By Andrew Carter, Orlando Sentinel
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.

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

CHICAGO — Oh yeah, VCU belongs in the NCAA Tournament. The real question now: Who can stop the Rams?

Fresh, fast, furious and at times flawless, VCU didn't look a bit like a team playing its third game in five nights. The Rams (26-11) pressured Purdue, broke through its defense for numerous layups and overwhelmed the third-seeded Boilermakers 94-76 Sunday night to earn their first trip to the Sweet 16.

As their fans chanted "VCU, VCU," players hugged and celebrated on the floor of the United Center.

A week earlier, the Rams received an at-large bid to the disbelief of some critics. Shuttled off to Dayton for a first-round game, they beat Southern Cal on Wednesday, got into Chicago in the wee hours Thursday, routed Georgetown on Friday then did the same to the Boilermakers.

"A week ago, we thought we were done," said relentless point guard Joey Rodriguez, who had 12 points, 11 assists and no turnovers in 34 minutes.

"And now, we're here in the Sweet 16. Anything can happen now."

Coach Matt Painter, whose Boilermakers (26-8) were denied a third straight Sweet 16 trip, agreed.

"If you watched VCU a certain time in the season you wouldn't see what you just watched out there," Painter said. "Then you watch them during a four- or five-game stretch and you literally think, 'They can beat any team in the country.' … I made that statement: VCU can beat any team in the country on a neutral court. And I believe that. … I was hoping that team wouldn't show up, but that team from VCU did show up."

Bradford Burgess had 23 points to lead a balanced offense, and the Rams' depth wore the Boilermakers down in the second half when the lead reached 20 points.

"It wasn't easy. We just made plays out there. You see all these guys on TV, and we're watching them all year and in our heads, we're like, 'Man, we can play with these guys,' " Rodriguez said.

"We're getting the opportunity now and we're proving it."

KANSAS 73, ILLINOIS 59: Twins Marcus and Markieff Morris combined for 41 points and 24 rebounds, powering the top-seeded Jayhawks (34-2) in Tulsa, Okla., to ensure they wouldn't make an opening-weekend exit from the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year. The twins scored 24 of Kansas' first 29 in the second half, punctuated by consecutive two-handed slams by Markieff that made it 62-51 over the ninth-seeded Illini (20-14) with 3:51 left.

Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011

PHOENIX — Seminole's Brittany Lincicome came close. But Karrie Webb came through again.

Webb rallied to win the LPGA Founders Cup for her second straight victory, shooting 6-under 66 Sunday to beat Lincicome (70) and Paula Creamer (66) by a stroke.

Webb won when Lincicome bogeyed the final hole, missing a 10-foot par putt.

"I didn't think I'd be sitting here (Sunday) talking about winning," said Webb, who finished at 12-under 204. "But now that I am, it's such a great honor to win this tournament."

The Hall of Famer, 36, who won three weeks ago in Singapore, earned $200,000 for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and Japan relief efforts in the charity event at Wildfire Golf Club.

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

Webb tied Lincicome at 11 under with a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th and took the lead with a tap-in birdie on the par-5 15th.

Lincicome, 25, matched Webb at 12 under with a short birdie putt of her own on 15.

Webb made a 3-foot putt for par on the par-4 18th after leaving her approach shot in the fringe in front of the green.

Lincicome ended up in the fringe on the final green, but she ran her chip 10 feet past the hole and missed the putt for her second bogey of the week.

"I did a lot of good things. Just one bad hole," said Lincicome, who played for the First Tee of St. Petersburg, a golf program for young people.

From the driving range, Webb followed the action on No. 18 by watching a TV in a hospitality area, though there was a delay on the broadcast.

"You don't ever want a player to miss a putt," Webb said.

Lincicome didn't know she was tied for the lead.

"I never look at leaderboards," she said. "For some strange reason, I had it in my mind that Cristie Kerr was running away with it."

Webb knew exactly where she stood on the leaderboard.

"I'm a scoreboard watcher," she said. "Even if I'm not on the leaderboard, I like looking at it to see what everyone is shooting."

Kerr (69) finished fourth at 10 under.

Webb has 38 tour victories, including winning the previous Phoenix event in 2009 at Papago and in 1999 at Moon Valley.

"I love coming out to the desert," Webb said.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 21, 2011

The Tampa Bay Rays announced today they will make a $10,000 donation to Save the Children to benefit the Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund.

Also, the team will match up to $15,000 more in donations made by fans to Red Cross volunteers at the April 1-3 opening weekend series at Tropicana Field.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 21, 2011

Following 24 hours of careful observation by the Florida Gators training staff, sophomore guard Kenny Boynton is expected to be able to play when the Gators play BYU Thursday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

The game will tipoff at 7:57 p.m. on Thursday.

Boynton suffered a sprained ankle with just under five minutes remaining in Saturday's NCAA third round game against UCLA. "Right now, the first 24 hours we felt after the game was going to be really, really important the next morning because a lot of times in those ankle situations, when you're traveling, when it's not elevated or not iced, you worry about swelling being a problem,'' Donovan said today. "That was the major issue, but we were really able to get that under control. We fully expect him to play. He's not going to do anything today in practice. He definitely has some discomfort there, but I don't feel like it's discomfort that's going to prevent him from playing. Now, I'll probably find out a little bit more as we get into Tuesday and Wednesday when he starts actually really, really moving. Talking to the trainer, his biggest concern was if this thing is really swollen on Sunday, it's going to take him a lot longer to come back. They've been able to really minimize the swelling.''

