Times wires
Saturday, March 3, 2012

CLEARWATER — After the Phillies' Cole Hamels pitched his first two innings of the spring Saturday, he walked to the Bright House Field bullpen.

He needed only 25 pitches against the Yankees, and his day of throwing called for 40. So there was work left to do.

The bullpen is adjacent to Frenchy's tiki bar, where heat and beverages conspire for debauchery.

"I think they're having a good time up there," Hamels said. But then he noticed something else. "The Yankee fans were real nice, for some reason. I don't know why."

Grapefruit League games began Saturday with Hamels on the mound, a sight Phillies fans cherish but know is finite. The left-hander is on the verge of free agency.

Following Hamels in the game was a pitcher the Phillies lavished with money this winter, right-hander Jonathan Papelbon. Merely a portion of the 10,539 in attendance realized the highest-paid reliever in history was entering. It was, after all, the fifth inning.

Ultimately, it was an 8-5 loss to the Yankees, a game in which the Phillies used 26 players.

Hamels and Papelbon control a great deal of the Phillies' fate this year. They do it at different stages of their careers.

"It's always good to get the first one out of the way," Papelbon said, and Hamels echoed that sentiment.

Hamels allowed a run in two innings. Papelbon induced three fly balls in a perfect inning.

NO ULTIMATUM: A day after saying he was seeking a five-year deal, CF Shane Victorino softened his stance, saying his goal is to remain in Philadelphia. "I'd like to," Victorino, 31, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'm not saying this will be my last one. It might be. Who knows? What I'm saying is, why not finish it here? I made it seem like I want a five-year deal, but I'd love to stay."

Yanks: Power remains for Granderson

CLEARWATER — Curtis Granderson picked up where he left off last year, homering and doubling in the Yankees' win over the Phillies.

Granderson, who hit a team-high 41 home runs last season to go with an AL-best 119 RBIs, said this homer was aided by the wind.

In batting practice, he said, "we were watching the ball just fly out of the ballpark."

"As long as you put a decent swing on it, you had a chance. But the approach and everything was good," he said.

NOVA SETTLES DOWN: RHP Ivan Nova allowed a homer to Hunter Pence but retired five of his final six batters in two innings. The start was his first since he was pulled from Game 5 of last year's AL Division Series with a strained right flexor.

"I feel really good right now," he said. "I feel 100 percent."

Blue Jays: Dazzling display in opener

DUNEDIN — Brett Lawrie was doubly impressive in Toronto's spring training opener.

Lawrie hit two two-run doubles as the Blue Jays beat the Pirates 7-1. But manager John Farrell was more inclined to talk about Lawrie's work at third base.

"The first five outs of the game he probably had four different types of plays over there," Farrell said.

Lawrie impressed Farrell by turning a double play on a hard grounder by Jake Fox, stepping on the bag and tossing across the diamond.

"His throws are accurate," Farrell said. "Pretty difficult double play."

Adam Lind walked and Edwin Encarnacion singled to start the Blue Jays' second against James McDonald. One out later, Lawrie lofted a wind-blown double off the left-centerfield fence. In the sixth, Lawrie's sinking liner eluded diving CF Starling Marte.

IN AND OUT: Blue Jays RHP Kyle Drabek, who walked 55 in 782/3 innings last season, walked his second batter to face a two-on, no-out jam, but he wriggled out of it.

"Even though Kyle had the one base on balls, I thought he kept the inning together," Farrell said. "He didn't try to overthrow, get any extra.

"He gets a ground-ball double play and kind of moves through the inning."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 3, 2012

With the Lightning deciding to pass at the trade deadline on minor-league goaltender Ben Bishop — GM Steve Yzerman said he wasn't willing to give up a second-round draft pick — the search for a No. 1 was pushed into the summer.

The speculation is Tampa Bay will make a run at Canucks backup Cory Schneider.

The Lightning, with two first-round picks in the June draft and likely four in the second, have the ammunition to make a rich offer for the pending restricted free agent. And Schneider has an appealing resume.

Unlike Bishop, Schneider has been full time the past two seasons in the NHL. He has played just 49 regular-season games in that span, but he has been a winner as Roberto Luongo's backup and soaked in the harsh demands of the league and what it takes to succeed.

It was the lack of such a background that was Yzerman's red flag with Bishop.

In 59 career games entering Saturday, Schneider was 32-14-4 with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. He also is stuck behind Luongo, who with 10 more years on his contract that pays $6.714 million for the next six, is not going anywhere.

Schneider, who makes $900,000 this season, can be signed to a much more reasonable deal, but perhaps even more important, he is the right age.

The goalie turns 26 on March 18. That gives him plenty of time to grow along with Lightning players such as Steven Stamkos, 22; Keith Aulie, 22; Victor Hedman, 21; Brian Lee, 24; Brendan Mikkelson, 24; Teddy Purcell, 26; and Cory Conacher, 22, when he finally gets the call from AHL Norfolk.

Is Schneider absolutely the way Yzerman is planning to go? Obviously, nothing is in stone in March when you're talking about a transaction that might not happen until the last weekend in June at the draft.

But Schneider likely has enough of the aptitude and experience Yzerman wants, and he still has upside.

If it's not yet a match, it's certainly one worth considering.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 3, 2012

5 questions

Defenseman Keith Aulie

Who is your favorite country music star?

