Times wires
Sunday, January 8, 2012

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The Penn State crowd collectively gasped after the 3-pointer left Indiana guard Matt Roth's hands.

The way the Hoosiers were shooting from long range all game, it was as if the fans knew the basket would be good before the ball even sailed through the hoop.

Roth and backcourt mate Jordan Hulls combined to hit 12 of No. 12 Indiana's season-high 16 3-pointers to help the Hoosiers snap a 16-game Big Ten road losing streak and hold on for an 88-82 victory over the Nittany Lions on Sunday.

"It's a testament to how well we moved the ball," Roth said. "We had a lot of inside-out stuff to get us started. That's always nice to get that shot when you're shooting 3s and it's coming from the middle."

Whether they were spotting up from the top of the key, the wings or the corners, the shots fell at a blistering 66 percent clip (16-of-24). Hulls had a career-high 28 points, and Roth, who made 5 of 6 3-pointers, finished with 22.

Cheered on by a healthy sprinkling of fans wearing Indiana red, the Hoosiers (15-1, 3-1 Big Ten) won a regular-season road conference game for the first time since a 67-61 win at Penn State on Jan. 21, 2010.

NO. 16 MICH. 59, NO. 18 WIS. 41: Tim Hardaway Jr. had 17 points as the host Wolverines (13-3, 3-1 Big Ten) snapped a 10-game skid against the Badgers (12-5, 1-3), who have lost three straight.

ARIZONA ST.: Sophomore guard Keala King, the team's leading scorer, left the program after being suspended for "unacceptable conduct."

Women

FSU 75, VA. TECH 40: Natasha Howard had 12 of her 16 points in the first 10 minutes, and the visiting Seminoles (10-7, 2-1 ACC) took a 30-4 lead.

S. CAROLINA 49, UF 44: The visiting Gamecocks used an 18-2 run to go up 31-14 in the first half and held off a late rally by the Gators (11-5, 1-2 SEC).

NO. 5 Maryland. 78, NO. 25 UNC 72, OT: Tianna Hawkins put back a missed free throw with 1:49 left in overtime to give the visiting Terrapins (16-0, 3-0 ACC) the lead for good against the Tar Heels (12-3, 2-1).

NO. 6 TENN. 69, ARKANSAS 38: Glory Johnson had 15 points and 14 rebounds for the visiting Volunteers (12-3, 3-0), who won their 36th straight SEC game.

NO. 7 DUKE 83, N.C. STATE 59: Richa Jackson scored a career-high 21 to lead five players in double figures for the host Blue Devils (12-2, 3-0 ACC).

NO. 9 TEXAS A&M 75, OKLAHOMA 58: Tyra White had 20 points for the host Aggies (10-3, 1-1 Big 12), who pulled away with a late 8-1 run.

NO. 11 KY. 88, MISS. ST. 40: Keyla Snowden scored 22 for the host Wildcats (14-2, 3-0), who set a school record for margin of victory in SEC play.

ST. JOHN'S 72, NO. 14 L'VILLE 64: Eugeneia McPherson had 16 points for the Red Storm, who won their ninth straight at home and snapped a six-game winning streak by the Cardinals (13-3, 2-1 Big East).

NO. 16 GEORGIA 70, AUBURN 45: Jasmine James and Jasmine Hassell scored 14 each for the visiting Bulldogs (13-3, 2-1 SEC), who forced 30 turnovers and had a 47-35 rebounding edge.

NO. 19 NEBRASKA 77, IOWA 72: Lindsey Moore had 22 points and nine assists for the visiting Cornhuskers (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten), who rallied with a late 12-2 run.

NO. 21 DELAWARE 66, GEORGE MASON 54: NCAA scoring leader Elena Delle Donne had 40 points and 15 rebounds for the visiting Blue Hens (12-1, 3-0 CAA).

NO. 24 VANDY 68, OLE MISS 52: Tiffany Clarke matched a season high with 19 points and had 10 rebounds for the host Commodores (13-2, 1-1 SEC).

NO. 20 DEPAUL: Senior forward Keisha Hampton is out for the season after having exploratory right knee surgery.

Times wires
Sunday, January 8, 2012

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — All the missing pieces — defense and a running game — are aligning at the right time for Eli Manning and the Giants. And just in time to play the Packers.

After routing the Falcons 24-2 Sunday in an NFC wild-card game, New York heads to Green Bay this weekend, a place where it will need all the help it can get.

Manning carried the Giants for much of the season, hoping the defense would get stingy, the pass rush would materialize and the running game would get on track. Now, all that is happening.

"A great mix of run and pass and these guys have a great understanding of what our offense is," the quarterback said. "If we can get that run game going like we did in the second half, that opens up a lot of windows."

And if the defense remains impenetrable, watch out.

"If we can play defense like that, we will continue to make ourselves heard in this tournament," coach Tom Coughlin said.

Manning punctuated his best season by throwing for three touchdowns and scrambling for a 14-yard gain that woke up New York's offense in its first postseason victory since its Super Bowl upset of New England four years ago. Next is the defending champion Packers, who won here 38-35 in December.

"We know they are a good team," Manning said. "We played them tough here, did some good things here, we scored some points. We know offensively we are going to have to play strong, score some points."

The team that couldn't run the ball will be sprinting there, bringing along a defense the Packers actually might fear. Not to mention the passing offense led by Manning, who hooked up on a 72-yard catch and run by Hakeem Nicks in the third quarter that put away the Falcons.

The Giants' last postseason trip to frigid Lambeau Field was a 23-20 overtime victory for the NFC championship two weeks before they upset the Patriots.

"Cold, I remember that. I remember Coach Coughlin's face. I remember (tackle) David Diehl sweating and it froze on his hair, and he had icicles on his hair," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "And I remember us winning.

"Hopefully, we can go back there and do it again."

The tempo in the first playoff game at MetLife Stadium was set by New York's defense and the league's lowest-ranked rushing game, which had a season-high 172 yards. The Giants averaged 5.5 yards a carry, 2 more than in the regular season.

Meanwhile, the defense held Michael Turner to 41 yards on 15 carries. Osi Umenyiora sacked Matt Ryan with just more than a minute left to provide a fitting coda, and the secondary held receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones to 116 yards combined.

It's a unit that has a renewed swagger heading to Green Bay.

"We're not any slouches," Umenyiora said. "We're going to go out there and we're going to try to hit them in the mouth, and we'll see what happens."