Boynton was a key figure in last year's first round loss to BYU in the NCAA Tournament. He took on the primary role of defending BYU star guard Jimmer Fredette - who scored 23 of his 37 points in regulation. The Gators lost in double overtime.

And while he will play, right now there's no way of knowing if he'll be limited at all, Donovan said.

"Now, the biggest thing is what kind of pain does he have,'' Donovan said. "He's walking and he's not on crutches. He's not in the boot.

He's able to walk freely. He doesn't have a lot of discomfort. Chandler (Parsons) got to a point, too, when he was walking around and felt pretty good (after a severe thigh bruise injury earlier this season), then he got on the floor and tried to start cutting and he couldn't do it. I'm still a little bit cautious of where he's at because I haven't seen him sprint, cut, change direction, do those kind of things. Kenny's had some ankle problems during his career. He's sprained an ankle quite a bit. He's had to deal with it at different times during his career. I also think there's a mental hurdle for him that he's going to have to get over, that he does feel good and he's not playing in pain.

Hopefully, we can get him to that point. But as it relates to what we had to do the first 24 hours, we thought that went very, very well."

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 21, 2011

Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Matt Joyce was scratched from the lineup for tonight's spring training game against the New York Yankees in Port Charlotte.

Casey Kotchman was inserted to take his place.

Joyce said he had some mild back tightness, and the Rays just wanted to keep him out as a precaution.

He said he could have played today, and it's a "really minor" thing, but they wanted to be smart and not allow it to be a lingering issue. Joyce said he fully expects to play tomorrow in Fort Myers against the Red Sox.

Jeremy Hellickson will make the start for the Rays, with several regulars in the lineup, including Evan Longoria and Johnny Damon. Some of the Rays new bullpen arms, Juan Cruz, Kyle Farnsworth and Joel Peralta will make appearances.

The Rays will face Yankees rotation candidate, veteran Bartolo Colon.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 21, 2011

Centerfielder B.J. Upton said it was "comforting" to see the Tampa Bay Rays have his back Sunday when manager Joe Maddon summoned security to remove a fan – wearing an Orioles jersey – who he said was yelling racist comments at him in the dugout.

Upton had struck out in the sixth inning and headed to the dugout when he heard the comment. Several teammates came to Upton's defense, going to the top step. Upton declined to reveal what the comment was, but said he shrugged off the unfortunate incident.

"I was too busy worrying about the slider I swung and missed at out of the zone," Upton said. "I heard what he said, but I wasn't really worried about it. For me to turn around and see all those guys on the top step defending me, it's pretty cool."

Upton said he hears racist comments from fans in the stands "all the time."

"I hear things like that in the outfield, in some places," Upton said. "But I think yesterday was just an instance where more than one person got to hear it, not just me."

As reported in Monday's Times, a man who said he was the ejected fan went on Twitter later Sunday, claiming Maddon lied and he said nothing racial.

But Maddon told the Times what was said, and it could be considered racial. The fan also emailed the Times, saying Maddon misunderstood the comments.

Times wires
Monday, March 21, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS — The NFL asked a federal judge Monday to keep its lockout in place, claiming there are no legal grounds to stop it while accusing the players of trying to manipulate the law with an antitrust lawsuit.

The NFL filed its arguments in federal court in St. Paul, Minn., where U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson has scheduled an April 6 hearing on the players' request to stop the lockout. The injunction request was filed the same day as an antitrust lawsuit by Tom Brady, Drew Brees and seven other NFL players against the league March 11.

The NFL said a decision on a lockout must wait until the National Labor Relations Board rules on an unfair labor practice charge against the now-dissolved players' union. The NLRB said the case is under investigation.

In arguing that Congress has barred judges from halting lockouts, the league cited Depression-era legislation with the intent of limiting employers' ability to crack down on unions, including their ability to seek court orders halting strikes.

The NFLPA did not respond specifically, but spokesman George Atallah said: "The NFL's actions don't match their words. They say they want a fair deal, but instead they locked out the players and now are trying to preserve that lockout through litigation."

By Jackie Otto, Times Correspondent
Monday, March 21, 2011

What's hot: Strong winds have changed to breezes and made the water clear, bringing elusive baits we have been seeking. Larger threadfin herring around the markers and Sunshine Skyway and perfect-sized scaled sardines are beginning to cruise the grass flats. The larger threadfins can be caught using sabiki rigs or cast nets in deeper waters. The smaller scaled sardines on the flats can be coaxed in using chum then a cast net with smaller mesh, like quarter-inch or three-eighths-inch.

Techniques: The larger threadfin herring can be used for tarpon. Cutting them can make for excellent chum to bring large schools of mackerel to the boat, then tossing out live scaled sardines, which are smaller and will attract big mackerel. King mackerel might be a pleasant and feisty surprise while free-lining bait in the chum slick, so be prepared.

Tips: Strong full moon tides have had the current ripping through our passes this week. Many sportfish are sitting just outside our passes waiting for baitfish to be washed out. Many night anglers have been reporting large snook and tarpon biting at all our passes. Use tackle according to your catch; wire leaders for kings and macks, 30-pound leaders for big snook (release them in good shape) and 50-plus-pound leaders for tarpon.