George Strait, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson. I love George Jones, Waylon Jennings.

Why so much old-school?

Some of the new stuff is so poppy. I like the old stuff.

How did you get into it?

Just listened to it all my life. I grew up on it, and I love it.

Do you play an instrument?

I play guitar. I strum along to a lot of songs, but I'm no guitar ninja by any means.

Band you'd like to play with?

Garth Brooks in his prime.

Memories

D Mike Commodore got a jolt the first time he walked into the Lightning locker room at the Tampa Bay Times Forum and saw pictures of the team celebrating the 2004 Stanley Cup championship.

Commodore played for the Flames, which lost the Cup in Game 7 in Tampa.

"They have some nice reminders here in the dressing room, so that's nice to look at," Commodore said. "Obviously, that was one of the things on my mind when I came here."

Commodore said he has gotten over the disappointment. It helped that in 2005-06, the season after the lockout, he won a Cup with the Hurricanes.

"I got over it," he said, "by getting it right the next time."

Good company

From the Elias Sports Bureau: With three goals Feb. 26 against the Devils, W Marty St. Louis, 36, became the fourth NHL player 36 or older with two hat tricks in one month. He joined Gordie Howe, who did it at age 40; Jean Beliveau, who was 37; and Brett Hull, who did it at 36 and 38.

"You never like to miss games or practices because of the flu. It seems like a cheesy excuse, but when I called, everyone had it."

RW Teddy Purcell, on the sickness that Monday and Tuesday affected 11 members of the Lightning organization

Number of the day

21 Lightning's one-goal wins, most in the league

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 3, 2012

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Lightning received encouraging news on D Victor Hedman (upper body) on Saturday. He is expected to return to practice Monday and could play in games next week, head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan said.

On the other hand, veteran D Marc-Andre Bergeron (back) has decided to have surgery, which would likely end his season.

Hedman, 21, has missed the past four games. Mulligan said the defenseman saw several doctors last week, including a specialist Friday in Michigan. Though Mulligan wouldn't reveal the specific injury or symptoms, it was not a concussion, he said.

Considering Hedman sustained a concussion earlier this season, the 6-foot-6 Swede was pleased with the prognosis.

"He's making great progress, and if things keep going the way they're going, we're hopeful he'll be back to play within the next week," Mulligan said. "There's no concerns for anything long term, no issues. He's relieved."

Bergeron has missed 22 of the past 23 games with a bulging disc that is affecting his sciatic nerve. He had surgery in April 2009 while with the Wild to address a similar issue, and GM Steve Yzerman said last week that Bergeron was considering surgery again.

The team confirmed Saturday that Bergeron will have a procedure, details and date to be determined.

"Surgery in sight," Bergeron said on Twitter. "Unfortunate but it's the reality of professional sport."

A NEW LEAF: D Keith Aulie, recently acquired from the Maple Leafs, said he was surprised to see coach Ron Wilson fired Friday, even with Toronto out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"I didn't really think it'd happen during the year," Aulie said. "It's a little bit shocking, but maybe this is what they need, to get a spark, and maybe they can be back on track."

THE DISH: Coach Guy Boucher had been pleased with the size and physical nature of new defensemen Brian Lee (6-3, 205 pounds) and Mike Commodore (6-5, 228).

"We have been a smaller, skill-type defensive team, and it was good to see some size and aggressiveness," Boucher said. "They are really good additions."

Lee showed his offensive skill in Friday's win over the Rangers with two assists, including a nice feed on Steven Stamkos' goal.

"That was an unbelievable play by Brian Lee," Stamkos said.

"He's a great defender, and his offensive skills are very underrated. A lot of good defensemen in this league would have just shot that, but he had it set up the whole way."

CLOSE CALL: The Lightning is the best team in the league in one-goal games, going 21-3-6 this season for a .700 winning percentage.

Boucher said part of the reason is how much his team learned from playing through adversity last season, and the other is its desired defense-first style of play.

"We know when we play tight with numbers and we play a no-turnover game at the other team's blue line, we're hard to beat," Boucher said. "Because you're going to have to go through our four, five guys. That's the only way we've been good this year."

MISCELLANY: Wing Tim Wallace replaced Brandon Segal in the lineup and scored his first NHL goal in the first period.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com. View the Tampa Bay Times Lightning blog at lightning.tampabay.com. Follow on Twitter at @LightningTimes.

Times wires
Saturday, March 3, 2012

NFL

MANY FAMILIAR WITH BOUNTIES

A day after a league report detailing bounties for Saints players' "knockout" hits, Falcons star WR Roddy White called it a "league thing" going far beyond the Saints. Bills LB Shawne Merriman wondered what the fuss was about.

A post on Merriman's Twitter page read: "Why is this a big deal now? Bounties been going on forever."

Former player Matt Bowen was blunter: "Bounties, cheap shots, whatever you want to call them, they are a part of this game," he wrote Saturday in the Chicago Tribune.

The NFL said Saints players and at least one assistant maintained a bounty pool of up to $50,000 the past three seasons to reward game-ending injuries inflicted on foes, including star QBs Brett Favre and Kurt Warner.

BREES TAG: The Saints placed their franchise tag on QB Drew Brees.

OBITUARY: Alex Webster, a star running back for the Giants who later coached the team, died Saturday at a hospital in Port St. Lucie. He was 80.

