By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 21, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Brad Childress figures if you're going to coach in something like the East-West Shrine Game, there's no point of being anything but aggressive.

The former Vikings coach, who has interviewed for the Bucs' head-coaching vacancy, went for it on fourth down three times and recovered an onside kick in the second quarter, then got a touchdown from Louisiana Tech's Lennon Creer with 47 seconds left as the West team pulled out a 24-17 win Saturday in the game's first time at Tropicana Field.

"The kids aren't coming here to tie, and you can tie in this game — you can't go to overtime," Childress said. "I just wanted to be aggressive. It sends a good message, and I thought our guys did a good job with that."

The East team jumped out to a 10-0 lead with Chattanooga's B.J. Coleman throwing a 17-yard touchdown to Michigan State's B.J. Cunningham.

But the West rallied back on touchdown runs by Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish and Colorado's Tyler Hansen. Harnish converted two fourth downs on scrambles in his touchdown drive, though the East scored just before halftime for a 17-14 lead.

The game's defensive MVP went to Penn State's Nick Sukay, who had an interception in the end zone with 5:51 left to keep the score tied. Creer, who went up the middle for a 9-yard touchdown in the final minute, earned the game's offensive MVP.

"They opened up a big hole, and it was there for me," Creer said. "Hopefully I had a chance to get myself out there and show what I can do."

Of the players from state colleges, there weren't many stars — Miami tight end Chase Ford had a 64-yard catch to set up the East's first touchdown, and Hurricanes receiver LaRon Byrd caught a 3-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the first half.

Florida's John Brantley was the sixth quarterback in the game and went 1-for-6 for 21 yards in limited action; Florida State punter Shawn Powell followed Brantley's two drives with solid punts.

Rules limiting what defenses could do in terms of blitz packages allowed quarterbacks to complete passes at a high rate — four quarterbacks combined to go 23-for-30 in the first half, led by Chattanooga's B.J. Coleman, who went 6-for-6 for 137 yards and a touchdown.

The West team's two first-half touchdowns came on back-to-back drives, after a successful onside kick by Missouri Western State's Greg Zuerlein, recovered by Oregon State's Brandon Hardin.

The game, in its 87th year, was played in St. Petersburg for the first time after being in Orlando the last two years.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 21, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Moving the East-West Shrine Game to Tropicana Field already made sense from a logistical standpoint, but a solid showing in the stands Saturday was a promising sign for the game's future here, according to executive director Harold Richardson.

"What we're looking for is a place to have a home. You can't move an all-star game around," said Richardson, noting that the Shriners have their international headquarters and a children's hospital in Tampa.

The game was played in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl the previous two years but last year drew just an announced 9,642 fans, and Richardson said the chance to play closer to the Shriners' headquarters, in a smaller venue, made a lot of sense. An accurate figure was not available but organizers estimated that at least 18,000 attended.

"There hasn't been any all-star game, including the Pro Bowl, in the last 10 years have over 30,000 people in the stands. Why would you play the game in a 70,000-seat stadium?" he said. "Visually, atmosphere-wise, it looks like it's kind of a failure. I felt like if we could play here and get the support of the community, which I was thrilled with, by the way. St. Petersburg people really got behind it. … I thought it could really be successful."

The Shriners have a two-year contract, with the game due back at Tropicana Field in 2013, but Richardson said the initial reception was promising enough that he'd like that relationship to continue longer.

"It gives us something we can build on," he said. "Hopefully going forward we can extend that and keep it here for some time. That's our goal."

LEGEND AILING: Penn State linebacker Nick Sukay won the defensive MVP, and by the game's end, word had spread that legendary coach Joe Paterno was in failing health.

"It was a great honor. He taught me so many things as a person, taught you really how to become a man," Sukay said of playing for Paterno. "He was a great leader for all of us."

THIS AND THAT: USF seniors Jerrell Young and Jeremiah Warren got to wear Bulls helmets for the last time on the same field where they finished their freshman season. USF beat Memphis in the first St. Petersburg Bowl at the Trop in 2008. Warren played much of the game at left guard, and Young was in the rotation at safety. … Former Bucs K Martin Gramatica was honored at halftime for being inducted into the Shrine Game's Hall of Fame.

Times staff, wires
Saturday, January 21, 2012

TAMPA — USF coach Jose Fernandez wants more than close calls against Top 25 teams.

April Sykes had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Khadijah Rushdan scored 16 and No. 7 Rutgers beat the Bulls 72-66 Saturday night.

USF was coming off a 66-63 overtime win against No. 21 DePaul on Tuesday. It completed a stretch of four of five games against ranked teams; the Bulls also lost to ranked Georgetown and Louisville and beat unranked Seton Hall.

"I was proud of how our kids fought, but I told our kids at the end of the year, there's not an asterisk saying we played Georgetown tough, they played Louisville tough, should have won against the No. 7 team in the country," Fernandez said. "It comes down to wins and losses. We've got to start closing out some of these Top 25 games."

Inga Orekhova had 15 points for USF (11-9, 3-3 Big East). The junior college transfer made 4 of 9 3-pointers.

"(Orekhova) shoots so well, that game was never out of sight," said coach C. Vivian Stringer, whose Knights (16-3, 5-1) had a six-game winning streak snapped Tuesday 62-57 to St. John's.

TAMPA 65, P.B. ATLANTIC 45: Jaleesa Harmon had 21 points, and the host Spartans (8-9) blew it open with a 19-0 first-half run.

BARRY 65, ECKERD 53: Jackie Perez hit 5 of 5 3-pointers and had 16 points for the host Buccaneers, who snapped a three-game winning streak by the Tritons (10-5, 4-3 Sunshine State).

NOVA SE 74, SAINT LEO 45: Danielle Robinson had nine of her 21 points during the host Sharks' 23-0 first-half run that put away the Lions (6-11, 0-7 SSC).

Top 25

NO. 1 BAYLOR 76, NO. 23 KANSAS ST. 41: Brittney Griner had 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Bears (19-0, 6-0 Big 12), who routed the Wildcats (13-5, 4-2) for their 34th straight home win.

NO. 2 NOTRE DAME 76, VILLANOVA 43: Skylar Diggins had 20 points for the host Irish (19-1, 7-0 Big East), who won their 16th straight game.

NO. 3 UCONN 88, NO. 21 DEPAUL 44: Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis tied a season high with 25 points for the Huskies (17-2, 6-1), who snapped a 28-game home winning streak by the Blue Demons (15-5, 3-3).

NO. 4 STANFORD 65, WASH. 47: Nnemkadi Ogwumike had 17 for the Cardinal (17-1, 8-0 Pac-12), which won its 73rd consecutive home game.

NO. 12 WIS.-GREEN BAY 80, CLEVELAND ST. 58: Julie Wojta had 12 points for the host Phoenix (17-0, 7-0 Horizon League), off to its best start ever.

NO. 14 TEXAS A&M 76, KANSAS 65: Kelsey Bone had 18 points to lead four players in double figures for the visiting Aggies (13-4, 4-2 Big 12).

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 21, 2012

5 questions D Brendan Mikkelson

Has anyone told you you look a lot like former Lightning goalie Mike Smith?

I've heard that a lot.

The guys had some fun with that, didn't they?

One of the trainers took pictures of my side profile because he said it was a spitting image.

Did they tell you it was a compliment?

Well, I asked them that at first and they said yeah. I heard he was a pretty funny guy.

Are you like that?

I don't know if the personalities match up. I'm a little more (subdued).

Do you believe everyone has a double somewhere? You see it all over the place.

Mirror image

For his part, Smith, now with the Coyotes, said he doesn't see the resemblance with Mikkelson, above right.

"It's the same with my baby," Smith said of Aksel, 6 months. "Everyone says he looks like me, but I can't really distinguish that. Maybe I don't have the brain capacity to deal with decisions like that."

But Smith's former Lightning teammates believe the resemblance, C Nate Thompson calling it "uncanny."

Thompson said he even texted Smith that, "I didn't know your younger brother is in the league."