Jackie Otto can be reached at Betts Fishing Center at (727) 518-7637 or jackieotto@msn.com.

Times wires
Monday, March 21, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Bonds finally sat across the courtroom Monday from the 12 people who will judge whether the greatest home run hitter of all time lied about knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs.

After a daylong selection process, eight women and four men were picked to hear the federal government's case against the former Giants star, 46, who is charged with four counts of lying to a grand jury and one count of obstruction for his 2003 grand jury testimony.

Among the jurors there was no shortage of opinion on steroids or drugs in sports, though all indicated they could rule impartially in the case of Bonds.

Juror No. 69 was angered Congress investigated steroids in sports "on my dime."

"They should be solving things like the national debt," he said.

He made it onto the panel, even though he said Bonds had "probably not (received) a fair trial in the court of public opinion."

ANGELS: Right-hander Joel Pineiro, who left Sunday's game after two innings with back tightness, said he didn't feel any lingering pain.

ASTROS: Right-hander Nelson Figueroa, 36, was named the fifth starter, beating out right-handed prospect Jordan Lyles, 20.

DODGERS: Third baseman Casey Blake might not be ready for opening day because of a slow recovery from a rib injury.

INDIANS: Right-handed reliever Jensen Lewis, who posted a 2.97 ERA in 37 games last season, was placed on waivers.

METS: Left-hander Oliver Perez was released two days after he allowed consecutive home runs to minor-leaguers. The team chose to absorb the $12 million remaining on Perez's $36 million, three-year contract.

NATIONALS: Top prospect Bryce Harper sprained his left ankle running the bases during an intrasquad minor-league game and was carted off. The rightfielder was listed as day to day.

PIRATES: Left-hander Scott Olsen is no longer in the starting rotation mix and could begin the season on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. … Veteran infielder Garrett Atkins was released.

RED SOX: Outfielder Darnell McDonald left the game against the Phillies with a jammed right thumb.

REDS: Right-hander Johnny Cueto will miss the start of the season because of an inflamed pitching shoulder, forcing the team to juggle its rotation.

ROYALS: Right-hander Luke Hochevar, who was 6-6 with a 4.81 ERA in 18 games last season, was picked to start the opener March 31 against the Angels.

TWINS: Joe Mauer, who had offseason knee surgery, started at catcher for the second time this spring and played six innings. … Rightfielder Michael Cuddyer, out since having a wart on his left foot removed March 1, is expected to make his spring debut Wednesday night.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 21, 2011

30 Clubs in 30 Days: 11 p.m. on MLB Network. A preview of the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Sports Connection: 11 p.m. on BHSN (Ch. 47). A conversation with CBS college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg.

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: 12:37 a.m. on Ch. 8. Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard, above, is one of the scheduled guests.

Times wires
Monday, March 21, 2011

CLEARWATER — The Phillies gave themselves a backup plan at second base, signing three-time All-Star Luis Castillo to a minor-league contract Monday.

Castillo will report to camp as a nonroster player and compete for playing time while five-time All-Star Chase Utley recovers from a right knee injury, with concern growing that Utley might not be ready for opening day.

Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said bringing in Castillo amounts to a 10-day tryout before the seasons begins April 1.

"We're going to see if he can play second base," Amaro said Monday. "We'll assess it, see if he's going to be able to help us. If he can, great. If he can't, we'll probably go with what we've got in camp."

HALLADAY SHARP: Ace RHP Roy Halladay pitched into the eighth inning in a 4-1 win over the Red Sox. "I felt good, both arm and body. I felt strong," Halladay said.

DUST YOURSELF OFF: CF Shane Victorino and LF Raul Ibanez appeared to be okay after colliding in the outfield during Monday's game. Victorino had a cut above his right eye after being hit by an Ibanez elbow.

Jays: No panic

DUNEDIN — Rookie C J.P. Arencibia has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues.

And despite his poor spring, the Blue Jays insist he's not going back.

Arencibia, 25, batted .301 with 32 home runs and 85 RBIs for Triple-A Las Vegas last season and was named MVP of the Pacific Coast League. This spring, he's batting .140 with one extra-base hit and one RBI in 43 at-bats.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos called those numbers "irrelevant."

"J.P. is going to get a lot of opportunities, and he's going to get a lot of rope," Anthopoulos told mlb.com. "That's just part of our commitment to him, and (part of that is) him not having to look over his shoulder and worry about having a bad day defensively (or) having a bad day offensively. We're going to stick with him, and we're going to give him an extended look."

Yanks: Pen on mend

TAMPA — Yankees LH reliever Pedro Feliciano threw his second bullpen session since being sidelined by upper left arm soreness.

Feliciano made 25 pitches Monday, two days after he had a 15-pitch session. He said everything went fine and he could pitch in a game this weekend.

RH reliever Joba Chamberlain was on the travel roster for today's road game against Baltimore. He has been out because of left-side upper-body muscle soreness.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 21, 2011

TAMPA — The Lightning this season has allowed a league-worst 13 shorthanded goals and has been outscored 78-52 in the third period.

