Saturday, February 4, 2012

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Marcus Denmon hit three 3-pointers in the final 2:05, the last for the go-ahead points, as No. 4 Missouri fought off No. 8 Kansas 74-71 Saturday night.

Denmon scored 29, two off his career best, and ended a long-range shooting slump with a career-best six 3-pointers in nine attempts.

The go-ahead 3-pointer came with 56 seconds to go for a one-point lead. Missouri's Michael Dixon hit two free throws with 9.8 seconds left after an offensive foul on Tyshawn Taylor, and Kansas' Elijah Johnson missed badly on a shot attempt to tie it at the buzzer.

Missouri (21-2, 8-2 Big 12) beat Kansas for the second time in the past 12 meetings and improved to 13-0 at home, where its previous smallest victory margin was 11 over Texas last month.

Thomas Robinson had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Kansas (18-5, 8-2), which was scoreless the final 3:20 after Taylor dunked for a 71-63 lead.

boeheim ties smith: Fab Melo returned and scored a career-high 14 and Jim Boeheim tied Dean Smith for third place with career win No. 879 as No. 2 Syracuse dominated St. John's 95-70. The Orange (23-1, 10-1 Big East) took a 41-27 halftime lead and started the second half on a 16-3 run in front of a sellout 19,979 at Madison Square Garden, most wearing orange. Melo missed three games as he resolved an academic issue. Boeheim trails Mike Krzyzewski (919) and Bob Knight (902) on the wins list.

henson dunk angers maryland: With North Carolina's 83-75 win over host Maryland in hand, former Sickles standout John Henson emphatically dunked with one second left. Fans booed, and Maryland coach Mark Turgeon told Tar Heels coach Roy Williams he didn't like it. "I probably would have liked it better if John hadn't gone in and dunked it," Williams said. "The guy was trying to block his shot. If (Maryland defenders) were standing out at the center line, I would have really been disappointed at John.'' Henson had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and the Tar Heels (20-3, 7-1) rallied to stay tied with FSU atop the ACC.

No. 1 Kentucky 86, South Carolina 52: Anthony Davis had 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks for the visiting Wildcats (23-1), who have won 15 straight and moved to 9-0 in the SEC for the first time in seven years. Well over half the 16,527 in attendance were noisy Kentucky fans.

NO. 3 OHIO STATE 58, NO. 19 WISCONSIN 52: Jared Sullinger scored 24 and William Buford hit a critical 3-pointer for the visiting Buckeyes (20-3, 8-2), who maintained the Big Ten lead. The Badgers (18-6, 7-4) hit 5 of 27 3-pointer tries. "It beats the last six times I was here," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said of improving to 1-6 at the Kolb Center.

NO. 6 BAYLOR 64, OKLAHOMA ST. 60: Perry Jones III had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Quincy Acy provided the go-ahead basket and a key offensive rebound for the visiting Bears (21-2, 8-2 Big 12).

No. 10 Murray St. 65, Tenn.-Martin 58: The visiting Racers (23-0, 11-0 Ohio Valley) remained the lone undefeated Division I team.

WYOMING 68, NO. 11 UNLV 66: The host Cowboys shut down the high-scoring Rebels (21-4, 5-2 Mountain West) for their first victory against a Top 25 team since beating No. 24 Utah in 2000.

Northern Iowa 65, No. 13 Creighton 62: Anthony James dribbled the length of the court and made a 3 at the buzzer to snap the visiting Bluejays' (21-3, 11-2 MVC) 11-game winning streak.

NOTRE DAME 76, NO. 15 MARQUETTE 59: Freshman Pat Connaughton had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and the host Irish made 11 3-pointers to defeat its fifth ranked opponent. The Golden Eagles (19-5, 8-3) had won seven straight Big East games.

No. 20 Indiana 78, Purdue 61: Victor Oladipo scored a career-high 23 and the visiting Hoosiers (18-6, 6-6 Big Ten) beat their in-state rival for the first time in six games. Verdell Jones III, one of Indiana's primary ballhandlers, missed the game with a bruised right shoulder.

NO. 22 MISSISSIPPI STATE 91, AUBURN 88: Arnett Moultrie scored 21 for the Bulldogs (18-5, 5-3 SEC).

UCF 59, SMU 52: Marcus Jordan scored 17 for the visiting Knights (17-6, 6-3 Conference USA).

N.C. Central 78, Florida A&M 61: The host Rattlers (6-17, 4-5 MEAC) have lost two of three.

tampa 56, barry 55: Ashton Graham scored a game-high 24 and the host Spartans (6-15, 2-9 SSC) won their second straight.

Florida Gulf Coast 65, Jacksonville 55: The Eagles (12-11, 7-5 Atlantic Sun) swept the regular-season series with the Dolphins (4-19, 2-10).

FIU 76, FAU 56: Phil Taylor scored 22 for the visiting Golden Panthers (7-15, 4-6 Sun Belt). The Owls (9-14, 5-5) made 12 of 23 free-throw tries.

Bethune-Cookman 92, N.C. A&T 77: Kevin Dukes scored 30 for the host Wildcats (10-13, 7-2 MEAC).

By Bryan Burns, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 4, 2012

SEFFNER — Sabrina Whiting is only a sophomore, but the Seffner Christian guard brought maturity to a team sorely lacking it in Saturday's Class 3A, District 8 final against Brooks-DeBartolo.

After Whiting's halftime observation, the No. 1 seed, which starts two freshmen and three sophomores, erased a five-point deficit to upend No. 2 Brooks-DeBartolo 58-53 for its second straight district title.

At halftime, Whiting pulled coach Greg Fawbush aside and asked him to reconsider the starting lineup for the third quarter.

"It wasn't anything against anybody else," Fawbush said. "She said, 'I've talked to these girls. Give me four minutes.' That's all we needed."

With Whiting, Samantha Pla­ger, Kelly Cunningham, Peyton Walker and Ally Parimore opening the second half, Seffner Christian went on a 10-2 run to take a lead, 36-31, it did not relinquish.

"They were overdenying us, and we could backdoor them," Whiting said.

For much of the first half, Seffner Christian (22-4) played from behind. Behind an aggressive, trapping defense, a Brooks-DeBartolo team that started four seniors and a junior opened the game by scoring 13 of the first 15 points.

But the Crusaders chipped away. By the end of the first quarter, the Phoenix led just 13-10. Seffner Christian grabbed its first lead on Whiting's bucket with 6:55 left in the first half.

Brooks-DeBartolo (17-8) went on a 7-1 run to end the half.

"I think that we were … a little nervous," Fawbush said. "But I knew that we were going to wear them down."

Whiting and Walker kept Seffner Christian in front once it had the lead. Whiting scored a game-high 25 points, and Walker added 22 points and 15 rebounds.

Chelsea White kept Brooks-DeBartolo within striking distance with 18 points and several drives to the basket. Teammate Vintoria Hopps recorded a triple double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks.

By Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 4, 2012

DUNEDIN — Dunedin and Sunlake battled back and forth for the team points lead during Saturday evening's Class 2A, District 8 wrestling finals, with both teams showcasing an impressive display of willpower.

A pinfall victory by Dunedin's RJ Luth over Sunlake's Jordan Mills in the 220-pound bout sealed the team title for the Falcons, their third consecutive district crown.

"They had the lead, and we ended up catching them and beating them," ninth-year Dunedin coach Marc Allison said. "It shows our young kids that if you work hard and do your job then the payoff is there."

Dunedin scored 182 points, followed by Sunlake (172), Zephyrhills (106) was third ahead of River Ridge (103), and Mitchell (90) was fifth.

The Falcons' Kyle Goodnow, ranked No. 2 in the state at 170 pounds according to Scout.com, easily defeated Mitchell's David Hayes 9-1 in the final.

"I was a little disappointed how the team wrestled at Palm Harbor, but they stepped it up this week for districts and I'm proud of them," said Goodnow, who improves his record to 43-0.

Dunedin and Sunlake each had eight wrestlers reach the championship finals, and each had five wrestlers walk away with individual crowns.

The Seahawks' titlists were: Wesley Wood (113), John Ortiz (120), Austin Lopez (182), Zach Kweller (195) and Brandon Franklin (285). But the Falcons had one more third-place finish.

The Falcons and Seahawks each qualified 12 wrestlers for the region tournament at St. Cloud beginning Friday. The top four wrestlers in each weight class advance.

A-9: Wesley Chapel rallies in thriller

Wesley Chapel's Thomas Fee (195 pounds), Diego Farchaka (220) and heavyweight Teddy Johnson beat their Robinson foes in the final three matches and the Wildcats edged the host Knights 189.5 to 180.5 to win the Class A, District 9 championship.

3A-6: Wiregrass 7th

Wiregrass Ranch scored 66 and finished seventh at the Class 3A, District 6 meet won by Brandon as Kyle Koesling (113 pounds) and Elliott Morales (138) fell in the championship finals, but qualified for the region meet.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 4, 2012

TAMPA — G Dwayne Roloson has played in just one of the Lightning's past eight games and just 10 of the past 31.

It is clearly no fun for Roloson, who was signed to be the team's No. 1, to be relegated to No. 2 behind Mathieu Garon. But Roloson is not rocking the boat.

"You're always disappointed when you're not playing, but you can't focus on that," he said. "You can't focus on the individual part of it. You have to focus on doing whatever you can to help us get better."

Roloson, 42, the league's oldest player who during the summer signed a one-year, $3 million deal, is 7-10-2 in 24 games. His 3.65 goals-against average entered Saturday last in the league among goalies with at least 10 games. His .882 save percentage was third worst.

That said, he played well in his last game, a 4-3 win Jan. 21 over the Coyotes in which he made 33 saves. Still, coach Guy Boucher has said Garon, on a 5-0-1 streak, is more consistent right now.

"He's been a professional and he's been a leader," Boucher said. "It must be hard right now and disappointing. But he's going to get playing time soon. He's going to be ready."

As ready as he can be as Roloson said it is difficult to keep game sharpness without playing.

Asked if he was satisfied with the level of communications with the coaches, Roloson said, "For me, it's really out of my control what they're thinking and how they're going about it, so to be happy or dissatisfied with it has no bearing on it.

"Just do whatever you need to do to be ready whether it's tomorrow, the next day or a month."

LECAVALIER MILESTONE: It was overshadowed by Marty St. Louis' big night, but C Vinny Lecavalier reaching 20 goals for a team-record 12th straight season was certainly notable.

"I'm happy," he said. "There are still (31) games left and I want to finish strong. These last few weeks I've been going good."

Lecavalier has 10 goals, 26 points in his past 23 games.

"What I like about Vinny's game is it's not just about goals right now," Boucher said. "The goals are coming because he's doing the right things. He's getting the results because of his willingness to do the dirty things, the tough things."

MEDICAL MATTERS: D Marc-Andre Bergeron, out nine games with a back injury, is close to returning. … LW Ryan Malone (upper body) skated by himself for the second time and said he might be back by the end of the week. Boucher said only that Malone is likely out Tuesday against the Kings. … RW Adam Hall (left biceps tendon) participated in the morning skate with a no-contact jersey.

ODDS AND ENDS: St. Louis had his first multi-goal game since he scored twice March 29 against the Senators. … W Ryan Shannon, with two assists, had his first multi-point game for Tampa Bay and first points since Dec. 15 against the Flames. … The Lightning reached .500 for the first time since Dec. 31, and finished the season 4-1-1 against the Panthers for a team record nine points against them. … Four second-period goals tied a season best. … RW Brett Connolly was in the lineup after his first NHL scratch on Thursday.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8622. View his blog at lightning.tampabay.com.

By Mark Chisholm, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 4, 2012

PLANT CITY — Brandon needs entire trophy cases dedicated to just its district wrestling trophies.

The storied Eagles program added another 3A-6 district title Saturday, continuing the streak that started in 1975. That was before coach Russ Cozart took over the program. It was also before some of Cozart's assistants were born.

No matter, Brandon placed wrestlers in the finals of all 14 weight classes, winning 12, and had clinched the team title before the championship finals even started.

The Eagles recorded 299.5 points while host and runnerup Durant scored 178.

More important, the top four wrestlers in each class advance to the region tournament, hosted by Brandon, beginningFriday. The finals are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Eagles junior Kevin Norstrem continued his undefeated season (54-0), posting an 18-4 decision in the 132-pound final. The three-time state champion displays a flamboyant style, at least in comparison to the rest of his teammates. But that is not discouraged by his head coach.

"I don't want everybody to wrestle the same," Cozart said. "I try to take the personality and put a good offensive style with it. He scores points, that's what matters."

Plant City's 120-pounder William Joyce scored the only overtime win in the finals when he executed a takedown at the 7:46 mark.

The Eagles' other champions were: Dylan Lucas (106), James Flint (113), Rossi Bruno (126), Troy Joyce (138), Dakota Greene (145), Travis Berridge (152), Clark Glass (160), Jacob Haydock (170), Kyle Koziel (180), Robert Enmon (195), and John Summit (220).

In the final match of the tournament, Durant fans roared as 285-pound junior Richard Woods pinned Brandon's Darren Lester at 1:56 to record the Cougars' lone victory.

Brandon saw all of its wrestlers qualify for the region tournament next weekend. Durant will be sending 11, while Riverview advanced eight.

Times wires
Saturday, February 4, 2012

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Brittney Griner scored 29 in a dominating performance, and No. 1 Baylor cruised to a 70-41 victory over Kansas State on Saturday night to stay perfect.

