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

Number of the day

96 Percentage of Washington Capitals season ticket holders who have renewed for next year, according to team owner Ted Leonis. And much of the credit should go to Leonsis, who has put together a first-rate franchise since taking over in 1999. Under Leonsis' leadership, the Capitals have become one of the top franchises in the NHL and a hot ticket in a busy sports town.

Rumor of the day

Basketball legend Larry Brown might have another coaching job left in him. Yahoo Sports reports that Brown, 70, could end up at Arkansas. Brown's coaching career includes eight NBA teams, two American Basketball Association teams and two college teams, not counting Davidson, where he left before coaching a game. His college teams were UCLA and Kansas, where he won the NCAA championship in 1988.

He wrote it

If TV execs wish to equate hysterical and transparently forced screaming — the kind Gus Johnson provided on TNT, Friday, during the last few minutes of George Mason over Villanova — with professional play-by-play, well, a noble art continues to take on water.

Phil Mushnick, New York Post

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

GLENDALE, Ariz. — White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy was shut down with what doctors believe is rotator cuff tendinitis.

Peavy met with the team doctors Sunday, and they prescribed anti-inflammatory medication a day after he pitched 52/3 innings against the A's. He also battled flulike symptoms late last week.

"You know, what I'm experiencing has kind of been a culmination of start after start after start," Peavy said. "It's kind of been coming since that first time. It's been getting a little more uncomfortable as I keep going.

"We want to not let it mount into some bigger issue than it is. But at the same time, I'm thinking it's just part of getting back into the routine."

Peavy, 29, had surgery to repair a detached muscle in his throwing shoulder in July and had been setback-free. He said the current issue is not related to the surgery.

In other White Sox news, left-hander Matt Thornton was named the closer, replacing departed free agent Bobby Jenks. Thornton saved eight games in 2010, posting a 2.67 ERA in 61 appearances.

SIZEMORE RETURNS: All-Star centerfielder Grady Sizemore was back atop the Indians lineup for the first time since May, serving as the DH against the Diamondbacks. Sizemore, who had microfracture surgery on his left knee June 4, went 0-for-2.

In other Indians news, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera left the game in the first inning with an apparent right leg injury.

JAPAN AID: Braves right-hander Kenshin Kawakami will donate $50,000 to assist relief efforts in his native Japan, which has been devastated by an earthquake, tsunami and an ongoing nuclear crisis. The donation will be made along with one from the Braves through the Japan-America Society of Georgia.

ANGELS: First baseman Kendrys Morales, who has been battling a left big toe injury in his recovery from left ankle surgery, will start the season on the 15-day disabled list, manager Mike Scioscia confirmed.

ASTROS: Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, who missed his last start with shoulder tendinitis, threw lightly and is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday.

BRAVES: The team will be cautious with right-hander Tommy Hanson's back discomfort, having him skip a start today and instead pitch six innings in a minor-league game Wednesday.

METS: Rightfielder Carlos Beltran ran sprints and took batting practice two days after getting a cortisone shot in his sore left knee. Beltran remains questionable for opening day.

NATIONALS: All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman tested his sore left groin by hitting soft-toss pitches and said he felt no problems with the injury that has sidelined him since Monday. It's still unknown when he'll return to game action.

ORIOLES: First baseman Derrek Lee had an MRI exam on his left foot a day after fouling a pitch off the foot in his spring debut.

PADRES: The team claimed right-handed reliever Pat Neshek off waivers from the Twins.

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

DUNEDIN — RHP Jesse Litsch made about as strong a case as he could for a spot in the Blue Jays rotation.

The former Dixie Hollins standout struck out seven in 51/3 scoreless innings in Toronto's 3-0 win over the Twins on Sunday.

"Everything was sharp today, everything felt good, my arm felt great, body felt great," Litsch said. "It's a game. You're going to have bad ones, you're going to have good ones. It's a matter of just staying focused and doing your job when you're out there."

In his last start, Litsch gave up nine hits and four runs in 3½ innings vs. the Phillies. Manager John Farrell was impressed with his bounce-back effort.

"Hopefully (Litsch) he has one or two more just like this," Farrell said. "It makes our decision extremely difficult. That means everyone's throwing the ball like they can."

Phils: Lidge upbeat

CLEARWATER — Phillies closer Brad Lidge threw about 35 pitches in a bullpen session and said he expects to pitch in a game Tuesday.

"I was very encouraged by this one," Lidge, who hadn't pitched since March 11 because of right biceps tendinitis, told MLB.com.

Lidge, whose velocity had been down, said he held back a bit in Friday's bullpen session but let loose a little more Sunday.

"It still felt really good," Lidge told the website. "This is the step we needed to get me back into games. Now, hopefully, I'll get four or five outings in."

POLANCO HEALING: 3B Placido Polanco, out since Tuesday with a hyperextended left elbow, said he hopes to play in a game this week.

Yanks: Who's first?

CLEARWATER — The Yankees keep tinkering with their leadoff hitter.

Brett Gardner hit first, with Derek Jeter No. 2, for the second time this spring in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Phillies. Gardner went 2-for-4 and Jeter 1-for-4.

Jeter was the leadoff hitter 137 times last season.

"The fans are into everything," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "You're talking about Derek Jeter. Anytime his name is mentioned it's going to be a big story."

In his first full season, Gardner batted .277 with a .383 on-base percentage and had 47 steals in 56 chances. In a down year, Jeter batted .270 with a .340 OBP and had 18 steals in 23 chances.

REGGIE RETURNS: Reggie Jackson, who had back surgery in January, finally felt good enough to join the Yankees for his annual stint as a spring training instructor.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 20, 2011

Feast of the day, part 1

Reid Brignac's parents, Linda and Phillip, and five friends brought a Cajun feast all the way from Louisiana to Port Charlotte, setting up their pots Sunday morning and cooking for 100, serving jambalaya, red beans and sausage, boudin (a meat and rice mix sausage) and white chocolate bread pudding. They'd done the same with several of Reid's minor-league teams. "This is what we do," Linda said. "It's part of our life. Everyone gets together and eats."

Feast of the day, part 2

The players couldn't have enjoyed it more, especially the bread pudding. "Guys were going around trying to make trades for more," INF Elliot Johnson said, "like you used to do in the (school) lunchroom back in the day." LHP David Price went so far as to tell players it was bad and offer to throw it out for them.

B-Street note of the day

Manager Joe Maddon addressed the crowd from side-stage (but didn't sing) toward the end of a 2-hour postgame concert by the B-Street Band. Band leader Willy Forte said Maddon, his childhood friend, is the reason he has had this gig for 31 years. "We were sitting in his car," Forte explained, "and he pops in this 8-track and you've got to listen to this guy from New Jersey, you should play his music."

Additional musical note of the day

The Beelzebubs, a men's a cappella group from Tufts University, will perform between innings at tonight's game. There was talk Sunday that Rays TV man Todd Kalas might join them.

Quote of the day

"It's good to lead the league in something."

LHP R.J. Swindle, a non-roster bullpen candidate who has a majors-high 10 spring appearances.

Rays vs. Yankees

When/where: 7:05 tonight; Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte

TV/radio: Fox Sports Florida; 620-AM

Tickets: Limited number of $10 berm/boardwalk remained as of Sunday evening. Available through raysbaseball.com and Ticketmaster, at Tropicana Field and Charlotte Sports Park box offices and Tampa team store.