COLLEGES

UF's Wilkerson in baseball hall

Former major-league All-Stars Lou Brock and Nomar Garciaparra and former Florida standout Brad Wilkerson were among seven players and coaches elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The induction is June 30 in Lubbock, Texas.

FISHER DONATION: FSU football coach Jimbo Fisher and his wife, Candi, presented a $500,000 check to the University of Minnesota's Fanconi anemia research center. Their youngest son, Ethan, has the rare disease.

SOFTBALL: Sophomore Kelsey Horton (Durant High) hit three homers, including her first career grand slam, and had eight RBIs as host UF (18-1), ranked No. 3, beat Gardner-Webb 14-0 and Tennessee State 8-0. … Sophomore Kayla Cox (East Bay), a former Times All-Suncoast pitcher of the year, had her second no-hitter of the season and Tampa's second in two days to lead the hosts (16-3, 3-0 SSC) past Lynn 8-0.

HORSES

Hansen runs away with Gotham

Kentucky Derby contender Hansen won the $400,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct in New York, cruising to a three-length victory over My Adonis.

TAMPA BAY DOWNS: Fort Larned held off favorite Wiki to win the $60,000 Challenger Stakes in Oldsmar. Ridden by Ronnie Allen Jr., Fort Larned ($14.80) clocked 11/16 miles in 1 minute, 42.93 seconds. Imperial Czar was third.

ET CETERA

BOXING: Wladimir Klitschko (57-3) stopped France's Jean-Marc Mormeck in the fourth round to retain the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles in Duesseldorf, Germany, and earn his 50th knockout.

greyhounds: Se's Chewie won the $64,000 Sprint Classic at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. Trained by Belinda Parker, Se's Chewie ran 550 yards in 30.43 seconds and paid $13.40 to win. Magic Bagels and Gable Eddie were next.

GYMNASTICS: World champ Jordyn Wieber won her third American Cup title in New York.

SOCCER: St. Petersburg grad and UCF star Andrea Rodrigues scored in host Portugal's 4-0 win over Hungary in the Algarve Cup. … The United States defeated Norway 2-1 Friday as former UF star Abby Wambach scored.

tennis: Roger Federer won a record fifth title at the Dubai Championships, beating Andy Murray 7-5, 6-4 in the final.

Times correspondent Don Jensen; Times wires

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, March 3, 2012

TAMPA

Relax. They lost a game. Nothing more.

Take a deep breath. They lost a bit of momentum. That's all.

If you can, try to stop flailing your arms in disappointment. At times, they seemed to lose sight of the little things that have carried them all year. Nothing fatal.

What the USF Bulls did not lose Saturday was their chance at the NCAA Tournament. Despite the analysts, despite the paranoia, despite the prevailing wind, their goal is as alive as ever.

Honest.

I know, I know. Basketball on the edge is a very difficult thing, particularly for a program that hasn't flirted with the NCAA Tournament in two decades. Win, and all things look possible. Lose, and the basket seems small in the distance.

For that reason, there might be a temptation by some to overreact to the Bulls' disappointing 50-44 loss to West Virginia, as if it erased the upset at No. 19 Louisville last week, as if it somehow devalued the 12 Big East wins the team has this year.

You know what Saturday's defeat meant? It meant the Bulls allowed doubt to linger. It meant they didn't slam the door. It meant their future might be decided inside a room filled with slide rules and flow charts.

All of that said, I still put USF on the "probably" side of the tournament. Put it this way: It accomplished a lot more by beating Louisville than it fumbled away by losing to West Virginia.

Let's be honest. If USF had beaten the Mountaineers, it would have been in the "almost certainly" category. If it could have shot better (2-of-14 from behind the 3-point line). If it could have protected the ball better (it had 10 second-half turnovers). If it could have finished stronger (it didn't score in the last 3:03 of the game). If it could have been as mentally sharp as it has in other games.

A win Saturday would have left the Bulls with a 13-5 record in the league, and the Bulls could have spent most of the Big East tournament debating what NCAA seed they deserved.

Instead, USF probably needs to win a game to remove all doubt. Two wouldn't hurt.

The thing is, USF coach Stan Heath wanted to win, anyway. Go figure.

"I think we just need to win," he said. "We need to keep winning and let the chips fall where they may. We're going to try to win the (Big East) tournament. When it's all said and done, maybe Louisville was all we needed. I don't know. I'm not going to take that chance. I don't care if we were 26-1, and I bet (Syracuse coach Jim) Boeheim feels the same way. You don't go into the game saying, 'We've already made it.' You just go play."

Heath was asked if the defeat took some of the air out of the balloon for his team. He frowned as if he had been asked to solve a problem in quantum physics.

"I don't know about air or this or that or the other," he said. "I don't care. Air? No air? That's your call."

Still, it is impossible for an onlooker not to wonder how the selection committee will look at USF. There is such a moving target aspect to the tournament. Ask yourself: If a brand-name basketball school had the same resume as USF, would there be the same doubt from the bracket artists? Probably not.

"I still have a chip on my shoulder because I don't think we get respect," Heath said. "We've done a lot in this league. We have to continue to earn respect."

Inside their league, the Bulls have done so. Ask Bob Huggins, the crusty old coach of West Virginia who has made a few NCAAs himself.