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 8, 2012

tom jones' two cents

Tampa Bay Times staff writer Tom Jones offers up the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.

Best line

Some are still trying to make a case that Saints quarterback Drew Brees is the NFL MVP this season instead of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Brees set the all-time passing yards record for a season (5,476, 468-of-657), but that's because he threw 155 more times than Rodgers (4,643, 343-of-502). When it comes to passing yards, a more accurate gauge probably is yards per attempt. Rodgers' average was 9.2, almost a full yard more than Brees' 8.3. • Brees threw 14 interceptions and had one fumble. Rodgers had six and zero, and of the six INTs, three hit Packers receivers in the hands before the interception. Rodgers set an NFL record with a 122.46 QB rating. Brees had 110.6. • As New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica said on Sunday's Sports Reporters on ESPN2, "If you don't think (Rodgers) is the MVP, you have a head made of real cheese.''

Best weekend

Here's what made this weekend so great for NFL fans, specifically those of us who love watching the NFL on television: We had a chance to see the best of all the networks in 24 hours.

With NBC carrying two games Saturday and Fox and CBS each handling a game Sunday, we were able to watch each network's No. 1 announcing team.

Saturday's late game on NBC, Lions-Saints, was called by Al Michaels and Cris Collins­worth. Sunday, it was Joe Buck and Troy Aikman handling the Falcons-Giants on Fox and Jim Nantz and Phil Simms doing the Steelers-Broncos on CBS.

I've always said a broadcaster's quality is in the ear of the beholders. Liking or disliking one is no more of a choice than choosing to like or dislike spaghetti, for instance, or opera. You either like it or you don't. You really don't have a choice in the matter.

So who I like: Michaels and Collinsworth. They are the best, individually and as a team. I also enjoy Buck and Aikman. I'm not a fan of Nantz and Simms, though they brought their A game Sunday and might have had the best weekend of anyone on TV.

Why do I like Michaels and Collinsworth, and Buck and Aikman? I could go through a bunch of reasons, including their preparedness, their humor, their instincts and their professionalism.

But in the end, the answer is simple: I just do.

Biggest switch

You can't get any better these days on college football than Brent Musburger, top left, and Kirk Herbstreit, and based on their history, they should do an outstanding job calling tonight's BCS title game. But won't it be strange watching LSU and Alabama and not hearing CBS's SEC tandem of Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson? Seems like Lundquist and Danielson should at least get to call a quarter.

Best welcome change

This college bowl season, we've seen final scores of 67-56, 42-41, 45-38, 41-38 and 70-33. On too many occasions because of all the scoring, it has felt like we've been watching a video game. Scoring has become so prevalent that it has become somewhat boring. That is why I'm stunned so many people complained that LSU's touchdown-less 9-6 overtime victory against Alabama in the regular season was boring and we might have to watch a rerun of it tonight in the BCS title game.

I think the teams will combine to score way more than 15 points tonight. Then again, I'd rather watch another 9-6 game than some goofy Arena-like 67-56 game.

Most diverse

CBS did a cool thing Saturday, featuring women's college basketball during the afternoon instead of the men. No marquee men's games were scheduled anyway, so CBS showed a doubleheader of Michigan State-Penn State and UConn-Notre Dame.

It turned out to be a good move. UConn and Notre Dame hooked up for a thrilling overtime game won by the Irish 74-67.

Least missing

Did you notice that CBS did not use a sideline reporter for Sunday's Broncos-Steelers game? And now that you know CBS didn't use a sideline reporter, did you miss it?

Least drama

Originally, I thought the most interesting parts of these televised high school all-star football games were when selected players announced live where they were going to college. Then I realized I didn't know any of the players and had no idea if it was a big deal that so-and-so was going to Clemson instead of Georgia or South Carolina.

I think it's a little out of whack to make a big deal of a bunch of kids choosing their colleges on national television, especially because many of the kids won't pan out as college players. But in the end, I'm not so much offended by it as I am bored.

Best rebound

I've railed consistently this season against the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show, mostly because the goofball behavior on it has been a distraction. Sunday, however, it seemed like a subdued crew. There were no shenanigans and less than usual laughter over inside jokes and not-so-funny or inaudible putdowns. The result was a rather enjoyable, informative show. Also stepping up was reporter Pam Oliver, left, with her feature on the Falcons. Normally Oliver's features are more about Oliver than the player or team she is profiling. But this one was less about Oliver and more about the Falcons. That summed up the day. The show was less about Fox's personalities and more about football. Hmm, maybe there's a lesson there.

Three things that popped into my head

1. The way things are going, Eli Manning might end up being considered a better quarterback than his brother Peyton. At least in the playoffs.

2. Speaking of quarterbacks, the Falcons' Matt Ryan should no longer be referred to as "Matty Ice'' until he wins a playoff game — unless the name is being used ironically or sarcastically.

3. What I'm tired of: hearing how the injury to defenseman Mattias Ohlund has affected the Lightning. He's on the back end of his career, and even if he were healthy, he would be like the Lightning's fourth-best defenseman. When did he suddenly become Larry Robinson?

Times wires
Sunday, January 8, 2012

DENVER — After rallying to force overtime in Sunday's wild-card game, QB Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers were just waiting for their defense to stop the Broncos on the first drive and get the ball back.

It didn't happen.

The next time Roethlisberger stepped onto the field was to congratulate Denver, which scored on an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play to win 29-23.

"Any loss stinks for me, and this is no different," Roethlisberger said. "It's a frustrating thing."

"He won. That's all that matters," S Troy Polamalu said of Broncos QB Tim Tebow. "They won, I should say. They'll be able to play New England next week."

Denver took advantage of a blown coverage on the final play. WR Demaryius Thomas caught a play-action pass ("I know I bit on the run fake,'' LB James Farrior said) at the Denver 38, stiff-armed CB Ike Taylor and outraced S Ryan Mundy to the end zone.

"I felt like I probably could have helped Ike out," said Mundy, who was filling in for Ryan Clark as the team's leading tackler sat out as a precaution because of a blood disorder that's exacerbated by altitude. "This game wasn't on Ike."

Roethlisberger talked with Taylor but kept most details private: "I told him I loved him." Taylor did not talk to the media.

"To go 12-4 and for it to come down to (an) overtime loss the way we did — this one will stick with some of the worst games we ever lost," WR Hines Ward said.