At root, they are different problems. Allowing shorthanded goals primarily is about individual breakdowns. Being outscored at crunch time is a collective issue.

The result is the same: Tampa Bay players and coaches are desperate to find solutions.

The consequences of not fixing the problems are tangible.

The Lightning has lost 16 games (six in regulation, 10 in overtime or shootouts) when leading or tied after two periods. Only six teams have lost more.

It is 5-3-4 in games in which it allowed shorthanded goals. Add the four points left on the table in overtime and shootout losses and Tampa Bay would be one point behind the first-place Capitals in the Southeast Division.

"It's identifying danger," wing Marty St. Louis said of allowing shorthanded goals. "Sometimes it's just the bounce of the puck. We think it's going to bounce the right way. Sometimes it doesn't and ends up on their stick and goes the other way. We could have read the danger before and been back and killed it."

Saturday against the Senators, defenseman Victor Hedman was caught napping and Ryan Shannon blew past him on his way to a shorthanded breakaway goal.

Two nights before, St. Louis fumbled a puck at the blue line and Montreal's Brian Gionta scored on a shorthanded breakaway.

Those are not structural breakdowns, so coach Guy Boucher said he is in no hurry to change his system.

"I'm not going to put five guys back on the power play," he said. "And if I tell the players I don't want to get scored on on the power play, that feeds into the attitude of being scared."

Third-period deficiencies are more complicated.

Some of it comes from players who, as Boucher said, "are lacking a bit of confidence because they haven't won lately. … When you're nervous about the result, the process goes down the drain. When you're tentative, you give the other team time and space."

How do you fix that? "It's an attitude that has to be built up," Boucher said. "This team hasn't made the playoffs in the last three years. That's part of it. It's not just one year isolated from that context the year goes in."

The team is in a prolonged scoring slump with more than three goals in just three of 16 games. Get a few more here and there, Boucher said, and some late-game pressure is relieved.

The coach wants his players to take shorter shifts, no more than 40 seconds, to be fresher late in games.

And starting tonight against the Islanders at the St. Pete Times Forum, Boucher said, the team will look at third periods as four five-minute games.

"If you're leading, you see it as 20 minutes you have to get through," Boucher said. "That's a long time to be steady in what you need to do."

We saw Saturday against Ottawa what the team should not do. Leading 2-0 with eight minutes left, it gave up a shorthanded goal, gave up another goal that sent the game into overtime and lost in the extra period.

"We have to stick to the fine details in the third period, especially when we have leads," defenseman Brett Clark said.

"We have to learn," he added, "how to close out games."

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

Times wires
Monday, March 21, 2011

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee fired coach Bruce Pearl on Monday after a season in which he was charged with unethical conduct for lying to NCAA investigators during an inquiry into recruiting.

In six seasons, Pearl, 51, led the Volunteers to their first No. 1 ranking in 2008 and first NCAA Tournament region finals appearance in 2010.

Pearl acknowledged Sept. 10 that he gave investigators false information when asked about a cookout at his home attended by high school juniors. The NCAA has since charged the Vols basketball and football programs with a dozen violations.

Failing to notify Tennessee of another possible recruiting violation might have ultimately caused Pearl to lose the support of his bosses.

"As many of you know, I have been fired as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers," Pearl (145-61) said in a Facebook post. "This really does not come as a surprise to me, but my emotions are getting the best of me.

"This is perhaps the saddest day in my life. I loved everything about Tennessee, Knoxville and the Volunteers. These were the best years of my life."

Kevin Ware, a highly recruited guard from Rockdale County High (Ga.), asked to be released from his national letter of intent. He said he had been assured Pearl would return.

Pearl constantly promoted Tennessee, once appearing at a women's game with his chest painted orange.

Miami RALLIES IN NIT: Durand Scott scored 20 as host UM (21-14) rallied past Missouri State 81-72 in the second round. The Hurricanes play at Alabama on Wednesday. The Tide beat New Mexico 74-67.

GATORS ADVANCE IN WNIT: UF (20-14) beat Florida Gulf Coast (28-4) 74-69 in the second round, ending the Eagles' 42-game home winning streak. The Gators play at Charlotte at 7 Thursday.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer; Times wires
Monday, March 21, 2011

After 24 hours of careful observation by the Florida training staff, sophomore G Kenny Boynton is expected to play when the Gators face BYU on Thursday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

The game will tip off at 7:57 p.m.

Boynton sprained an ankle with just less than five minutes left in Saturday's third-round victory over UCLA.

"Right now, the first 24 hours we felt after the game was going to be really, really important the next morning because a lot of times in those ankle situations, when you're traveling, when it's not elevated or not iced, you worry about swelling being a problem," coach Billy Donovan said Monday. "That was the major issue, but we were really able to get that under control. We fully expect him to play. …

"He definitely has some discomfort there, but I don't feel like it's discomfort that's going to prevent him from playing. Now, I'll probably find out a little bit more as we get into (today) and Wednesday when he starts actually really, really moving. Talking to the trainer, his biggest concern was if this thing is really swollen on Sunday, it's going to take him a lot longer to come back."

Boynton was a key figure in last year's first-round loss to BYU in the NCAA Tournament. He took on the primary role of defending BYU star G Jimmer Fredette, who scored 23 of his 37 in regulation. The Gators lost in double overtime.