"I think they're fine," Huggins said. "Their RPI is in the top 50. There are other people in the league who aren't close to that. So they've, obviously, played a better schedule than some people."

Granted, the Bulls need to play better than they did Saturday. As a team without a great scorer, it is always going to have to play a smart, scrappy game to win. USF is one of those teams that always seems to be tied sometime in the final four minutes of a game. To win, it has to take care of the ball and make big baskets.

For USF, that's the easy way to make the tournament. Who wants to put its future on the whims of men inside a room?

Who knows what those guys are thinking?

Times wires
Saturday, March 3, 2012

ORLANDO — Dwight Howard had 28 points and 14 rebounds and six Magic players scored in double figures in a 114-98 win over the Bucks on Saturday.

Jason Richardson scored 18, Hedo Turkoglu and Ryan Anderson 16, J.J. Redick 14 and Chris Duhon 12 for Orlando, which made 14 of 27 3-pointers.

Brandon Jennings led Milwaukee with 27 points while Ersan Ilyasova scored 18.

It was the Magic's fourth victory over the Bucks in 22 days. Orlando overcame fourth-quarter deficits during the first three but didn't need a rally Saturday.

Howard scored 12, including five dunks, as the Magic led 36-21 after one quarter. And up 85-80 after three, the Magic made 11 of 18 shots in the fourth.

Game highlights: Josh Smith had 13 of his 30 points and seven of his 12 rebounds during the fourth to help the host Hawks end the Thunder's seven-game win streak, 97-90. … Jordan Crawford scored 31 as the host Wizards ended a six-game skid, 101-98 over the Cavaliers.

The latest Linsanity? School yearbooks

The latest sign the Jeremy Lin craze hit new heights came last month, when someone posted on eBay a yearbook from the Knicks point guard's middle school. In it, Lin wrote, "Thanks for being my friend. Have a wonderful summer."

The asking price: $4,800.

That yearbook didn't sell. But for the past few weeks, various Lin yearbooks have appeared — and sold — on the auction site.

Don Chin, 48, of Eureka, Calif., said he sold a Palo Alto High yearbook from Lin's junior year for $450 and his freshman year Harvard yearbook for $400.

"I just bought some groceries and gas," Chin said. "And I thank Jeremy for that."

Around the league: Forward Lamar Odom, who missed four games due to an undisclosed family issue, played for Dallas instead of the NBA Development league as previously planned. Center Brandan Wright sitting with a concussion prompted the change. … Cleveland point guard Kyrie Irving played one day after sitting because of the flu.

Magic 114, Bucks 98

MILWAUKEE (98): Harris 2-4 0-0 4, Ilyasova 7-13 3-3 18, Gooden 2-7 3-4 7, Jennings 9-17 8-12 27, Delfino 3-9 2-2 10, Dunleavy 3-7 0-0 8, Mbah a Moute 3-5 2-5 8, Udrih 2-8 0-0 4, Sanders 4-5 0-1 8, Brockman 2-3 0-0 4, Leuer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 37-79 18-27 98.

ORLANDO (114): Turkoglu 6-10 2-3 16, Anderson 4-9 5-5 16, Howard 11-17 6-14 28, Nelson 3-6 1-2 8, J.Richardson 8-15 0-0 18, Davis 1-5 0-1 2, Redick 5-11 2-2 14, Duhon 4-6 0-0 12, Clark 0-0 0-0 0, Wafer 0-2 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Orton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 42-81 16-27 114.

Milwaukee 21 39 20 18— 98

Orlando 36 25 24 29— 114

3-Point Goals—Milwaukee 6-16 (Dunleavy 2-2, Delfino 2-5, Ilyasova 1-1, Jennings 1-5, Gooden 0-1, Udrih 0-2), Orlando 14-27 (Duhon 4-5, Anderson 3-6, Turkoglu 2-4, Redick 2-4, J.Richardson 2-6, Nelson 1-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Milwaukee 46 (Ilyasova 7), Orlando 55 (Howard 14). Assists—Milwaukee 21 (Jennings 5), Orlando 26 (Nelson 10). Total Fouls—Milwaukee 21, Orlando 24. Technicals—Gooden. A—18,846 (18,500).

Hawks 97, Thunder 90

OKLAHOMA CITY (90): Durant 9-23 14-17 35, Ibaka 4-5 2-4 10, Perkins 1-3 0-0 2, Westbrook 10-21 2-2 25, Cook 0-0 0-0 0, Harden 4-8 2-2 10, Collison 0-3 0-0 0, Jackson 0-2 0-0 0, Mohammed 1-2 0-0 2, Aldrich 1-5 4-4 6, Ivey 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-73 24-29 90.

ATLANTA (97): Williams 2-7 5-5 9, Smith 10-22 9-13 30, Pachulia 5-11 0-0 10, Teague 7-13 1-2 16, Hinrich 4-7 0-0 10, I.Johnson 4-10 0-0 8, Stackhouse 0-4 0-0 0, Pargo 3-7 0-0 8, McGrady 0-1 0-2 0, Radmanovic 2-3 0-0 6. Totals 37-85 15-22 97.