Destiny Williams added 14 points and Odyssey Sims finished with 13 for the Bears (23-0, 10-0 Big 12), who extended the best start in school history.

It's the second-best start in conference history, behind former member Nebraska, which won its first 30 during the 2009-10 season.

Griner pushed her career points total to 2,020, the fourth player in school history to eclipse 2,000. Griner is the first Division I player to break that barrier while also recording at least 500 rebounds.

"I'm glad she's on my team," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. "I wouldn't know how to guard her."

The Wildcats have dropped 13 straight to Baylor.

Smith's 18 not enough for USF

Andrell Smith led three USF players in double figures, tying a career high with 18 points, but the visiting Bulls failed to contain the Syracuse offense in a 76-61 loss.

Kaneisha Saunders posted 10 points, and senior Jasmine Wynne extended her double-digit scoring streak to 20 games with 10 points in the Bulls' third straight loss. USF (12-12, 4-6 Big East) trailed by 31 with 7:10 remaining and closed on a 24-8 run.

"It was a respectable score, but we never gave ourselves a chance in the second half," USF coach Jose Fernandez said.

No. 3 uConn 66, No. 13 Rutgers 34: Stefanie Dolson scored 16, Tiffany Hayes had 14 and the Huskies (21-2, 9-1 Big East) rolled to a 98th consecutive home victory. Rutgers (17-6, 6-4) has been blown out by No. 20 Georgetown, second-ranked Notre Dame and now the Huskies. "I'm happy this all happened," Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said. "My challenge is much more clear. Either you step to it or you don't want to be here."

No. 4 Stanford 91, Ariz. 51: Joslyn Tinkle had a career-high 22 points and matched her career best with 11 rebounds for the visiting Cardinal (20-1, 11-0 Pac-12). Stanford beat the Wildcats for the 21st time in a row.

No. 10 Wis.-Green Bay 85, Wis.-Milwaukee 39: Julie Wojta scored 14 of her 16 in the first half for the host Phoenix (20-0, 10-0 Horizon League). Green Bay, with its highest ranking ever, has 40 straight regular-season victories.

W. VA. 66, NO. 14 LOUISVILLE 50: Asya Bussie had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the host Mountaineers. Shoni Schimmel scored 16 for the Cardinals (17-6, 6-4 Big East).

No. 17 Georgetown 65, CincY 54: Sugar Rodgers scored 19 to lead four players in double figures for the visiting Hoyas (18-5, 7-3 Big East).

No. 18 Texas A&M 62, Kansas 51: Kelsey Bone had a season-high 26 points and eight rebounds, and the host Aggies (16-5, 7-3 Big 12) won their third straight.

NO. 20 GONZAGA 69, S. DIEGO 58: Katelan Redmon scored 24 and Kayla Standish had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the host Bulldogs (21-3, 10-1 West Coast Conference).

NO. 22 BYU 83, ST. MARY'S 47: Jennifer Hamson had 18 points and nine rebounds for the host Cougars (21-4, 9-2), who converted 29 turnovers into 40 points.

barry 60, tampa 46: The host Spartans (9-12, 2-9 SSC) gave up a 9-0 run in the second half and couldn't recover. Tampa had three in double figures: Moriah Hodge, 14 points; Illyssa Vivo, 11 points and Sarah Wickham, 10.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 4, 2012

TAMPA — For Marty St. Louis, silence was golden.

The last time he talked to the media before a potential milestone game, an injury put him on the sideline. So before his 900th NHL game, Saturday night against the Panthers, the Lightning wing declined interviews with a forceful no.

He then scored a hat trick to spark an enormous 6-3 victory at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

That was a much better result than when he missed what would have been his 500th consecutive game, Dec. 8 in New York, after taking an errant puck to the face.

"Yeah, that's right," St. Louis said, acknowledging it is better not to talk before a game and playfully adding to reporters, "now you guys are learning."

What we learned about the Lightning (23-23-5) is it has some fight in it.

The win was its sixth in seven games and pulled it to within eight points of first-place Florida in the Southeast Division. Had it lost and fallen 12 back, a divisional playoff push would have been all but impossible.

The Lightning also stayed nine points out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

"We've got this path in front of us," coach Guy Boucher said. "It's very narrow, so we want to stick to what we do. … It had to do with us knowing we are playing the right way, and if we do that consistently, we're going to have success."

The game was big on many levels for Tampa Bay, which had a 34-20 shot advantage and took a 5-3 lead with a four-goal second period. Captain Vinny Lecavalier had four points, including his 20th goal, the 12th straight year he has reached that mark. Steven Stamkos scored his league-best 34th goal. Nate Thompson scored 1:37 into the game.

Goalie Mathieu Garon made 17 saves, and defenseman Victor Hedman played what Boucher called a "monster" game, with an assist, five shots and five of the team's 22 blocks.

The night, though, belonged to St. Louis, 36, who has 16 goals and a nine-game points streak (six goals, 10 assists) that is the longest current in the league.

"He worked hard," Lecavalier said. "He battled and deserves it. His 900th game makes it extra special."

St. Louis' fifth career hat trick, and first since Oct. 26, 2006, against Carolina, was completed into an empty net off a pass from Stamkos, who had an open shot of his own.

"I've been on the receiving end a lot from Marty, so I owed him that," Stamkos said. "I told him on the draw, if we get a chance, just be ready."

"It was very unselfish," said St. Louis. "With the win, three goals, my kids being (at the game), I have a lot of reasons to remember this game."

And to talk about it.

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Thompson 7, 1:37. 2, Florida, Fleischmann 17 (Versteeg, Weaver), 3:54. Penalties—Weiss, Fla (tripping), 16:40; Downie, TB (hooking), 18:24.

Second Period—3, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 20, 1:42. 4, Tampa Bay, St. Louis 14 (Shannon, Lecavalier), 4:22. 5, Florida, Samuelsson 6 (Bergenheim), 7:06. 6, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 34 (Downie, Hedman), 12:36. 7, Tampa Bay, St. Louis 15 (Lecavalier, Shannon), 15:08. 8, Florida, Bergenheim 9 (Goc, Strachan), 19:14. Penalties—None.

Third Period—9, Tampa Bay, St. Louis 16 (Stamkos, Lecavalier), 19:39 (en-pp). Penalties—Hedman, TB (tripping), 4:22; Bergenheim, Fla (hooking), 8:10; Pyatt, TB (hooking), 16:20; Versteeg, Fla (tripping), 17:50. Shots on Goal—Florida 7-7-6—20. Tampa Bay 9-17-8—34. Power-play opportunities—Florida 0 of 3; Tampa Bay 1 of 3. Goalies—Florida, Clemmensen 8-3-5 (32 shots-27 saves), Foster (15:08 second, 1-1), Clemmensen 8-3-5 (0:00 third). Tampa Bay, Garon 16-13-3 (20-17). A—19,204 (19,204). T—2:23.