Gates open: 4 p.m.

Directions: Driving time from the bay area is 1½-2 hours. Suggested route: I-75 south to Exit 179 (Toledo Blade Road), go west 6½ miles (crossing U.S. 41) to El Jobean Road (SR 776), go right 2 miles, complex is on left.

Parking: $10, lots open at 3.

Rays information: Toll-free 1-888-326-7297 (FAN-RAYS)

Pitchers: Rays — Jeremy Hellickson, Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz, Joel Peralta; Yankees — Bartolo Colon, Delin Betances, David Robertson

Heads-up

Cruz has made an impressive bid for a job, posting six scoreless outings (one hit, five walks).

Who is this Ray?

He was a 2001 second-round pick by Boston. He played at Baylor University and was the 2001 Big 12 player of the year and a first-team All-American, He would like to be a high school football coach. He was acquired in trade.

On deck

Tuesday: at Red Sox (Fort Myers), 7:05. Rays — David Price; Red Sox — John Lackey

Upcoming schedule

22: at Red Sox

23: Phillies

24: at Astros

25: Pirates

26: Orioles

27: at Pirates

28: at Yankees, 7:05

29: at Red Sox

30: vs. Blue Jays at Tropicana Field, 4:10

Who is this Ray answer: C Kelly Shoppach

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 20, 2011

PORT CHARLOTTE — Jeremy Hellickson made it look easy last year.

So easy, the way he tore through his first three big-league starts and, even with some rocky relief outings, presented himself as a 23-year-old Ray of hope, it's difficult to say just what's realistic for an encore as the right-hander steps into the rotation.

"I think he's kind of spoiled the fan base into thinking that he's pretty much infallible," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "So just understand that he's young, he's going to make some mistakes, he's going to have some rough nights.

"But by the end of the season, we're going to see a guy that's definitely capable of 10-plus wins with some really good numbers attached to them. That's always been what he's done in the past, and I don't think there's any reason to think that's going to change a lot."

Except, of course, that Hellickson — who starts tonight vs. the Yankees — faces a more difficult task, opening the season facing major-league hitters who will have the benefit of extensive scouting reports and multiple looks at him. Plus, he isn't going to catch anyone off-guard as he is considered one of the leading preseason candidates for AL rookie of the year honors after winning several minor-league player of the year awards.

"I'm hoping I can continue what I did last year, but it's not going to be easy, obviously," Hellickson said. "Obviously, guys are going to make adjustments, and it's not going to go just like it did last year. Hopefully, it does, but they're going to make adjustments, and I'll have to adjust to whatever they do."

Hellickson, who fills the opening created by the trade of Matt Garza to the Cubs, has the benefit of drawing on the experience of the Rays' four other starters, who all made similar ascensions with varying degrees of difficulty.

"Everybody's different," Wade Davis said. "It took me a little while to come into a comfort zone. Hopefully, he can come in a little quicker. Who knows? He might be Cy Young for the next 10 years, or he might have a little trouble."

Because Hellickson, who turns 24 on April 8, has a four-pitch repertoire (fastball, changeup, curveball, cutter) with tremendous command of his pitches and control of his emotions, the Rays are confident that even if he has some trouble — and realistically, all starters do at some point in the season — his bad days won't be too ugly.

David Price said Hellickson has the physical abilities to make a smooth transition.

"I feel like it's going to be a lot easier on Helly," said Price, who merely won 10 games after a late May 2009 promotion and 19 last season in finishing second in the AL Cy Young voting.

"I feel like he's a better pitcher than I am. He uses more stuff in different spots. He's going to throw a 3-and-1 changeup. He's going to keep hitters a lot more off-balance than I am throwing fastball after fastball."

James Shields said the mental aspects of the big-league game are the bigger issues.

"He's got a lot to learn. That's for sure," he said. "This year will be a big learning curve for him. He has to learn to make adjustments, to be able to repeat his pitches, to stay as consistent as he possibly can. This is a year where he really needs to focus on doing some studying on certain hitters."

The Rays aren't expecting Hel­lickson to replace Garza, just take the place opened by the trade. But pitching coach Jim Hickey said not to discount the possibility of Hellickson making it look, well, easy.

"I expect him to be really, really good," Hickey said. "I'm pretty certain he could not necessarily replicate all the numbers, but he could fill in the production we lost via Garza, the 200 innings and the 15 wins."

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.

Times staff
Sunday, March 20, 2011

Gearhead stats

Winner's average speed: 91.941 mph

Time of race: 2 hours, 53 minutes, 55 seconds

Margin of victory: 0.946 seconds

Caution flags: 10 for 57 laps

Lead changes: 17 among 8 drivers

Lap leaders: Edwards 1-17; Menard 18-52; Ky.Busch 53; Gilliland 54-57; Newman 58-83; Ky.Busch 84-91; Truex 92-154; Harvick 155-191; Johnson 192-247; Ky.Busch 248; Johnson 249-269; Ky.Busch 270-341; Johnson 342-346; Ky.Busch 347; Johnson 348-429; Ky.Busch 430-473; Edwards 474; Ky.Busch 475-500

Sprint Cup points

Through 4 of 36 races. The top 10 drivers plus two wild cards (based on wins) through 26 races make the Chase for the Championship.

Driver Pts. Back

Kurt Busch 150—

Carl Edwards 149 1

Tony Stewart 138 12

Ryan Newman 138 12

Paul Menard 136 14

Kyle Busch 133 17

Jimmie Johnson 130 20

Juan Montoya 126 24

Dale Earnhardt Jr. 124 26

Mark Martin 123 27

Martin Truex 123 27

Note: Points unofficial; NASCAR posts official points today

Up next

Auto Club 400, 3 p.m. Sunday, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif.

TV: Ch. 13

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech hired Billy Gillispie as coach two seasons after he was fired at Kentucky.

Gillispie, 51, will be introduced Wednesday at a news conference, school athletics spokesman Blayne Beal said Sunday. Gillispie replaces Pat Knight, who was fired this month.

In 2009, Kentucky fired Gillispie after the Wildcats went 40-27 in his two seasons and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years.

He agreed to a five-year contract, according to a statement released by the school.

"I can't wait to get started," Gillispie said in the statement. "Texas Tech is a great school that is located in a great community and is part of one of the toughest conferences in the country."

Athletic director Kirby Hocutt, who interviewed Gillispie in Florida on Wednesday, told the Associated Press on Sunday that he and Gillispie talked at length the past two weeks. They discussed Gillispie's arrest on drunken driving charges a few months after Kentucky fired him.

He said Gillispie is remorseful for his mistakes.

FANS BACK PEARL: Nearly 100 Tennessee fans gathered at a rally near the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville to show their support for Bruce Pearl, who is waiting to learn his fate as coach. Athletics director Mike Hamilton said Wednesday that Pearl would be evaluated after the season. Tennessee lost 75-45 to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament Friday.

NIT: Joe Ragland's layup with 2.6 seconds left in overtime lifted visiting Wichita State (26-8) to a 79-76 victory over Virginia Tech (22-12) in the second round. … Randal Holt had 22 points and Carlton Guyton added 16 to lead visiting Kent State (25-11) over Fairfield (25-8) 72-68.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 20, 2011

PORT CHARLOTTE — The Rays have been relatively pleased with the candidates for the three open spots in their bullpen, most impressively RHP Juan Cruz and LHPs Jake McGee and Cesar Ramos.