Notable: Steelers RB Isaac Redman, filling in for starter Rashard Mendenhall (knee), finished with 121 yards rushing. Pittsburgh had other injury issues, including Roethlisberger (ankle), and All-Pro C Maurkice Pouncey (inactive, ankle), but coach Mike Tomlin downplayed that: "We don't live in that world. We don't make excuses in regards to injuries. The guys we put on the field were capable of doing the job, and the reason we didn't do the job is because we didn't perform.". … Eric Decker, the Broncos' leading receiver, was lost to a left knee injury in the second quarter on a low hit by LB James Harrison. … Farrior on Tebow's improved play: "It was a little surprising. But I guess he's been working hard.

Times wires
Sunday, January 8, 2012

KAPALUA, Hawaii — Steve Stricker finished the third round of the Tournament of Champions the way he started, with a five-shot lead.

Only it wasn't easy.

Stricker watched his lead dwindle to a single shot on the back nine Sunday before running off four straight birdies on his last four holes for 4-under 69 and a big lead going into the final round of the PGA Tour season opener.

He was at 19-under 200, five shots clear of defending champion Jonathan Byrd (67), Martin Laird (67) and Webb Simpson, who also had 69 while playing in the final group with Stricker.

Stricker, after a two-putt birdie on the 15th, chipped in for birdie on the 16th hole, then knocked in short birdie putts on the last two holes. Through three rounds, Stricker is 13 under on the five closing holes at the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

"I wasn't making any birdies, and it seemed like everybody else was," Stricker said of his play Sunday. "I knew it was going to be tough.

"When you're leading a golf tournament, it's just hard to keep that momentum. When you're not making birdies, you feel like you're letting things slip away. I felt everyone was coming after me, and I was coming back to the pack."

Simpson had a 30-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole for a share of the lead. He missed. Jonathan Byrd had a 4-foot birdie putt on the 16th for a share of the lead. He missed.

"(I) really had a great chance on the last three holes to finish a little bit better," Byrd said, "kind of finish the way kind of Stricker has, and maybe be two shots back or so, but … oh, well.

"(Stricker is) a tough guy to catch. But I don't think any lead is too much."

Tournament organizers decided this year to push the start of the 72-hole stroke-play event back a day, to Friday, so the finish would not bump up against the NFL playoff games on Sunday. The final round is today.

The tournament for the winners of last year's PGA Tour events and the four majors has 27 players, the fewest since the event moved to Kapalua in 1999.

European: Louis Oosthuizen holed a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 17 to top Tjaart van der Walt and defend his title at the Africa Open at East London, South Africa. The 2010 British Open champion beat Van der Walt by two shots after closing with 6-under 67 for 27-under 265 at the season-opening event. Van der Walt shot 69 to finish one shot ahead of Retief Goosen (69).

Sunday, January 8, 2012

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Magic learned Sunday what life would be like without Dwight Howard. But it also learned what Glen Davis can do for it.

Early foul trouble limited Howard to sporadic playing time during the first three quarters, but Davis helped propel the Magic to a 104-97 win over the Kings.

Davis, playing center in Howard's absence, scored 20, collected eight rebounds and drew key fouls against DeMarcus Cousins that put the Kings center on the bench for much of the second half. Davis consistently hit jumpers from the perimeter and used his muscle to score inside. He shot 8-of-13 and had two assists in 28 minutes.

Jason Richardson finished with a team-high 22 points, and Ryan Anderson had 19, including a 3-pointer that put Orlando up 100-92 late.

Just how strange was the game? Consider that Howard did not attempt a shot and did not collect a rebound during the first three quarters. He got his first rebound with 8:14 left in the fourth and made his first basket on his first shot attempt with 6:35 left. But it was an important score. He made a layup as he was fouled by Jason Thompson to put Orlando up by one then made the free throw to give the Magic an 87-85 lead.

"I got Dwight a lot of rest in the first half. That was a (good) coaching move," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said.

Although Howard, who finished with five points and four rebounds, would have preferred playing with foul trouble, he said he understood Van Gundy's move.

"He would rather have me sitting than in the game and having to be tentative," Howard said.

Davis came into the game for Howard and quickly drew two personals on Cousins, which deprived the Kings of their most talented player.

Game highlights: Kevin Durant had 21 points and 10 rebounds and the host Thunder became the first NBA team to win three games on consecutive nights this season by beating the Spurs 108-96. Durant needed three more assists to record his first career triple double but instead sat out the entire fourth quarter. … Kevin Love had 20 points and 16 rebounds, Ricky Rubio had 13 points and a career-high 14 assists, and the visiting Timberwolves ended a two-game skid with a 93-72 victory over the 0-8 Wizards. … Steve Nash had 17 assists and 10 points in a 109-93 victory as the Suns beat the Bucks in Phoenix for the 24th straight time, the NBA's second-longest active streak behind San Antonio's 27 wins in a row at home over Golden State.

Magic 104, Kings 97

ORLANDO (104): Turkoglu 4-11 1-2 11, Anderson 5-16 6-8 19, Howard 1-2 3-5 5, Nelson 2-6 1-2 5, J.Richardson 9-16 1-2 22, Davis 8-13 4-7 20, Redick 2-9 1-1 6, Clark 1-3 0-0 2, Wafer 4-7 3-4 12, Duhon 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 37-87 20-31 104.

SACRAMENTO (97): Salmons 4-8 0-0 8, Hickson 5-7 4-6 14, Cousins 6-8 4-6 16, Evans 10-16 8-10 28, Thornton 5-16 0-0 13, Thompson 4-5 2-2 10, Fredette 1-3 0-0 2, Outlaw 3-6 0-0 6, Garcia 0-1 0-0 0, Greene 0-3 0-0 0, Thomas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 38-73 18-24 97.

Orlando 19 30 32 23— 104

Sacramento 21 26 32 18— 97

3-Point Goals—Orlando 10-32 (J.Richardson 3-6, Anderson 3-11, Turkoglu 2-7, Wafer 1-2, Redick 1-3, Duhon 0-3), Sac 3-20 (Thornton 3-9, Garcia 0-1, Evans 0-1, Outlaw 0-2, Fredette 0-2, Greene 0-2, Salmons 0-3). Fouled Out—Thornton. Rebounds—Orlando 54 (Anderson 11), Sac 48 (Hickson 11). Assists—Orlando 24 (Nelson 6), Sac 16 (Evans 8). Total Fouls—Orlando 20, Sac 24. Technicals—Howard, Turkoglu, Sacramento defensive three second. A—14,150.