Smith got the last laugh, though. Comparing his hair with Mikkelson's, he said, "I think I have a little better locks than he does."

Number of the day

9 Times, entering Saturday, a Lightning starting goaltender has been pulled during a game.

Quote to note

"I mean, you can't tune him out. He's there. He's on the bench. He's emotional. He wants to win just as bad as any of us do. It's great to see that passion in him."

LW Ryan Malone, on coach Guy Boucher

On display

The Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate player, will be at the Tampa Bay Times Forum during the Frozen Four, April 5-7. Lightning D Matt Gilroy earned the award in 2009 as a senior at Boston. "A great honor," he said. Especially because Gilroy, from North Bellmore, N.Y., was a college walk-on. "It was never a thought in my mind, the Hobey Baker," Gilroy said. "When I came in my freshman year, the NHL was never a thought in my mind. I always believed I could play hockey, but I never really knew my abilities until that first year in college. After that, I thought anything was possible."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 21, 2012

How much would you give up for Ben Bishop, and when would you do it? Or is it better to wait for the goaltender to hit the free-agent market before trying to snag him?

Those are the questions NHL general managers who need net help are asking, and it is safe to assume the Lightning's Steve Yzerman is among them.

Bishop, 25, who plays for AHL Peoria in the Blues organization, became the hottest young goalie on the market last week after St. Louis signed Brian Elliott to a two-year contract extension that solidified its tandem with Jaroslav Halak through 2013-14.

Bishop, 6 feet 7, 215 pounds, is 17-12-0 for the Rivermen with six shutouts, a 2.38 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. He is considered NHL ready and told AHL.com, "I expect to be in the NHL somewhere next year."

"He actually plays the puck really well for a big goaltender," said Lightning right wing Teddy Purcell, who played with Bishop at the University of Maine. "He takes up a lot of the net, and he's athletic.

"He makes those acrobatic big saves."

But here's where it really gets interesting.

As Bob McKenzie of Canada's TSN first pointed out, because Bishop is 25 and has been in fewer than 28 NHL games in which he played at least 30 minutes, he is a potential Group 6 unrestricted free agent. That means he can hit the open market on July 1 with the ability to sign with any team.

That is, unless a team trades for Bishop and plays him immediately so as to change his free-agent status, which would give the team more leverage in contract negotiations.

Bishop has been in 11 NHL games in which he has played more than 30 minutes. With 17 more, he would reach 28, which would shift his status to a potential Group 2 restricted free agent.

If that happens, Bishop's team would hold his rights — as long as he received a qualifying contract offer — and have the right to match outside offers.

Trading for Bishop would be a dramatic move. He would not come cheap, either, perhaps at the expense of a prospect or high daft choice Yzerman would rather keep as he tries to build organizational depth.

But for a team desperate for goaltending, maybe it is something to consider.

Times wires
Saturday, January 21, 2012

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Mike Brey's viewing selection for his players the night before meeting top-ranked Syracuse was an easy choice. The Notre Dame coach showed a video of former Irish teams upsetting No. 1's over the years.

Brey and his current group now have their own spot in that collection.

Jack Cooley had 17 points and 10 rebounds against a Syracuse team missing its shot-blocking, rebounding center Fab Melo, and the Irish surprised the No. 1-ranked and previously unbeaten Orange 67-58 Saturday night.

Fans stormed the court after the victory, hoisting players on their shoulders in a wild scene at the Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame beat a No. 1 team for the eighth time, tied for fourth-most all time, with North Carolina having the most with 12.

"Notre Dame has an unbelievable history against No. 1 teams," Irish forward Scott Martin said. "We saw a little video to just kind of pump us up a little bit."

Cooley was certainly inspired.

Without Melo in the middle, Notre Dame's 6-foot-9, 248-pound center was a major force as the Irish won the rebound battle 38-25.

"I can't even describe this right now. They were 20-0. I can't put it to words how amazing this is," Cooley said. "We came out with energy. This was a great opportunity, and we didn't want to squander it."

Melo had started all 20 games for the Orange (20-1, 7-1 Big East) and was its leading rebounder with 5.7 a game while averaging 7.2 points and three blocks. School officials gave no explanation why he did not make the trip. He will also miss Monday's game against Cincinnati.

NO. 2 KENTUCKY 77, 'BAMA 71: Darius Miller hit four free throws in the final minute and freshmen Marquis Teague and Anthony Davis added two each as the Wildcats (19-1, 5-0 SEC) held on for their nation-best 47th straight home victory.

NO. 5 MISSOURI 89, NO. 3 BAYLOR 88: Ricardo Ratliffe scored a career-high 27, and the visiting Tigers (18-1, 5-1 Big 12) held on after a furious late rally by the Bears (17-2, 4-2), who have lost two in a row after a 17-0 start.

NO. 6 OHIO ST. 79, NEB. 45: William Buford scored 15 for the visiting Buckeyes (17-3, 5-2 Big Ten), who swept the Cornhuskers by a combined 65 points.

NO. 7 KANSAS 69, TEXAS 66: Jeff Withey made a layup and free throw with 37 seconds left to give the visiting Jayhawks (16-3, 6-0 Big 12) the lead en route to their ninth win in a row.

NO. 9 MICH. ST. 83, PURDUE 58: Freshman Branden Dawson scored a season-high 14 for the host Spartans (16-4, 5-2), who moved into a tie atop the Big Ten by stopping their second two-game skid this season.

NO. 10 G'TOWN 52, RUTGERS 50: Otto Porter scored the final six, including two free throws with 8.5 seconds left, to lift the host Hoyas (16-3, 6-2 Big East).

NO. 12 MURRAY ST. 82, SIU-EDWARDSVILLE 65: Isaiah Canaan had 21 points and Jewuan Long a season-high 17 for the visiting Racers (20-0, 8-0 Ohio Valley), the only unbeaten team in Division I.

TENN. 60, NO. 13 UCONN 57: Jarnell Stokes had 16 points and 12 rebounds in his first start, and the host Volunteers hit 7 of 10 free throws in the final minute to hold off the Huskies (14-5).

NO. 18 MISS. ST. 78, VANDY 77, OT: Dee Bost hit a layup with 51.8 seconds left in overtime as the visiting Bulldogs (16-4, 3-2 SEC) snapped the Commodores' eight-game winning streak.

NO. 19 CREIGHTON 75, INDIANA ST. 49: Doug McDermott had 12 points for the host Bluejays (18-2, 8-1 Missouri Valley), who hit seven of their first 10 3-pointers.

ARK. 66, NO. 20 MICHIGAN 64: BJ Young scored 15 for the host Razorbacks, who hit their first 11 shots and never trailed against the Wolverines (15-5).

NO. 21 MARQUETTE 79, PROVIDENCE 72: Reserve Jamil Wilson and Davante Gardner combined for all the points in a 14-3 run that led the visiting Golden Eagles (16-4, 5-2 Big East) to their fourth straight league win.

NO. 23 L'VILLE 72, PITT 62: Kyle Kuric scored 21 in his return from an ankle injury as the visiting Cardinals (15-5, 3-4 Big East) sent the Panthers to their eighth straight loss.

NO. 25 KANSAS ST. 66, OKLA. ST. 58: Freshman Angel Rodriguez had 14 points in his second start, and the Wildcats (14-4, 3-3 Big 12) snapped an 11-game losing streak at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

State

UCF 48, UAB 41: Keith Clanton had 10 points for the visiting Knights (15-4, 5-1 C-USA), who beat the Blazers for the first time in the series' eight-game history.

P.B. ATLANTIC 68, TAMPA 55: The host Spartans (4-13) rallied but fell short in their sixth straight loss.

BARRY 87, ECKERD 80: Evan White had 25 points as the host Buccaneers held off a rally by the Tritons (11-5, 4-3 Sunshine State).

NOVA SE 67, SAINT LEO 53: The host Sharks pulled away from the Lions (8-9, 2-5 SSC) with a late 15-0 run.

