also placed fourth in the 100.

"My start was perfect," Holloway said of the 200. "That's what I was trying to do the whole time; get a good start because I knew my time would go down."

Holloway capped a sparkling day for the Ravens boys, who also got wins from Franklyn Mosely in the 400 (49.25) and Gigi Petion in the high jump (6-6) en route to a third-place finish (49 points).

Capping the meet was Newsome's boys 4x400 relay, whose 3:23.46 marked its second personal best in as many weeks. The Wolves rallied in the final lap to win last weekend's Charles Johnson Invitational.

Orlando Evans won the girls meet with 56 points. Hillsborough, in fourth with 39, was the county's top finisher.


Tires at Bristol a major issue

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Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Carl Edwards had every reason to believe he had one of the best cars at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Then Goodyear called for a rare tire change in the middle of a race weekend, sending teams back to square one in preparations for today's Sprint Cup race.

"The tire is a lot slower and it's going to be a little more difficult to drive," said Edwards, who starts on the pole.

Goodyear learned there was a problem Friday when the tires did not lay enough rubber on the track. The right-side tires lasted only about 30 laps before they began to disintegrate into a powdery substance. So Goodyear called for nearly 1,300 right-sides to be sent from North Carolina, and they arrived for Saturday's practice. Teams were given only one set to use over two sessions.

"It's not an optimal situation for anybody," four-time series champion Jeff Gordon said. "I feel like Goodyear is responding quickly and has created a safer environment for us. But anytime you change the tire the second day into the weekend, it's going to be a pretty major change. And it has been. The car balance is completely different, the grip level is completely different."

The tire now being used was raced at California and Kansas last year, but there was no testing data on the tires at Bristol.

How were teams preparing?

"A lot of reading and a little bit of guessing," said Greg Erwin, crew chief for Greg Biffle. "The car doesn't drive anything like it did most of the day (Friday)."

Biffle qualified his Ford second behind his Roush Fenway Racing teammate, but didn't get much work in Saturday because of a flat in one of the new right-side tires. But it's not as if he, or anyone, could even measure themselves against the competition.

Though speeds were registered, nobody knew for certain who was using which tires.

"That new tire, at very best, is probably three- or four-tenths a lap slower," Erwin said.

Gordon said speeds fell enough to "get your attention, and not make you very happy. … It took me a little while to understand I just needed to slow the car down because the grip had changed."

Sports in brief

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Times staff, wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

winter sports

race cancellation costs vonn title

LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland — Maria Riesch of Germany ended American Lindsey Vonn's three-year reign as Alpine skiing's women's overall World Cup champion without putting on her skis. She clinched the title after the final race was canceled Saturday because of poor weather.

The best friends and rivals were set for a dramatic showdown in the season-ending giant slalom with Riesch holding a three-point lead. But race officials ruled the course unfit after days of rain, wet snow and warm weather.

"I'm really, really happy finally to have won," said Riesch, who was runnerup to Vonn the past two seasons.

Vonn said in a statement she was "devastated" to have been denied the chance to retain her title. She won discipline titles this season in the downhill, super-G and super-combined.

The decision to cancel the race was not taken lightly, International Ski Federation spokeswoman Riikka Rakic said. "It's not skiable. Working with these kind of snow conditions, we don't have any tools that would make it a fair race," she said.

more alpine skiing: Men's World Cup overall champion Ivica Kostelic added the slalom title, and Guiliano Razzoli won the final race in thick fog at Lenzerheide, Switzerland.



Tennis

Djokovic ousts Federer, faces Nadal in final

Novak Djokovic outlasted Roger Federer 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the BNP Paribas Open final in Indian Wells, Calif., while knocking Federer from the No. 2 spot in the world. Djokovic and Federer will switch spots when the rankings are released Monday, with the No. 3 Serbian moving up and Federer falling .

Djokovic plays top-ranked Rafael Nadal in today's final. Nadal beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4. Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki plays Marion Bartoli in today's women's final.

colleges

Cal takes women's swimming title

California won its second women's swimming and diving championship in three years by outscoring Georgia 392 to 3541/2 in Austin, Texas.

In Saturday's finals, Georgia won the 400-yard freestyle in an American record 3 minutes, 11.03 seconds, with a team that included Megan Romano of St. Petersburg and Melanie Margalis of Clearwater. Romano, a sophomore, was sixth in the 100 free final, and Georgia senior Chelsea Nauta of Tampa was sixth in the 1,650 freestyle final.

wrestling: Penn State, led by 184-pound champion Quentin Wright, won its first title in 58 years, outpointing Cornell 1071/2 to 931/2 in Philadelphia.

et cetera

boxing: Vitali Klitschko KO'd Odlanier Solis in the first round to retain his WBC heavyweight title in Cologne, Germany.

FISHING: Alton Jones' three-day total of 60 pounds, 10 ounces leads going into today's final round of the Bassmaster Power-Pole Citrus Slam on the St. Johns River in Palatka. He leads by 2-9 over Edwin Evers.

Horses: Todd Pletcher trainee Doubles Partner ($6.60) rallied in deep stretch under Julien Leparoux to win the Grade III $125,000 Tampa Bay Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar. Doubles Partner clocked 11/16 miles on the turf in 1 minute, 40.67 seconds. Rahystrada was second, Voodoo Swinge third.

nfl: Locked-out players wrote to commissioner Roger Goodell, rejecting his contention in a letter to all players Thursday that the league had offered a fair deal in negotiating sessions. The letter was signed by the 11 members of the executive council of the dissolved union. NFL executive VP Jeff Pash said, "We are pleased now to have received a reply to the comprehensive proposal that we made eight days ago."

soccer: Fulham's Clint Dempsey became the first American to score 10 goals in an England Premier League season in a 2-1 loss to Everton. Manchester United beat Bolton 1-0.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Favorite role suits Spiders just fine

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Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

DENVER — The program that made its reputation bouncing Charles Barkley and Jim Boeheim was back it again.

Only this time as a favorite.

Slipping into that role every bit as well as they often have as underdogs, the Richmond Spiders defeated No. 13 seed Morehead State 65-48 on Saturday to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1988.

As the better seed and a four-point favorite, the 12th-seeded Spiders were "supposed" to win this one. They did, with ease.

They received 19 points from Justin Harper and turned Eagles big man Kenneth Faried into pretty much a non-factor.

The Spiders (29-7) will play the winner of Kansas-Illinois in the Southwest Region semifinals Friday in San Antonio.

"A lot of teams get (worked up) about where they're seeded," Richmond coach Chris Mooney said. "You can't worry about it too much. In the NCAA Tournament, you're not going to see too many teams get overlooked."