Oklahoma City 24 23 28 15— 90

Atlanta 27 26 23 21— 97

3-Point Goals—Oklahoma City 6-23 (Westbrook 3-8, Durant 3-10, Jackson 0-1, Ivey 0-1, Harden 0-3), Atlanta 8-17 (Hinrich 2-2, Radmanovic 2-3, Pargo 2-4, Smith 1-1, Teague 1-3, Williams 0-2, Stackhouse 0-2). Fouled Out—Perkins. Rebounds—Oklahoma City 52 (Durant 8), Atlanta 51 (Pachulia 14). Assists—Oklahoma City 11 (Westbrook 4), Atlanta 21 (Stackhouse 5). Total Fouls—Oklahoma City 23, Atlanta 22. A—18,087 (18,729).

Wizards 101, Cavaliers 98

CLEVELAND (98): Gee 5-8 0-0 11, Jamison 11-24 6-8 29, Hollins 5-7 5-8 15, Irving 8-14 2-4 20, Parker 2-9 1-4 7, Thompson 0-5 0-0 0, Gibson 0-4 0-0 0, Sessions 5-8 0-0 11, Samuels 0-1 2-2 2, Casspi 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 37-83 16-26 98.

WASHINGTON (101): Singleton 0-2 0-0 0, Booker 4-9 1-2 9, McGee 4-10 1-3 9, Wall 8-17 8-10 24, Crawford 13-22 0-1 31, Blatche 0-3 1-2 1, Vesely 4-7 1-2 9, Mack 0-3 0-0 0, Mason 4-7 1-1 11, Evans 3-7 0-0 7. Totals 40-87 13-21 101.

Cleveland 33 22 23 20— 98

Washington 24 26 28 23— 101

3-Point Goals—Cleveland 8-21 (Irving 2-3, Parker 2-6, Sessions 1-2, Casspi 1-2, Gee 1-3, Jamison 1-3, Gibson 0-2), Washington 8-21 (Crawford 5-11, Mason 2-4, Evans 1-4, Mack 0-1, Singleton 0-1). Fouled Out—Booker. Rebounds—Cleveland 53 (Jamison 9), Washington 58 (McGee 12). Assists—Cleveland 18 (Irving 6), Washington 26 (Mack, Blatche, Wall 5). Total Fouls—Cleveland 17, Washington 24. A—17,759 (20,278).

Pacers 102, Hornets 84

INDIANA (102): Granger 7-14 2-3 20, West 6-11 2-4 14, Hibbert 0-4 4-6 4, Collison 6-11 0-0 13, George 3-10 4-4 11, Hill 3-5 3-3 10, Price 1-5 0-0 3, Amundson 3-5 5-7 11, Hansbrough 3-8 1-1 7, D.Jones 2-3 2-4 7, Stephenson 0-0 0-0 0, Pendergraph 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 35-80 23-32 102.

NEW ORLEANS (84): Aminu 0-5 0-0 0, Ayon 5-10 0-0 10, Kaman 5-15 0-0 10, Jack 6-11 5-6 18, Belinelli 6-16 1-4 15, S.Jones 5-6 2-2 12, Henry 4-11 0-1 9, Vasquez 1-5 0-0 2, Thomas 1-2 6-8 8. Totals 33-81 14-21 84.

Indiana 25 29 25 23— 102

New Orleans 23 14 17 30— 84

3-Point Goals—Indiana 9-19 (Granger 4-7, D.Jones 1-1, Collison 1-1, Hill 1-2, Price 1-4, George 1-4), New Orleans 4-12 (Belinelli 2-6, Jack 1-2, Henry 1-2, Vasquez 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Indiana 57 (West 13), New Orleans 52 (S.Jones 9). Assists—Indiana 24 (Collison 4), New Orleans 22 (Ayon 4). Total Fouls—Indiana 17, New Orleans 21. Technicals—New Orleans defensive three second. A—16,379 (17,188).

Times wires
Saturday, March 3, 2012

HARTFORD, Conn.— USF's usually strong defense broke down in a 76-62 loss to DePaul on Saturday in the second round of the Big East tournament.

The Bulls (17-15) allowed an average of 61 points a game going in. Ann Martin had 33 points and six assists for the Blue Demons (22-9), the eighth seed. "We just flat out didn't defend like we have all season long," USF coach Jose Fernandez told gousfbulls.com.

Guard Jasmine Wynne scored 18 and Inga Orekhova 17 for USF.

MORE BIG EAST: Shoni Schimmel scored 20 as No. 20 Louisville (22-8), the seventh seed, beat Villanova 63-47. The Cardinals face No. 18 St. John's, the second seed, in today's quarterfinals. … Monique Oliver had 18 of her 23 points in the second half as No. 23 Rutgers (22-8), the sixth seed, rallied to beat Marquette 52-43 and set up today's matchup with No. 4 UConn, the third seed. … No. 5 seed West Virginia defeated Syracuse 63-48.

More tournaments

ACC: Alyssa Thomas had 18 points and 12 rebounds for No. 3 seed and No. 6-ranked Maryland, which beat Wake Forest 73-58 in the semifinals in Greensboro, N.C. The Terrapins (27-4) play for the title today against No. 15 Georgia Tech, the fourth seed, which beat North Carolina State 87-61. Tyaunna Marshall scored 16 of her 20 in the first half for the Yellow Jackets (24-7).