Times wires
Saturday, January 21, 2012

BOCA RATON — The Bobby Bowden-coached North squad blew out Howard Schnellenberger's South team 51-3 Saturday night in the inaugural Battle of Florida in front of just a few thousand at FAU Stadium.

The college all-star game featured NFL draft-eligible players who were either born in Florida or played in the state in high school or college.

Jacksonville quarterback Josh McGregor led three scoring drives for the North in the opening quarter. Stephen Garcia, a former Jefferson High standout suspended from South Carolina this season, added to the North's 37-0 halftime lead by tossing two third-quarter TDs.

De'Andre Presley, a former standout at Middleton High and Appalachian State, returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.

TITLE TIDE: An estimated 32,000 gathered at a celebration at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa for the national title team. The Tide's 21-0 victory in New Orleans clinched the title on Jan. 9.

GEORGIA: Senior cornerback Sanders Commings, 21, was arrested Saturday on a domestic violence charge.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Freshman safety Brison Williams was suspended indefinitely.

WASHINGTON: New defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox will get $750,000 this season to start a three-year deal. That's $50,000 more than he was slated to make for the same job at Tennessee.

By Bryan Burns, Times Correspondent
Saturday, January 21, 2012

WESLEY CHAPEL — For the second Saturday in a row, Wharton entered the fourth quarter on the road against a formidable Tampa Bay area opponent with an eight-point advantage.

Last week, the Wildcats were outscored 23-7 by Seminole in the final quarter for only their third loss of the season.

Saturday against Wiregrass Ranch in the fourth game of the Ulrich Family Classic, Wharton weathered the Bulls' frenetic, uptempo style to pull away for an 86-72 victory.

The way Wharton played didn't exactly draw praise from coach Tommy Tonelli.

The game's quick pace resulted in an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers and 27 fouls for Wharton. The Bulls were whistled for 26 fouls themselves and turned the ball over 22 times.

"The style that (the Bulls) play creates that kind of a game, but I thought we kind of played into the way they wanted to play and not the way we typically play," Tonelli said.

Wiregrass Ranch (11-8) may have forced Wharton (18-3) out of its rhythm, but the Wildcats proved they can run-and-gun. A seven-point run late in the first quarter gave the Wildcats a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Wharton was ahead 23-13 after one quarter and held that 10-point advantage at halftime 45-35.

Every time the Bulls made a run in the second half, the Wildcats responded. The Bulls' Christian Parra hit a field goal and a free throw with under a minute left in the third quarter to cut Wharton's lead to 62-54, but the Wildcats' Sir Patrick Reynolds (14 points) started the fourth by converting a three-point play on a layup and a foul. Three more times, the Bulls were able to cut the lead to single digits, but each time Wharton answered.

Still, it's unlikely Tonelli will be eager to watch the video.

"This game was like going to the YMCA and playing a pickup game, and that's not what we're about," he said.

Jaken Grier had 21 points for the Wildcats, and sophomore forward Chase Litton added 20 points and six rebounds.

Rico Kerney scored 25 to keep the Bulls close and grabbed 14 rebounds. Parra also had 25 points for Wiregrass Ranch.

Clearwater 77, Bloomingdale 65: Senior guard Harvey Adams scored 18 to lead the Tornadoes.

Ridgewood 50, Seminole 47: Adam Ibrahim and Tony Hays each contributed 10 points for the Rams in a narrow win.

Land O'Lakes 58, Freedom 54: Gators hold on in the fourth quarter behind a team-high 18 points from Ernest McClendon.

By Steve Lee, Times Correspondent
Saturday, January 21, 2012

BRANDON — Motivation never seems to be a problem for Brandon, which is currently on a 10-year state championship run and ranked fifth in the nation.

Nonetheless, coach Russ Cozart admitted his team might have been a bit more fired up for this weekend's two-day tournament named after the late Tony Ippolito who was Brandon's, as well as Hillsborough County's, first state champion. Ippolito died of cancer in 1990.

The Eagles won the Tony Ippolito Memorial Tournament for the 26th time in 28 seasons Saturday, totaling 326.5 points to runnerup Springstead's 259. North Port (161) placed third, and Jesuit (122.5) finished fourth.

"Tradition runs a little bit thick around the locker room and on the mat," Cozart said. "I think we're hitting on all cylinders. Every team's different. What you want to do is see them peak."

Brandon won nine of 14 divisions, including the finals' most thrilling match as Travis Berridge edged two-time state champion Cody Ross of Springstead 5-2 in triple overtime at 152 pounds.

Brandon's other winners included: James Flint (113), Devan Berrian (120), Rossi Bruno (126), Kevin Norstrem (132), Dakota Greene (145), Clark Glass (160), Jacob Haydock (170) and Kyle Koziel (182).

The other winner from Hillsborough County was Wharton's Tyler Liberatore at 138.

Springstead claimed one title with John Dreggors pining Celebration's Alvaro Norena at 285. The Eagles had shots at five other crowns, but finalists Matt Landgraff, Mike McDonald, Josh Hererra, Thomas Gupton and Ross came up short.

"I think Springstead has an excellent team," said Coazrt, who considers the Eagles as frontrunners for the Class 2A state championship. "I thought they did an outstanding job at this tournament."

Another outstanding performance was turned in by Hernando's Jesse Gaudin, who beat Jesuit's Austin Underwood in the 220 final.

Boys Basketball

Wharton avoids fade at Ulrich Classic

WESLEY CHAPEL — For the second Saturday in a row, the Wharton boys basketball team entered the fourth quarter of against a formidable opponent with an eight-point lead.

Last week, the Wildcats were outscored 23-7 by Seminole in the final quarter for only their third loss of the season.

Saturday against Wiregrass Ranch at the Ulrich Family Classic, Wharton (18-3) weathered the Bulls' frenetic, uptempo style to pull away for an 86-72 victory. Wharton overcame an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers and 27 fouls.

Ippolito Memorial Tournament

Finals:

106- Schreiber (COL) d. Landgraff (SPR), 9-4

113- Flint (BR) d. Mcdonald (SP), fall 4:16

120- Berrian (BR) d. Joyce (PC), fall 3:54

126- Bruno (BR) d. Patisaul (SC), fall 2:18

132- Norstrem (BR) d. Hererra (SPR), maj. dec. 14-3

138- Liberatore (WH) d. Fulk (MAN), fall 0:58

145- Greene (BR) d. Barber (MAN), 8-5

152- Berridge (BR) d. Ross (SPR), UTB 5-2

160- Glass (BR) d. Calderon (EB), I-D

170- Haydock (BR) d. Chaney (PC), 3-1

182- Koziel (BR) d. Fernandez (LIB), fall 0:54

195- Allen (COL) d. Gupton (SPR), UTB 1-1

220- Gaudin (HER) d. Underwood (JES), 12-6

285- Dreggors (SPR) d. Norena (CEL), fall 3:08

Team scores: 1. Brandon 326.5; 2. Springstead 259.0; 3. North Port 161.0; 4. Jesuit 122.5; 5. Columbia 100.0; 6. Lincoln 91.5; 7. Plant City 87.5; 8. Fort Pierce Central 87.0; 9. Baron Collier 83.0; 10. Celebration 81.0; 11. Port St. Lucie 76.0; 12. Bradenton Manatee 73.5; 13. Venice 73.0; 14. Wharton 72.0; 15. Hernando 71.0; 16. Strawberry Crest 70.5; 17. East Bay 66.5; 18. Robinson 61.0; 19. Pasco 58.0; 20. Sarasota 56.5; 21. Gateway 56.0; 22. Liberty 56.0; 23. Chiles 55.5; 24. Wesley Chapel 48.5; 25. King 39.5; 26. Bloomingdale 39.0; 27. Hillsborough 36.0; 28. Alonso 32.5; 29. Chamberlain 28.0; 30. Central 27.0; 31. Freedom 20.0; 32. Forest 16.5

By Damain Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 21, 2012

GLENDALE, Ariz. — During a recent meeting with Teddy Purcell, Lightning coach Guy Boucher said he would gladly give the right wing more ice time if he deserved it.

Boucher even gave Purcell some advice: move your feet and battle harder for pucks.