And though he will play, right now there's no way of knowing if he'll be limited at all, Donovan said.

"Now, the biggest thing is what kind of pain does he have. He's walking, and he's not on crutches. He's not in the boot. He's able to walk freely. He doesn't have a lot of discomfort," Donovan said.

"I'm still a little bit cautious of where he's at because I haven't seen him sprint, cut, change direction, do those kind of things."

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Virginia Commonwealth PG Joey Rodriguez said the bashing and second-guessing the Rams endured from analysts who felt they didn't deserve an NCAA Tournament bid have helped motivate the team. But the way they have adjusted since losing in the Colonial Athletics Association championship has helped more.

"I think it's more about our attitude and how we're approaching everything," he said. "It's more like carefree, going out there and just playing loose and attacking people.

"When we play on our heels, we're not that good."

SUPPORTING CAST: Kentucky is showing it can win even when its stars don't play like stars.

F Darius Miller and C Josh Harrellson stepped in when freshman Brandon Knight missed his first seven shots in a second-round win against Princeton.

Harrellson filled in again vs. West Virginia, providing the kind of hustle plays that have become his specialty, until Terrence Jones awoke from a sleepy first half to help the Wildcats pull away. The senior came away from one scrum with a scratch over his eye that required four stitches. He shook it off to produce a key putback late to give Kentucky a 57-55 lead it would not relinquish.

"I knew we were down a little bit and I was trying to fight for my teammates to get us back in the game, and there was an opportunity there to get us a couple points, so I had to go get it," Harrellson said.

TV RATINGS: The NCAA Tournament's new television format has drawn more viewers to the first weekend of March Madness.

The games spread across four networks have averaged 8.4 million viewers so far. That's up 14 percent from last year, when games were only on CBS.

The NCAA's 14-year, $10.8 billion deal with CBS and Turner means each game is televised nationally in its entirety on CBS, TNT, TBS or truTV. In the past, broadcasts on CBS were regionalized, and the network would switch among games.

BARACK-ETOLOGY: President Barack Obama, who correctly picked North Carolina to win it all two years ago in ESPN's bracket contest, is off to a strong start.

The First Bracket has 10 of the Sweet 16 correct and ranks 7,549th out of 5,923,829 entries, putting it in the 99.87th percentile.

None of Obama's 10 survivors has a seed worse than No. 5. (He has Kansas winning the title.)

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer; Times wires
Monday, March 21, 2011

Colleges

Irish suspend wr after dui charge

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame suspended star WR Michael Floyd indefinitely Monday, a day after he was cited for drunken driving and authorities said his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the threshold at which impairment is presumed.

Coach Brian Kelly said the suspension will not be lifted until Floyd, 21, changes his behavior and the legal and university discipline procedures run their course. It was Floyd's third run-in with the law over alcohol since 2009.

"I've spoken to Michael Floyd and his mother and, in light of what took place this past weekend, I let him know he has been suspended indefinitely from football team-related activities," Kelly said. "Football needs to take a backseat at the moment while Michael gets his life in order."

Floyd, who is considered Notre Dame's best offensive player, apologized and said he accepted the punishment.

"I understand the gravity of the decision I made and how it could have had catastrophic effects on myself and others," he said in a statement released by the university.

More colleges

Georgia high schools must change logo

Two Georgia high schools will remove logos that depict a design similar to the Seminole used by FSU under terms of a settlement with the university.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Salem High School and Memorial Middle School must stop using the Seminole head and spear design.

Tennessee: S Brent Brewer has reached a plea agreement and been reinstated to the football team. Brewer, who played in every game for the Vols in 2010, has been placed on diversion on a misdemeanor charge of offensive touching.

USF: Coach Skip Holtz said junior WR T.J. Knowles, who had three catches for 13 yards last fall, "will probably transfer."

Autos

Kanaan set to race in St. Petersburg

Tony Kanaan is back in IndyCar. The 2004 series champion will drive the No. 82 KV Racing Technology-Lotus in 2011. The deal ends Kanaan's quest to find a new home after splitting with Andretti Autosport last fall.

Kanaan, 36, will join E.J. Viso and Takuma Sato in KV Racing Technology-Lotus' three-car lineup when the season begins in St. Petersburg this weekend.

Indy 500: Veteran open-wheel driver Townsend Bell will be back at the Indy 500. He finished 16th last year while driving the No. 99. His career-best mark is fourth while driving for KV Racing Technology in 2009. Meanwhile, Paul Tracy has found a ride for the Indy 500. The longtime open-wheel driver will pilot the No. 23 car for Dreyer & Reinbold racing.

ET CETERA

Soccer: American midfielder Stuart Holden will miss June's CONCACAF Gold Cup because of a knee injury that will require surgery and sideline him six months. Holden hurt his left knee in Bolton's 1-0 loss Saturday at Manchester United in the English Premier League and needed 26 stitches to close a gash near his knee. Defender Jonny Evans drew a red card for the tackle.

Golf: France's Raphael Jacquelin ended a four-year wait for his third European Tour title by winning the weather-delayed Sicilian Open in Ragusa, Sicily. He finished at 12 under. … The PGA Tour is considering a change in which players who don't make the FedEx Cup playoffs would compete for their cards in a series of tournaments against top Nationwide Tour players. … Annika Sorenstam, who retired from the LPGA Tour at the end of the 2008 season, says she gave birth to a boy. Sorenstam and husband Mike McGee also have a daughter.