Richmond bottled up Faried by shadowing him with two, sometimes three defenders.

Faried, the leading Division I rebounder in the modern era, finished with 11 points and 13 boards, but it was about as quiet as a double double gets.

"They didn't do anything to me that I haven't seen," Faried said. "We couldn't get in a rhythm. That's a credit to Richmond. That defense is great and it's hard to play against if you've never played against it.

"We played Louisville and were able to come up with the upset. We fell short against Richmond."

The Eagles (25-10) were sent home, but not before tying a school record for wins.

Not that it eases the sting.

"The game will hurt you no matter who you are. Have days like Thursday, you can't explain how good you feel. And then you have days like this, when you can't explain how much it hurts," Morehead coach Donnie Tyndall said.

Transitions Championship: Scott Stallings' impressive ace on No. 8; Webb Simpson's quote of the day

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By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 19, 2011

Shot of the day

Scott Stallings aced the par-3 eighth hole from 214 yards with a 6-iron. It was the second ace on the hole this tournament. Cameron Tringale did it in the first round. It was Stallings' first ace in PGA Tour competition, and he has six overall: "I didn't see it go in, but we heard the crowd. It was awesome."

Quote of the day

"This is what we dream about. This is what we practice for, to have a chance on Sunday."

Webb Simpson, left, who is one shot behind leader Justin Rose

Hole of the day

No. 16

Par 4, 475 yards

It was the toughest hole of the day, as it usually is on the weekend. The dogleg right with water on the right yielded 11 birdies and 13 bogies. There were four double bogeys, and John Rollins had triple bogey.

Track: Admiral Farragut sprinter backs up loud socks

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Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 19, 2011

TAMPA — In a meet featuring roughly 2,000 athletes, Admiral Farragut senior Rayshawn Jenkins managed to distinguish himself in two ways, athletically and aesthetically.

Bedecked in rainbow-striped socks covered with black cheetah prints, Jenkins won the 100-meter hurdles in a personal-best 14.47 seconds at the second annual USF/Steinbrenner Invitational.

"They make fun of me (for the socks)," Jenkins, seated beneath a white tent on USF's campus, said between heavy breaths. "But I can back it up."

Backing up one's words — or wardrobe — was no simple achievement in a marathon meet that organizer and Steinbrenner girls coach Ladd Baldwin said featured 79 schools and more than a dozen heats in some races.

At its hottest, Baldwin said, the 11-plus-hour event had an on-track temperature of 102 degrees.

"It was kind of draining," said Lakewood senior (and Memphis signee) Kala Funderburk, who medaled in two events. "I felt like a lot of burns on my arms and shoulders. I tried to keep putting sun lotion on, trying to stay out of the sun as much as possible."

Like Funderburk, Countryside senior Ricy Brown avoided neither the sun nor spotlight for long stretches.

Pinellas County's standout athlete of the event, Brown ran a personal best 1:55.92 to place second in the boys 800 while also placing fifth in the triple and long jumps.

His performance sparked a collaborative effort for the Cougars boys, who finished second with 48 points, 16 fewer than Hillsborough. Wylan Bernitt (third in the 300 hurdles), Derek Messmore (fourth in the 400), Denzel Thompson (fourth in the triple jump) and the 4x400 relay (second) also excelled.

On the girls side, Funderburk finished second in the 400 to reigning 3A state champ Robin Reynolds of Miami Jackson. She also placed third in the high jump with a personal-best 5 feet 2 inches.

"My shins were bothering me, but I just tried to stick it out," Funderburk said. "I got third mentally more than physically."

Orlando Evans won the girls meet with 56 points. Hillsborough, in fourth with 39, was the bay area's top finisher.

USF/Steinbrenner Invitational

Girls Team Standings (top 10): Orlando Evans 56, Lake Mary 55, Kissimmee Osceola 42, Hillsborough 39, Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 28, Central 28, Miami Jackson 26, Wharton 24.5, Fort Myers 20

Girls Individuals: Discus — Chelsea Gobourne (Sarasota Riverview) 118-3; Shot put — Raqurra Ishmar (Central) 42-8.5; High jump — Tikiera Relaford (Central) 5-8; Long jump — Lloynecia Matthews (Evans) 17-0.5; Triple jump — Dejoun Dennard (Armwood) 34-4.5; Pole vault — Erica Sergeant (Lake Mary) 11-4; 110 hurdles — Ashley Favors (Riverview) 14.27; 100 — Tynia Gaither (Osceola) 11.54; 1600 — Kelli Williams (Mitchell) 5:07.15; 400 — Robin Reynolds (Jackson) 54.21; 800 — Emily Edwards (Fort Myers Canterbury) 2:18.31; 300 hurdles — Narricka Williams (Hillsborough) 44.67; 4x100 relay — Kissimmee Osceola 47.13; 200 — Tynia Gaither (Osceola) 23.17; 3200 — Olivia Ortiz (Lakewood Ranch) 11:21.81; 4x400 relay — Lake Mary 3:54.65

Boys Team Standings (top 10): Hillsborough 64, Countryside 48, Alonso 39, Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley 38, Plant 30, Chamberlain 28, Jesuit 26, Newsome 25, Punta Gorda Charlotte 24, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic 22

Boys Individuals: Discus — Ike Edwards (Jesuit) 167-4; Shot put — Hunter Joyer (Wesley Chapel) 59-3.25; High jump — Gigi Petion (Alonso) 6-6; Long jump — Karee Pitts (Ocoee) 21-6.5; Triple jump — Jeremiah Green (Hillsborough) 45-9; Pole vault — Alex Kazanski (Wiregrass Ranch) 14-6; 4x800 relay — Steinbrenner 8:01.85; 100 hurdles — Rayshawn Jenkins (Admiral Farragut) 14.47; 100 — Defario Phillips (Kissimmee Osceola) 10.64; 1600 — Max del Monte (Chamberlain) 4:18.47; 400 — Franklyn Mosely (Alonso) 49.25); 800 — Otniel Teixeira (Lake Brantley) 1:55.10; 300 hurdles — Evan Jennings (Hillsborough) 38.73); 4x100 relay — Lake Brantley 42.40; 200 — Brandon Holloway (Alonso) 21.47; 3200—Tyler Cardillo (Charlotte) 9:33.99; 4x400 relay — Newsome 3:23.46

Stanford leads by 3 over Lincicome

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Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

PHOENIX — Angela Stanford plays for keeps no matter the stakes.

"It always matters to me," the 33-year-old Texan said Saturday after her second straight 6-under 66 opened a three-stroke lead over Seminole's Brittany Lincicome in the play-for-free LPGA Founders Cup.