By Mike Gore, Times Correspondent
Sunday, February 5, 2012

What's early: It looks like spring is starting a little early this year. All of our inshore species are moving to areas they usually don't show up in until March. The afternoon incoming tide is providing the best bite right now. A lot of bait has returned because the water temperature never dropped below 60 degrees. You will have to hunt a little harder for it. Look around the Skyway and channel markers. The bait will be deep, so you might have to mark it with a depth finder then chum it up. You also might want to use a heavier cast net to make sure it sinks fast enough.

What's hot: The trout bite in St. Joseph Sound is starting to heat up. The best bite has been at the end of the outgoing or incoming tides. A lot of these fish are in 4-6 feet of water on the sand/shell bottom. You also can catch them around the spoil islands. Bluefish and mackerel have moved back to the bay following the bait. While fishing the flats off Apollo Beach, I have come across nice pompano. The smaller blacktips are all over the place near TECO and provide great action on light tackle. The redfish bite is productive right now. I am finding them piled up in the deep holes on low tide. Double Branch is hot as is the popular Weedon Island.

Mike Gore charters out of Tampa Bay. Call him at (813) 390-6600 or visit tampacharters.com.

Times wires
Sunday, February 5, 2012

MIAMI — With a 15-point Heat lead down to three late in the game, LeBron James was fouled hard by James Johnson and made his displeasure known before making two free throws. Then James' steal and dunk with just more than two minutes left gave Miami breathing room in a 95-89 win over the Raptors on Sunday.

James scored 30 and Dwyane Wade added 25 as the Heat won for the 10th time in its past 12 games and moved within one game of the Bulls for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

"Some fouls are different than others," said James, who moved to point guard in crunch time.

Pierce closes in on bird: Paul Pierce scored 21, moving nine behind Larry Bird (21,791) for second on the Celtics' all-time list in a 98-80 win over the visiting Grizzlies. John Havlicek has 26,395. Kevin Garnett's 3-pointer made him 3-for-3 this season. "Gives us another option at the end of the game — don't tell him that," coach Doc Rivers said. Garnett said: "That ain't my role here. But, I can shoot 3s. Everyone's acting like I'm 50 and out here on one leg.''

Around the league: Lakers coach Mike Brown was ejected for two technical fouls during Saturday's loss at the Jazz. Angered by a noncall when the ball was stolen from Pau Gasol, Brown made aggressive contact with an official, which could lead to a suspension. … Documents show that Seattle has been working quietly for eight months with a hedge-fund manager to bring an NBA team back — possibly the Kings, who seek a new arena.

Heat 95, Raptors 89

TORONTO (89): DeRozan 8-16 9-11 25, J.Johnson 2-4 0-0 4, Gray 2-5 0-0 4, Calderon 4-8 0-0 8, Bayless 6-16 1-2 17, Davis 4-5 0-0 8, A.Johnson 1-3 0-0 2, Barbosa 1-8 0-0 2, Kleiza 5-13 5-6 17, Butler 0-0 0-2 0, Forbes 1-1 0-0 2, Magloire 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-79 15-21 89.

MIAMI (95): James 10-17 10-12 30, Bosh 3-13 6-6 12, Anthony 1-1 0-0 2, Chalmers 4-7 0-0 11, Wade 8-14 9-12 25, Battier 0-4 0-0 0, Haslem 2-3 4-4 8, Miller 1-5 0-0 3, Cole 2-5 0-0 4, Jones 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-69 29-34 95.

Toronto 27 21 14 27— 89

Miami 31 22 22 20— 95

3-Point Goals—Toronto 6-22 (Bayless 4-8, Kleiza 2-5, J.Johnson 0-1, DeRozan 0-1, Calderon 0-3, Barbosa 0-4), Miami 4-12 (Chalmers 3-5, Miller 1-3, James 0-1, Cole 0-1, Battier 0-1, Wade 0-1). Rebounds—Toronto 46 (Davis 8), Miami 48 (James, Haslem 9). Assists—Toronto 17 (J.Johnson 4), Miami 15 (Bosh, Chalmers 4). Total Fouls—Toronto 25, Miami 19. A—19,802 (19,600).

Celtics 98, Grizzlies 80

MEMPHIS (80): Gay 8-16 4-4 21, Speights 2-10 0-0 4, Gasol 3-14 1-4 7, Conley 2-8 0-0 4, Young 4-9 2-2 10, Mayo 6-12 1-1 15, Cunningham 4-8 2-2 10, Pondexter 0-0 0-0 0, Pargo 0-4 0-0 0, Haddadi 3-4 3-3 9, Selby 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 32-87 13-16 80.

BOSTON (98): Pierce 5-12 10-10 21, Garnett 9-12 5-6 24, O'Neal 2-5 0-0 4, Rondo 2-6 1-2 5, R.Allen 4-14 1-1 12, Wilcox 5-5 2-2 12, Pietrus 2-5 0-0 6, Bradley 1-3 0-0 2, Johnson 5-8 0-0 10, Pavlovic 0-1 0-0 0, Moore 1-2 0-0 2, Stiemsma 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-73 19-21 98.

Memphis 16 19 26 19— 80

Boston 24 19 26 29— 98

3-Point Goals—Memphis 3-14 (Mayo 2-4, Gay 1-3, Cunningham 0-1, Selby 0-1, Young 0-2, Conley 0-3), Boston 7-20 (R.Allen 3-9, Pietrus 2-5, Garnett 1-1, Pierce 1-4, Rondo 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Memphis 44 (Gay 7), Boston 53 (Garnett 9). Assists—Memphis 13 (Conley 4), Boston 28 (Rondo 14). Total Fouls—Memphis 17, Boston 15. Technicals—Mayo. A—18,624 (18,624).

Sunday, February 5, 2012

DURHAM, N.C. — Leave it to Miami's biggest player to carry the Hurricanes to their most impressive win in quite a while.

Reggie Johnson scored five of his career-high 27 in overtime of Miami's 78-74 upset of No. 7 Duke on Sunday.

The 6-foot-10, 284-pound junior center came into the game averaging 10.4 points. He added 12 rebounds as Miami outrebounded Duke 48-43 and outscored the Blue Devils 38-26 in the paint.

"I feel I had the hot hand the whole game," Johnson said, adding that coach Jim Larranaga "was trying to ride me a whole lot. My teammates found me in good positions — catch and score."

The Hurricanes (14-7, 5-3 ACC), who blew a 16-point second-half lead, got their first victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium and just their second win over Duke since joining the conference.

Seth Curry scored 22 and Austin Rivers added 20 for the Blue Devils (19-4, 6-2), who missed all six of their free throws in OT.

"A Duke team should play with energy for 40 minutes, or 45," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We're supposed to play hard and with energy all the time. Those are givens. Those should be givens."