Boxing: Manny Pacquiao's defamation lawsuit against longtime rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. and others can continue, a Nevada federal judge said in a court order that denied a motion to dismiss the case.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer; Times wires

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 21, 2011

Good deed of the day

The Rays announced Monday they will make a $10,000 donation to Save the Children to benefit the Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund. Meanwhile, the team will match up to $15,000 more in donations made by fans to Red Cross volunteers at the April 1-3 opening weekend series at Tropicana Field.

Play of the day

With two outs in the third inning, the Yankees had a runner on third when Derek Jeter ripped a long fly ball to deep centerfield. CF B.J. Upton appeared to get a late jump on it but raced to the warning track for an over-the-shoulder catch, the kind he makes often. "Unreal," RHP Jeremy Hellickson said. "You kind of get used to it, but it still wows you every time."

Bracket buster of the day

With all the upsets so far in the NCAA Tournament, it wreaked havoc on people's brackets. And Florida State's surprise 71-57 drubbing of No. 2 seed Notre Dame on Sunday definitely damaged the chances of OF Matt Joyce winning his pool. Why Notre Dame? Said Joyce, smiling: "I'm Irish."

Visitors of the day

MLB Network's 30 Clubs in 30 Days tour will visit the Rays today and Wednesday.

Rays at Red Sox

When/where: 7:05 tonight; City of Palms Park, 2201 Edison Ave., Fort Myers

Radio: 620-AM

Tickets: $10-$46, available at City of Palms Park, via redsox.com or by calling 1-888-733-7696.

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

Pitchers: Rays — David Price, Cesar Cabral, R.J. Swindle, Cory Wade; Red Sox —John Lackey, Bobby Jenks, Dennys Reyes, Randy Williams

Heads-up

Manny Ramirez, above, is scheduled to be in the lineup to face his former team, the Red Sox, playing in leftfield. Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton and Reid Brignac are scheduled to make the trip.

Who is this Ray?

He did not appear in a game for the Rays last season but had a two-day stint on the active roster in April. He was claimed off waivers from the Padres in July 2009 and led Triple-A Durham last season in games caught (62).

On deck

Wednesday: Phillies, 1:05. Rays — James Shields; Phillies —Roy Oswalt

Thursday: at Astros, 1:05. Rays — Wade Davis; Astros: TBA

Schedule

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 Jose Lobaton

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Monday, March 21, 2011

NEW ORLEANS — On the far side of the lockout, he can see success. Once the negotiations are done, he can see touchdowns and playoffs and Super Bowls.

Like a lot of fans, he can picture the Tampa Bay Bucs growing into something special.

Then again, Joel Glazer is a little different than most fans. So happens, his family owns the team.

Glazer sat on a small couch against the wall in Teddy's Cafe at the Roosevelt hotel Monday, grinning and giddy as he talked about the future. You have never seen him so effusive over a football team. For that matter, Glazer admits he has never been this effusive over a football team.

"Absolutely not, and we've had some good football teams," Glazer said. "I am so excited. People who know me say I light up like a Christmas tree when I talk about this team.

"I go into that locker room, and I've been in a Super Bowl championship locker and look in those players' eyes. Now I see a lot of young eyes with the 'it' factor. The building blocks are starting to develop that something special is in our locker room."

Even here, even at the owners' meetings where the lockout dominates most of the conversation, Glazer does not hide his enthusiasm. Why would he? This time last year, his team had won three games, and it had jettisoned two coordinators that season, and it seemed very far from relevancy.

This year? Well, it has been a good year for the Glazers. The decision to stick with Raheem Morris as head coach made them look patient. The decision to develop a young quarterback made them look smart. The success of so many young players last year made them look as if they had foresight. The 10 victories made them look like a team on the rise.

Is this validation, Glazer was asked.

"No, not really," he said. "We knew. In the world today, the way the media is, you're going to have to endure a lot. The question is, can you endure it? Most people don't take the long-term view. The media is more of a short-term reactionary view.

"As a team, as an organization, we said, 'Listen, it's going to be a rough ride in the beginning, but we're behind you. Don't worry about what people are saying. We have a plan. This will work out.' "

Last year, it did.

Ah, but what about this year? And can anyone get this lockout out of the way of it?

"Obviously, it's not ideal," Glazer said. "But we're optimistic. We have good people working on this, and we believe we'll have football in the fall. If it affects the offseason, okay, but it isn't going to affect the long-term goals. This is about building a team that can compete for the next five, six, seven or eight years.

"This is not just a young team that made progress. This is a franchise and a team that is built to compete now, that can do some real damage, and it's only going to get better. There is no question this team is built to last."

For a guy who doesn't talk very often, Glazer has a gift for it. He chatted away, talking about his quarterback, his coach, his general manager, his team's fans.

For instance:

• On the possibility of being the team selected for the Hard Knocks show on HBO: "They talk to a lot of different teams at this time of year. They're narrowing it down. We're listening, we're listening. I don't know if we would do it or not. I think we have a good story to tell based on a lot of the characters and on Raheem. I think people could get a closer look at us.

"There are a lot of pros and cons. I think it would be fun as long as you knew what you were getting into."