Thunder 108, Spurs 96

SAN ANTONIO (96): Jefferson 4-8 2-4 13, Duncan 5-13 1-2 11, Blair 3-5 1-3 7, Parker 1-8 2-2 4, Neal 7-12 2-2 18, Green 2-7 0-0 6, Splitter 3-5 4-4 10, Leonard 6-10 1-1 13, Bonner 1-3 0-0 2, Ford 1-5 4-5 6, Anderson 2-7 0-0 4, Diogu 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 35-84 19-25 96.

OKLAHOMA CITY (108): Durant 5-9 10-10 21, Ibaka 4-6 2-3 10, Perkins 1-4 0-0 2, Westbrook 5-13 2-2 13, Sefolosha 3-5 1-1 9, Collison 6-7 0-0 12, Harden 6-11 6-9 20, Jackson 4-9 2-2 11, Cook 0-4 0-0 0, Mohammed 0-1 0-0 0, Hayward 0-1 2-2 2, Aldrich 3-3 0-0 6, Ivey 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 38-75 25-29 108.

San Antonio 22 26 21 27— 96

Oklahoma City 24 30 37 17— 108

3-Point Goals—San Antonio 7-12 (Jefferson 3-4, Green 2-2, Neal 2-3, Bonner 0-1, Anderson 0-2), Okl City 7-19 (Sefolosha 2-2, Harden 2-5, Durant 1-1, Jackson 1-3, Westbrook 1-3, Hayward 0-1, Ivey 0-1, Cook 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—San Antonio 45 (Leonard 10), Okl City 51 (Durant, Collison 10). Assists—San Antonio 20 (Parker 7), Okl City 25 (Durant 7). Total Fouls—San Antonio 22, Okl City 19. Technicals—Blair, Perkins. A—18,203.

Timberwolves 93, Wizards 72

MINNESOTA (93): Johnson 2-8 1-2 5, Love 7-16 5-7 20, Milicic 1-4 0-0 2, Ridnour 6-10 0-0 13, Ellington 5-8 1-2 13, Rubio 5-14 2-2 13, Williams 5-12 0-0 14, Tolliver 4-6 2-2 11, Randolph 1-1 0-0 2, Pekovic 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 36-80 11-15 93.

WASHINGTON (72): Singleton 1-8 1-2 3, Blatche 5-16 0-0 10, McGee 3-9 2-3 8, Wall 3-10 4-4 10, Young 6-16 0-0 14, Booker 7-9 0-2 14, Seraphin 0-1 0-0 0, Vesely 1-1 0-2 2, Crawford 3-11 2-3 8, Mason 1-4 0-0 3, Mack 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 30-87 9-16 72.

Minnesota 20 28 27 18— 93

Washington 17 17 26 12— 72

3-Point Goals—Minnesota 10-26 (Williams 4-7, Ellington 2-3, Rubio 1-2, Tolliver 1-2, Ridnour 1-4, Love 1-4, Johnson 0-4), Washington 3-10 (Young 2-3, Mason 1-2, Wall 0-1, Singleton 0-2, Crawford 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Minnesota 58 (Love 16), Washington 54 (Blatche, McGee 9). Assists—Minnesota 22 (Rubio 14), Washington 15 (Wall 6). Total Fouls—Minnesota 18, Washington 17. Technicals—Booker. Flagrant Fouls—Singleton. A—13,095.

Suns 109, Bucks 93

MILWAUKEE (93): Jackson 3-7 1-2 8, Ilyasova 4-12 2-4 11, Gooden 3-12 2-2 8, Jennings 2-7 1-1 5, Delfino 4-8 0-0 9, Leuer 4-9 3-4 11, Livingston 6-9 0-0 12, Harris 4-8 7-10 15, Sanders 4-7 0-0 8, Hobson 2-5 0-0 4, Brockman 1-2 0-1 2. Totals 37-86 16-24 93.

PHOENIX (109): Hill 6-11 1-1 14, Frye 6-7 0-0 16, Gortat 9-10 0-0 18, Nash 5-7 0-0 10, Dudley 5-10 0-0 11, Brown 2-8 10-12 14, Morris 5-10 0-0 13, Warrick 1-3 2-4 4, Lopez 1-4 0-0 2, Price 2-3 0-0 4, Telfair 1-4 0-0 3, Childress 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 43-77 13-17 109.

Milwaukee 25 22 19 27— 93

Phoenix 30 27 34 18— 109

3-Point Goals—Milwaukee 3-15 (Jackson 1-2, Ilyasova 1-3, Delfino 1-4, Harris 0-1, Gooden 0-1, Hobson 0-2, Jennings 0-2), Phoenix 10-22 (Frye 4-4, Morris 3-4, Telfair 1-1, Hill 1-3, Dudley 1-4, Warrick 0-1, Nash 0-1, Price 0-1, Brown 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Milwaukee 52 (Ilyasova 8), Phoenix 43 (Morris 10). Assists—Milwaukee 23 (Livingston, Jennings 4), Phoenix 30 (Nash 17). Total Fouls—Milwaukee 13, Phoenix 20. Technicals—Milwaukee defensive three second, Phoenix defensive three second. A—13,420.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Times wires
Sunday, January 8, 2012

CHICAGO — Pavel Datsyuk banked in a shot from a bad angle off Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy for the winning goal 3:08 into overtime, and the Red Wings won 3-2 Sunday night.

That sent Chicago to a season-high fourth straight loss.

Detroit's Dan Cleary scored with 4:45 left in regulation to tie it at 2 after Henrik Zetterberg fired a loose puck into traffic in front. Valtteri Filppula also scored for the Red Wings.

Chicago's Patrick Sharp, who scored his 20th goal, sustained an undisclosed upper-body injury late in the first period and didn't return. He was to be re-evaluated today.

Game highlights: Corey Perry had a hat trick and the host Ducks beat the Blue Jackets 7-4 in a matchup of the league's worst teams. A loss would have moved the Ducks into the league basement. Columbus' Jeff Carter, second on the team with 10 goals, separated a shoulder in the game.