No. 9 Mich. St. 64, No. 23 Mich. 54: Draymond Green scored 14 and had 16 rebounds for the host Spartans (18-5, 7-3 Big Ten). Tim Hardaway missed his first six shots and scored four for Michigan (17-7, 7-4).

Women

UF 84, Old Miss 55: Lanita Bartley scored 17 and grabbed 10 rebounds to record her first double double for the host Gators (15-8, 5-5 SEC).

FSU 78, Va. Tech 60: Natasha Howard scored 16 with 10 offensive rebounds and the host Seminoles (13-11, 5-5 ACC) completed a season sweep of the Hokies.

No. 2 Notre Dame 90, DePaul 70: Natalie Novosel scored 21 and the Irish (23-1, 10-0 Big East) shot 72 percent from the field and scored 56 in the first half.

LSU 61, No. 6 Ky. 51: Adrienne Webb scored 19 as the host Tigers, who had lost five of six coming in, ended the 10-game winning streak for the Wildcats (21-3, 10-1).

No. 7 Miami 68, Clemson 47: Shenise Johnson scored 19 and the Hurricanes (20-3, 9-1 ACC) posted their 37th straight home win after second-leading scorer Riquna Williams left with a head injury. Shes collided with a teammate while chasing a loose ball and her status for Wednesday against No. 23 UNC is uncertain.

No. 8 Tenn. 82, Auburn 61: Glory Johnson had 14 points as the host Vols (17-6, 8-2 SEC) turned 23 turnovers into 21 points.

No. 12 Del. 68, VCU 49: Elena Delle Donne scored 22 as the host Blue Hens (20-1, 11-0 Colonial) won their 10th in a row.

No. 15 Purdue 77, Illinois 66: Sam Ostarello scored a career-high 21 for the host Boilermakers (19-5, 9-2 Big Ten).

No. 19 Penn St. 68, Minn. 65: Alex Bentley hit a go-ahead 3 with 38.9 seconds left as the visiting Nittany Lions (18-5, 8-3 Big Ten) closed with an 8-2 run.

No. 21 Georgia 81, 'Bama 66: Jasmine James and Krista Donald each scored 18 as the visiting Bulldogs (18-6, 7-4 SEC) dropped the Tide to 0-10 in league play.

No. 25 Texas Tech 76. Mizzou 49: Casey Morris scored 15 as the host Raiders (16-6, 4-6 Big 12) kept the Tigers winless in the conference.

Times wires
Sunday, February 5, 2012

Tennis

Venus Williams gets win in her first match back

WORCESTER, Mass. — Venus Williams, returning from a five-month layoff, won a doubles match for the United States in the Fed Cup on Sunday.

Serena Williams (5-7, 6-1, 6-1 over Anastasiya Yakimova) and Christina McHale (6-0, 6-1 over Darya Kustova) already had won matches to clinch a victory over Belarus in the second-tier matchup.

Then Venus Williams and Liezel Huber beat Kustova and Yakimova 6-1, 6-2 to cap the shutout. It was her first sanctioned match since the U.S. Open in August. She was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain.

"It felt great," said Williams, who is uncertain when she will return to the women's pro tour. "I'm really glad the team got to the 4-love lead. It was perfect conditions."

The Americans now can return to the top tier. They were relegated last year after a first-round loss to Belgium and a playoff loss to Germany. In April, they face one of this weekend's four first-round losers for a spot in the top tier. The opponent will be determined by blind draw on Feb. 14.

Baseball

Penny joins Japanese team

RHP Brad Penny signed a one-year deal with Japan's Softbank Hawks, according to the team's website. FoxSports.com reported he will make $4 million, not including $3.5 million in performance bonuses. It would be the largest contract given to an American pitcher without experience in Japan. Penny, 33, went 11-11 with a 5.30 ERA for Detroit last season.

Nationals: OF Rick Ankiel, 32, signed a minor-league deal. He hit .239 last season with nine homers in 122 games for Washington.

Et cetera

College football: Jamal Woodyard, Southern Miss' leading rusher last season as a redshirt freshman with 732 yards, likely will miss all of 2012 with a knee injury sustained during the Hawaii Bowl.

Horses: Game On Dude beat Uh Oh Bango by 5¼ lengths to win the $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Soccer: Javier Hernandez rallied Manchester United from a 3-0 deficit at Chelsea with a late header that salvaged a 3-3 draw and left the defending champions two points behind EPL leader Manchester City. … Mali (5-4 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie over host Gabon) and Ghana (2-1 in extra time over Tunisia) reached the semifinals of the African Cup of Nations. On Wednesday, Mali faces Ivory Coast and Ghana faces Zambia.

Times wires

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, February 5, 2012

TAMPA — When defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron returns from a back injury — and that is simply a matter of conditioning, coach Guy Boucher said — the Lightning will have a glut on the blue line that is a problem and an opportunity.

The problem: With Bruno Gervais and Brendan Mikkelson gaining confidence and playing time, Boucher, who likes to play seven defensemen, will have difficult decisions because he will have eight available.

The opportunity: GM Steve Yzerman will have organizational depth to manage, never a bad thing with the Feb. 27 trade deadline three weeks away.

It is interesting Gervais and Mikkelson are forcing the issue.

Gervais, 27, was a healthy scratch most of the season's first half but has played in 20 straight games. Averaging 13:29 of ice time, he has played more in six of his past eight games, has three goals and eight points for the season and is plus-1. Mikkel­son, 24, acquired Jan. 6 from the Flames for center Blair Jones, has zero points but is plus-3 and averaging 13:46 of ice time.

"Gervais is a smart guy. Mikkel­son is mobile and can move," Boucher said. "They're both heads-up. I'd say both are down-to-earth guys who actually are very calm about things, so they're calm about their tandem and what they need to do."

Bergeron, out nine games, has to perhaps stay out of the weight room, where he said his injury originated and where he was hurt last season. Then he vowed to be more careful.

"But it wasn't even heavy (weight)," he said of his recent workout. "It's unfortunate. I should have known better. But at the same time, you always do things with the right intentions, and sometimes the results are unfortunate."

RETURN: Rookie wing Brett Connolly was in the lineup for Saturday's 6-3 win over the Panthers after he was a healthy scratch Thursday against the Jets. Connolly played 7:10 without a shot. But he blocked a shot and on the same shift thwarted a scoring chance with a backcheck; that's notable because Boucher said Connolly's problems have been defensive.

Boucher compared Connolly's struggles with those of teammate Steven Stamkos and Boston's Tyler Seguin, both of whom were high first-round draft choices — Stamkos was No. 1 overall in 2008, Seguin No. 2 in 2010 — and flourished after being benched as rookies.

Connolly, 2010's No. 6 overall pick, said he skated with Seguin "a few times this summer."