"Some guys are a lot more complex than that," Boucher said. "But in his case, because he has all the tools, it just comes down to that."

Purcell proved Boucher right on Friday with two goals in a 2-1 win over the Stars. He also scored Saturday against Phoenix.

"He's a big believer in first on the puck and fighting and working hard," Purcell said. "Sometimes, I get away from that."

Such as when he went 27 games, from Nov. 9 to Jan. 10, with two goals.

Since then, he has five goals in six games. His 12 goals put him on pace for a career-best 21.

Boucher said Purcell's overall game can be "unreal."

"He's got the skills. He's got the vision. He knows where to go on the ice," Boucher said. "But he brings the package when he's battling and his feet are moving."

"It's in my hands," Purcell said. "I have to take the challenge."

MALONE HURT: LW Ryan Malone left the game with 6:28 left in the first period with an upper-body injury Boucher said might keep him out of Tuesday's game with the Blue Jackets.

FIGHTING: GM Steve Yzerman saw Wayne Fleming at his Calgary home during the recent world junior championship and said the assistant, battling brain cancer, "has a great attitude."

"We had a good conversation," Yzerman said. "It's very difficult on him and his wife, but he's very determined and upbeat."

Yzerman reiterated he has no plans to hire another assistant.

YO-YO: D Evan Oberg is on his fifth callup from AHL Norfolk but has yet to play a game. He has, though, been exposed to the NHL environment.

"I've gained a lot of experience," said Oberg, who has been called up as insurance when injuries depleted blue line depth. "I know what to expect up here. I've taken a lot out of it."

"The first thing he can take is a different paycheck," Boucher said, joking about the gap between Oberg's salary in the minors ($65,000) and NHL ($875,000).

Seriously, though, "Any time you get an opportunity to practice and watch games played by (Marty) St. Louis, (Steven) Stamkos, (Vinny) Lecavalier and (Eric) Brewer, you learn so much," Boucher said. "I would have given anything back in the day to get a practice with those guys. He's getting many."

And getting comfortable.

"Confidence goes a long way at this level," Oberg said. "A lot of guys have the same skill set. But if you're confident … and don't question your abilities, it makes the game a lot easier. Every time I come up, I expect I'm going to play. If I get that call, I'm more than ready to show what I've got."

ODDS AND ENDS: Tampa Bay allowed its eighth shorthanded goal, second most in the league. … Yzerman was in Toronto scouting the Leafs and Canadiens. … Rookie LW Pierre-Cedric Labrie got his first NHL point with an assist on St. Louis' goal. … C Nate Thompson had a career-best 20:59 of ice time against the Stars. … Oberg, F Tom Pyatt (leg) and D Marc-Andre Bergeron (back) were scratched.

Times wires
Saturday, January 21, 2012

BASEBALL

RED SOX DEAL INF SCUTARO TO ROCKIES

DENVER — The Rockies acquired infielder Marco Scutaro from the Red Sox for right-hander Clayton Mortensen on Saturday.

Scutaro, 36, hit a career-high .299 for the Red Sox last season.

Boston also agreed to a one-year contract worth $1,612,500 with reliever Daniel Bard, avoiding salary arbitration. The right-hander made $505,000 last season.

SOCCER

Americans set record for margin

The U.S. women's national team opened Olympic qualifying with its biggest margin of victory in team history late Saturday, routing the Dominican Republic 14-0 to open group play in Vancouver. But starting defender Ali Krieger, 27, tore the ACL and MCL in her right knee and is likely to miss the Olympics. The Americans face Guatemala today.

AMERICAN FEAT: Clint Dempsey became the first American to score a hat trick in the English Premier League. Dempsey, 28, scored three times, all in the second half, in Fulham's 5-2 win over Newcastle.

EXHIBITION: Ricardo Clark scored on a header in the seventh minute of extra time as the U.S. men beat Venezuela 1-0 in Glendale, Ariz.

CROWD ISSUE: Thousands forced their way into the stadium for the opener of the African Cup of Nations in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, prompting police to use tear gas. The tournament co-hosts defeated Libya 1-0.

EQUESTRIAN

Fire in New Jersey kills 22 horses

Authorities say a fast-moving fire destroyed a barn in Lafayette, N.J., killing 22 show horses owned by a noted equestrian family. Betty Hahn, whose family owns the horses, told the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., that no hay or fuel was stored in the barn, so she was baffled about how the blaze began.

TAMPA BAY DOWNS: Taylors Irish held off Island Bound by a neck to win her first stakes in the $50,000 Manatee in Oldsmar. Ridden by Pedro Cotto Jr. for trainer Charles Harvatt, Taylors Irish paid $35.40 to win and clocked 7 furlongs in 1 minute, 23.55 seconds. Much Rejoicing was third, and 6-5 favorite Hot Summer finished eighth.

SPEED SKATING

American Davis wins at 1,000

American two-time gold medalist Shani Davis won his first World Cup gold medal of the season, capturing the 1,000 meters at the long track event in Kearns, Utah, in 1 minute, 7.20 seconds. The World Sprint Championships are next weekend in Calgary.

MORE WINTER SPORTS: Didier Cuche of Switzerland earned a record fifth victory on one of the World Cup's most challenging downhill skiing courses, in Kitzbuehel, Austria. American Bode Miller nearly crashed and finished 29th. … American Matthew Antoine had his best skeleton result of the season, finishing third at a race in St. Moritz, Switzerland, won by Martins Dukurs of Latvia.

SAILING

Protection from pirates important

Boats competing in the Volvo Ocean Race were transported onboard an armed ship again to the safe haven of the Maldives because of the threat of pirates along the east coast of Africa. Dutch ship Happy Diamond was protected by barbed wire when it delivered the six-strong fleet safely to the capital city of Male.

Don Jensen, Times Correspondent; Times wires

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 21, 2012

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Some things never change when it comes to Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson.

Even after his 33 saves in a 4-3 victory over the Coyotes on Saturday night at Jobing.com Arena, even after his first win since Nov. 17, Roloson was low-key as ever.

"It's always nice to win games," he said.

Nice? How about imperative?

Roloson needed to re-establish himself after a 0-6-1 stretch in 11 games. So to stand up to a Coyotes team that had a 36-21 shot advantage over a Tampa Bay squad playing its second of back-to-back road games was a huge step forward.

"On a back-to-back, you need your goalie to play great because it's an unfair fight," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said.

"Roli," center Steven Stamkos said, "was the reason we got those two points."

It was the third straight win for the Lightning (20-23-4), which got goals from Stamkos, Teddy Purcell, Marty St. Louis and Steve Downie and won consecutive road games for the first time this season.

Facing his former teammates for the first time, Phoenix goalie Mike Smith was shaky, especially on Downie's goal with 3:21 left in the second as the unscreened shot from the top of the right faceoff circle went in off his arm for a 4-1 lead.

The goal turned out to be the winner as Keith Yandle scored 3:35 into the third period and Ray Whitney scored on the power play with 3:59 left to cut Phoenix's deficit to one.

Stamkos scored his league-best 32nd goal. But his tripping penalty turned into Whitney's goal, and his cross-checking penalty gave the Coyotes, who pulled Smith, a six-on-four advantage for the final 26.1 seconds.

"A big win," Stamkos said. "We needed everyone on board."

That was because fatigue was a factor for a team playing on short rest after Friday's win in Dallas and without wing Ryan Malone, who left in the first period with an upper-body injury.

"You can't focus on anything other than the puck," Roloson said. "You can't focus on if the guys are tired or if they're not. That's out of your control. Just go out and give your guys a chance."

He did in the second period with a glove save on Whitney's close-in backhand to preserve a 3-1 lead and in the final 5:04 after being plowed by Martin Hanzal, who had been checked from behind by Vinny Lecavalier.

Roloson's head snapped back, and he said he felt a stinger from his C-1 vertebrae to his C-5. He was motionless on the ice as head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan gave aid.

"Part of the game," Roloson said.

Low-key as ever.