Around the league: Bruins forward Brad Marchand faces a phone hearing with the league today for his Saturday hit on Canucks defenseman Sami Salo that Vancouver said left Salo with a concussion. Marchand got a penalty for clipping and a game misconduct. … The Penguins, who led the league entering Sunday with 210 man-games lost to injuries, have lost two more key players. Leading goal scorer James Neal (21) is out "weeks, not days" with a broken foot, sustained when he was hit by a shot Saturday against the Devils, coach Dan Bylsma said, and center Jordan Staal is out four to six weeks with a torn left MCL, sustained in a knee-on-knee collision with the Rangers' Mike Rupp on Friday. Staal isn't expected to need surgery, the team said.

First Period—1, Chicago, Bolland 9 (Hossa, Leddy), 3:35 (pp). 2, Chicago, Sharp 20 (Frolik, Hossa), 4:19. 3, Detroit, V.Filppula 14 (Zetterberg, Hudler), 13:29 (pp). Penalties—Ericsson, Det (slashing), 2:41; Brunette, Chi (roughing), 11:26; Seabrook, Chi (slashing), 13:16.

Second Period—None. Penalties—Detroit bench, served by Bertuzzi (too many men), 6:36; Kronwall, Det (interference), 11:57.

Third Period—4, Detroit, Cleary 10 (Zetterberg, V.Filppula), 15:15. Penalties—Cleary, Det (holding), :48.

Overtime—5, Detroit, Datsyuk 13 (Ericsson, Franzen), 3:08. Penalties—Franzen, Det (roughing), 3:08. Missed Penalty Shot—Hayes, Chi, 7:53 third. Shots on Goal—Detroit 9-6-9-3—27. Chicago 9-11-9-2—31. Power-play opportunities—Detroit 1 of 2; Chicago 1 of 5. Goalies—Detroit, Conklin 2-4-0 (31 shots-29 saves). Chicago, Crawford 15-10-3 (27-24).

First Period—1, Ottawa, Alfredsson 14 (Turris, Cowen), :54. 2, Phila., Meszaros 6 (Talbot), 2:32. 3, Ottawa, Neil 6 (Foligno, Karlsson), 8:25. 4, Phila., Bourdon 2 (Briere), 15:32. 5, Phila., Couturier 6 (Read), 16:00. Penalties—Rinaldo, Phi, major (fighting), :16; Konopka, Ott, major (fighting), :16; Carkner, Ott (interference), 16:23.

Second Period—6, Phila., Read 13 (van Riemsdyk, Carle), 14:08 (pp). Penalties—Lilja, Phi (slashing), 7:16; Carkner, Ott (elbowing), 11:14; Condra, Ott (tripping), 13:00.

Third Period—7, Ottawa, Greening 9 (Spezza, Michalek), 3:11. 8, Ottawa, Karlsson 6, 6:19. 9, Ottawa, Kuba 4 (Condra, Alfredsson), 18:49. 10, Ottawa, Foligno 12 (Neil), 19:15 (en). Penalties—Lilja, Phi (holding), 15:06. Shots on Goal—Phila. 16-10-11—37. Ottawa 14-9-15—38. Power-play opportunities—Phila. 1 of 3; Ottawa 0 of 2. Goalies—Phila., Bryzgalov 16-9-3 (37 shots-32 saves). Ottawa, Anderson 20-12-4 (37-33).

Times wires
Sunday, January 8, 2012

DENVER — Tebow Time met overtime. And just like the other obstacles that have stood in Tim Tebow's way this season, overtime and the heavily favored Steelers had no chance.

Tebow, the former Florida standout whose stature as a football and social phenomenon was built on the foundation of fourth-quarter comebacks in the NFL, completed a 20-yard pass that Demaryius Thomas turned into an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime Sunday, giving the Broncos a 29-23 upset of the Steelers in their AFC wild-card game.

It was the first overtime game since the NFL set rules that would allow overtime in a playoff game to end with just one team possessing the ball only if a touchdown was scored on the first possession.

It was the longest TD pass in NFL overtime history, and with just 11 seconds elapsed, it was the shortest overtime in history, regular season or postseason.

Tebow, told last week by Broncos executive and icon John Elway that he needed to "pull the trigger," now leads the Broncos against the top-seeded Patriots. After New England beat the Broncos last month, quarterback Tom Brady told Tebow the teams would meet again.

"He might have said something like that," Tebow said, smiling. "I guess he's a prophet."

Tebow might have been goofing on his public proclamations of Christian faith. But nobody is laughing off the second-year QB after he threw for 316 yards, on 10 completions, against the league's top-ranked defense.

Tebow, whose passer rating of 125.6 was the highest in Broncos postseason history, completed three of more than 50 yards (he had two in his career going in). It was the most in a playoff game since the 1970 merger, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Until now, Tebow's success has been an amalgam of fluky plays, great timing and good luck. Despite rallying to win five games after he was named the starter, he had been particularly poor during a three-game losing streak to end the regular season.

On Sunday, Tebow was not sacked, threw no interceptions and took advantage of a defense that dared him to pass.

It was on that kind of play that the winner came. Tebow waited for Thomas to slip behind blitzing safeties, then threaded the ball to Thomas.

"First of all, thank you, Lord," Tebow said he thought as he watched Thomas run. "Then, I was running after him, like I could catch D.T. Then I jumped in the stands, the first time I'd do that. That was fun."

Thomas' description: "I was open, and I just had to take it to the house."

Tebow completed the celebration with a victory lap. He acknowledged that he should have been more assertive in earlier games and that he was determined to play fast and aggressive in the playoffs.

"There's been a lot of critique of him. He stepped up," Broncos coach John Fox said.

In the first quarter, the Broncos had 8 yards of offense. But the Steelers struggled, too, short-circuiting drives with three dropped passes, settling for two field goals.

"He showed he's a quarterback in the NFL, case closed," Broncos running back Willis McGahee said of Tebow. "They say he couldn't throw. They said we wouldn't be able to run the ball on them. We did that. I wonder what they're going to say next week."

But will the Tebow questions really end?

"No," Fox said. "You never quiet the questions."

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 9, 2012

It's going to be a busy week of interviews for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they continue to search for a new head coach.

Former Vikings head coach Brad Childress, 55, is meeting with the Bucs today. Despite reports that Childress could be considered for a position of offensive coordinator, the Times confirmed he is interviewing for Tampa Bay's head coaching job.

Marty Schottenheimer, 68, is scheduled to meet with the Bucs owners and general manager Mark Dominik on Tuesday. Schottenheimer served as the head coach and general manager of the United Football League's Virginia Destroyers this year and went 3-1 during an abbreviated season. He was fired in 2007 after leading the San Diego Chargers to a 14-2 record and suffering a loss in the second round of the playoffs.