"He was a guy who … struggled to play defense. I'm looking at the same thing this year," Connolly said. "I just can't be a one-way player. … If that means I have to play on the fourth line and not play as much and focus on the D zone, that's that. "

SILENCE: After Marty St. Louis did not speak to reporters pregame about his 900th NHL game Saturday and then had a hat trick, Stamkos said his teammate might be on to something: "You saw the results. Marty is a pretty superstitious guy. He knows his routines, what he likes to talk about, what he doesn't, so to each his own."

SCHEDULE: Tampa Bay, on a 6-0-1 run, finishes a four-game homestand Tuesday against the Kings before a trip to the Rangers, Buffalo and Pittsburgh.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, February 5, 2012

Recently I was watching a clip on YouTube of CBS's coverage of Super Bowl X between the Steelers and Cowboys in 1976. With about four minutes left, announcer Pat Summerall informed viewers that broadcast partner Tom Brookshier was heading to the locker rooms for postgame interviews. My goodness, can you imagine?

Sunday, NBC had more than a dozen on-air personalities for the Super Bowl, including two who stood outside the team hotels and told us what time each team had breakfast. Yes, things have changed. But ultimately, the high-definition cameras, state-of-the-art graphics, cast of thousands and other bells and whistles don't mean much if the game is a dud.

A bad broadcast can get in the way of a good game, but a great broadcast can't spice up a boring game. NBC covers the NFL better than any network, but even it was limited by Sunday's game, which was close but not necessarily dramatic or memorable for much of the evening.

For more of how NBC and the other networks handled the coverage of Super Bowl XLVI, see Page 2C.

Times wires
Sunday, February 5, 2012

Super facts

•At 65 years, 158 days, the Giants' Tom Coughlin is the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl.

•The Giants are first team to win a Super Bowl with fewer than 10 regular-season wins since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, excluding strike seasons.

•Eli Manning is the third QB with at least two career Super Bowl-winning drives in the fourth quarter. The others are the Patriots' Tom Brady and the Steelers' Terry Bradshaw.

• The Giants' safety on the Patriots' first play was the sixth safety in Super Bowl history and the first since Super Bowl XLIII (Steelers-Cardinals in Tampa).

• Manning completed nine consecutive passes to start, the longest streak to begin a game in Super Bowl history.

• Brady became the all-time Super Bowl leader in career passing yards (1,277), surpassing Kurt Warner (1,156).

• Brady's 16 consecutive completions during the game is the longest streak in Super Bowl history, surpassing Joe Montana (13 in Super Bowl XXIV).

• The Patriots' 96-yard touchdown drive before halftime tied for longest in Super Bowl history, done twice before.

Sources: ESPN, NFL

Times wires
Sunday, February 5, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw looked back, saw no one chasing him and paused at the goal line.

Could it really be this easy to score the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl?

Sunday's game came down not to a last-minute touchdown pass by Eli Manning — like four years ago — but a touchdown run set up by a desperate gamble by the Patriots.

Knowing the Giants, trailing 17-15, were in position to run out the clock and kick a winning field goal, the Patriots seemed to let Bradshaw score on a 6-yard run with 57 seconds left, giving no resistance.

"Oh, man, it was the best feeling in my life," Bradshaw said.

After squatting, he went into the end zone backward.

"I was yelling to him, 'Don't score! Don't score!' " Manning said. "He tried to stop, but he fell into the end zone."

The Patriots took over at their 20 with one timeout. They reached their 49 before Tom Brady's Hail Mary fell incomplete in the end zone.

Sitting out: Tiquan Underwood could have earned a Super Bowl ring. Instead, he didn't even play in the game.The seldom-used receiver, cut Saturday by the Patriots, would have been eligible for a ring had the New England won. His release made room for DE Alex Silvestro, who was signed from the practice squad.

Underwood, 24, seemed to be okay with his release. Saturday, he wished his teammates well via Twitter. Sunday, he sent more tweets: "Im Fine, This Will Only Make Me Stronger. Tough Times Never Last But Tough Ppl Do." Later, "This Is Nothing But MOTIVATION."

Silvestro, by the way, did not see action.

Record-setters: Brady set a Super Bowl record by completing 16 consecutive passes. Joe Montana completed 13 consecutive for the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV in January 1990. Meanwhile, Manning set a Super Bowl record by completing his first nine passes.

Tails fails: When Giants LS Zak DeOssie called tails and the coin landed heads, it ended the NFC's 14-year win streak in the opening toss. DeOssie called tails for every game, going 4-4 during the regular season and 2-2 in the postseason (including 2-0 in the overtime win over the 49ers).

Tight end injuries: Giants TE Travis Beckum tore his right ACL during the second quarter. The reserve was blocking away from the play when he was hit by Patriots LB Tracy White.

The Giants also lost TE Jake Ballard. He sprained his left knee during the fourth quarter. Ballard was wearing a brace on his right knee after tearing the posterior cruciate ligament in Week 15 against the Redskins. He missed two games before returning for the playoffs.

No Pro Bowl? Commissioner Roger Goodell said he was disappointed in the quality of last week's Pro Bowl and changes must be considered, perhaps even dropping the game.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers said some players "embarrassed themselves" with their lack of effort during the AFC's 59-41 victory.

Goodell cited boos by fans for his concerns: "We are going to either have to improve the quality of what we are doing in the Pro Bowl or consider other changes or even consider eliminating the game if that is the kind of quality of game we are going to provide."

George Atallah, spokesman for the union, said via Twitter the players want the game to continue: "The Pro Bowl is an important tradition."

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, February 5, 2012

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

Best coverage

The last time the Super Bowl was in Tampa was 2009, which also was the last time before Sunday that NBC had the broadcast. That was the Steelers-Cardinals game, which was the last game of John Madden as a broadcaster and is generally considered the gold standard of Super Bowl broadcasts.

Sunday's broadcast couldn't match that day's, but don't blame the announcers. Al Michaels (far right with Madden) and Cris Collinsworth are the best in the business, and the only reason Sunday's game couldn't compare to that Tampa Super Bowl was because the game wasn't as exciting.

Michaels and Collinsworth did the best they could with a game that was dull for a good chunk of the night despite the close score. Give the two credit for not overhyping the action. Still, give me Michaels and Collinsworth any time. Sunday night proved again why they are so good. They educate the casual football fan while never insulting the diehard.

The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to believe Michaels might be the greatest play-by-play announcer of all time.

Best debut

Wow, was Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (above right, with Dan Patrick, left, and Tony Dungy) good on NBC's Super Bowl pregame show. His performance guaranteed that if he wants, he can be a broadcaster in his post-playing days.

What's stunning is how much faith NBC put in him. Even though Rodgers has never been a broadcaster, NBC's plan all along was to give him significant air time. It didn't hurt that Bob Costas, the best sports host who has ever lived, was there to lead Rodgers throughout the show. Still, NBC took quite the gamble, seeing as how this was its biggest sports day of the year. It's not the type of stage on which you just throw people on the air. Yet that's what NBC did with Rodgers and Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward.