But one of the relievers they had penciled in for a spot has been something of a concern.

Adam Russell, the 6-foot-8 right-hander acquired from San Diego in the Jason Bartlett trade, struggled again in Sunday's 9-8 loss to the Orioles, allowing hits to four of the five batters he faced. In eight innings, Russell has allowed 19 hits and four walks and has a 7.88 ERA.

"We've got to get him straightened out," manager Joe Maddon said. "I don't have any good answers right now."

Maddon said several areas need to be addressed as Russell's velocity isn't consistently in the mid 90s as expected.

"When a guy struggles a bit, normally your confidence takes a hit a little bit," he said. "With that, mechanically, I think he's off."

RHP Mike Ekstrom, another candidate, also had another rough outing, failing to hold an 8-7 ninth-inning lead. Ekstrom allowed two singles, got two outs, walked a batter to load the bases and allowed a two-run single to former Ray Nick Green.

In eight innings over seven games, Ekstrom has allowed 15 hits and three walks and has a 10.12 ERA.

FOUL FAN: Maddon summoned security to remove a fan — wearing an Orioles jersey — who he said was yelling racist comments at CF B.J. Upton in the dugout.

"He can say whatever he wants, but don't go there," Maddon said. "And I didn't want B.J. to go up into the stands or do anything at that point. So I just wanted to make sure he was taken out of there."

A man who said he was the ejected fan went on Twitter later Sunday, claiming Maddon lied and he said nothing racial. Maddon told the Times what was said, and it would be considered racial. Upton also heard it.

The fan also e-mailed the Times, saying Maddon misunderstood the comments.

JASO UPDATE: C John Jaso is expected to be out until at least Wednesday after being struck in the groin by a foul tip Saturday. Jaso, initially taken to a hospital in Fort Myers, said Sunday morning he was "still hurting, still throbbing" and very uncomfortable and was on painkillers.

"It's a sensitive area down there, and I guess things can go wrong really easy," Jaso said. "So they spent a lot of time going over the charts and ultrasounds and stuff. But the doctor said it was fine."

He will have a follow-up exam in about two weeks.

PITCHING IN: No. 4 starter Jeff Niemann started strong (a 13-pitch 1-2-3 first inning) but tired a bit toward the end of his six-inning 83-pitch outing, allowing four runs on eight hits.

"I felt great," he said. "I made some adjustments out there."

GAME DETAILS: Down 7-2, the Rays (9-12-1) rallied with six runs in the seventh — the big blow a three-run homer by Justin Ruggiano — but gave it back in the ninth. … INF/OF Ben Zobrist, looking like he'll lead off, had two hits, including a triple ("kind of a double-and-a-half," he said) and impressed Maddon with the consistency of his form at the plate. "He can be the man of 1,000 stances sometimes, but I liked that (one)," Maddon said. … 1B Casey Kotchman singled to up his average to .410.

MISCELLANY: As of Sunday evening, there were a "very limited" number of $10 berm/boardwalk seats left for tonight and a sellout was expected. … Baseball operations director Dan Feinstein and his wife had a baby boy Sunday, William Cary.

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

AUBURN, Ala. — Samford wasn't used to seeing big, powerful players like Florida State's Cierra Bravard, and it showed.

The 6-foot-4 Bravard had 23 points and 13 rebounds and the Seminoles used brawn and smothering defense in rolling to a 76-46 win over Samford on Sunday in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament.

"I think we played a couple players on some teams that if you put them together would be her size," Bulldogs coach Mike Morris said of Bravard, a first-team All-ACC pick. "It's just hard to simulate that in practice."

Florida State (24-7) used superior size and strength to easily win its tournament opener for the seventh straight year.

"(The guards) were really focused on the team," Seminoles coach Sue Semrau said. "They didn't really care who gets the ball. They knew what side their bread was buttered on."

Samford (25-8), the Southern Conference tournament champion, was also mostly denied its staple, the 3-pointer, in its first NCAA appearance.

Courtney Ward, a native of nearby Montgomery, scored 13 and hit three 3-pointers in the first half for the third-seeded Seminoles. Chelsea Davis had 13 points in 13 minutes off the bench. Freshman Natasha Howard grabbed 10 rebounds to help Florida State forge a 52-23 advantage on the boards.

Bravard was 9-of-14 shooting and helped put 14th-seeded Samford post players Savannah Hill and J'Quita Babineaux in early foul trouble.

"My mind-set was just kind of, 'Don't be denied,' " Bravard said.

Added Ward: "Cierra is one of the best post players in the NCAA, and you can't miss her. If she's open, of course you're going to pass her the ball and she can pass it back out if not."

Emily London led Samford with 14 points, but was held in check by ACC defensive player of the year Christian Hunnicutt. Hill, Samford's No. 2 scorer, shot 1-of-11 for four points.

The Bulldogs came in ranked in the top five nationally in 3-point percentage, but scarcely got any good looks and went 5-of-19 behind the arc.

"I thought our players came out really focused and used our length," Semrau said.

London, whose 48 percent 3-point clip was second nationally, launched only one attempt in the first 35 minutes, and that came when Hunnicutt wasn't guarding her.

Ward's off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer gave FSU a 34-21 halftime lead.

The Seminoles next face No. 6 seed Georgia, a 56-41 winner over Middle Tennessee State, in Tuesday's second round.

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The situation was perfect for Carl Edwards to issue some payback on Kyle Busch.

Instead, Edwards passed on a chance to knock Busch out of the lead over the closing laps at Bristol Motor Speedway.

As Busch pulled away for Sunday's win — his fifth straight dating to August in major NASCAR races at the Tennessee track — Edwards regretted not racing harder to potentially steal the victory. The two have a history at Bristol, and Edwards is still smarting from contact between the two last month at Phoenix that he believed wrecked a car capable of winning.

"I told him after Phoenix that I still owe him one, but I'll save it up," Edwards said. "I thought I'd be able to race with him harder for those last 15 to 20 laps, but he took off and I just couldn't get back (near) to him to race."

That Edwards considered revenge was a surprise to Busch, who seemed mystified that Edwards could be holding any sort of grudge against him.

"I have no idea what I'm owed from, you'd have to ask Carl," Busch said, later adding when asked specifically about Phoenix, "Carl says what Carl says. I don't know. And when and where it comes, I do not know."

It didn't come Sunday after Busch beat Edwards and Jimmie Johnson off pit road following the final pit stops on Lap 430 of 500. That gave him the lead over all but one of the final 70 laps in the Jeff Byrd 500. The racing at the beginning of each restart was intense, but Busch consistently pulled away.

Edwards briefly grabbed the lead on Lap 474 after side-by-side racing, but Busch took it back for good the next lap.

"I was trying to drive away from him so he wouldn't have the opportunity to get to me," Busch said of his strategy with Edwards. "When he got to me that one time, I'm like 'Oh, man. That was your shot. Nice try. You didn't get it done.' "

Busch did, pulling away to complete a sweep of the weekend — he also won Saturday's second-tier Nationwide series race. Busch has five Cup wins at Bristol, which ties him with older brother Kurt in NASCAR's top series, and has 11 victories spanning the three national series at the 0.533-mile bullring.