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, 64, is scheduled to interview with the Bucs in Houston Friday. The Texans play in the AFC Divisional playoff in Baltimore on Sunday.

Phillips has done a remarkable job in his first season with the Texans, taking them from 30th in the NFL in total defense to second (281 yards per game). The Texans have already set a single-season record for sacks (41) and rank 10th in takeaways (26).

Phillips is 82-59 as an NFL head coach with the Broncos, Bills, Cowboys, and Saints (interim).

Tampa Bay already has interviewed former Green Bay Packers and Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman, 57, last Wednesday in Texas. Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray met with the Bucs in Houston last week.

Childress coached the Vikings from 2006-10, winning two NFC North titles. His overall record was 39-35 before he was fired after a 3-7 start in 2010.

In 2009, the Vikings went 12-4 and reached the NFC Championship game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Saints.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 9, 2012

USF defensive coordinator Mark Snyder, who has run the Bulls defense in Skip Holtz's two seasons in Tampa, is leaving to take the same job at Texas A and M, Holtz confirmed Monday afternoon.

Snyder, who was head coach at Marshall for five years before coming to USF, is leaving one old Conference USA friendship for another one, joining the first SEC staff of former Houston coach Kevin Sumlin.

Snyder was Holtz's highest-paid assistant, earning $260,000 in 2011-12, but he'll likely make significantly more as an SEC defensive coordinator. His predecessor with the Aggies, Tim DeRuyter, made $550,000 last season before leaving to become head coach at Fresno State. Four of the SEC's defensive coordinators made $700,000 or more in 2011.

The move comes as the national coaches' convention wraps up in San Antonio, Texas; just last week, Holtz had been optimistic that his staff might return intact, while also aware the convention is a busy weekend for new coaches filling the openings on their staffs.

USF's defense took a step back in 2011 after losing three starters in the NFL Draft and putting another two in preseason camps. The Bulls gave up 351.3 yards per game, 35.5 more than they did in Snyder's first season, and allowed 22.7 points per game, up from 20.0 in 2010. In several Big East games, USF was unable to hold leads in the fourth quarter, giving up touchdown drives in the closing minutes.

Some of USF's best defensive efforts went unrewarded this past season, as Snyder's unit kept Connecticut and Miami out of the end zone, with the Huskies winning 16-10 on a defensive touchdown and Miami prevailing 6-3 in overtime.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 9, 2012

Cincinnati Reds great Barry Larkin was elected to the Hall of Fame today, the only player voted in by the BBWAA.

Larkin amassed 86.4 percent of the vote (495 ballots); it takes 75 percent (430) to be elected.

Pitcher Jack Morris was next, with 66.7 percent of the vote (382) and Jeff Bagwell third with 56 percent (321).

Tampa native Fred McGriff made a sizable jump in his third year on the ballot, picking up 33 votes to improve to 24 percent (137).

Mark McGwire dropped slightly, to 19.5 percent (112 votes). Tampa Jesuit product Brad Radke received two votes, and will drop off the ballot as do all players who receive less than 5 percent of the vote. Former Rays 3B Vinny Castilla also will drop off, having received six votes.

Here are the totals:

Barry Larkin 495 (86.4%)

Jack Morris 382 (66.7%)

Jeff Bagwell 321 (56.0%)

Lee Smith 290 (50.6%)

Tim Raines 279 (48.7%)

Alan Trammell 211 (36.8%)

Edgar Martinez 209 (36.5%)

Fred McGriff 137 (23.9%)

Larry Walker 131 (22.9%)

Mark McGwire 112 (19.5%)

Don Mattingly 102 (17.8%)

Dale Murphy 83 (14.5%)

Rafael Palmeiro 72 (12.6%)

Bernie Williams 55 (9.6%)

Juan Gonzalez 23 (4.0%)

Vinny Castilla 6 (1.0%)

Tim Salmon 5 (0.9%)

Bill Mueller 4 (0.7%)

Brad Radke 2 (0.3%)

Javy Lopez 1 (0.2%)

Eric Young 1 (0.2%)

Jeromy Burnitz 0 (0%)

Brian Jordan 0 (0%)

Terry Mulholland 0 (0%)

Phil Nevin 0 (0%)

Ruben Sierra 0 (0%)

Tony Womack 0 (0%)

Here is the BBWAA release:

Barry Larkin, a 12-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove winning shortstop, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in balloting verified by Ernst & Young.

Larkin, 47, will be inducted into the Hall July 22 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y., along with the late third baseman Ron Santo, who was elected last month by the Golden Era Committee. Also to be honored over Induction Weekend will be Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun with the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writing and television analyst Tim McCarver, the former major league catcher, with the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting.

A total of 573 ballots, including nine blanks, were cast by BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years' service. Players must be named on 75 percent of ballots submitted to be elected. This year, 430 votes were required.

Larkin, who was in his third year of eligibility, received 495 votes, for an 86.4-percent plurality. His vote total reflected a 24.3-percent gain from the 2011 ballot, the largest jump in one year to gain election since 1948 when pitcher Herb Pennock received 77.7 percent of the vote after having tallied 53.4 percent in 1947. Larkin's jump is the largest for any Hall of Fame election in which at least 400 ballots were cast. The previous highest was the 16.4-percent jump by first baseman Tony Perez from 1999 (60.8) to 2000 (77.2).

Larkin's election brings to 297 the number of elected Hall members. Of that total, 207 are former major-league players, of which 112 have been through the BBWAA ballot. Larkin is the 24th shortstop elected to the Hall and the 11th by the BBWAA. He is also the 48th Hall of Famer who played his entire career with one club and the third to do so for the Cincinnati Reds, joining catcher Johnny Bench and 19th-century second baseman Bid McPhee.

A Cincinnati native, Larkin played 19 seasons for the Reds and batted .295 with 2,340 hits, including 441 doubles, 76 triples and 198 home runs. He drove in 960 runs, scored 1,329, stole 379 bases and had more walks (939) than strikeouts (817). Larkin became the first shortstop to join the 30-30 club when he had 33 home runs and 36 steals in 1996. He was voted the National League Most Valuable Player in 1995 by the BBWAA and hit .353 in the Reds' World Series sweep of the Oakland Athletics in 1990.