• On the blackout rule: "It's been something that's been in the NFL for a long time that has served a purpose. If you look over the last 15 years, last year was very different than the other 14 for us. I don't like to overreact to one year. In January, February and March, new sales have been the best they've been in years. Renewals have been extremely strong. We've sold thousands.

"I think if we do our job, on the field and off of it, blackouts will take care of themselves, and we won't even be talking about if it's right or if it's wrong."

• On what might have happened if the Bucs had qualified for last year's playoffs:

"I think we would have done some serious damage. The injuries were a factor; that's the only thing I say to myself. But if we hadn't had injuries, it might have been a Cinderella story."

• On re-signing Barrett Ruud and Davin Joseph: "That's really up to Mark (Dominik, the general manager) and Raheem. Whatever they feel is necessary is what we'll do. But they've been a key part of the Bucs, and that's important."

• On Dominik having only one more year on his contract and Morris having two. "Mark has done a tremendous job. Raheem has done a tremendous job. What people forget is that Mark has been part of the Bucs for 15 years and Raheem for eight or nine.

"It's interesting people ask this question. It's not an issue, not a concern, not a thought. It's more a concern of the big picture. It'll be taken care of at the right time. They've done a great job."

Glazer says he sees the same enthusiasm he has for the team in the faces of the team's fans. That hasn't always been the case in recent seasons.

"I think you always have to win the fans over," he said. "But we have great fans. What happened with the economy the last few years can't be overstated. Of the 32 teams in the NFL, we had the second greatest unemployment.

"We needed to connect with the fans. We needed to put together a team the fans could grow with. We need a team the fans could fall in love with. I sense that excitement coming back. The numbness that was there for several years is starting to thaw."

Give them enough victories, give them enough success, and fans will get even more fired up.

Who knows? Soon, they might be as excited as the owner.

Times wires
Monday, March 21, 2011

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie has talked often about how a demanding schedule prepared her team for the NCAA Tournament. Perhaps that's why her players didn't look panicked Monday night, even as they trailed in the final minutes against a fearless team carrying the nation's longest winning streak.

Instead, freshman Chelsea Gray and the Blue Devils answered with the decisive spurt to beat Marist 71-66 in the Philadelphia Region, sending them to the Sweet 16 for the 13th time in 14 years.

Gray scored all 13 of her points in the second half to help Duke (31-3) rally from 11 down, including the go-ahead free throws with 2:27 left in an 11-0 run that put the second-seeded Blue Devils ahead for good. Krystal Thomas added 10 second-half points, and fellow senior Jasmine Thomas had 17 as the Blue Devils escaped a stunning loss on their home court.

"We've been together a long time," McCallie said. "We've been in many, many close games. I think we're very comfortable with it. I don't know what people are thinking, but at this time it's not about blowouts and leads. … I think our team did slow down a little bit and executed and relaxed and enjoyed the opportunity."

That seemed to be a fitting word for this game considering how close the 10th-seeded Red Foxes (31-3) came to pulling off a huge upset. Despite playing the second half without injured leading scorer Erica Allenspach, Marist led 60-54 on Kate Oliver's 3-pointer with 5:22 left and even had a shot to tie it in the final seconds after the Blue Devils had taken the lead.

Marist had won 27 straight games.

DEPAUL 75, PENN ST. 73: Keisha Hampton hit two free throws with 4.9 seconds left and scored 19 of her 26 in the second half to help the host and third-seeded Blue Demons (29-6) rally from 14 down to defeat the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (25-10).

Dayton Region

TENN. 79, MARQUETTE 70: Meighan Simmons had 18 points to help the top-seeded Volunteers (33-2) beat the eighth-seeded Golden Eagles (24-9). It was Tennessee's narrowest margin in a tournament home win since 1991.

OHIO ST. 67, GA. TECH 60: Jantel Lavender had 17 of her 21 points in the second half to set an NCAA record with her 135th straight double-figure scoring game, leading the host and fourth-seeded Buckeyes (24-9) past the fifth-seeded Yellow Jackets (24-11).

NOTRE DAME 77, TEMPLE 64: Natalie Novosel had 17 points to lead the second-seeded Irish (28-7) past the 10th-seeded Owls (24-9) in Salt Lake City.

Spokane Region

GONZAGA 89, UCLA 75: Courtney Vandersloot had 29 points and 17 assists as the 11th-seeded Bulldogs (30-4) beat the third-seeded Bruins (28-5) before a raucous home crowd.

STANFORD 75, ST. JOHN'S 49: Nnemkadi Ogwumike had 22 points, and the top-seeded and host Cardinal (31-2) overcame a slow start against the ninth-seeded Red Storm (22-11).

UNC 86, KENTUCKY 74: Italee Lucas had 22 points, and the fifth-seeded Tar Heels (27-8) used their superior size to overcome the quickness of the fourth-seeded Wildcats (25-9) in Albuquerque, N.M.

VIRGINIA TECH: Dennis Wolff, a longtime men's coach, will replace Beth Dunkenberger on the women's team, the Associated Press reported.

WISCONSIN: Coach Lisa Stone was fired after eight seasons and one appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Times wires
Monday, March 21, 2011

DETROIT — Oft-penalized Penguin Matt Cooke received the stiffest sentence in his 12-season career when he was suspended Monday by the NHL for the rest of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs for elbowing Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in the head.