"I don't care what's it's for. If you tell me it's official and I have a chance to compete to win something, I'm going to show up."

Instead of paying the players, the tournament honoring the 13 tour founders is donating $1 million to charity, half to the LPGA Foundation and its LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program and half to the top-10 finishers' designated charities.

Stanford is playing for her foundation, which provides scholarships for children from families affected by cancer. The event winner receives $200,000 to donate.

Stanford, who has four victories in 10 full seasons on tour, was at 12-under 132. Lincicome followed her opening 67 with 68 to sit at 9 under. She is playing for the First Tee of St. Petersburg, a golf program for young people.

"I just putted lights out," Lincicome said. "My driver let me down … but my putter saved me."

The three-time tour winner was frustrated by the pace of play in the round that took about 51/2 hours to finish.

"I've never waited that much in my life," she said. "We waited about 20 minutes on every tee shot."

Mindy Kim birdied the first five holes and finished with 67 to reach 8 under, and Cristie Kerr was another stroke back after 68.

Second place is worth $100,000 for the player's charity, third $55,000, fourth $40,000, down to $5,000 for 10th.

Transitions Championship news and notes

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By John C. Cotey, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 19, 2011

Scott Stallings, who had made the cut only once in six other PGA Tour events this season, shot himself into contention with 5-under 66 in the third round of the Transitions Championship on Saturday and was two strokes off the lead at 11-under 202. Stallings got into the tournament the only way he could: a sponsor's exemption. Stallings, 25, was one of 50 players to qualify for the PGA Tour through the Nationwide Tour and Q-school. After tournaments are filled with the past winner and the top 125 from last year's money list, the field is filled with the 50 players such as Stallings based on their ranking. Stallings started at No. 26, which would have gotten him into almost every tournament. But after six events, the PGA Tour shuffles the rankings based on results, and with only one cut made, Stallings dropped to the bottom. A blogger for bnet.com, Stallings wrote of the reshuffling — brutally, he says — and about his struggles. "It's kind of like an extreme performance review that's then posted on the Web for everyone to see — with my earnings right next to it ($0, in case you were wondering)," he wrote. "But that's the nature of this job." Last week, Stallings made his first cut and tied for 42nd at the Puerto Rico Open. He cashed his first PGA check for $11,261 but is in position today for a much bigger payday. "Well, I made money last week, which is nice," he said. "So obviously I'll make something this week, which anything will be better than where I was."

Two in a row?

Nick Watney is lurking.

Watney, who won the WGC-Cadillac Championship last week at Doral, stumbled Friday with 1-over 72 but shot 6-under 65 to sit at 10-under 203 — three back of the lead — heading into the final round.

"I just feel much more fresh (Saturday)," said Watney, right. "(Friday), I don't know, it was just a very flat — I don't know if it was kind of a letdown or tired or what, but just very flat, very sloppy all day."

Watney might have found his second wind on a plate of stuffed peppers. After his 72, he skipped practice and chilled with his wife, who made him dinner.

"It was excellent," he said. "We just kind of took it easy and rested. I think that was the best decision that we could have made."

Sergio's a bogey man

Sergio Garcia couldn't make a bogey the first two days.

On Saturday, he couldn't avoid them.

The only player with a bogey-free tournament heading into the third round made five of them on the way to 1-over 72.

The Spaniard had three bogeys and three birdies on the front nine and two more bogeys (with one birdie) on the back to drop six strokes out of the lead at 7-under 206.

Dunking for Appleby

Stuart Appleby had the worst round of the day, shooting 6-over 77 after opening the tournament with 67-69.

Appleby had problems all day hitting fairways and greens. After bogeying just one hole on the front nine in the first two rounds, he was 1 over on No. 2 and Nos. 4-7.

A couple of double bogeys on the back nine, including a water shot on No. 16, made for a long day.

John C. Cotey can be reached at cotey@sptimes.com.


Buckeye star stops Knights

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Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State coach Jim Foster has usually been able to count on one thing for four years: at least 10 points and 10 rebounds from star post player Jantel Lavender.

Lavender didn't disappoint in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday, scoring 30 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for her 75th career double double to lead the fourth-seeded Buckeyes past pesky No. 13 seed UCF 80-69.

The only four-time Big Ten player of the year, Lavender scored in transition, on medium-range jumpers and on her patented drop-step move on the block. The Buckeyes (23-9) are 60-15 when she hits double digits in points and rebounds in the same game.

"Yeah, that's always important," she said of her two-pronged production. "I know that if I have a double double or if I rebound well and I score, our team really feeds off of that. It's just fun. I guess that is how I measure if I play well."

Lavender tied Oklahoma's Courtney Paris (2006-09) for most career double-figure scoring games in Division I history at 134.

But the Knights (22-11), despite not having a starter taller than 5 feet 10, more than held their own on the boards (a 39-33 advantage) and were not afraid to drive the lane. UCF never backed down from the Big Ten tournament champion, which stretched its winning streak to 10.

But the Conference USA champion Knights knew they couldn't afford to commit two players to guard Lavender.

"We knew that going in that that would be one of the things that we would have to give up to have them play into our game plan," said Ashia Kelly, who matched D'Nay Daniels with 16 points for the Knights. "But (Lavender) did a great job of knocking down shots when she needed to."

The Knights went on a 10-0 run, capped by Chelsie Wiley's 3 and a bucket by Daniels off Gevenia Carter's steal, to cut it to 73-65 with 2:22 left. But the rally faltered when they failed to score over the next two minutes.

"We hung in there and fought," said UCF coach Joi Williams, a former player at USF. "There were times that we could have easily given up."

Ohio State, the fourth seed in the Dayton Region, faces No. 5 seed Georgia Tech in Monday's second round.

GA. TECH 69, BOWLING GREEN 58: Sasha Goodlett scored 19 and the Yellow Jackets (24-10) used relentless pressure to force 25 turnovers in Columbus. "Every time we trapped, they'd look at me," said Alex Montgomery, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets. "It was like they were scared." Lauren Prochaska led the Falcons (28-5) with 19 points.

TENNESSEE 99, STETSON 34: All 13 Volunteers played before halftime and all scored by the final buzzer as the top seed cruised at home in Knoxville, Tenn. Tennessee (32-2) outrebounded the Hatters 63-31 and Stetson (20-13) shot just 18.2 percent (12-for-66) in its second tournament appearance.

MARQUETTE 68, TEXAS 65: Senior guard Tatiyiana McMorris' 3-pointer with 10 seconds left gave Marquette the lead, and ninth-seeded Texas failed to get off a proper shot when Kathleen Nash got stuck in a crowd of defenders as time expired in Knoxville. Angel Robinson scored 19 to lead the eighth-seeded Golden Eagles (24-8). The Longhorns (19-14) led by nine with 12:38 left.