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 32 (St. Louis, Moore), 12:02. 2, Tampa Bay, Purcell 12 (Downie, Kubina), 15:39. Penalties—None.

Second Period—3, Tampa Bay, St. Louis 11 (T.Smith, Labrie), 6:15. 4, Phoenix, Korpikoski 11 (Gordon), 8:29 (sh). 5, Tampa Bay, Downie 8 (Lecavalier), 16:39. Penalties—Hanzal, Pho (interference), 7:33; Clark, TB (interference), 9:08; Clark, TB (interference), 18:20.

Third Period—6, Phoenix, Yandle 6 (Korpikoski, Whitney), 3:35. 7, Phoenix, Whitney 15 (Ekman-Larsson, Doan), 16:01 (pp). Penalties—Whitney, Pho (high-sticking), 1:20; Stamkos, TB (tripping), 15:18; Stamkos, TB (cross-checking), 19:33. Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 7-10-4—21. Phoenix 15-12-9—36. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 0 of 2; Phoenix 1 of 4. Goalies—Tampa Bay, Roloson 7-10-2 (36 shots-33 saves). Phoenix, M.Smith 17-13-7 (21-17). A—12,714 (17,135).

By Tim Whitfield, Times Correspondent
Sunday, January 22, 2012

What's hot: With the cold fronts heading south on a more regular basis, the bite in the bay has been excellent to adequate and everything in between. The days leading up to a front and the hours just before the passing of one can be amazing. The redfish and trout action is off the wall with most casts resulting in a hookup or at least a whack by a predator.

An alternative: If the only day you have to fish is the day after a front — the blue skies with no clouds will have the fish on the flats on high alert — here is something you can do to combat the high pressure: think deep and dark rivers, creeks and canals that are abundant around Tampa Bay. The fish in these areas do not see you. They are not spooked by a cast. So your odds improve already. These areas generally have a good current flow, and the fish holding in the areas are accessible even when the water is blown out of the bay by the relentless northerly winds.

Bait: The premier bait is a regular-sized shrimp fished on the bottom. Weigh it down just enough so that it will tumble along the bottom, bumping but not snagging into the shell. A creek chub is a close second. When you get blue skies void of clouds, avoid the flats. Hit the creeks and canals, and stick to some fish that are more willing to play.

Tim Whitfield can be reached at (813) 714-0889 or tim@swiftfishcharters.com.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 22, 2012

It didn't take long for rookie Brett Connolly, after he returned from the world junior championship, to realize things with the Lightning were going to be different.

His on-ice mistakes were now front and center during team video sessions.

"He let me off the hook a little bit at the start of the year," Connolly said of coach Guy Boucher. "But I found out when I got back that's not going to be the case anymore. It's a teaching tool. You've got to watch what you're doing on the ice."

Connolly has done less and less. He has no points in his past 14 games, and in eight games since winning a bronze medal with Canada at the world junior championship, the right wing has played more than 10 minutes only once, has nine shots and was demoted to a fourth line.

More to the point, Connolly, 19, has struggled defensively, which Boucher said is the primary reason for the loss of ice time.

But instead of sending Connolly back to juniors, Tampa Bay decided to continue his development in the NHL with what Boucher called "tough love."

"We said as a staff that if we're going to take him back after Team Canada, that he'd fit wherever he deserved to fit at that moment," Boucher said. "He's not a young kid anymore. He's part of the team and subject to the same positive or constructive criticism as the other guys who have been in the league for 10 years.

"We've taken a lot of time with him, probably more than any other guy. It's a question, now, of his willingness to focus on the small details to become a complete professional."

Quite a change from the feel-good story in which Connolly surprised even the Lightning by earning a job out of training camp, getting power-play time and playing on a line with Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis.

"With the puck he's fine," Boucher said of Connolly, who has four goals and eight points in 36 games. "But he's got to improve without the puck. He gets surprised defensively."

That is "normal for a 19-year-old," Boucher said, but added, "He has a lot to learn."

"Be hard on the walls," Connolly said. "Make sure you have your guy in the slot. Little things, little things that go a long way."

Steven Stamkos, who at 18 struggled through the first half of his rookie season, knows what his teammate is going through, so he offered perspective.

"It's a tough situation," Stamkos said. "You're used to being the go-to guy all the time, and you're used to playing all situations. … You know you have the capabilities, but sometimes you have to take a step back and realize you are at that age and it's a learning process and it's not going to happen overnight."

Stamkos' advice to Connolly?

"Just keep working hard," he said. "Try to keep that confidence that you have in your abilities. Sometimes it's tough when you're not playing a lot, but try to learn from the guys and just stay positive."

"It's a moment of opportunity," Connolly said Stamkos told him. "I have to take advantage of it."

Even if watching game video is not nearly as much fun.

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

Times wires
Sunday, January 22, 2012

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — No. 11 Indiana dealt with Penn State's tough defense the only way it knew how — with a strong second half.

After a poor-shooting first half, the Hoosiers clamped down on defense and shot 65 percent field to rally for a 73-54 victory Sunday.

"Penn State plays as hard as anyone we'll face and as hard as anybody in the country will face," coach Tom Crean said.

The teams combined for 48 fouls. Freshman Cody Zeller led Indiana (16-4, 4-4 Big Ten) with 18 points. Jordan Hulls scored all of his 14 in the second half.

The Nittany Lions learned of former football coach Joe Paterno's death on their way to the game. Indiana held a moment of silence before tipoff, and Penn State players wore black ribbons.

"He loved basketball. He would always tell me a story about how he covered (Hall of Famer Bob) Cousy," Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said.

Va. Tech 47, no. 15 UVa 45: Dorenzo Hudson scored six in the final 2:12 as the Hokies ended the Cavaliers' nine-game home winning streak. Virginia (15-3, 2-2 ACC) shot 32.6 percent, hitting 1 of 14 3-pointers.

WIS. 67, NO. 22 ILLINOIS 63: Jordan Taylor scored 19 and Jared Berggren added 18 as the visiting Badgers sent the Illini (15-5, 4-3 Big Ten) to its second straight loss since an upset of Ohio State. Taylor's jumper with 32 seconds left gave Wisconsin a five-point lead in the back-and-forth game. Coach Bo Ryan said the Badgers had to scrap for a fourth straight win by necessity: "We have to do those things to be successful. We don't strike fear in a lot of hearts when we show up."

N.C. State 78, miami 73: The host Hurricanes (10-7, 1-3 ACC) couldn't overcome a 15-point second-half deficit. Former Gator Kenny Kadji had 20 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks for Miami. "We have a lot more work to do than we originally thought," first-year Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga said.

Women

Gators fall at UK: Visiting Florida chipped away at a second-half deficit, pulling within 50-48 with 25.2 seconds left, but No. 6 Kentucky hit 7 of 8 free throws in the final 30 seconds to win 57-52. Jordan Jones led the Gators (13-7, 3-4 SEC) with 13 points. The Wildcats (18-2, 7-0) got only two points from A'dia Mathies, the SEC's third-leading scorer (16.1).

FSU routed at home: Natasha scored 13, one of three Seminoles in double figures, but host Florida State lost to Georgia Tech 79-55. The 'Noles (11-10, 3-4 ACC) had 24 turnovers.

No. 5 Duke 80, No. 8 Maryland 72: Haley Peters scored a career-high 21 and the host Blue Devils (16-2, 7-0 ACC) beat the Terrapins (18-2, 5-2) for their 10th straight win.

No. 10 Ohio St. 96, Ill. 84: Tayler Hill hit the go-ahead 3 and Samantha Prahalis scored eight straight Buckeyes points in the waning moments to lead host Ohio State (19-1, 6-1 Big Ten).

No. 15 Georgia 61, Miss. 47: The visiting Bulldogs (16-4, 5-2 SEC) led 43-15 at halftime.

No. 16 Del. 60, Drexel 49: Elena Delle Donne scored 21 as the host Blue Hens (16-1, 7-0 Colonial) never trailed.

Iowa St. 66, No. 17 Texas Tech 49: Hallie Christofferson had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the host Cyclones beat the Red Raiders (14-4, 2-4 Big 12).