Adding in at least four postseason games, the left wing will sit out a minimum of 14 games and lose $219,512.20 in salary.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero said the suspension was "warranted because that's exactly the kind of hit we're trying to get out of the game.

"Head shots have no place in hockey,'' he said. "We've told Matt in no uncertain terms that this kind of action on the ice is unacceptable. … The Pittsburgh Penguins support the NHL in sending this very strong message."

It's Cooke's fifth suspension and the fourth since joining the Penguins as a free agent in 2008.

He was banned four games last month for hitting the Blue Jackets' Fedor Tyutin from behind.

"Mr. Cooke, a repeat offender, directly and unnecessarily targeted the head of an opponent who was in an unsuspecting and vulnerable position," NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell said. "His conduct requires an appropriately harsh response."

Penguins lose lead, win: James Neal scored the only goal in the shootout, and the visiting Penguins pulled out a 5-4 victory over the Red Wings after blowing a four-goal lead.

Pascal Dupuis had two goals and an assist for Pittsburgh.

Tyler Kennedy put Pittsburgh ahead 4-0 at 13:16 of the second period, ending goalie Jimmy Howard's night. Joey MacDonald stopped all 10 shots he faced before the shootout.

Henrik Zetterberg's goal started Detroit's comeback late in the second, and Mike Modano tied it midway through the third.

Brent Johnson stopped 37 shots for the Penguins.

"We let it slip away a bit and no one likes to see that," Neal said. "But when you come back and win in the shootout, it's a great feeling."

Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen missed their second straight game with lower body injuries, and Jiri Hudler was out for a third game because of an upper body ailment.

The Red Wings took the first five shots and prevented Pittsburgh from getting a puck on Howard for nearly five minutes, and finished with a flurry of offense in regulation.

ovechkin takes a break: The Capitals want Alex Ovechkin healthy for the playoffs, so he's taking 7-10 days off for an undisclosed injury that has lingered for a couple of months. Coach Bruce Boudreau said Ovechkin is mainly sore. Washington plays the Flyers tonight, the fourth of six straight road games.

Around the league: Canucks center Manny Malhotra is out for the rest of the regular season and playoffs with a left eye injury that required surgery. … Sharks rookie Logan Couture sat out practice after a hard fall into the boards Saturday but is relieved his injury is not nearly as serious as he feared. … The Senators signed goalie Craig Anderson to a four-year, $12.75 million deal. He was acquired Feb. 18 in a trade with the Avalanche.

First Period—1, Pittsburgh, Dupuis 12 (Conner, Staal), 15:14. 2, Pittsburgh, Kunitz 22 (Dupuis, Letang), 19:17. Penalties—Ericsson, Det (holding), 11:56; Staal, Pit (hooking), 15:42.

Second Period—3, Pittsburgh, Dupuis 13 (Staal, Lovejoy), 10:51 (sh). 4, Pittsburgh, Kennedy 17 (Kunitz, Adams), 13:16. 5, Detroit, Zetterberg 21 (Cleary, Stuart), 17:41. Penalties—Niskanen, Pit (boarding), 9:24; Bertuzzi, Det (interference), 18:31.

Third Period—6, Detroit, V.Filppula 16 (Stuart, Holmstrom), 1:57. 7, Detroit, Cleary 24 (Kronwall, Lidstrom), 8:06 (pp). 8, Detroit, Modano 3 (V.Filppula, Lidstrom), 10:27 (pp). Penalties—Letang, Pit (cross-checking), 7:00; Kovalev, Pit (holding), 9:08; Kronwall, Det (interference), 16:12.

Overtime—None. Penalties—None.

Shootout—Pittsburgh 1 (Kovalev NG, Letang NG, Neal G), Detroit 0 (Bertuzzi NG, Modano NG, Cleary NG). Shots on Goal—Pittsburgh 8-8-5-4—25. Detroit 11-12-14-4—41. Power-play opportunities—Pittsburgh 0 of 3; Detroit 2 of 4. Goalies—Pittsburgh, B.Johnson 11-5-3 (41 shots-37 saves). Detroit, Howard (15-11), MacDonald 4-4-2 (13:16 second, 10-10). A—20,066 (20,066). T—2:45.

Playoff chase

With nonshootout wins (first tiebreaker in determining final playoff spots) and games left. Division winners get top three seeds:

East Pts. Wins GR

1. Flyers-x 96 41 11

2. Capitals 94 39 9

3. Bruins 88 37 11

4. Penguins 9236 9

5. Lightning 89 33 10

6. Canadiens 87 37 9

7. Rangers 82 31 9

8. Sabres 79 30 10

9. Hurricanes 76 29 10

10. Maple Leafs 74 28 9

11. Devils 72 31 10

12. Thrashers 72 26 10

West Pts. Wins GR

1. Canucks-y 103 43 9

2. Red Wings 9539 9

3. Sharks 92 37 9

4. Coyotes 89 35 8

5. Blackhawks 86 34 10

6. Kings* 86 33 10

7. Predators 86 32 9

8. Ducks 85 36 10

9. Stars 85 33 10

10. Flames* 84 29 8

11. Wild 78 33 9

y-Clinched division x-Clinched playoffs

* Late result not included