NOTRE DAME 67, UTAH 54: Skylar Diggins and Natalie Novosel scored 20 apiece for the Fighting Irish, the No. 2 seed which held off the host Utes in Salt Lake City. Utah (18-17) led late in the first half and was within five points with eight minutes left, but Notre Dame (27-7) had a 10-2 run to put it out of reach. The Irish held the Utes to 32.7 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers.

TEMPLE 63, ARIZONA ST. 45: The Owls (24-8) shook off a slow start in Salt Lake City to earn their largest victory margin in an NCAA Tournament game. Temple, the No. 10 seed, held the Sun Devils (20-11) to 30.9 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers.

Philadelphia Region

PENN ST. 75, DAYTON 66: Alex Bentley had 25 points and applied pressure on defense to help the host Nittany Lions (25-9) produce 22 turnovers in State College, Pa. Penn State, the sixth seed, ousted the Flyers for a victorious return to the tourney after a six-year absence. Dayton (21-12) trailed by 14 early in the second half but got within a bucket several times late.

DePAUL 56, NAVY 43: Felicia Chester had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Katherine Harry added 10 points and a couple of big second-half buckets in State College, Pa., to help the No. 3 seed Blue Demons (28-6) reach the second round for the first time in five years. Navy (20-12) trailed by three at halftime and led 30-29 early in the second half before DePaul pulled away.

DUKE 90, TENN.-MARTIN 45: Jasmine Thomas scored 18 in Durham, N.C., as the host and No. 2 seed Blue Devils (30-3). Duke won their seventh overall and 24th straight at home. In their NCAA Tournament debut, the Skyhawks (21-11) only trailed 41-31 at halftime but Duke ran off nine straight points to open the second half.

MARIST 74, IOWA ST. 64: Kate Oliver had 16 points for the Red Foxes (31-2), the No. 10 seed, in Durham. Marist led 40-20 and shot 8-of-10 on 3-pointers in the opening half. The Cyclones (22-11) never caught up, though Anna Prins hit a 3 to bring ISU within 60-54 with 4:22 left.

Spokane Region

GONZAGA 92, IOWA 86: Courtney Vandersloot scored a career-high 34 points for the host and No. 11 seed Bulldogs (29-4), who got to play on their home court in Spokane, Wash., also the site of the region semifinals and final. The Hawkeyes (22-9) got within 83-81 with two minutes left but never got back in front.

UCLA 55, MONTANA 47: The third-seeded Bruins (28-4) committed 19 turnovers and shot 42 percent in a sloppy performance in Spokane. The Grizzlies (18-15) got within 47-42 with 3:35 left but couldn't get any closer.

STANFORD 86, UC DAVIS 59: Nnemkadi Ogwumike had 22 points and seven rebounds for the top-seeded and host Cardinal (30-2). Paige Mintun scored 17 for UC Davis (24-9) in the final game for coach Sandy Simpson, who is retiring after 14 seasons.

ST. JOHN'S 55, TEXAS TECH 50: Nadirah McKenith scored 14 for the No. 9 seed Red Storm (22-10) at Stanford. The Red Raiders (22-11) scored a season-low 20 points in the second half.

KENTUCKY 66, HAMPTON 62, OT: Brittany Henderson scored four of her six points in overtime for the Wildcats (25-8), the fourth seed who survived an upset bid by the Pirates (26-7) in Albuquerque, N.M.

N. CAROLINA 82, FRESNO ST. 68: Italee Lucas hit four 3s among her 22 points for the fifth-seeded Tar Heels (26-8) against the Bulldogs (25-8), who led the nation in 3s but hit 14-of-50 from behind the arc in Albuquerque.

Clippers top Cavs after scare in arena

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Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

LOS ANGELES — Some strange things have happened to the Clippers, during and after games in the team's 27 seasons in Los Angeles — but nothing like this.

About 1½ hours before the team's 100-92 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday, Staples Center was in lockdown while police subdued a man wielding a steak knife in front of the Cavs' bench. Both teams were safely tucked away in their dressing rooms during the standoff before the culprit was subdued by a beanbag gun, handcuffed and led away.

The incident did not delay the start of the game, which was followed by an NHL contest between the Kings and Ducks.

"That was crazy, man. There aren't too many knife standoffs in Oklahoma — not that I can remember. So it's a first for me," said Clippers rookie Blake Griffin, a former Sooners forward. "I was sitting in here next to D.J. (DeAndre Jordan), and Randy Foye came in and said: 'Yo, somebody just pulled a knife.' I was like, 'What?' And then they explained the whole thing. We were trapped in here for a while. But both teams had to go through it, so it didn't really put us at a disadvantage."

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro and Cavs coach Byron Scott requested extra time for their teams to warm up but were turned down by the league office.

"We asked for 15 more minutes. In fact, we agreed on it — myself and Vinny — and the NBA said five, which I don't understand," Scott said. "I mean, either give us 15 or don't give us any. What's five minutes going to do? What the hell is that? That didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

"It was a weird day, period," Scott added. "You had things happen throughout the day, but you've just got to kind of put it in the back of your mind and play basketball. And I think both teams did that."

Griffin had 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, helping the Clippers end a nine-game losing streak against the Cavs. Eric Gordon scored 29 in his return to the lineup.

Los Angeles avenged a 126-119 overtime loss at Cleveland on Feb. 11 that snapped the Cavs' NBA-record 26-game losing streak. It was the first time the team with the league's worst record lost to the Clippers since Dec. 3, 2005, at Los Angeles.

"Everybody was executing out there and hitting shots, and defensively we stepped it up a little bit in transition," Griffin said. "Any time Eric's out there, it just opens up the court for everybody. He's such a good scorer, he puts a lot of pressure on teams. So teams have to know where he is at all times."

Gordon, the Clippers' leading scorer, missed 18 games because of a sprained right wrist and small bone fracture that occurred Jan. 22. He sat out the previous six games after aggravating the injury in his second game back.

"I really tried to play with no restrictions," Gordon said. "I tried not to pay attention to it. If it gets knocked or banged, or if I land on the floor wrong like I did the other two times, it is what it is. But I've just got to keep on going out there and playing."

Game highlights: LeBron James scored 33, Dwyane Wade had 32, and the host Heat never trailed during a 103-98 victory over the Nuggets.

Chris Bosh posted a fifth-straight double-double, 18 points and 11 rebounds. But the Heat might have taken a significant hit when starting point guard Mario Chalmers was carried off the floor late in the first quarter with what was preliminarily diagnosed as a sprained right knee.