No. 18 Louisville 64, No. 19 Georgetown 61: Shoni Schimmel scored 20 to carry the visiting Cardinals (16-4, 5-2 Big East). Sugar Rogers scored 24 for the Hoyas (15-5, 4-3).

No. 20 Nebraska 64, Minn. 49: Jordan Hooper scored 15 of her 23 in the first half for the host Cornhuskers (16-3, 5-2 Big Ten).

No. 22 Penn St. 68, Iowa 52: The host Nittany Lions (15-4, 5-2 Big Ten) closed with a 20-2 run.

No. 24 UNC 60, N.C. State 50: Chay Shegog scored 16 for the visiting Heels (14-5, 4-2 ACC).

S. Carolina 65, No. 25 VandY 60, OT: The visiting Gamecocks sent the Commodores (14-5, 2-4 SEC) to their third straight conference loss.

By Jim Reedy, Special to the Times
Sunday, January 22, 2012

ROSEMONT, Ill. — The exclamation point came with about five minutes left, when Jawanza Poland missed a runner in the lane and USF teammate Ron Anderson attacked the rim for the rebound.

Anderson timed his leap perfectly, grabbing and dunking the ball in one motion to push the USF lead over DePaul to 13 points. The Bulls erupted with excitement as they loped back on defense, with Anderson flexing his right biceps and accepting a playful, celebratory shove from teammate Victor Rudd.

They've done their share of muscle-flexing this season, and the scene wasn't much different Sunday at Allstate Arena. A typically balanced effort fueled a 75-59 victory, the seventh in a row for USF against DePaul.

The formerly downtrodden Bulls (12-8, 5-2 Big East) have won five of six this month and joined a four-way tie for third in the conference, behind Syracuse (7-1) and Georgetown (6-2).

"We're excited," coach Stan Heath said. "We've never been here before."

Augustus Gilchrist led the way with 22 efficient points, his most since a career-high 32 at DePaul a year ago. Hitting 7 of 8 from the field and 8 of 10 free throws, the senior power forward was limited early by double teams but later took advantage of one-on-one matchups against center Krys Faber and others.

"We haven't done a great job with Gilchrist, really utilizing his talent, and I'll take the blame for that," Heath said. "At the same time, I talked to Gus about (not) just settling for jump shots. Today he was much more aggressive, attacking the basket, drawing fouls. …

"He was the guy that we need to have the rest of the year."

Poland was instant offense as usual, scoring 19 on 8-of-13 shooting. Hugh Robertson led a perimeter defensive effort that held Brandon Young and Moses Morgan, two of the top four scorers for DePaul (10-9, 1-6), to 1-of-23 shooting, 0-of-11 on 3-pointers.

"That's phenomenal, and I think Hugh sometimes doesn't get enough credit," Heath said.

Robertson, Rudd and former King High standout Toarlyn Fitzpatrick combined for 25 rebounds, leading USF to a 40-29 advantage on the boards against the worst rebounding team in the Big East.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

MIAMI — Brandon Jennings scored 23, Ersan Ilyasova added 16 off the bench and the Bucks held Miami to 37 percent shooting in 91-82 victory Sunday.

It was the second straight road win for Milwaukee, which started the season 0-8 away from home. Andrew Bogut scored 13 for the Bucks, who got 10 apiece from Shaun Livingston and Stephen Jackson.

LeBron James finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which had won three straight. Chris Bosh added 23 points for the Heat, which lost for the first time this season in seven games without Dwyane Wade (sprained right ankle).

Game highlights: Paul Pierce had season highs with 34 points and 10 assists and tied his season-best mark with eight rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 100-94 victory over the host Wizards. The Celtics won for the second time in three games despite playing most of the game without a pair of starting guards. Rajon Rondo was out for the second straight game with a sprained right wrist, and Ray Allen left in the first half when he jammed his left ankle. Pierce went 10-for-15 from the floor and 12-for-15 from the line. … Mo Williams scored 19 of his 26 in the fourth quarter, Blake Griffin had 18 points and nine rebounds, and the host Clippers sent the Raptors to their eighth straight loss, 103-91. The Clippers played their fifth straight game without point guard Chris Paul because of a left hamstring strain. … Deron Williams had 19 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists to lead the host Nets to a 97-87 victory over the Bobcats.

Westbrook extension: Russell Westbrook never considered waiting for what options he might have had other than returning to the Thunder. The All-Star point guard, who helped the Thunder to the Western Conference final last season, said he is happy in Oklahoma City, and that's why he recently signed a five-year, $80 million contract extension.

Bucks 91, Heat 82

MILWAUKEE (91): Leuer 0-1 0-0 0, Livingston 3-7 4-4 10, Bogut 5-8 3-4 13, Jennings 5-20 12-13 23, Delfino 1-7 3-4 6, Mbah a Moute 1-1 2-2 4, Dunleavy 1-5 0-0 2, Jackson 4-13 0-0 10, Gooden 1-6 0-0 2, Udrih 1-2 1-2 3, Ilyasova 5-8 5-5 16, To.Harris 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 28-80 30-34 91.

MIAMI (82): James 8-18 12-13 28, Bosh 8-14 6-7 23, Anthony 0-2 2-2 2, Chalmers 4-14 3-3 12, Jones 1-4 3-4 6, Curry 0-0 0-0 0, Haslem 1-3 1-2 3, Battier 2-6 0-0 4, Miller 0-1 1-2 1, Cole 1-5 1-2 3, Pittman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-67 29-35 82.

Milwaukee 18 28 19 26— 91

Miami 21 20 22 19— 82

3-Point Goals—Milwaukee 5-30 (Jackson 2-8, Ilyasova 1-3, Delfino 1-5, Jennings 1-10, Dunleavy 0-4), Miami 3-12 (Bosh 1-2, Chalmers 1-3, Jones 1-4, James 0-1, Battier 0-2). Fouled Out—Bogut. Rebounds—Milwaukee 48 (Bogut 8), Miami 56 (James 13). Assists—Milwaukee 18 (Jennings 6), Miami 9 (James 5). Total Fouls—Milwaukee 28, Miami 25. Technicals—Anthony, Miller, Miami Bench. Flagrant Fouls—Chalmers. A—19,600.

Celtics 100, Wizards 94

BOSTON (100): Pierce 10-15 12-15 34, Garnett 7-10 3-4 17, O'Neal 3-5 2-4 8, Bradley 1-8 1-4 3, Allen 3-5 0-0 7, Bass 6-13 1-1 13, Pietrus 5-8 2-2 14, Stiemsma 0-0 0-0 0, Daniels 2-6 0-0 4, Moore 0-2 0-0 0, Pavlovic 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-72 21-30 100.

WASHINGTON (94): Singleton 1-4 0-0 2, Blatche 4-10 0-0 8, McGee 6-10 1-1 13, Wall 9-18 9-9 27, Young 7-13 4-5 19, Lewis 1-4 0-0 2, Crawford 5-11 1-2 12, Seraphin 1-1 2-2 4, Mack 1-3 1-2 3, Mason 1-1 0-0 2, Vesely 0-0 0-0 0, Booker 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 37-77 18-21 94.

Boston 20 29 24 27— 100

Washington 21 19 29 25— 94

3-Point Goals—Boston 5-12 (Pietrus 2-4, Pierce 2-5, Allen 1-2, Moore 0-1), Washington 2-15 (Crawford 1-4, Young 1-6, Lewis 0-1, Blatche 0-1, Singleton 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Boston 45 (Bass 9), Washington 42 (Wall 10). Assists—Boston 22 (Pierce 10), Washington 17 (Wall 7). Total Fouls—Boston 20, Washington 28. Technicals—Pierce, Crawford, Young. A—15,818.