Kurt Busch, who came in tied for the Sprint Cup points lead, took sole possession of first, one point ahead of Edwards.

Kyle Busch, who drives a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, dedicated the win to the manufacturer and employees in Japan trying to recover from the recent earthquake and tsunami.

Johnson, the defending race winner, finished third and said he waited for a dustup between Busch and Edwards that could have given him the win.

"We were all running really hard, and there were a couple moments where I thought I might be given a big gift," Johnson said. " … There was nowhere for me to go if I got up in there and raced with those guys."

Kenseth, Edwards' teammate with Roush Fenway Racing, was fourth followed by Richard Childress Racing teammates Paul Menard and Kevin Harvick.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was flagged for speeding on pit road, which might have cost him a top-10 finish. He was 11th, coming back from one lap down.

There were no tire issues despite concern when Goodyear's product struggled through Friday. The supplier called for almost 1,300 new right-side tires to be shipped from North Carolina, and they were distributed before Saturday's practices. NASCAR called a competition caution at Lap 50 to check the tires, and there were no noticeable issues.

EAST BAY RACEWAY: Bryan Bern­hardt won the Late Model feature late Saturday in Gibsonton.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 20, 2011

Tod Leiweke counts season-ticket holders like some people count sheep.

So when the Lightning's chief executive officer, whose primary duty is to turn Tampa Bay's bottom line from red to black, ponders 900 new subscribers he said signed up in the past month, "It puts a smile on my face when I go to sleep at night."

Ticket sales are the lifeblood of NHL franchises. Without the big-money national television contracts that support the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball, getting fannies in the seats and selling merchandise, food and beverages are paramount.

Leiweke's anecdotal numbers aside, there is real evidence the Lightning, after three seasons of declining attendance, is reversing the trend.

Announced average attendance — the number of tickets sold and distributed, not necessarily people in the St. Pete Times Forum — is 17,216, up from last season's 15,497.

More meaningful, though, is the increase in actual average attendance at the 19,758-seat arena; that is, the turnstile count, which Hillsborough County reports was an average 13,443 in 31 games through February, the latest data available. At the same time last season, the average was 11,081.

That is an increase of 2,362 (21.3 percent) and does not count announced March sellouts of 20,274 with the Canadiens and 19,912 with the Blackhawks.

"Of course we notice," captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "The crowds are into it, definitely louder. It's been fun."

"It's encouraging," Leiweke said, "how the market has reacted."

It has reacted to several things, most notably a winning team, which, barring a complete collapse, will make the playoffs for the first time in four years.

The organization also is rebuilding community ties torched by the previous owners, Oren Koules and Len Barrie, who seemed more determined to tear each other down than build partnerships with fans and sponsors.

The centerpiece is a $35 million makeover of the Times Forum, and owner Jeff Vinik's pledged a $10 million charitable contribution over five years to the Lightning Foundation.

There also is an ongoing effort to cultivate season-ticket holders. And that, Leiweke said, means giving fans, even in tough economic times, reasons to buy in.

Season-ticket prices were frozen for next season, and season-ticket holders will receive a Lightning jersey with a microchip in the shoulder programmed for food and product discounts.

"Those are responses to people who say, 'I'm willing to spend money, but I want to make sure the value is there,' " Leiweke said.

"The priority is to rebuild our season-ticket base," he added. "That way, you've got a base from where you can push for sellouts. It's just a fundamental principle."

The Lightning sold only about 8,000 season tickets this season, so Leiweke's glee at 900 new subscribers is understandable.

Still, he can only dream about the years after the 2003-04 Stanley Cup season, when Tampa Bay was second and third, respectively, in the league in average announced attendance — 20,509 in 2005-06, 19,876 in 2006-07 — and the joint always was rockin'.

"Everybody that came in and played us talked about it in the summer when I saw them," Lecavalier said. " 'You guys have a loud building.' It was fun to play in."

"We have great fans," defenseman Pavel Kubina said. "We just have to win games."

A good playoff run would be the best advertisement.

As Leiweke said, "More important than anything is a team people believe is going to be a long-term winner.

"The foundation has been put in place. We have a great story to tell. That's just what we've been doing."

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

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Sunday, March 20, 2011

PALM HARBOR — The name probably means nothing to you this morning. His resume means even less. For now, Gary Woodland is just some young guy from Kansas who won the Transitions Championship on Sunday when all of the bigger names flamed out.

And perhaps that will be the highlight of a career. Maybe he's destined to be one of those golfers whose name is vaguely familiar, even if you're never quite sure why. He wouldn't be the first player to arrive from nowhere with a round-trip ticket.

But do yourself a favor. Take a moment to get to know Woodland. Look at his past, and consider his future. Do it for fun. Do it for the heck of it.

Do it … just in case.

"He's the most confident person I've ever met," said his girlfriend, Gabby Granado. "It is set in his mind, he just knows, that he will be No. 1 in the world.

"He's constantly working to be the best in the world, and he's not going to stop until he's there."

Which is cute for a guy who passed up a Division I scholarship opportunity to play golf at Kansas because he still thought of himself as a basketball player. That's why Woodland went to Division II Washburn University in Topeka to be an undersized guard.

The plan lasted until Washburn was beaten 101-66 by KU in an exhibition game, and Woodland said he scored three points after shooting 1-for-7 from the floor.

Later, he called the golf coach at KU to make sure the scholarship offer was still good and soon began his golf career in earnest.

"He says things other golfers don't say. He doesn't talk about money or fame. He talks about being the best in the world," said his agent, Blake Smith. "For people who don't know him, you think, 'Wow. Okay.' For those of us who know him, it's not a joke.

"Up to now, he's been our little secret."

Up to now, there has been no reason to keep him a secret. It's not like he was tearing up lesser tours. It's not like he was the NCAA's top player at Kansas.

He was improving steadily, but he was far behind a lot of other golfers because he spent so much of his youth playing other sports.

Woodland, 26, was dragging a golf club behind his father on a course when he was barely a year old, and excelling in under-10 tournaments when he was 6, but he still considered himself a better baseball and basketball player through much of his youth.

"He has known from a very young age that he was going to be a pro-something. We just didn't know what it would be," his mother, Linda, said after she and her husband, Dan, gathered with 30-40 friends to watch Gary's victory on TV in a Topeka bar Sunday.

"He's just always had a confidence that it was going to happen. It's not egotistical, and it's not bragging. He's just always believed God had blessed him with athletic ability, and it was up to him to make it happen."

Maybe that explains the quote on the bedroom closet in his Orlando home:

"Greatness never takes a day off"

Or the one on the wall next to his bed:

"A delay is not a denial"

Woodland is particularly fond of that one because it applies to his first shot at the PGA Tour in 2009-10. After just two seasons on the Hooters Tour, Woodland earned his PGA card through Q-school at the end of 2008.

The only problem is he had a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder and tried playing through the pain as a PGA rookie in '09. When it became obvious that wouldn't work, he had surgery in August and missed the rest of that season and the first part of 2010.

He was given a medical exemption but wasn't physically ready to compete when he returned last season. Even so, the time away allowed Woodland to practice his short game the way he never had before.