Around the league: Spurs forward Tim Duncan sat out against the visiting Bobcats, missing a game for the first time this season. Coach Gregg Popovich wanted to rest the perennial All-Star. … All-Star guard Deron Williams (strained right wrist) met with Nets officials to determine whether he'll play the last 15 games.

Heat 103, Nuggets 98

DENVER (98): Chandler 5-15 0-0 12, Martin 2-5 2-2 6, Nene 3-8 4-8 10, Lawson 7-15 1-2 16, Afflalo 0-2 1-2 1, Gallinari 5-12 11-12 23, Smith 11-19 1-2 27, Andersen 0-0 0-0 0, Forbes 1-2 0-0 3, Mozgov 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-78 20-28 98.

MIAMI (103): James 15-25 2-2 33, Bosh 4-9 10-11 18, Dampier 0-0 0-0 0, Chalmers 1-3 0-0 2, Wade 10-20 11-13 32, Magloire 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Jones 0-3 0-0 0, Anthony 1-1 1-2 3, Bibby 5-9 0-0 14, House 0-0 1-1 1. Totals 36-71 25-29 103.

Denver 21 26 24 27— 98

Miami 29 27 23 24— 103

3-Point GoalsDenver 10-24 (Smith 4-9, Chandler 2-4, Gallinari 2-6, Forbes 1-1, Lawson 1-4), Miami 6-20 (Bibby 4-8, Wade 1-3, James 1-4, Chalmers 0-1, Bosh 0-1, Miller 0-1, Jones 0-2). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsDenver 46 (Martin 8), Miami 45 (Bosh 11). AssistsDenver 14 (Lawson 6), Miami 15 (Bosh 6). Total FoulsDenver 19, Miami 22. TechnicalsDenver defensive three second, James, Wade. A19,600 (19,600).

Clippers 100, Cavaliers 92

CLEVELAND (92): Gee 3-5 3-3 9, Samuels 6-9 5-7 17, Hickson 12-18 4-4 28, Sessions 7-13 4-4 18, Parker 1-4 0-0 2, Hollins 0-0 1-2 1, Gibson 4-12 0-0 10, Eyenga 1-6 0-0 2, Harangody 1-5 0-0 2, Harris 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 36-75 17-20 92.

L.A. CLIPPERS (100): Gomes 1-1 0-0 2, Griffin 12-21 6-6 30, Jordan 0-1 0-0 0, Williams 3-6 3-4 11, Gordon 9-20 5-5 29, Kaman 2-9 0-0 4, Aminu 0-1 2-2 2, Bledsoe 3-5 0-0 6, Smith 6-9 0-0 12, Foye 1-4 1-1 4. Totals 37-77 17-18 100.

Cleveland 28 22 28 14— 92

L.A. Clippers 25 29 28 18— 100

3-Point GoalsCleveland 3-15 (Gibson 2-9, Harris 1-1, Eyenga 0-1, Harangody 0-1, Parker 0-3), L.A. Clippers 9-17 (Gordon 6-10, Williams 2-3, Foye 1-2, Aminu 0-1, Griffin 0-1). Fouled OutSamuels. ReboundsCleveland 43 (Hickson 9), L.A. Clippers 40 (Griffin 8). AssistsCleveland 20 (Sessions 7), L.A. Clippers 25 (Griffin 8). Total FoulsCleveland 20, L.A. Clippers 16. TechnicalsSamuels, Cleveland defensive three second 2. A19,060 (19,060).

Aztecs find energy to slip by Owls

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Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

TUCSON, Ariz. — San Diego State couldn't shoot straight most of the night and turned the ball over at the worst of times.

Then, a final burst of athleticism allowed the Aztecs to survive and play again.

Billy White had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Kawhi Leonard sealed San Diego State's exhausting, 71-64 double-overtime victory against Temple with a steal and a dunk in a third-round NCAA Tournament thriller Saturday.

"We were tired, but we knew that we had to win this game," Aztecs point guard D.J. Gay said after playing all 50 minutes. "We just wanted it a little bit more. We just sucked it up."

White hit the go-ahead jumper and Leonard made two free throws as the second-seeded Aztecs (34-2) finally put away the pesky Owls (26-7).

Ramone Moore scored 17 for No. 7 seed Temple, which was coming off a last-second 66-64 victory over Penn State. San Diego State, never an NCAA Tournament winner before this season, advanced to the West Region semifinals against Connecticut on Thursday in Anaheim, Calif.

Chase Tapley matched his career best with four 3-pointers in five attempts, but it was the soaring ability of coach Steve Fisher's team that finally made the difference.

"We're good. We know we're good," Fisher said, "but you have to have a bit of good fortune. And I said to them after the game, we probably had a little bit of that."

San Diego State had six blocks, four by Malcolm Thomas, none bigger than his rejection of Lavoy Allen's inside attempt in the final minute with the Aztecs clinging to a 67-64 lead. For Thomas, a hometown player with San Diego's skyline tattooed on his biceps, it was an atonement for a crucial turnover moments earlier.

"I made a lot of plays that could have cost us the game," he said. "But you know, being an Aztec, we know we can make it up defensively, or try to make it up defensively. That was the mind-set after the turnover."

Leonard, who struggled offensively much of the game, made two free throws with 30.4 seconds left to put San Diego State ahead 69-64, then stole the ball from Khalif Wyatt in Temple's backcourt, racing uncontested for the slam that sent the Aztecs faithful into one last frenzy.

UCONN 69, CINCINNATI 58: Kemba Walker had 33 points to lead the third-seeded Huskies (27-9) in Washington, and the supposedly powerful Big East finally advanced a team to the Sweet 16.

Walker had 16 points over the final 10 minutes as Connecticut ended the game with a 24-13 run.

Rashad Bishop had 22 points for the sixth-seeded Bearcats (26-8).

Cincinnati become the seventh of the Big East's record 11 NCAA Tournament teams to be eliminated. Another one will exit today when Marquette plays Syracuse in the East Region.

The game marked the first time teams from the same conference have met this early.

Peugeot wins 12 Hours of Sebring

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Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

SEBRING — The all-French driving team of Nicolas Lapierre, Loic Duval and Olivier Panis won the 12 Hours of Sebring on Saturday in a Peugeot 908.

Their No. 10 car finished 31.868 seconds ahead of David Brabham, Marino Franchitti and Simon Pagenaud in the season opener for the American Le Mans Series.

The top Le Mans Prototype class, LMP1, swept the top eight spots.