The only players other than Larkin to gain more than 50 percent of the vote were pitcher Jack Morris with 382 votes (66.7%), first baseman Jeff Bagwell with 321 (56.0%) and reliever Lee Smith with 290 (50.6%).

Players may remain on the ballot for up to 15 years provided they receive five percent of the vote in any year. There were 13 candidates who failed to make the cut this year (30 votes), including 12 of the 13 players who were on the ballot for the first time. The only first-year candidate who received sufficient support to remain was outfielder Bernie Williams with 55 votes (9.6%). Two-time American League MVP Juan Gonzalez got 23 votes (4.0%) and fell off the ballot in his second year of eligibility.

Other holdovers that will remain on the ballot in addition to Morris, Bagwell, Smith and Williams are first basemen Mark McGwire, Fred McGriff, Don Mattingly and Rafael Palmeiro; outfielders Tim Raines, Dale Murphy and Larry Walker; designated hitter-third baseman Edgar Martinez and shortstop Alan Trammell.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 9, 2012

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed forward Tom Pyatt to a two-year contract extension through the 2013-14 season, the team announced Monday. No official word but it is believed to be worth $1.2 million; $600,000 a year.

"Definitely a good feeling," Pyatt said. "To get something done fairly early in the season, I won't have it on my mind all summer."

Pyatt, 24, has three goals and five points in 35 games and is minus-6 while averaging 13:11 of ice time.

"We want guys to be relentless. It's a big word. Very few are. he is," coach Guy Boucher said. "He's not a big guy but he goes in there and digs head first and he cares about his defensive game. He's one of those foot soldiers that's so important."

"It's definitely nice to get a deal done," said Pyatt who is making $525,000 this season and would have been a restricted free agent. "It's a couple of years and found myself a home for a bit."

Here is the announcement from the team:

The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward Tom Pyatt for two years, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced. He is now signed through the 2013-14 season.

Pyatt, 5-foot-11, 187 pounds, has played in 35 games for the Lightning this season, recording three goals and five points while averaging 13:11 in ice time per game. He currently ranks third among all Tampa Bay forwards in average shorthanded ice time per game with 2:18 and tied for fourth in blocked shots with 20. His three goals this season are a career high. Pyatt has played in 136 career NHL games with the Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. He has recorded seven goals and 17 points in his career with 23 penalty minutes. Pyatt also played in 25 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, all with Montreal, registering two goals and four points, averaging 12:10 in ice time.

A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Pyatt has played in 156 career AHL games with the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Hamilton Bulldogs. He has registered 32 goals and 83 points. Pyatt set career highs in 2008-09 with 15 goals and 37 points in 73 games with Hartford.

Pyatt played junior hockey with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League from 2003-07. During his career in Saginaw, Pyatt accumulated 94 goals and 200 points with 82 penalty minutes. He also played in 10 postseason games, notching four goals and 11 points. Pyatt was given the William Hanley Trophy as the most sportsmanlike player in the OHL in both 2006-07 and 2003-04. He was named to the Western Conference All-Star team on two occasions, including being named MVP of the game in 2006. Pyatt was named the best defensive forward in OHL's Western Conference during the 2005-06 season.

Pyatt was drafted by the New York Rangers in the fourth round, 107th overall, of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by Montreal, along with Scott Gomez and Michael Busto, on June 30, 2009 in exchange for Chris Higgins, Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 9, 2012

GAINESVILLE — The loss to Tennessee was extremely disappointing, but that's something the Gators can live with and learn from.

The label of being soft? That's another story.

So following the 67-56 loss to the Vols Saturday, coach Billy Donovan rounded his team up for two, two-hour practice sessions on Sunday. The Gators put their hard hats on and went to work trying to recapture the physical team that once knew how to bring the intensity when needed. Those workouts included putting rims on the baskets so nobody's shot would go in, but everybody would be forced to rebound.

"Everybody's worn out, beaten up, because it was a very physical and intense practice," freshman G Bradley Beal said. "It can only help us. We know that Georgia's going to come out — and everybody has this lingo about us being soft or a not physical basketball team. We're going to use this as motivation and prepare ourselves for Georgia."

During the early part of the season, several coaches from opposing teams talked about how physical the Gators played. But of late, they've been outrebounded and outhustled.

"We started focusing on when we came back (from Christmas break), coach was having us in practice focus a little more on offense and playing together and running some new stuff so we started focusing on that and we lost that mentality a little bit," junior F Erik Murphy said. "I think we're going to do our best to work at it. Practice (Sunday) was really good, especially in those areas, defense and rebounding and toughness and physical plays. I think we'll get that back pretty quick."

The Gators host Georgia Tuesday after falling six spots in the AP poll on Monday to No. 19 — their lowest ranking of the season.

FUTURE UNCERTAIN: Longtime track and field coach Mike Holloway said Monday he's uncertain whether NCAA-champion sprinter Jeff Demps will compete with the Gators this spring.

"I can't tell you right now what Jeff's going to do, but if Jeff does decide to run obviously we're going to be very pleased about that and welcome him with open arms," Holloway said. "But I think it's important that people understand that this program is bigger than Jeff Demps. I get a lot of questions about 'What is Jeff going to do?' I'm very happy to have Jeff out for the team, he's done a wonderful job for us. But there's a lot more components, a lot more parts to this team that kind of gets lost because Jeff is a football player.. . Hopefully he'll be out there and we'll welcome him."

The defending national champion Gators open the indoor track season at the Alabama Invite in Birmingham on Saturday.

CLOSE NOT ENOUGH: The women's basketball team has played 43 games over the past two years that have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including six this year — including all three SEC games — which has coach Amanda Butler frustrated.

"It is very disappointing, there's no question," Butler said. "Because we're not playing these great teams to just get close and feel good with a moral victory. We're competing to win ballgames that we feel like we should have won. … No comfort at all in losing closely, other than having that resilient spirit and looking forward, you do have the confidence that if we make these changes, if we become a more confident team in these two or three areas, these are going to become five- or six-point victories as opposed to three- or four-point losses."

Antonya English can be reached at english@tampabay.com.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber, by a vote of his teammates, has been named the winner of the Bucs' Ed Block Courage Award.

Each team votes on a winner who deserves the award for a variety of reasons. Oftentimes, winners are those who overcame a serious injury or personal challenges. But in the case of players like Barber, the honor can be warranted just for general professionalism and sportsmanship.