Clippers 103, Raptors 91

TORONTO (91): J.Johnson 3-8 0-0 7, Davis 1-5 5-6 7, A.Johnson 0-0 1-2 1, Calderon 1-8 0-0 3, DeRozan 4-19 7-8 15, Gray 3-3 0-1 6, R.Butler 1-2 0-0 3, Magloire 0-1 0-0 0, Barbosa 7-12 2-2 19, Bayless 2-9 3-4 7, Kleiza 5-10 4-4 16, Forbes 2-4 3-4 7. Totals 29-81 25-31 91.

L.A. CLIPPERS (103): C.Butler 6-10 2-5 15, Griffin 6-11 6-14 18, Jordan 7-9 2-4 16, Billups 1-9 2-2 5, Foye 5-8 2-2 15, Williams 8-15 7-7 26, Gomes 1-5 0-0 2, Jones 0-1 2-2 2, Evans 0-1 1-2 1, Fortson 0-1 0-0 0, Thompkins 1-2 1-2 3, Leslie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-72 25-40 103.

Toronto 11 26 21 33— 91

L.A. Clippers 27 22 27 27— 103

3-Point Goals—Toronto 8-19 (Barbosa 3-4, Kleiza 2-5, R.Butler 1-1, Calderon 1-2, J.Johnson 1-2, Bayless 0-1, Forbes 0-2, DeRozan 0-2), L.A. Clippers 8-21 (Foye 3-4, Williams 3-6, C.Butler 1-2, Billups 1-7, Fortson 0-1, Gomes 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Toronto 48 (DeRozan, Gray 8), L.A. Clippers 62 (Jordan 16). Assists—Toronto 21 (Bayless 5), L.A. Clippers 26 (Billups 14). Total Fouls—Toronto 31, L.A. Clippers 24. Flagrant Fouls—Billups. A—19,060.

Nets 97, Bobcats 87

CHARLOTTE (87): Henderson 6-12 2-2 15, Thomas 3-5 0-0 6, Mullens 1-5 0-0 2, Augustin 0-0 0-0 0, Walker 5-13 5-7 16, Diaw 2-3 0-0 4, Higgins 5-10 0-0 10, Biyombo 5-6 1-4 11, Najera 2-3 0-0 6, Brown 5-11 0-2 11, Carroll 3-11 0-0 6. Totals 37-79 8-15 87.

NEW JERSEY (97): Stevenson 0-2 0-0 0, Humphries 4-11 0-0 8, Okur 3-11 0-0 7, D.Williams 8-17 2-2 19, Brooks 9-17 2-2 20, Morrow 6-10 4-4 19, She.Williams 2-5 1-2 5, Farmar 4-7 4-4 13, Sha.Williams 2-6 1-1 6, Owens 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 38-86 14-15 97.

Charlotte 21 21 19 26— 87

New Jersey 28 30 17 22— 97

3-Point Goals—Charlotte 5-14 (Najera 2-2, Henderson 1-1, Walker 1-3, Brown 1-3, Higgins 0-2, Carroll 0-3), New Jersey 7-27 (Morrow 3-4, Farmar 1-2, D.Williams 1-5, Sha.Williams 1-5, Okur 1-8, Brooks 0-1, Stevenson 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Charlotte 44 (Biyombo 7), New Jersey 54 (Humphries 10). Assists—Charlotte 18 (Diaw, Walker 4), New Jersey 19 (D.Williams 10). Total Fouls—Charlotte 20, New Jersey 14. A—10,035.

Times wires
Sunday, January 22, 2012

MIAMI — Brandon Jennings scored 23, Ersan Ilyasova added 16 off the bench and the Bucks held the Heat to 37 percent shooting in a 91-82 win Sunday.

It was the second straight road win for Milwaukee, which started the season 0-8 away from home.

"Our defense was very, very good again," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "When we needed a couple big plays, we were able to make them."

LeBron James finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which lost for the first time this season in seven games without Dwyane Wade (sprained right ankle). Miami had three wins in a five-day span ending Saturday and appeared tired.

"No one had energy from the start of the game to the end," James said.

Game highlights: Paul Pierce had season highs of 34 points and 10 assists and tied his season high with eight rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 100-94 win over the host Wizards. Pierce went 10-for-15 from the floor and 12-for-15 from the line. … Roy Hibbert scored 18 and the Pacers overcame 33 points from Kobe Bryant in a 98-96 win over the host Lakers. … Mo Williams scored 19 of his 26 in the fourth, Blake Griffin had 18 points and nine rebounds and the host Clippers sent the Raptors to their eighth straight loss, 103-91. … Deron Williams had 19 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists to lead the host Nets to a 97-87 win over the Bobcats.

Bucks 91, Heat 82

MILWAUKEE (91): Leuer 0-1 0-0 0, Livingston 3-7 4-4 10, Bogut 5-8 3-4 13, Jennings 5-20 12-13 23, Delfino 1-7 3-4 6, Mbah a Moute 1-1 2-2 4, Dunleavy 1-5 0-0 2, Jackson 4-13 0-0 10, Gooden 1-6 0-0 2, Udrih 1-2 1-2 3, Ilyasova 5-8 5-5 16, To.Harris 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 28-80 30-34 91.

MIAMI (82): James 8-18 12-13 28, Bosh 8-14 6-7 23, Anthony 0-2 2-2 2, Chalmers 4-14 3-3 12, Jones 1-4 3-4 6, Curry 0-0 0-0 0, Haslem 1-3 1-2 3, Battier 2-6 0-0 4, Miller 0-1 1-2 1, Cole 1-5 1-2 3, Pittman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-67 29-35 82.

Milwaukee 18 28 19 26— 91

Miami 21 20 22 19— 82

3-Point Goals—Milwaukee 5-30 (Jackson 2-8, Ilyasova 1-3, Delfino 1-5, Jennings 1-10, Dunleavy 0-4), Miami 3-12 (Bosh 1-2, Chalmers 1-3, Jones 1-4, James 0-1, Battier 0-2). Fouled Out—Bogut. Rebounds—Milwaukee 48 (Bogut 8), Miami 56 (James 13). Assists—Milwaukee 18 (Jennings 6), Miami 9 (James 5). Total Fouls—Milwaukee 28, Miami 25. Technicals—Anthony, Miller, Miami Bench. Flagrant Fouls—Chalmers. A—19,600.

Pacers 98, Lakers 96

INDIANA (98): Granger 4-14 6-8 16, West 7-15 0-0 15, Hibbert 9-13 0-0 18, Collison 4-8 3-3 12, George 5-8 1-2 13, Hansbrough 0-5 0-0 0, Hill 4-6 0-0 11, Stephenson 1-1 2-2 4, Amundson 0-3 0-0 0, Jones 2-4 4-4 9. Totals 36-77 16-19 98.

L.A. LAKERS (96): Barnes 3-8 8-10 14, Gasol 4-12 0-0 8, Bynum 6-12 4-6 16, Fisher 2-4 0-0 4, Bryant 14-30 5-6 33, McRoberts 0-2 0-0 0, Morris 1-3 3-5 5, World Peace 5-9 0-2 11, Ebanks 0-1 2-4 2, Murphy 1-4 0-0 3, Kapono 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 36-86 22-33 96.

Indiana 14 35 28 21— 98

L.A. Lakers 27 25 26 18— 96

3-Point Goals—Indiana 10-18 (Hill 3-4, George 2-4, Granger 2-6, Jones 1-1, West 1-1, Collison 1-2), L.A. Lakers 2-9 (World Peace 1-1, Murphy 1-2, Kapono 0-1, Barnes 0-2, Bryant 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Indiana 57 (West 9), L.A. Lakers 48 (Gasol, Bryant, Bynum 8). Assists—Indiana 22 (Collison 7), L.A. Lakers 22 (Gasol 10). Total Fouls—Indiana 22, L.A. Lakers 16. Technicals—Bynum. A—18,997 (18,997).

Celtics 100, Wizards 94

BOSTON (100): Pierce 10-15 12-15 34, Garnett 7-10 3-4 17, O'Neal 3-5 2-4 8, Bradley 1-8 1-4 3, Allen 3-5 0-0 7, Bass 6-13 1-1 13, Pietrus 5-8 2-2 14, Stiemsma 0-0 0-0 0, Daniels 2-6 0-0 4, Moore 0-2 0-0 0, Pavlovic 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-72 21-30 100.