Woodland returned to Q-school in December and earned his card again. The results have since been close to shocking.

The guy who almost didn't play Division I golf in college, the guy who never won an event on the Hooters or Nationwide tours, has finished second, tied for fifth, tied for sixth and first in his last six tournaments. He currently sits third on the PGA Tour money list.

Still, Woodland can't help but do things a little differently.

After Friday's round, he and Granado ordered a pizza and went back to their room to watch Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. And, now that the Masters is suddenly on his schedule, he should think about bypassing the tournament in Houston in two weeks, except he points out that the Final Four will be in Houston at the same time.

He didn't arrive with the same fanfare as other golfers, but Gary Woodland might just make enough noise to finally be noticed.

"The sky is the limit," Woodland said. "If we do what we're supposed to do, everything will be alright.

"I'm not setting performance goals, I'm just trying to get better every day."

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

Tennis

Djokovic tops Nadal for title at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Novak Djokovic beat top-ranked Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the BNP Paribas Open title Sunday.

Djokovic improved to 18-0, including victories at the Australian Open and in Dubai last month. He will move into the No. 2 spot when the ATP Tour rankings are released today, having bumped Roger Federer to third after he lost to Djokovic in the semifinals. Nadal will stay No. 1.

"It definitely says good things. I am playing with a lot of confidence. I'm feeling the ball well on the court," Djokovic said. "I'm very dedicated. I have a big will to win each match."

Meanwhile, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki defeated 15th-seeded Marion Bartoli 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to win the title a year after she lost in the final.

Wozniacki won her WTA Tour-leading 19th match of the year and her second title while appearing in her third straight final.

NFL

Ex-Houston WR Hill dies after strokes

Former WR Drew Hill, 54, a two-time Pro Bowl player who was a key part of the Oilers' famed "Run and Shoot" offense of the 1980s, died late Friday at an Atlanta hospital after suffering two massive strokes, agent Jay Mathis said.

Mr. Hill, a Pro Bowl wideout in 1998 and 1990, played for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-84), Oilers (1985-91) and Falcons (1992-93), and the 12th-round pick from Georgia Tech had 634 catches for 9,831 yards and 60 touchdowns.

Colleges

USF baseball tops Bethune-Cookman

Junior LHP Matt Reed went eight shutout innings and USF (9-11) had an unearned run in the fourth inning for a 1-0 win over Bethune-Cookman in Tampa. Sophomore LF Alex Mendez scored on an errant throw by Wildcats starter Scott Garner, who pitched a four-hitter.

More baseball: Florida (18-2, 3-0 SEC), ranked No. 1 by Baseball America, rallied from a 3-0 deficit for a 7-3 win at No. 8 LSU (16-4, 0-3) to complete a sweep.

Football: Alabama S Mark Barron, who led the team with 75 tackles in 2010, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of hindering prosecution, the Mobile County Sheriff's Office said.

Hockey: Yale earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and North Dakota, Boston College and Miami of Ohio are the other top seeds.

Softball: Freshman Kourtney Salvarola had a three-run home run as USF (18-15) beat Florida A&M 10-3 in Clearwater.

Et cetera

Fishing: Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., rallied from 20th place to win the Bassmaster Power-Pole Citrus Slam on the St. Johns River in Palatka.

Horses: Jockey Ronnie Allen Jr. won three times to raise his season total to 59 at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar.

Soccer: Midfielder Stuart Holden needed 26 stitches to close a gash near his left knee and was dropped along with defenders Steve Cherundolo (groin) and Zak Whitbread (back) from the U.S. national team's exhibition games against Argentina on Saturday and Paraguay on March 29. Holden was injured when Manchester United's Jonny Evans hit him during Bolton's 1-0 loss Saturday in the English Premier League.

Times wires

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina's Roy Williams woke up Sunday morning feeling ill.

The Hall of Fame coach then endured one stomach-turning play after another in a confusing finish that left the Tar Heels in a familiar spot: the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.

Tyler Zeller had 23 points, Harrison Barnes added 22 and North Carolina survived a closing minute that included numerous controversial calls to beat Washington 86-83. The Tar Heels are into the second weekend for a record 24th time.

"I told the kids to take care of the old man and they did a good job," Williams said. "I feel a heck of a lot better now."

Rallying from deficits of 11 in the first half and five in the second, the second-seeded Tar Heels (28-7) went ahead for good on Barnes' 3-pointer with 4:06 left.

They needed two late free throws from Dexter Strickland and two defensive stops in the final second to advance.

"For our lack of experience," Barnes said, "we make up for that with heart."

The seventh-seeded Huskies (24-11) got within 84-83 on Terrence Ross' 3-pointer with 17.3 seconds left, then North Carolina's Kendall Marshall missed a 1-and-1.

Washington's Venoy Overton missed a runner in the lane, but the ball bounced off North Carolina and out of bounds with 7.4 seconds left. On the inbounds, 6-foot-10 John Henson, the former Sickles standout, knocked away Justin Holiday's pass under the basket. The ball landed in Strickland's hands, and he hit two free throws with 5.4 seconds left.

Moments later, Overton, anticipating a foul, launched a halfcourt shot with about three seconds left that fell well short. Instead of letting the shot go out of bounds, Henson touched the ball on the way down to give the Huskies another chance.

But how much time was left?

Replays with the official game clock superimposed on the screen showed there should have been 1.1 or 1.2 seconds to go, giving Washington more time for a final shot. Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar said that his staff asked referees to review how much time should have been left. They stuck with half a second.

"There's always a lag time between the time the play occurs and the whistle is blown and the clock stops," official Doug Shows told a pool reporter. "By rule, the clock stops when the whistle blows. We were asked to check the time and we verified that it was accurate with the standby official and the clock operator."

Needing to hurry, the Huskies then inbounded the ball to Isaiah Thomas, who shot from the corner. Henson needlessly touched the ball just before it would have hit the rim and the Washington bench erupted for a goaltending call. It wouldn't have mattered: Thomas had his foot on the 3-point line.

MARQUETTE 66, SYRACUSE 62: Darius Johnson-Odom's 3-pointer with 27 seconds left snapped a tie in Cleveland and put the 11th-seeded Golden Eagles (22-14) into the Sweet 16 for the first time in eight years. The winning basket was set up by one of 18 turnovers by Marquette's Big East rival, the third-seeded Orange (27-8), which fell to Butler in the Sweet 16 last year as a No. 1 seed.

OHIO ST. 98, GEORGE MASON 66: David Lighty made all seven of his 3-pointers and had 25 points, Jared Sullinger added 18 and the top-seeded Buckeyes (34-2) made 16 3s to dismantle the eighth-seeded Patriots (27-7).

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

St. Petersburg Times staff writer Tom Jones looks back at the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.

Best analysis

NBC golf's Johnny Miller, below, showed again Sunday why there might not be a better sports analyst on television. Anyone can tell viewers what just happened. The best in the business, however, can tell us why it happened and, better yet, what is about to happen.

During Sunday's broadcast of the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook, Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland were tied for the lead on the 18th hole. While Woodland was putting for par, Simpson pulled out a driver and Miller immediately questioned the decision.

"A 3-iron would do just fine," Miller said. "Just get it out there in play." Reporter Dottie Pepper smartly jumped in to add that Simpson didn't hesitate pulling out the driver.