Ward was solid, too, but Rodgers was the breakout star of the day. He was smooth, calm and insightful, and he sounded like a broadcasting veteran. It was surprising how good he was.

Best analyst

Everyone — every single person — on NBC's Super Bowl pregame coverage brought his A game. But the star was Rodney Harrison, above. I've always thought the former defensive back was a good, not great, analyst. But Sunday he was great. His finest moment was talking about how devastated he was (and is) about losing the Super Bowl to the Giants while with the Patriots in 2008. In that game, Giants receiver David Tyree made a game-saving catch against Harrison, and Harrison made his comments Sunday while sitting next to Tyree. It was the best segment in any of the pregame shows. That wasn't Harrison's only good work. His performance throughout the day made him the MVP of NBC's pregame coverage.

The other guys

By hosting the Super Bowl, NBC was the featured network Sunday, but ESPN and the NFL Network had impressive days as well. It's impressive the NFL Network was able to produce 8 1/2 hours of pregame coverage and never have the coverage get stale. Same goes for ESPN and its four hours.

ESPN's coverage was highlighted by Bill Parcells, Mike Ditka and Jon Gruden, Super Bowl-winning coaches who turned their experiences into first-rate analysis. Any time any of them was on camera, ESPN's broadcast soared.

Meantime, the NFL Network's coverage picked up in taped features, such as a piece on Patriots owner Robert Kraft and a look at the family of Giants QB Eli Manning.

Best admission

On ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, it was interesting (and fun) to see Mike Ditka and former Bucs wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson admit that their primary thought as players on Super Bowl Sunday wasn't that they wanted to be the hero but they were scared to death of being the goat.

Most useless commentary

It was hard to listen to ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi on Sunday and take anything he said seriously knowing that two weeks ago, in the AFC Championship Game, the former Patriots linebacker was sitting in the box of Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Earlier this season he lit into Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco about comments Ochocinco made praising quarterback Tom Brady. Bruschi can be a Patriots shill or an NFL analyst. He can't be both. Until he makes up his mind, ESPN needs to make up his mind for him.

Worst timing

ESPN's Tom Jackson is an excellent broadcaster, and it's admirable that he was sticking up for a colleague. But his comments Sunday about broadcast partner Cris Carter, right, not being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame felt inappropriate, especially because ESPN's Super Bowl pregame show was less than five minutes old. Jackson immediately hijacked one of ESPN's biggest shows of the year for selfish reasons.

He now wants the entire Hall of Fame process torn up because Carter and Bill Parcells, another ESPN analyst, did not get in Saturday. Maybe Jackson's complaints would have carried more weight had he also mentioned those who did not get in who also happen to not work for ESPN. What, no non-ESPN employees were given a raw deal?

Jackson said he has no idea how the voting should be fixed, nor did he suggest who should not have been elected to make room for his colleague. Jackson has a right to his opinion, but he should have known it would come off more as sour grapes than a legitimate complaint. And I also believe Carter is a Hall of Famer.

Here's a big part of the problem: For the past couple of years, ESPN's commentators, on the air and in front of Carter, have made a big deal about Carter possibly getting into the Hall of Fame, going as far as to suggest he is a lock. When he hasn't been elected, it becomes so awkward that ESPN can't ignore it. Carter's letdown can be pinned on his partners as much as those who did not vote him into the Hall.

Best point

Saturday night's Kansas-Missouri game was the latest chapter in one of college basketball's best rivalries. And as ESPN's Dick Vitale pointed out, it might have been one of the last chapters in the rivalry as Missouri heads to the SEC. That possibility sent Vitale into a rant.

"I think it's a shame what has happened to college athletics," said Vitale, talking about all the conference realignment that might benefit football but could ultimately hurt basketball.

Vitale also was right when he pointed out how strange it will be to see Syracuse and Pitt basketball in the ACC instead of the Big East, and how strange it will be to see Missouri compete in the SEC in any sport.

tom jones' two cents

Times wires
Sunday, February 5, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Mario Manningham is no longer the Giants' forgotten receiver.

Victor Cruz had a huge regular season, setting a franchise record for receiving yards. Hakeem Nicks caught 18 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns during the first three postseason games.

On Sunday, Manningham emerged from their shadow with a catch that will rival David Tyree's Super Bowl helmet grab four years ago, helping New York knock off New England 21-17.

Manningham's catch of Eli Manning's pass wasn't as improbable as Tyree's grab that led the Giants to a 17-14 win over New England in 2008. But it was just as clutch and just as timely.

Down 17-15, the Giants took over at their 12 with 3:46 to play.

On the first play of the drive, Manningham ran straight down the left sideline. He made a 38-yard over-the-shoulder catch to the 50 between cornerback Sterling Moore and safety Patrick Chung, and right in front of Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

"They're both spectacular catches," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "With Mario's, the way he kept his feet inbounds and hung onto the ball going out of bounds was a remarkable thing. Of course, David's is forever etched in history. That's never going to change. His was incredible. This just continues along that fashion."

Belichick didn't hesitate to challenge the completion call. Referee John Parry reviewed it and saw Manningham had both feet inbounds and control of the ball. That ruling cost the Patriots their first timeout.

Manning went back to Manningham on the next three plays. On the first, the receiver ran the wrong pattern. But he followed with catches of 16 and 2 yards to move the ball to the Patriots' 32.

"We just tried to be patient," said Manningham, who finished with five catches for 73 yards. "Got to be patient with this game. We knew big plays were going to come. We just had to take advantage of them."

Two passes to Nicks and a couple of runs by Ahmad Bradshaw got the ball to the 6, from where Bradshaw took it in with no resistance from the Patriots.

"A wild game, a wild season," Manning said. "But we have a great bunch of guys, a group that never quit."

Times wires
Sunday, February 5, 2012

Gregg Doyel, CBS Sports.com:

It's time to consider that maybe New England's Bill Belichick isn't the greatest active coach in the NFL. Yes, he has three Super Bowl rings, and three is bigger than two, and Giants coach Tom Coughlin has just two Super Bowl rings.

But Coughlin won both his Super Bowl rings against Belichick, the second coming Sunday night.

Three is more than two. We all know that. But head to head matters. It must. And head to head, in the most important game in the NFL, the score is Tom Coughlin 2, Bill Belichick 0.

That is not a fluke. That is a trend. And a fact. And a symbol, perhaps, that Coughlin deserves to be considered up there with Belichick as the greatest coach of this era.

Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, on the Giants:

Now they're the first seven-loss Super Bowl champ of all time, a statistic that illustrates how this team came together after a rocky season but in no way diminishes the accomplishment. Every team New York beat in the playoffs — Atlanta, Green Bay, San Francisco and finally New England — had a better record.

The Giants are the most imperfect of Super Bowl champions, but they played better and better throughout January. And against the Patriots, to their immense credit, they always find a way.