An Oreca driven by Michael Guasch, Jens Petersen and Dane Cameron was ninth, the top LMPC class car. Other class winners: Andy Priaulx, Dirk Mueller and Joey Hand in GT; Scott Tucker, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Luis Diaz in LMP2 and Damien Faulkner, Sebastiaan Bleekemolen and Tim Pappas in GTC.

Kyle Busch keeps dominating Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Kyle Busch continued his march through NASCAR's record books with yet another victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.

His dominating win Saturday was the 46th of his career in the second-tier Nationwide Series, three away tying Mark Martin's record. In leading 266 of 300 laps, Busch became the first driver in series history to lead more than 10,000 laps, with a total of 10,035.

Busch has won the past four NASCAR races at Bristol, dating to August when he had a three-series weekend sweep, a NASCAR first.

Busch said Martin probably texted him immediately after Saturday's Scotts 300, in what has become good-natured ribbing between the two.

"Mark and I have a little fun egging it on," he said. "He told me after Las Vegas (where Martin won) time is on my side, not his side."

Kasey Kahne finished second and followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Tampa's Aric Almirola finished 10th.

Danica Patrick tangled with Ryan Truex on the track, and waited for him to pass by after the accident, arms in the air. Truex wasn't sure what he did wrong, and got affirmation from an unidentified team member over his in-car radio.

"She's never been wrong about anything a day in her life," Truex was told. "I wouldn't worry about it."

Patrick, coming off a career-best finish of fourth at Las Vegas, was in the top 20 at the time of the accident. She finished 33rd in her final race before her IndyCar slate begins. Her next Nationwide start is scheduled for June at Chicago.

"He just runs hard, he's run hard every time I've been around him and it just feels like overkill," she said of Truex.

Tampa Bay Lightning loses to Ottawa Senators 3-2

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 19, 2011

OTTAWA — The Lightning used all the appropriate adjectives after Saturday night's 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators at Scotiabank Place.

"Frustrating," coach Guy Boucher said.

"Disappointing," captain Vinny Lecavalier said.

But perhaps defenseman Victor Hedman said it best: "We sure as hell are (ticked) off."

They should be after fumbling away a two-goal, third-period lead with fewer than eight minutes left, allowing a league-high 13th shorthanded goal and being outworked in the final 20 minutes by a team with the fewest points in the Eastern Conference to lose for the eighth time in 10 games.

Jason Spezza scored the winner with 1:32 left in the extra period with a shot at the end of a breakaway he squeaked through the legs of goaltender Dwayne Roloson.

The loss ended a 1-0-3 road trip in which Tampa Bay (39-22-11) earned five of eight points but Lecavalier called "sour."

It also wiped out 40 minutes of good work in which the Lightning earned a 2-0 lead on goals by Lecavalier and Dana Tyrell, whose shot was saved by goalie Curtis McElhinney but poked in by Senators defenseman Filip Kuba.

The game turned on Ryan Shannon's breakaway shorthanded goal with 7:33 left in the third. Hedman was caught napping as Shannon blew out of the defensive zone and took a perfect pass from Erik Condra.

"When you're leading 2-0 and you're in control of the game and your focus is not on watching guys taking off, that's a lack of awareness, and I can't pardon that," Boucher said. "When you make a play like that, you don't deserve to win."

And when a player makes a play like that, "The guys start to run around," he added.

The Senators, on the other hand, were energized and outshot Tampa Bay 18-10 in the third period.

It didn't help that Lightning stars Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis played one of their worst games of the season, especially when it came to puck possession.

Tyrell, Sean Bergenheim and Dominic Moore overpassed and did not get a shot on a three-on-one. Shortly thereafter, Nick Foligno tied it with 3:55 left on a redirect in front of the net.

"We put ourselves in that situation," Hedman said. "We didn't play for the entire 60 minutes."

It was the Lightning's fifth loss (two in regulation and three in overtime) when leading after two periods. Only six teams have more. It also has been outscored 78-52 in the third.

"Once the playoffs come, those third periods are important," Lecavalier said. "They're all 2-1, 1-0 games, so we have to get better at them."

Very appropriate.

Senators00213
Lightning11002
Senators00213
Lightning11002

First Period1, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 19 (Thompson), 6:32. PenaltiesButler, Ott (hooking), 8:59; Neil, Ott (interference), 11:47.

Second Period2, Tampa Bay, Tyrell 6 (Bergenheim), 7:42. PenaltiesLundin, TB (tripping), 8:14; Brewer, TB (elbowing), 19:45.

Third Period3, Ottawa, Shannon 9 (Condra, Karlsson), 12:27 (sh). 4, Ottawa, Foligno 12 (Z.Smith, Neil), 16:05. PenaltiesSvatos, Ott (boarding), 10:41.

Overtime5, Ottawa, Spezza 16 (Karlsson), 3:28. PenaltiesNone. Shots on GoalTampa Bay 13-9-10-5—37. Ottawa 3-9-18-4—34. Power-play opportunitiesTampa Bay 0 of 3; Ottawa 0 of 2. GoaliesTampa Bay, Roloson 20-22-5 (34 shots-31 saves). Ottawa, McElhinney 9-10-1 (37-35). A18,813 (19,153). T2:30. Referees—Marcus Vinnerborg, Tim Peel. LinesmenPierre Champoux, Derek Nansen.

Report: Anderson to Hogs

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Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

Missouri coach Mike Anderson could be named coach at Arkansas as early as today, but a deal had not been finalized late Saturday, a report on CBSsports.com said.

The website, citing Tulsa, Okla., television station WTUL, said Anderson, a former assistant at Arkansas under Nolan Richardson, would leave the Tigers after five seasons.

Anderson, 111-57 at Missouri, also played for Richardson at Tulsa.

NIT: Northwestern (20-13) reached the third round by beating host Boston College 85-67. John Shurna scored 20 to help lead the Wildcats past the Eagles (21-13). Northwestern will play the winner of Monday night's Oklahoma State-Washington State matchup. … Donavan Monroe scored 16 to lead visiting College of Charleston (26-10) to a 64-56 victory over Cleveland State. Norris Cole had 18 points for the Vikings (27-9).

Division III: John Nance scored 16 to lead St. Thomas (30-3) to a 78-54 win over Wooster (31-3) for its first national title in Salem, Va.

Pitt returns gift in Butler upset win

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Times wires
Saturday, March 19, 2011

WASHINGTON — The players in the Butler locker room celebrated their latest stunning upset in the NCAA Tournament by screaming, exchanging high fives and hugging each other.

Across the arena, Pittsburgh forward Nasir Robinson sat in front of his locker with his shoulders slumped. His voice was barely audible.

"I take the blame, man. I take the blame for the loss," Robinson said of the pivotal play in Butler's 71-70 victory over the top-seeded Panthers on Saturday night.