Sure enough, Simpson drove his tee shot into the bunker and ended up with bogey to give Woodland the championship. Miller called it before he had seen it. It just doesn't get any better than that, folks.

Meantime, Miller had the funniest line of the weekend. During Saturday's broadcast, Paul Casey missed a makeable 10-footer because he didn't hit it strong enough. As the ball rolled toward the hole, Miller cracked: "Did he hit it? Paul, you're rich enough to go for it!"

Smart and funny. What else could viewers want?

Best recovery

The television question coming into March Madness was how the NBA analysts from TNT would adjust to their new roles as college analysts, especially studio analyst Charles Barkley. So far, so good.

Barkley got off to a rough start last weekend during the selection show because he seemed unprepared. But he rebounded with a good weekend, doing what he does best — offering up strong opinions. There's no waffling, no on-the-fence comments. It's all straightforward and blunt. For example, after Bruce Pearl's Tennessee team was beaten badly by Michigan, Barkley said: "I'm a big Bruce Pearl fan. I think he's done a fantastic job. But he's made some mistakes. They've got to fire him."

Nothing wishy-washy about that.

Best Smith moment

TNT NBA analyst Kenny Smith brings a fresh perspective to his March Madness analysis and offers up tidbits that are intelligent, thought-provoking and interesting, like the point he made about why low-seeded teams often hang around for at least a half against high seeds. Smith pointed out that even little schools you've never heard of from little conferences have really good players.

"They have players who are 6 feet 2 who can play," he said. "The problem is, they are playing against 6-5 guys who can play. But the little guys are good enough to hang around for a while. They just can't stay with the 6-5 guys for a whole game."

That's the best explanation I've heard so far for why lower seed teams can put a scare into heavyweights.

Worst idea

CBS already had a strong studio team for the NCAA Tournament, with Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith joining host Greg Gumbel and Greg Anthony, who is the real star in the studio. So why add Louisville coach Rick Pitino the moment his Cardinals were eliminated from the tournament? You could see CBS's thinking: Pitino is well-known and a current coach who can speak with authority about current teams. But his presence only takes away time from the others who are willing to be stronger with their opinions because they, unlike Pitino, are not directly involved in college basketball anymore.

Pitino still has to watch what he says, and that's understandable. But that's no excuse to pull what he did Sunday when, in the wake of a couple of controversial endings over the weekend, Pitino told John Adams, coordinator of officiating for the NCAA Tournament: "John, whatever you're paying the officials, multiply it by 10. … (They) are doing a fabulous job."

Ugh. His team isn't even playing, and Pitino is working the officials.

Worst use of hyperbole

The NBC hockey crew of Mike Emrick, Ed Olczyk and Pierre McGuire are so consistently good that you can't help but wince when one of them gets a little too carried away. On Sunday, it was McGuire. He praised the Rangers' comeback victory over the Penguins and called the Rangers' character "phenomenal."

Hold on a second. The Penguins are without their two best players (Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin) and had lost nine of their past 15 games. The Rangers won Sunday because of a five-on-three power play that essentially led to two goals. And, even with the victory, the Rangers are the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. It was a nice victory, a solid win, but there was nothing phenomenal about it.

This might seem like nitpicking, but it's the one thing that drives viewers crazy — making something a bigger deal than it really is. Not everything is "the best." Not every player is "great." Not every victory is "special" or "extraordinary" or, in this case, "phenomenal." And McGuire is too good to do that.

Best class

Like all of us, CBS was waiting for the first big moment of the NCAA Tournament, and when it happened CBS was fully prepared. The bizarre ending to the Butler-Pitt game on Saturday featured two controversial foul calls in the final seconds. Butler won on a free throw with less than a second left after Pitt was called for a foul underneath its own basket. CBS was all over it: timely reports, replays and analysis, including an interview with John Adams, the tournament's coordinator of officiating. It was CBS's finest moment of March Madness so far.

But the one thing that stood out — aside from how the officials were overwhelmingly defended for their calls — was how classy everyone was in the wake of Butler's victory. Butler coach Brad Stevens' initial comments were about how badly he felt for Pitt. Jamie Dixon, the Pitt coach, said the call was not why his Panthers lost. But Pitt's Nasir Robinson showed the most grace. Instead of blaming the referee for making a foul call against him nearly 90 feet from Butler's basket, Robinson took full responsibility, saying: "It wasn't the ref's fault. It was my fault.''

Three things that popped into my head

1. Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban is a good player, but he is an embarrassment to the NHL for his consistent lack of respect for the game. Faking an injury to get the Lightning's Vinny Lecavalier kicked out of a game last week was disgraceful. And don't think the league and the referees will forget that Subban showed up both with his little acting job.

2. How cool was it to think that people up north might have tuned into the Transitions Championship over the weekend and thought, "Man, the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area looks like a beautiful place to live."

3. It seems flat-out wrong that Dick Vitale has never called an NCAA Tournament game.

Strongest comments

Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty recently suffered a severe concussion and a cracked vertebra when he was slammed into an extension that separates the team benches by Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. At their meetings last week, the NHL general managers didn't take any steps to have those extensions removed, and now outspoken analyst Mike Milbury, who can be seen on NBC and Hockey Night in Canada, has put NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and players union head Don Fehr on notice. On Saturday night's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Milbury looked straight at the camera and said: "One guy breaks his neck and it's on you, Gary Bettman, and it's on you, Don Fehr. Somebody should've stepped in, and they didn't. Shame on you!''

Strongest comments

Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty recently suffered a severe concussion and a cracked vertebra when he was slammed into an extension that separates the team benches by Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. At their meetings last week, the NHL general managers didn't take any steps to have those extensions removed and now outspoken analyst Mike Milbury, who can be seen on NBC and Hockey Night in Canada, has put NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and players' union head Don Fehr on notice. On Saturday night's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Milbury looked straight at the camera and said, "One guy breaks his neck and it's on you, Gary Bettman and it's on you, Don Fehr. Somebody should've stepped in and they didn't. Shame on you!''

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

Shot of the day

While Gary Woodland's par putt on No. 18 was big, his tee shot on No. 17 put him in position to win. Woodland hit his tee shot on the 225-yard par 3 to within 16 feet of a flag tucked into the back right of the green. He drained the putt to go to 15 under.

Quote of the day

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

Gary Woodland, Transitions Championship winner

Hole of the day

No. 18

Par 4, 444 yards

It seems as if the tournament always comes down to this hole, and this year was no exception. The tough front-left pin placement made putts above the hole nearly impossible. Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland had long shots down to the hole Sunday, and only Woodland was able to make par.

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

TULSA, Okla. — Derrick Williams is 2-for-2 in game-saving plays in the NCAA Tournament.

The Arizona sophomore and Pac-10 player of the year made his second in as many games Sunday night, completing a three-point play with 9.6 seconds remaining to lift the Wildcats to a 70-69 win over Texas.

Williams also had the saving block with 2 seconds left in Arizona's opening 77-75 win over Memphis on Friday. He struggled for much of the game Sunday but finished with 17 points.

"I wasn't surprised by the block against Memphis," Williams said. "I am a little surprised by the shot I made (Sunday). I haven't seen the replay yet, but I wasn't looking at the basket. I was looking down so I wouldn't have a hard fall.