SEC: Courtney Jones scored 18 as No. 4 seed LSU knocked off top seed Kentucky 72-61 in Nashville, Tenn. The Tigers beat the 10th-ranked Wildcats (25-6) for the second time this season to set up a final against 13th-ranked Tennessee, which topped No. 25 South Carolina 74-58 to reach its 21st SEC final. Glory Johnson led the Volunteers (23-8) with 23 points and 10 rebounds to help avenge an earlier loss at home to the Gamecocks (23-9).

FLORIDA GULF COAST IN: Florida Gulf Coast, located in Fort Myers, earned an automatic NCAA bid, beating Stetson 67-39 in the Atlantic Sun final in Macon, Ga. The Eagles (29-2) were 18-0 in the league in the regular season. Tourney MVP Sarah Hansen scored 16 to lead FGC. Victoria McGowan scored 17 to lead the Hatters (23-10).

BIG Ten: Jordan Hooper had 21 points and 10 rebounds as No. 24 Nebraska upset No. 14 Ohio State 77-62 in the semifinals in Indianapolis. In today's final the sixth-seeded Cornhuskers (24-7) face No. 21 Purdue, which won 68-66 over top seed and ninth-ranked Penn State (24-6). Brittany Rayburn's layup with 1.4 seconds left won it for the Boilermakers (23-8), the fourth seed.

A-10: Megan Van Tatenhove led five players in double figures with 13 points as 19th-ranked St. Bonaventure (28-2), the top seed, beat La Salle 68-53 in the quarterfinals in Philadelphia.

WEST COAST: Kayla Standish scored 31 as 22nd-ranked Gonzaga (26-4), the top seed, held off Saint Mary's (Calif.) 83-78 in the semifinals in Las Vegas. Gonzaga faces No. 2 seed BYU on Monday.

OVC: Heather Butler scored 35 as Tennessee-Martin won its second straight league title, beating Tennessee Tech 82-65 in Nashville for an automatic NCAA bid.

Elsewhere

NO. 1 BAYLOR 77, IOWA ST. 53: Brittney Griner scored a career-high 41 as the host Bears (31-0, 18-0 Big 12) capped their first undefeated regular season. Griner shot 15-of-18 and was 11-of-13 from the free-throw line.

NO. 11 Wis.-GREEN BAY 77, ILL.-CHICAGO 64: Julie Wojta had 27 points and 10 rebounds for her sixth double double in seven games for the visiting Phoenix (27-1, 17-1 Horizon League) in their regular-season finale.

Times wires
Saturday, March 3, 2012

MONTREAL — Mikhail Grabovski scored twice in the third period as the Maple Leafs gave new coach Randy Carlyle a victory in his debut with a 3-1 win over the Canadiens on Saturday night.

The win, the second in the past 12 games for the slumping Leafs, ended a six-game winless run.

The Leafs fired fourth-year coach Ron Wilson on Friday night and hired Carlyle in a bid to energize a team that dropped out of a playoff spot with a 1-9-1 run starting Feb. 7.

Carlyle's first game behind the bench came in a nationally televised encounter in Canada between the NHL's oldest rivals, with a large contingent of Toronto fans in the Bell Centre putting up competing chants with Canadiens supporters.

At a news conference earlier in the day, Toronto general manager Brian Burke said he decided it was time to fire Wilson — whom he has known since they were college freshmen at Providence in 1973 — after Tuesday's home loss to Florida during which fans chanted "Fi-re Wil-son!"

"After the last home game it occurred to me it would be cruel and unusual to let Ron coach another game in the Air Canada Centre," Burke said.

Burke said he understood the fans' anger, and it had become apparent from the team's February a change was required.

"I've never had a team fall off a cliff like this before in my life," he said. "I've seen dips, slumps, rough patches, but this is akin to an 18-wheeler going off a cliff.

"I don't know what happened. I'm bewildered by it. It's like someone hit me with a two-by-four."

Carlyle said he sensed the Maple Leafs were "very tense."

"My responsibility as head coach is to … get them feeling better about themselves," said Carlyle, not known for being a touch-feely coach.

Carlyle was given a contract for next season.

"If we're going to miss (the playoffs)," Burke said, "we're going to miss with a coach that gives us a better chance next fall."

fan injuries: A fan at the Maple Leafs-Canadiens game fell from the middle tier of seats about 12 feet into the lower bowl of the Bell Centre and on another fan before the game. Both were taken to a hospital. Neither's injury appeared life-threatening, a spokesman said.

game highlights: The Panthers lost for the fifth time in six home games, 3-1 to the Predators. … In the host Bruins' 3-2 loss to the Islanders, backup goalie Tuukka Rask left the game with an injury midway through the second period after he kicked out his left pad to try to stop a shot that went wide. He was helped off the ice favoring his left leg. Coach Claude Julien said Rask wouldn't make the trip for today's game with the Rangers but didn't elaborate on the injury.

First Period—1, Montreal, Cole 23 (Desharnais, Pacioretty), 7:16. Penalties—Brown, Tor, major (fighting), 10:23; Staubitz, Mon, major (fighting), 10:23.

Second Period—2, Toronto, Frattin 6 (Grabovski), 6:30. Penalties—Schenn, Tor (tripping), 15:43; Leblanc, Mon (holding), 19:40.