James Harrison, Steelers linebacker, on Twitter about the Patriots losing two Super Bowls since their 2007 "spygate" videotaping penalties:

"Told you, cheaters never win!!!!!!!!!"

Greg Garber, ESPN.com:

Eli Manning has now won three of his four games opposite (Patriots QB Tom) Brady. The Giants quarterback completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Can you say MVP? Can you say Canton?

Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist, on Twitter about the Giants' final touchdown, when Ahmad Bradshaw found a huge hole as the Patriots defenders gave way, then hesitated at the goal line before falling in awkwardly:

Bottom line for me on that play: Neither team trusted its defense with Super Bowl on line. That's what NFL has become.

Ian R. Rapoport, Boston Herald:

Because the losses stay with him and into the offseason, Tom Brady will lay awake and ponder. What if his late pass to Wes Welker had been a few inches lower? What if the attempt to receiver Deion Branch wasn't thrown behind him? The questions will haunt the quarterback and his Patriots.

Mike Vaccaro, New York Post:

The Giants had spent so much of the second quarter looking like a team trying to run uphill underwater, but now the season was in their hands again.

Specifically, it was in Eli Manning's hands. Again.

In all of pro football, there is no place you would rather be: Give the ball to the best fourth-quarter quarterback in the business. Let him have at a defense. See if he can do it again. And he did it again.

Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN.com Giants blogger:

Giants-Patriots went down to the wire again. And Eli Manning got the best of Tom Brady again. … Manning won it in the fashion which he has done most of this magical season, with a fourth-quarter comeback. After saying he is an elite quarterback in Brady's class, Manning completed his greatest season by beating Brady (a second time).

Giants 21, Patriots 17

SUPER BOWL

XLVI

Times wires
Sunday, February 5, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — When the drama ended Sunday, with a Tom Brady Hail Mary landing incomplete in the end zone just inches from Rob Gronkowski's fingertips, a Super Bowl pinata erupted at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Silver streamers rained from the roof. Four confetti cannons fired tiny shreds of red, white and blue ribbon. And the Giants raced wildly in divergent directions, delirious after their latest championship triumph.

In another down-to-the-wire classic, the Giants captured Super Bowl XLVI thanks to the poise of quarterback Eli Manning, the unfathomable body control of receiver Mario Manningham and a strange final-minute touchdown by Ahmad Bradshaw that provided a 21-17 victory over the Patriots.

Brady's final pass was knocked down in the end zone.

"The game came down to the last couple seconds and when Tom Brady threw that pass in the air — man, I just went down to my knees," said Giants defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul, a former USF standout. "I closed my eyes and (fell to) my stomach. I didn't know if anyone caught the ball. All I heard was the crowd go crazy."

Bradshaw's 6-yard touchdown run with 57 seconds left capped another remarkable Manning rally, this one an 88-yard touchdown drive. Manning's magic came four years and two days after he led an 83-yard march to beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. That rally also featured a remarkable catch, by David Tyree.

The biggest play Sunday was a 38-yard completion down the left sideline that Manningham caught between Sterling Moore and Patrick Chung while barely tapping his feet inbounds.

Eight plays later, realizing the Giants could run down the clock and kick an easy winning field goal, the Patriots allowed Bradshaw to score, the running back trying to stop short of the end zone at the 1 but falling in.

"It's the greatest thing in the world," Bradshaw said of the win.

For years Brady and the Patriots built their legacy by torturing Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Who knew the payback would come with Peyton's younger brother delivering magic in Peyton's home stadium against Peyton's biggest nemeses?

Eli was 30-for-40 for 296 yards, winning the game's MVP.

"A wild game, a wild season," Manning said. "But we have a great bunch of guys, a group that never quit. … The New York Giants are world champions. That's the story."

"Obviously he's a great quarterback," said Brady, trying to smile. "I'm going to keep trying. I'd rather come to this game and lose than not get here."

The Patriots' 17 points matched their lowest of the season. The Giants' biggest defensive plays came in the fourth — an interception by linebacker Chase Blackburn with 14:17 left, the game's only turnover, and a sack by Justin Tuck with 36 seconds left.

Brady (27-for-41, 276 yards, two TDs) was most brilliant on New England's final drive of the first half, a 14-play march on which he completed all 10 of his passes. The final bullet of that possession was a 4-yard scoring strike to Danny Woodhead. That gave the Patriots a 10-9 halftime lead.

During a two-possession stretch sandwiching halftime, Brady set a Super Bowl record with 16 consecutive completions.

The Giants dominated the first 13 minutes, running 19 plays to New England's one. Tuck forced Brady into an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone, resulting in a 2-0 New York lead early in the first quarter.

The Giants followed immediately with a nine-play, 79-yard scoring drive capped by a 2-yard Manning to Victor Cruz TD.

"I thought we played very competitive,'' Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "We were in the lead for a good part of the game. We just came up a couple of plays short. We could have just played a tiny bit better."

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said: "What I was concerned with was these guys making their own history. This is such a wonderful thing, these guys carving their own history."

Giants 21, Patriots 17

SUPER BOWL

XLVI

Times wires
Sunday, February 5, 2012

Giants 21, Patriots 17

SUPER BOWL

XLVI

INDIANAPOLIS — With 57 seconds left, 80 yards stood between Tom Brady and a fourth Super Bowl crown, one that would have put the Patriots quarterback in rarefied air.

But there was no magical ending this time, not with the Giants refusing to be denied. And when Brady's 51-yard Hail Mary bounced off the fingertips of several players in the end zone and landed on the Patriots logo as time expired, that was it.

Brady finished 27-for-41 for 276 yards and two touchdowns, and also had an interception for a 91.1 passer rating. He was flagged for intentional grounding on the Patriots' first play from scrimmage, which resulted in a safety. To say the quarterback bounced back from that start would be a gross understatement.

In the second quarter, Brady completed a Super Bowl-record 16 passes in a row, breaking the mark held by someone Brady used to watch on TV a lot growing up: his idol, Joe Montana. He also set a Super Bowl career record for passing yards, totaling 1,277 to better Kurt Warner's 1,156.

Brady was 15-for-15 for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns on two successive scoring drives, one in the first half and another to start the second. He connected on 20 of his first 23 attempts, with the three incompletions coming on the intentional grounding and two passes knocked down by defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, a former USF standout.

It was a stark contrast from the way things began for Brady, who made an unusual gaffe.

On first and 10 at the Patriots' 6-yard line, Brady dropped back into his end zone but couldn't find an open receiver. Seeing the Giants' Jason Tuck flying in, Brady threw deep down the middle of the field to nobody and was flagged for grounding, marking the second time in Super Bowl history that the initial points were scored on a safety.

Brady looked more like himself on the Patriots' final drive of the first half, hitting on all 10 attempts. He capped the 14-play, 96-yard drive with a 4-yard toss to Danny Woodhead for a 10-9 lead.

He also threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez in the third quarter.