"I was surprised it went in, but at the same time I'm glad it went in."

The No. 5 seed Wildcats (29-7) reached the second weekend of play a year after their absence from the tournament ended a 25-year appearance streak.

"I can't tell you how excited we are to be moving on to the Sweet 16," second-year Arizona coach Sean Miller said. "It's one thing to be a part of this tournament, but when you have the experience of advancing, it's second-to-none as a college basketball program, players, coaches."

The win over the No. 4 seed Longhorns didn't come without controversy. Texas (28-8) trailed by as many as 13 in the first half before J'Covan Brown scored 21 of his 23 in the second to get the Longhorns back into it.

Brown made 13 of 13 free throws, bringing his two-game tournament total to 25 of 25. His jumper in the lane with just more than a minute left gave Texas a 69-67 lead, its first since it was up 12-11 early in the game.

The shot appeared as though it would keep the Longhorns in the lead for good after Williams misfired on a go-ahead attempt with 14.5 seconds left. Texas freshman Tristan Thompson blocked the attempt, which Jordan Hamilton corralled before calling a timeout for the Longhorns.

Following the timeout is when the fun began, at least for Arizona. Texas' Cory Joseph struggled to inbound against the swarming Wildcats defense and appeared to call a timeout.

However, referee Richard Cartmell called Joseph for a five-second violation, though replays showed he appeared to make the call before reaching five.

"I had five seconds before the kid turned and signaled a timeout," Cartmell said in a statement. "I had to make a decision whether it was five seconds or a timeout, and I made the decision it was five seconds because I had counted five seconds before he called timeout."

Texas coach Rick Barnes wished replays could have been used to determine if the correct call had been made.

"They have rules in other leagues and even on an out-of-bounds play," Barnes said. "There are certain things that can be corrected. In our game, there's not.

"We've got to be willing to make the rules that are right. Because at the very end, if you truly want the players to determine it, the officials have to be willing, the NCAA has to be willing to say, okay, we're going to get this right."

DUKE 73, MICHIGAN 71: Nolan Smith had 24 points and the top-seeded Blue Devils held their breath as the Wolverines' last shot clanged off the rim, sealing the 900th win of coach Mike Krzyzewski's Hall of Fame career in Charlotte, N.C.

"The 900, it means that we're advancing," Krzyzewski said. "That's the main thing."

Duke (32-4) shot 51 percent, never trailed in the second half and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 12th time in 14 years.

The Blue Devils capped their national championship run last year with a two-point victory over Butler that wasn't settled until Gordon Hayward's halfcourt heave ricocheted off the glass and the iron at the buzzer.

"We told our kids it would be like playing Butler in the national championship: a very similar, tough-minded, really, really good basketball team," Krzyzewski said.

The eighth-seeded Wolverines (21-14), who trailed by 15 with 10:51 left, clawed within one twice in the final 90 seconds before Smith missed a free throw with 8.7 seconds left.

Darius Morris zipped downcourt and put up a runner in the lane with 2 seconds left, but the shot bounced off the back iron, and the rebound went to Smith at the buzzer.

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS — The little team that could just might outdo itself.

After beating Old Dominion on F Matt Howard's last-second tip-in Thursday, eighth-seeded Butler upset top-seeded Pitt 71-70 on his free throw with 0.8 seconds left Saturday. Last year, Butler, seeded No. 5, upset the top two seeds to reach the title game, which it lost by two to Duke.

So after spending an entire season trying to distance themselves from last season's team, the Bulldogs are right back where they started.

"Nobody's going to pick us to beat Wisconsin, and nobody picked us to beat Old Dominion or Pitt, either," coach Brad Stevens said Sunday after arriving back on campus. "(Point guard) Ronald Nored came up to me and said, 'Coach, I've played in 10 NCAA games, and nobody has ever picked us to win.' "

Actually, Thursday's game against the fourth-seeded Badgers will be Nored's 10th. So far, he's 7-2. Not bad for the team that some picked to lose in the first round each of the past two years. Or for a team some wrote off during a three-game skid in late January and early February.

Butler won seven straight to clinch a share of its fifth consecutive Horizon Conference regular-season title then two more to win its tournament. Now it sits two wins shy of another Final Four berth.

Senior G Zach Hahn said it's only the start.

"It's exciting, and a lot of us have been here before. So we know what to expect, and we have to show the freshmen the ropes," he said. "This is what you play for, and you never want it to end."

Missing Patriot: George Mason F Luke Hancock, who scored 18 and made the winning 3-pointer in the opening win, didn't play in a loss to Ohio State. Coach Jim Larranaga said Hancock could not keep food down and was up all night and most of the morning throwing up.

Staying home: Duke and North Carolina won two more games in their home state. The Blue Devils have won 16 consecutive tournament games played in North Carolina since losing 98-87 to Providence in a second-round game on March 16, 1997, in Charlotte, the site of this year's games. The Tar Heels have won 25 in a row since losing 72-71 to Penn in a second-round game on March 11, 1979, in Raleigh.

Matter of inches: Virginia Commonwealth PG Joey Rodriguez is listed at 5 feet 10. After Sunday's win, he was asked if he really is 5-10.

"I'm really not," he said. "I'm like 5-9 and three-quarters."

He was then asked if it's more like 5-8.

"No, I'm not 5-8," Rodriguez said, his teammates snickering. "I take that to heart."

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Miami's Riquna Williams laughed when asked if being a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament brought pressure to a team that hadn't won a tournament game in 18 years.

"It's only a number," she said.

The junior guard scored 17 of her 28 points in the first half and grabbed nine rebounds as the Hurricanes beat Gardner-Webb 80-62 Sunday in the first round.

The victory was the first in the tournament since 1993 for Miami (28-4), and kept alive a dramatic turnaround season. The Hurricanes went from 12th in the ACC last season to regular-season champions this year, earning Katie Meier league coach of the year honors.

The third seed in the Dayton Region went on a 19-5 run to build a 45-28 halftime lead over the Runnin' Bulldogs.

"I think we took our foot off the gas, but when it was time to execute at the end of the game, we were able to do that," said Johnson, the ACC player of the year.

Dominique Hudson had 18 points to lead Gardner-Webb (23-11), the No. 14 seed making its NCAA Tournament debut, and twin sister Monique had 17.

"I think the biggest thing is that they just outran us," Dominique Hudson said. "We just never caught up with the pace off the game."

Miami faces sixth seed Oklahoma on Tuesday in the second round.

OKLAHOMA 86, J. MADISON 72: Whitney Hand scored 24 for the Sooners (22-11), who squandered much of a 19-point second-half lead but held on in Charlottesville. The Dukes got within 74-68 with 2:56 to play, but Danielle Robinson made a layup then a three-point play for Oklahoma. Dawn Evans, a senior who played most of the last two seasons with a rare kidney disease, led James Madison (26-8) with 20 points.

Dallas Region

GEORGIA 56, MTSU 41: Jasmine James had eight of her 18 points over the final 5:40 for the Bulldogs (22-10) in Auburn, Ala., as the sixth seed set up a second-round matchup Tuesday against Florida State. Middle Tennessee State (23-8) ended its season wearing patches bearing the No. 20 of slain teammate Tina Stewart, who was stabbed to death on March 2. Her freshman roommate is charged with first-degree murder in her death.