Matt Howard made one free throw with 0.8 seconds left to cap a wild final sequence that enabled No. 8 seed Butler (25-9) to advance to the Sweet 16 and deal Pittsburgh its latest painful exit from the NCAAs.

Each team had a chance to win it from the free-throw line in the last two seconds. After Butler's Shelvin Mack inexplicably fouled Gilbert Brown near midcourt with 1.4 seconds left, Brown made the first try to tie it.

He missed the second, and Howard was fouled by Robinson while grabbing the rebound — a foul even more unnecessary than the one that preceded it.

"I've been playing basketball my whole life and I know I shouldn't have done that. It was a stupid play," Robinson said. "It wasn't the ref's fault. It was my fault."

Robinson tried to answer another question but got choked up and just shook his head before putting a towel over it.

When Howard grabbed the rebound of Brown's miss, it appeared the game would be going to overtime because the Bulldogs were out of timeouts. Then Robinson stuck his arm into the fray.

"I was really surprised," Howard said. "I felt his arm come across mine, so I just threw the ball to the rim."

Howard made the first shot then intentionally banged the second off the rim.

Soon after that, Butler was rejoicing at midcourt.

John Adams, coordinator of officiating for the NCAA Tournament, told CBS the officials had no choice in calling the fouls in the final seconds.

"They were both fouls," he said. "We have one point of emphasis, it's enforce the rules as written. ... These are fouls and if you don't call them, you penalize the other team."

Mack scored 30 for the Bulldogs (25-9), who used a string of upsets to reach the championship game last year. Butler has won 11 straight overall and is 7-1 in its past eight NCAA Tournament games.

The 30 points were two short of Mack's career high and a Butler tournament record. He went 10-of-16 and made 7 of 12 3-pointers.

Unlike Robinson, he got to laugh about a foul that never should have happened.

"It was the dumbest mistake of my life," he acknowledged.

The Bulldogs face Wisconsin in the Southeast Region semifinals in New Orleans. No matter what happens, it will almost certainly be tame compared to what Butler went through in Washington.

"You win two games by three points, it's going to be pretty crazy," Howard said.

Pittsburgh (28-6) was seeking to reach the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in 10 years. Instead, the Panthers became just another victim of Butler magic.

Pitt has made the NCAA Tournament in 10 straight seasons but never gotten past the Elite Eight. This team loses four seniors, including Brown, center Gary McGhee and guard Brad Wanamaker.

"Anytime we've lost in the tournament, there's been no good losses," coach Jamie Dixon said. "We've just got to keep working harder and keep having great years and keep putting ourselves in a position that we're in."

BYU 89, GONZAGA 67: Jimmer Fredette had 34 points to lift the third-seeded Cougars (32-4) in Denver, sending them to New Orleans for the region semifinals against Florida. It will be BYU's deepest trip in the NCAA Tournament since 1981, when Danny Ainge went coast to coast against Notre Dame for a last-second winner.

Fredette made 7 of 12 3-pointers, and after having trouble getting shots over Gonzaga's tough defense in the first half, he found his rhythm in the second.

He opened the half by pulling up from 5 feet beyond the upper-right part of the 3-point arc and swishing the shot. That triggered an 11-2 run that put BYU up 56-40.

The Bulldogs (25-10) pulled within eight, but with 8:58 left, Fredette made a shot from the same spot as part of a 12-0 run that expanded the lead to 20.

WIS. 70, KANSAS ST. 65: Jordan Taylor hit two big free throws and blocked Jacob Pullen's 3-point attempt in the closing seconds to overcome a rough shooting night, lifting the fourth-seeded Badgers (25-8) past the fifth-seeded Wildcats (23-11) in Tucson, Ariz.

Taylor shot 2-of-16 but came up with the biggest play of the game, swatting Pullen's tying attempt in the final seconds with Wisconsin up three.

Josh Gasser then hit two free throws to seal it.

Wild finish

With Pittsburgh leading 69-68, the last 10 seconds turned frantic:

9.2 Pitt shot clock violation

7.1 Butler, then Pitt timeouts

2.2 Andrew Smith layup, Butler leads 70-69

1.4 Foul on Butler's Shelvin Mack

1.4 Gilbert Brown free throw, tied

1.4 Brown misses, Matt Howard defensive rebound

0.8 Foul on Pitt's Nasir Robinson

0.8 Howard makes free throw, Butler leads 71-70

0.8 Howard misses free throw intentionally

0.2 Brad Wanamaker defensive rebound, no shot. Butler wins, 71-70


Baseball: Jefferson, Newsome reach Saladino final

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By Travis Puterbaugh, Times Correspondent
Saturday, March 19, 2011

BRANDON — Alonso came within a few feet of a remarkable comeback against Jefferson in Saturday's semifinals of the Saladino Tournament.

But Andre Davis caught Chris Mejia's drive at the warning track in the sixth, which helped Jefferson hold on for an 8-5 victory at Brandon High.

The Dragons face Newsome, a 6-2 winner over Armwood, in Monday's final.

Trailing by three runs with two outs and two on in the bottom of the sixth, Mejia battled Jefferson reliever Andy Vasquez for nine pitches. He ultimately crushed a full-count pitch that fell just shy of tying the score.

"At our field, it probably would have been gone," Davis said. "But out here, centerfield is pretty deep."

Alonso played from behind for the entire game as Jefferson put four runs on the board in the third to add to its 1-0 lead. Corbin Olmstead hit a three-run double, and Pete Cordero added an RBI single to stake the Dragons to a 5-0 advantage.

Jefferson took an 8-1 lead behind Steven Negron's two-run single in the fourth. Then Alonso rallied for three runs in the sixth, including Tino Mention's RBI single.

In the other semifinal, Newsome took a 5-0 lead in the third. Jake Jones' double scored Alex Parker and Vince Pennington. Erik Dowse followed with a two-run homer, and Michael Farley added an RBI single to give Newsome a five-run lead.

Armwood cut the lead to three with a two-run fifth behind an Eric Striker RBI triple and Jordan Fameree run-scoring single.

Tyler Packanik added an RBI single in the sixth for Newsome to make the score 6-2, and Armwood went down quietly in the sixth and seventh innings against reliever Ryan Tauscher.

In his first start of the season for the Wolves, junior Billy Mulcahy pitched solidly, scattering four hits over 41/3 innings.

In Friday's quarterfinals, Newsome ended Gaither's seven-game win streak with a 1-0 victory. Saturday's win moved it above .500 at 6-5.

"A lot of people had written off Newsome," coach William Highsmith said. "But we've worked these kids hard, and now it is paying off."