Third Period—3, Toronto, Grabovski 19 (MacArthur, Gunnarsson), 11:45. 4, Toronto, Grabovski 20 (Frattin, Phaneuf), 19:07 (pp). Penalties—Pacioretty, Mon (goaltender interference), 7:20; Cole, Mon (interference), 19:01; Connolly, Tor (slashing, roughing), 20:00; Subban, Mon (roughing), 20:00. Shots on Goal—Toronto 13-12-17—42. Montreal 7-10-5—22. Power-play opportunities—Toronto 1 of 3; Montreal 0 of 1. Goalies—Toronto, Gustavsson 17-13-2 (22 shots-21 saves). Montreal, Price 23-25-9 (42-39).

First Period—1, Nashville, A.Kostitsyn 13 (Gaustad, Gill), 11:35. Penalties—Fisher, Nas (holding), 7:20.

Second Period—2, Nashville, Fisher 19 (Erat), :28. 3, Fla., Wolski 2 (Goc, Fleischmann), 7:49. Penalties—S.Kostitsyn, Nas (slashing), 12:24; Tootoo, Nas (tripping), 16:45.

Third Period—4, Nashville, Legwand 15 (A.Kostitsyn, Suter), 7:02. Penalties—Garrison, Fla (hooking), 19:43. Shots on Goal—Nashville 6-8-9—23. Fla. 15-9-16—40. Power-play opportunities—Nashville 0 of 1; Fla. 0 of 3. Goalies—Nashville, Rinne 36-13-7 (40 shots-39 saves). Fla., Clemmensen 11-6-5 (23-20).

First Period—1, Boston, Lucic 22 (Rolston, Corvo), 15:10 (pp). 2, NYI, Bailey 10 (Nielsen, Ullstrom), 17:36. Penalties—Caron, Bos (slashing), 4:39; Parenteau, NYI (slashing), 5:10; Thornton, Bos (roughing), 12:20; Bailey, NYI (slashing), 13:43.

Second Period—3, NYI, Moulson 28 (Nielsen, Tavares), 15:35 (pp). Penalties—Okposo, NYI (holding), 10:33; McQuaid, Bos (tripping), 15:07.

Third Period—4, Boston, Seguin 22 (Chara, Krejci), 7:29. 5, NYI, Tavares 26 (Moulson, MacDonald), 15:21. Penalties—Jurcina, NYI (slashing), 1:43; Staios, NYI (tripping), 9:01. Shots on Goal—NYI 10-7-8—25. Boston 12-15-7—34. Power-play opportunities—NYI 1 of 3; Boston 1 of 5. Goalies—NYI, Nabokov 16-16-1 (34 shots-32 saves). Boston, Rask (12-11), Thomas 27-14-0 (9:01 second, 13-11).

By Andy Warrener, Times Correspondent
Saturday, March 3, 2012

TAMPA — The 42nd annual Nash Higgins Relays tested the depth of the 27 Hillsborough County teams on a windy Saturday at Leto High.

The Robinson boys placed in the top three in seven of the 12 events, including first-place finishes in the distance medley and the 4x100 meter throwers relay, to edge Hillsborough 55 to 52.5.

The girls competition was nearly as close as Steinbrenner (69) kept just ahead of Wharton (62). The Warriors took first in the shuttle hurdle and the triple jump relay.

The vaunted Hillsborough boys relay teams, featuring senior Anthony Brown and junior Jeremiah Green, were beaten in both the highly anticipated 4x100 and the 4x400 races.

The Jefferson 4x400 team of Jonathan Moore, David White, Jawuan Coffee and Joshua Wyche finished in 3 minutes, 28.89 seconds to best the second-lace Terriers (3:29.53).

"I wanted to come out and put it all on the line for my team today," said Coffee, the senior who ran a blistering third leg.

In a shocker, East Bay's 4x100 team of David Wykes, Saleem Lintz, Brandon Byrd and Noah Williams finished in 43.73 seconds. Robinson (44.12) and Riverview (44.25) also finished ahead of Hillsborough (44.34).

"We wanted to come out and put East Bay on the map," said Williams, the junior anchor-leg runner.

Still, overall the Terriers had a rewarding day, with the second-place boys and the girls taking fourth. The Terriers girls 4x400 team of Ciarra Hawkins, Jorian Ordway, Marilyn Hawkins and Tijah Ray finished in 4:03.97 to best runnerup Wharton (4:07.03) and the rest of the field by nearly five seconds.

"If I get the baton first, I'm confident we can beat anybody," said senior and leadoff runner Ciarra Hawkins.

Plant turned in strong performances, placing third overall in the girls competition and fourth in the boys. The Panthers won both boys and girls 4x800 races, no doubt a product of their cross-county pedigree. Juniors Caroline Gibson, a 2011 cross country state finalist, and Julia Rodriguez, a 2011 region cross country champion, led Plant to a 10:06.60 finish, seven seconds better than Wharton.

Kyle Groh turned in a gutty finish to the anchor leg on the boys team, passing Wharton on the first of his two laps.

Times wires
Saturday, March 3, 2012

DURHAM, N.C. — Kendall Marshall felt dissed by Duke. The Blue Devils played the highlights of their last-second win over North Carolina on the video scoreboard, and Marshall didn't like it, so he brought his Tar Heels into a quick huddle.

"I told my teammates I thought that was disrespectful, and we need to go out here and prove a point," Marshall said.

Did they ever.

North Carolina (27-4, 14-2 ACC), never trailed in an 88-70 rout of No. 4 Duke (26-5, 13-3) on Saturday night, claiming the conference's regular-season title behind 20 points and 10 assists from its motivated point guard.