BAYLOR 66, PRAIRIE VIEW 30: The host Bears (32-2) set a women's tournament record for fewest points allowed in the first half, leading 34-8 at the break in Waco, Texas. Baylor, the top seed, was led by Brittney Griner and Brooklyn Pope with 17 points each. The Panthers (21-12) shot 3-of-27 in the first half and missed their first 12 shots before Waco native Robin Jones scored on a layup to make it 16-2.

W. VIRGINIA 79, HOUSTON 73: Liz Repella scored 26 and Madina Ali had 13 points and 15 rebounds to lift the No. 9 seed Mountaineers (24-9), who entered the tournament on a 4-8 skid since late January. West Virginia fell behind early in Waco, then took control with a 16-1 run and led the Cougars (26-6) by 12 at halftime.

WISC.-GREEN BAY 59, UALR 55: Kayla Tetschlag had 24 points in Wichita, Kan., for the fifth-seeded Phoenix (33-1), which won its 21st straight but first by single digits since Jan. 27 against Butler. Arkansas-Little Rock (23-8) pulled within 58-55 on a 3-pointer by Taylor Ford with three seconds left, but Julie Wojta hit a clinching free throw with 1.9 seconds to go.

MICHIGAN ST. 69, N. IOWA 66: Big Ten player of the year Kalisha Keane scored 17 and Taylor Alton had 14 points for the No. 4 seed Spartans (27-5) in Wichita. Michigan State improved to 9-1 in first-round games and ended a 19-game winning streak by Northern Iowa (27-6).

TEXAS A&M 87, MCNEESE ST. 47: Center Danielle Adams scored 18 for the second-seeded Aggies (28-5) in Bossier City, La. Texas A&M led 22-3 early and was never challenged by McNeese State (26-7), which was outrebounded 45-25.

RUTGERS 76, LA. TECH 51: April Sykes scored 22 for the seventh-seeded Scarlet Knights (20-12), who quieted a hostile crowd in Bossier City, an hour from Louisiana Tech's Ruston campus. Adrienne Johnson scored 20 to lead the Techsters (24-8).

Philadelphia Region

UCONN 75, HARTFORD 39: A long layoff didn't bother the two-time defending national champions as Stefanie Dolson scored all 12 of her points in the first half to lead a balanced offense for host and top seed Connecticut in Storrs. Maya Moore, Bria Hartley and Tiffany Hayes also had 12 points each for the Huskies (33-1), who held a 47-23 rebounding advantage over the Hawks (17-16) after being idle since March 8.

PURDUE 53, KANSAS STATE 45: Drey Mingo, who overcame a life-threatening bout with meningitis this season, scored 16 for the ninth-seeded Boilermakers (21-11) in Storrs. Brittany Rayburn scored 21 to lead Purdue, which led 45-36 with just more than 5 minutes left before the Wildcats (21-11) went on a 9-1 run. But KSU, which shot just 30 percent, never scored again.

MARYLAND 70, ST. FRANCIS, PA. 48: The host Terrapins (24-7) scored the first 13 points and led by 23 at halftime at College Park. Freshman Alyssa Thomas scored 10 of her 16 points in the first half for Maryland, the fourth seed, which has no seniors and six freshmen. Brittany Lilley and Nickia Gibbs each scored 10 for the Red Flash (22-12).

G'TOWN 65, PRINCETON 49: Hoyas guard Sugar Rodgers outscored the Tigers in the first half, and fifth-seeded Georgetown (23-10) used a smothering press to take control in College Park. The Hoyas, who led 22-5 early and cruised from there, are playing their first two games at Maryland's campus, only about 10 miles from their campus. Addie Micir led Princeton (24-5) with 13 points.

Spokane Region

LOUISVILLE 81, VANDY 62: Freshman point guard Shoni Schimmel scored 19 in Cincinnati for the Cardinals (21-12), who missed the tournament last year after making the national title game in 2009. Louisville, the seventh seed, led all the way against Vanderbilt (20-12) and had a 41-26 halftime edge.

XAVIER 72, S. DAKOTA ST. 56: Ta'Shia Phillips had 27 points and 15 rebounds for the host and No. 2 seed Musketeers (29-2) in Cincinnati. The other half of Xavier's post duo, Amber Harris, had 16 points and 12 rebounds as her team led 17-6 early and never let South Dakota State (19-14) in it. Ashley Eide led the Jackrabbits with 10 points.

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

CHICAGO — There are times when a lower-seeded NCAA Tournament team needs a little magic to win the kind of game Florida State did here on Sunday night. A shot that just beats the final buzzer. A ball that bounces one way instead of the other.

The Seminoles, seeded 10th in the Southwest Region, needed no such magic. From start to finish during its 71-57 victory against No. 2 seed Notre Dame, FSU was the superior team. And now the Seminoles are headed to San Antonio, Texas, and to its first Sweet 16 since 1993.

Back then that run, which ended in the Elite Eight, wasn't so much of a surprise. This one is.

"Only in my wildest dreams," said guard Bernard James, who led FSU with 14 points despite being nauseated all morning. "I'm living my dream right now."

The Seminoles play 11th-seeded VCU on Friday in the region semifinal in the first 10 vs. 11 matchup in tournament history, according to STATS LLC.

And for the first time in the same NCAA Tournament, FSU and Florida are both in the Sweet 16.

FSU was supposed to be overmatched Sunday by one of the best shooting teams in the nation. It was supposed to wilt against the Fighting Irish and their five senior starters.

Instead, it was Notre Dame that appeared to be the more timid team — the more scared. FSU led by double digits throughout the second half and led at one point by 23 before Notre Dame went on an 11-0 run.

The Irish's burst was aided by a technical foul that came after Ben Hansbrough made a 3 from the top of the key. FSU guard Michael Snaer, who thought he had been fouled on the play, jumped off the floor and yelled in the direction of an official, who called him for the technical.

Notre Dame used it to cut its deficit to 12, but the Irish came no closer, falling to 0-8 against ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament.

The Seminoles shot 44.7 percent and held Notre Dame to 31 percent.

"I thought our guys were really focused, they stuck with the game plan, they executed, made the extra pass and moved the ball," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton told TBS. "We stuck to the plan by playing good, solid fundamental defense."

After leading by 11 at halftime, FSU stretched it to 17 four minutes into the second half. It did it with the same style that carried it through the first half: relentless defense that allowed Notre Dame few chances to score and with an offense that made the most of its chances.

FSU played perhaps its best half of the season during the first 20 minutes. The Seminoles shot just 40.7 percent but made 7 of 12 from behind the 3-point line.

While the Seminoles were putting on a shooting display from the perimeter that was as good as any this season, their defense was doing what it does best: making life miserable for an opposing offense.

Notre Dame went into the tournament boasting a 46.6 percent field-goal percentage, and it had converted nearly 40 percent of its 3-pointers.

But for most of the way the Irish appeared lost against the Seminoles' aggressive man-to-man.

On offense, FSU during the first half received the kind of breaks that sometimes a lower-seeded team needs to make a tournament run. Luke Loucks, a former Clearwater High standout, made a 3 that fell through the net after bouncing twice on the front of the rim. Freshman guard Ian Miller banked in a long 3-pointer from the left wing.

But overall, the Seminoles didn't need luck.