Gary Woodland wins the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook for his first PGA Tour victory

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By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 20, 2011

PALM HARBOR — So much for experience.

The final round of the Transitions Championship came down to a back-nine battle among three winless 20-somethings with seven years of PGA Tour experience combined.

While nerves played a role, no player was more steady than Gary Woodland.

Woodland drained 17 straight putts from 20 feet or shorter Sunday, including a 10-foot par putt on the 18th hole, to finish at 15-under 269 for a one-shot victory over Webb Simpson, 25. Tour rookie Scott Stallings, 25, finished three back alone in third.

Woodland, 26, shot his third 4-under 67 for the tournament. He earned $990,000 for his first PGA Tour win, roughly $700,000 more than he has earned in two previous years on tour. He has been hot so far this year, with a playoff loss at the Bob Hope Classic and two other top-10 finishes.

"I didn't putt very well at the Bob Hope when I lost," Woodland said. "That's kind of what held me back. I've had three top sixes coming into this week, but I didn't putt well on Sunday. (Sunday), that's what won the tournament."

Woodland entered the final round two shots behind Justin Rose and one behind Simpson and Brendon de Jonge. De Jonge (73) was in striking distance during the round but faded with four bogeys on the back nine.

Woodland started with birdie and added another on the par-5 fifth hole. Then things got interesting on the back nine. He had four birdies and three bogeys when he reached the par-3 17th. He stuck his shot 16 feet from the pin and drained the birdie putt.

The 18th hole was an adventure.

After a perfect drive, Woodland sent his pitching wedge from 148 yards sailing to the back of the green. That left him with a 66-foot downhill putt, which he ran 10 feet past. But he calmly sank the putt to remain tied with Simpson at 15 under.

"I tried to hit it in the back of the hole, and fortunately it went in," Woodland said.

Playing in the group behind Woodland, Simpson sprayed his tee shot into the left fairway bunker. His pitching wedge went to the back fringe and left him with an 80-foot chip. His shot sped 24 feet past the hole, and he missed the par putt. It was his only bogey on No. 18 in four rounds.

"I should've focused a little more," said Simpson (69). "It's one of the few bad putts I hit all week. I just pulled it."

Stallings (70), playing on a sponsor's exemption, was in the hunt after birdies on 14 and 15 put him a shot out of the lead. But his drive faded into the lake on 16, and he took double bogey.

"I hit a really good shot on 16," Stallings said. "It started where I wanted it to end. That's what kind of stinks about going first; you really don't know what the wind is going to do."

With his win, Woodland earns a two-year exemption on tour and gets an invitation to this year's Masters. He joins Carl Pettersson (2005) as the only players to make the Transitions Championship a first win. And he is the second-youngest winner (Sean O'Hair was 25 in 2008). His 15 under total is the lowest winning score since the tournament was moved to the spring in 2007.

It is only the second time Woodland has won as a professional. The other victory came at the High Plains Pro-Am in 2008 in Garden City, Kan.

Woodland believes his breakthrough at Innisbrook is just the beginning of his promising career.

"We're just at the tip of the iceberg right now," Woodland said. "I'm not anywhere near where I want to be."

Captain's Corner: As bait schools arrive, mackerel influx nears

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By Brent Gaskill, Times Correspondent
Sunday, March 20, 2011

Bait alert: Baitfish are entering the bay and showing up on grass flats near the passes. Carry cast nets of varied mesh sizes to ensure the capture of these baits without gilling them. The most popular net mesh size for our area is 3/8 inches, and if you are throwing around bridges or other structure have a backup on board. Alternate nets should include a smaller 1/4-inch mesh for tiny baits in the shallows and a larger 1/2-inch mesh for big baits in deeper water.

Coming attractions: A few Spanish mackerel and king mackerel have made early appearances, but the massive schools have not arrived yet. These migratory fish are following bait stacks and water temperatures that are hedging toward that perfect mark of 72 degrees.

Tip: Both of these mackerel have teeth that are capable of slicing through typical monofilament leader material. For this reason, some anglers resort to long-shank hooks to help provide protection from cut-offs. A better solution is to use a short section of light wire ahead of the hook. The secret is to tie several rigs at home before fishing to avoid trying to tie the wire while bouncing around in the boat.

Brent Gaskill runs Summer Vacation Charters out of the St. Petersburg area and can be reached at capt brent@summervacationcharters.com or (727)510-1009.

Five goals for Florida State Seminoles heading into spring football practice

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Times staff
Sunday, March 20, 2011

Florida State spring football practice starts today with 15 workouts leading up to the April 16 spring game. The Seminoles return eight starters on offense and nine on defense.

Five goals for coach Jimbo Fisher and the program:

1. Put QB EJ Manuel in command

The Seminoles are EJ Manuel's team, and he must become the leader. He has started six games the past two seasons and played the majority of the Chick-fil-A Bowl victory against South Carolina. In his first full spring, the redshirt sophomore needs to solidify his command of the team. He sustained a hand injury two years ago in the first spring practice, and missed all of last spring after recovering from shoulder surgery. It's time for Manuel to become a star.

2. Develop a backup QB

Will Secord is approaching his third year in the program and Clint Trickett his second. Developing quality depth behind EJ Manuel will be key. Florida State has had capable backup quarterbacks for years. That will be an issue heading into 2011.

3. Patch the line

The Seminoles must replace Rodney Hudson and Ryan McMahon, two four-year starters on the offensive line. Jacob Fahrenkrug will be a key building block in the mission. The junior college transfer from North Dakota State is 6 feet 4, 315 pounds and was rated the top junior college offensive line prospect in the nation.

4. Get healthy

Several Seminoles — including starters OT Andrew Datko, OL Zebrie Sanders and DT Jacobbi McDaniel and CB Xavier Rhodes, S Nick Moody and P Shawn Powell — will miss spring practice because of surgeries or injuries.

5. Fill in the linebackers

The two open spots on FSU's defense are at linebacker. Christian Jones, Jeff Luc, Telvin Smith and Vince Williams will battle seeking the spots.

Information from the Orlando Sentinel was used in this report.

Dr. Remote: What to watch on March 21

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By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 20, 2011

Tampa Bay Rays Season Preview: 6:30 p.m. on FSN. Todd Kalas hosts with analysis from Brian Anderson and reporting from Angela Jacobs.

30 Clubs in 30 Days: 10 p.m. on MLB Network. The spring training tour stops to preview the 2011 Boston Red Sox.

Sports Connection: 11 p.m. on BHSN (Ch. 47). Former USF basketball star Charlie Bradley is in studio to talk about the NCAA Tournament.

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