According to the organizers, recipients are "those National Football League players who exemplify commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. ... The Ed Block Courage Award recipient symbolizes professionalism, great strength and dedication. He is also a community role model."

The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation invites each winner to a fundraising banquet in Baltimore in March where they are honored.

Last season, Bucs players voted running back Earnest Graham the winner. He returned to finish the season strong despite his mother's death at midseason following a long bout with cancer. Her death took an obvious toll on the veteran.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 9, 2012

BRANDON — There comes a time in every season going bad when someone — if that season is to be saved — forces those responsible to look in the mirror.

That is what happened Monday at the Ice Sports Forum when wing Marty St. Louis said Lightning players, including himself, have not worked hard enough, smart enough or consistent enough.

"Last year, there were a lot of games we just deserved," he said. "We earned it every day. This year, it hasn't been as much."

The result is Tampa Bay is 13th in the 15-team Eastern Conference, nine points out of the eighth and final playoff spot and facing a crucial 12-game stretch in which nine games are at home and a season is on the line.

That after falling one game short last season of reaching the Stanley Cup final.

"When you have the success we had last year, you feel entitled a little bit and you forget the process," St. Louis said. "You just think it's going to be there because it was there. You just think about the end result."

"It's a lot of things," St. Louis added. "It's execution. It's effort."

Bottom line, he said, "We've got to get on a long run pretty quick."

Starting one against the Canucks tonight at the Tampa Bay Times Forum is a tall order. Vancouver entered Monday leading the Western Conference and with the league's top power play. Its 29 road points (14-8-1) also lead the West.

The Lightning (17-20-3), losers of three straight, gets back home, where it is 11-5-0 with the fourth-best home power play.

But it also returns with players going through a catharsis; for the first time publicly saying their inattention to detail and inconsistent effort have been as much contributors to the team's woes as the oft-cited injuries and road-heavy schedule.

"You have those (playoff) expectations and you forget about the process and how we got in," left wing Ryan Malone said. "You have to realize the work ethic and everything we put into it and remember how hard we have to work."

"You have to respect the process to win," said goaltender Dwayne Roloson, who will face the Canucks. "What Marty is saying is to play KISS hockey — keep it simple, stupid. Do what you're asked to do. It's putting your mind to it, your desire, your determination to do whatever it takes to win hockey games."

It all was music to coach Guy Boucher's ears.

"It's like Alcoholics Anonymous," he said. "Until you say that you're an alcoholic you can't make the steps. ... Players maybe felt a sense of entitlement, so it's good it's internalized. Before they were being told but it wasn't internalized. Now they realize where they are"

Where they are is in a desperate fight for a playoff spot.

"With our back against the wall we'll be a better hockey club," forward Tom Pyatt said.

When asked if there was optimism among the players, St. Louis said, "Of course there is. All the guys who had success last year are still here. We lost a few guys but we still have some key guys here who got it done."

And who finally have figured out they were not just entitled.

PYATT SIGNS: Pyatt signed a two-year contract extension through 2013-14 believed to pay $600,000 a season.

Pyatt, 24, who is making $525,000 this season and could have been a restricted free agent, has three goals, five points and is minus-6 in 35 games while averaging 13:11 of ice time.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@tampabay.com.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 9, 2012

Times staff
Monday, January 9, 2012

FSU at Virginia Tech

When/where: 7; Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Va.

TV/radio: ESPNU; 1040-AM

Records: FSU 9-6, 0-1 ACC; Virginia Tech 11-4, 0-1

Notable: The Seminoles fell 79-59 to Clemson on Saturday and have games against No. 3 North Carolina, Maryland and No. 8 Duke up next. … FSU remains inconsistent on offense, following an 85-56 win over Auburn by scoring its third-fewest points this season. … The Hokies are coming off a 58-55 loss at Wake Forest in which they shot 39.7 percent. … Junior guard Erick Green averages 15.7 points and has scored in double figures in 17 straight games.

Times staff

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 9, 2012

No. 19 Florida vs. Georgia

When/where: 7; Stephen C. O'Connell Center, Gainesville

TV/radio: ESPN; 620-AM

Records: Georgia 9-6, 0-1 SEC; Florida 12-4, 0-1

Notable: The Gators will try for their 15th consecutive home win after a double-digit loss to Tennessee that dropped them to 0-4 on the road. … The Gators lead the nation in 3-pointers per game, and Georgia is holding teams to 33.3 percent from beyond the arc and 5.5 per game. … All five Florida starters average in double figures led by Kenny Boynton's 19.1 ppg. … Georgia had won five straight before losing its SEC opener to Alabama.

Antonya English, Times staff writer

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 9, 2012

USF at Notre Dame

When/where: 7; Joyce Center, South Bend, Ind.

TV/radio: BHSN; 1250-AM

Records: USF 9-7, 2-1 Big East; Notre Dame 10-6, 2-1

Notable: The Bulls will be hard-pressed to continue their momentum, going up against a 28-game home win streak. … USF has gotten strong play from junior G Jawanza Poland, whose 20 points at Villanova gave him the team scoring lead at 11 per game. … Notre Dame Gs Eric Atkins (13.1 ppg) and Jerian Grant (13.4) are the top scorers, and 6-9 F Jack Cooley went 9-for-10 for a career-high 18 points against the Bulls last season.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

By Dave Zalewski, Times Correspondent
Monday, January 9, 2012

What's hot: The recent cold front has pushed gulf water temperatures down near 60 degrees. Amberjack on the offshore wrecks and some of the higher-profile rock piles on the natural gas pipeline become willing to strike almost any bait whether it is a large live pinfish, plugs trolled at varying depths in figure eight patterns or large jigs. Grouper become more lethargic. Frozen Spanish sardines, squid and cut grunts are usually more effective than live bait. The bottom fish are in the same spots they were a few weeks ago. Using small hooks and pieces of squid will cause activity from white grunts and triggerfish.

Silver trout seem to like the cold and have returned to their winter time areas in large numbers. One of these is the hard-bottom area a short distance west of the Redington Long Pier. On almost any calm day boats are drifting and jigging with a tandem rig tipped with a small piece of squid. The schools of silver trout can be seen as a lump on the bottom of a fish finder. These fish move around and one trick to stay with the school is to attach a biodegradable balloon to a length of line, attach that to a fish that you have caught then release the fish, which will return to the school. The balloon will give you a visual reference.

Dave Zalewski charters the Lucky Too out of Madeira Beach. Call (727) 397-8815.