WASHINGTON (94): Singleton 1-4 0-0 2, Blatche 4-10 0-0 8, McGee 6-10 1-1 13, Wall 9-18 9-9 27, Young 7-13 4-5 19, Lewis 1-4 0-0 2, Crawford 5-11 1-2 12, Seraphin 1-1 2-2 4, Mack 1-3 1-2 3, Mason 1-1 0-0 2, Vesely 0-0 0-0 0, Booker 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 37-77 18-21 94.

Boston 20 29 24 27— 100

Washington 21 19 29 25— 94

3-Point Goals—Boston 5-12 (Pietrus 2-4, Pierce 2-5, Allen 1-2, Moore 0-1), Washington 2-15 (Crawford 1-4, Young 1-6, Lewis 0-1, Blatche 0-1, Singleton 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Boston 45 (Bass 9), Washington 42 (Wall 10). Assists—Boston 22 (Pierce 10), Washington 17 (Wall 7). Total Fouls—Boston 20, Washington 28. Technicals—Pierce, Crawford, Young. A—15,818.

Clippers 103, Raptors 91

TORONTO (91): J.Johnson 3-8 0-0 7, Davis 1-5 5-6 7, A.Johnson 0-0 1-2 1, Calderon 1-8 0-0 3, DeRozan 4-19 7-8 15, Gray 3-3 0-1 6, R.Butler 1-2 0-0 3, Magloire 0-1 0-0 0, Barbosa 7-12 2-2 19, Bayless 2-9 3-4 7, Kleiza 5-10 4-4 16, Forbes 2-4 3-4 7. Totals 29-81 25-31 91.

L.A. CLIPPERS (103): C.Butler 6-10 2-5 15, Griffin 6-11 6-14 18, Jordan 7-9 2-4 16, Billups 1-9 2-2 5, Foye 5-8 2-2 15, Williams 8-15 7-7 26, Gomes 1-5 0-0 2, Jones 0-1 2-2 2, Evans 0-1 1-2 1, Fortson 0-1 0-0 0, Thompkins 1-2 1-2 3, Leslie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-72 25-40 103.

Toronto 11 26 21 33— 91

L.A. Clippers 27 22 27 27— 103

3-Point Goals—Toronto 8-19 (Barbosa 3-4, Kleiza 2-5, R.Butler 1-1, Calderon 1-2, J.Johnson 1-2, Bayless 0-1, Forbes 0-2, DeRozan 0-2), L.A. Clippers 8-21 (Foye 3-4, Williams 3-6, C.Butler 1-2, Billups 1-7, Fortson 0-1, Gomes 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Toronto 48 (DeRozan, Gray 8), L.A. Clippers 62 (Jordan 16). Assists—Toronto 21 (Bayless 5), L.A. Clippers 26 (Billups 14). Total Fouls—Toronto 31, L.A. Clippers 24. Flagrant Fouls—Billups. A—19,060.

Nets 97, Bobcats 87

CHARLOTTE (87): Henderson 6-12 2-2 15, Thomas 3-5 0-0 6, Mullens 1-5 0-0 2, Augustin 0-0 0-0 0, Walker 5-13 5-7 16, Diaw 2-3 0-0 4, Higgins 5-10 0-0 10, Biyombo 5-6 1-4 11, Najera 2-3 0-0 6, Brown 5-11 0-2 11, Carroll 3-11 0-0 6. Totals 37-79 8-15 87.

NEW JERSEY (97): Stevenson 0-2 0-0 0, Humphries 4-11 0-0 8, Okur 3-11 0-0 7, D.Williams 8-17 2-2 19, Brooks 9-17 2-2 20, Morrow 6-10 4-4 19, She.Williams 2-5 1-2 5, Farmar 4-7 4-4 13, Sha.Williams 2-6 1-1 6, Owens 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 38-86 14-15 97.

Charlotte 21 21 19 26— 87

New Jersey 28 30 17 22— 97

3-Point Goals—Charlotte 5-14 (Najera 2-2, Henderson 1-1, Walker 1-3, Brown 1-3, Higgins 0-2, Carroll 0-3), New Jersey 7-27 (Morrow 3-4, Farmar 1-2, D.Williams 1-5, Sha.Williams 1-5, Okur 1-8, Brooks 0-1, Stevenson 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Charlotte 44 (Biyombo 7), New Jersey 54 (Humphries 10). Assists—Charlotte 18 (Diaw, Walker 4), New Jersey 19 (D.Williams 10). Total Fouls—Charlotte 20, New Jersey 14. A—10,035.

Times wires
Sunday, January 22, 2012

MELBOURNE, Australia — After Kim Clijsters demonstrated her grit, Roger Federer demonstrated his amazing consistency Sunday at the Australian Open.

Down four match points and hobbling on an injured left ankle, defending champion Clijsters rallied to a 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win over Li Na. And later, Federer ended the run of Australian teenager Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals for a 31st consecutive major.

Clijsters twisted her ankle in the seventh game, but Li became a bundle of nerves and failed to serve out the fourth-round match at 5-4 in the second set. Li led 6-2 in the tiebreaker, but Clijsters refused to yield.

"I said in my mind, keep fighting," Clijsters said. "You never know what happens on the other side of the court."

Li's best chance to win the match, and gain revenge for her three-set loss in last year's final, came on her fourth match point. Clijsters hit a poor drop shot, giving Li an open court. Instead, Li tentatively hit the ball almost straight to Clijsters, whose lob dropped in.

"Of course I was nervous," Li said. "If you're nervous, you could not think too much, right?"

Clijsters won six straight points to take the tiebreaker and the first four games of the deciding set. She will play top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who beat Jelena Jankovic 6-0, 7-5.

"My confidence is high …" Wozniacki said. "If I play like I did today, Kim will have to really play well to beat me."

Early today, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Federer, meanwhile, mixed soft, angled drop shots that just cleared the net with groundstrokes that hit the lines and a leaping, backhand overhead.

"Had one game when I was starting to feel better, next thing you know I'm up a break," said Federer, whose quarterfinal against Juan Martin del Potro will be his 1,000th tour-level match. "Maybe I broke his will there a bit."

No. 2 Rafael Nadal beat Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

Times wires
Sunday, January 22, 2012

MELBOURNE, Australia — Five-time champion Serena Williams lost at the Australian Open today for the first time since 2008, struggling with her serve and unforced errors during a 6-2, 6-3 setback against No. 56-ranked Ekaterina Makarova of Russia.

Williams was surprised by the power of the groundstrokes from Makarova, the lowest-ranked player to make the fourth round of the season's first major.

"I don't know what to say. Amazing feeling," the 23-year-old Makarova said.

Williams, a 13-time Grand Slam winner, had seven double faults — including four in one game in the second set — and 37 unforced errors, once saying to herself: "How many double-faults do you want to make?"

Williams sprained her left ankle in a warmup tournament at Brisbane two weeks ago, but didn't seem restricted today.

In an earlier match, down four match points and hobbling on an injured left ankle, defending champion Kim Clijsters rallied to a 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win over Li Na.

Roger Federer ended the run of Australian teenager Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals for a 31st consecutive major.

Clijsters twisted her ankle in the seventh game, but Li failed to serve out the fourth-round match at 5-4 in the second set. Li led 6-2 in the tiebreaker, but Clijsters refused to yield.

"I said in my mind, keep fighting," Clijsters said. "You never know what happens on the other side of the court."

Li's best chance to win the match, and gain revenge for her three-set loss in last year's final, came on her fourth match point. Clijsters hit a poor drop shot, giving Li an open court. Instead, Li hit the ball almost straight to Clijsters, whose lob dropped in.

"Of course I was nervous," Li said. "If you're nervous, you could not think too much, right?"

Clijsters took the tiebreaker and the first four games of the deciding set. She will play top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who beat Jelena Jankovic 6-0, 7-5.

Andy Murray led 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 when Mikhail Kukushkin retired from their fourth-round match with a left hip injury.