For the second straight year, the Tar Heels rolled in a season finale with the ACC tournament's top seed on the line.

"My team's had some bounce-back to them all year long," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "We go down to Florida State and lose by 3 million and everybody's jumping off the bandwagon … but our team kept playing. We lose to Duke and everybody's got a great opinion of how stupid we are … (and) my team kept playing."

NO. 2 SYRACUSE 58, NO. 19 LOUISVILLE 49: The Orange (30-1, 17-1 Big East) set a conference record for league victories and held the Cardinals (22-9, 10-8) to their fewest points this season.

NO. 3 KANSAS 73, TEXAS 63: Thomas Robinson had 25 points and 14 rebounds in his likely Allen Fieldhouse finale for the Big 12 champion Jayhawks (26-5, 16-2).

NO. 7 MIzzou 81, TEXAS TECH 59: Kim English scored 20 for the visiting Tigers (27-4, 14-3 Big 12), who hit a season-best 16 3-pointers and set a school record for wins.

NO. 8 MARQUETTE 83, NO. 11 G'TOWN 69: Jae Crowder had 26 points and 14 rebounds, helping the host Golden Eagles (25-6, 14-4 Big East) rout the Hoyas (22-7, 12-6) and clinch the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

IOWA ST. 80, NO. 9 BAYLOR 72: The host Cyclones rallied for their second win over a top-10 team this season. The Bears (25-6, 12-6 Big 12) fell to the fourth seed for the conference tournament.

NO. 12 MURRAY ST. 54, TENN. ST. 52: Jewuan Long's layup with 4.4 seconds left helped the Racers (30-1) rally from seven down in the final 5:28 to win the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship in Nashville.

ILLINOIS ST. 65, NO. 15 WICHITA ST. 64: Tyler Brown hit two free throws with 6.4 seconds left for the Redbirds in the Missouri Valley tournament semifinals in St. Louis. The Shockers (27-5) had won nine in a row.

NO. 21 SAN DIEGO ST. 98, TCU 92, OT: Jamaal Franklin scored a career-high 35, including a go-ahead three-point play in overtime, and the visiting Aztecs (24-6, 10-4) claimed a share of their second straight Mountain West title with New Mexico.

NO. 23 TEMPLE 80, FORDHAM 60: Juan Fernandez scored 19, and the visiting Owls (24-6, 13-3 Atlantic 10) won the outright regular-season title for the first time since 1989-90.

NO. 25 CREIGHTON 99, EVANSVILLE 71: Gregory Echenique had a season-best 20 points for the second-seeded Bluejays (27-5) in the Missouri Valley tournament semifinal.

CALHOUN RETURNS: Defying doctor's orders, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun returned from a monthlong medical leave and was on the sideline during the host Huskies' 74-65 win over Pittsburgh.

ATLANTIC SUN: Belmont (27-7) rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit to beat Florida Gulf Coast 83-69 in the tournament championship game in Macon, Ga.

BIG SOUTH: Host UNC Asheville (24-9) beat VMI 80-64 in the title game to earn its second straight NCAA Tournament berth.

State

MIAMI 77, BC 56: Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott scored 14 each for the host Hurricanes (18-11, 9-7 ACC), who stayed in the hunt for a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

UCF 71, UAB 63: The host Knights (21-9, 10-6 C-USA) clinched fourth place in the league and a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

SSC TOURNAMENT: Third-seeded Saint Leo (18-10) beat No. 2 Eckerd (20-8) 73-67 in the semifinals in Lakeland. The Lions face fifth seed Florida Southern, a 108-80 winner over top seed Tech, for the championship at 1 p.m. today.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 3, 2012

RALEIGH, N.C. — Coach Guy Boucher has said his team is in "survival time."

There could be no better example of its fight than Tampa Bay's 4-3 come-from-behind overtime win over the Hurricanes on Saturday night at the RBC Center.

The Lightning (31-28-6), playing on back-to-back nights and arriving in Raleigh at 3 a.m. Saturday due to a plane mechanical delay, overcame a two-goal deficit for a second consecutive overtime win. In doing so, Tampa Bay continued its improbable climb to a playoff spot. It is within two points of the final spot in the Eastern Conference.

"These guys are doing the impossible," Boucher said. "No matter how we do it, it doesn't make a difference (how they do it)."

The Lightning did it in unlikely fashion Saturday. As perplexingly poor as Tampa Bay has been with the man advantage on the road for most of the season, it won Saturday on the strength of two power-play goals.

Teddy Purcell tied the score at 3 on a one-timer with four seconds left in a two-minute five-on-three power play in the third.

"You have the full two minutes," Purcell said. "So a goal in the first 10 seconds is just as good as a goal in the last 10."

In overtime, Purcell found Stamkos backdoor for a snap shot, Stamkos' league-leading 47th goal. Stamkos also scored in the second to pull the Lightning within 3-2.

"That was a big character win for us," Stamkos said. "We never give up."

Marty St. Louis, who logged more than 27 minutes for the second consecutive game, said it was Stamkos' first goal —with two minutes left in the second — that gave the team some life after falling behind 3-1. Stamkos, on an end-to-end-rush, sent a wrist shot past goalie Cam Ward.

"That was a big one," St. Louis said.

But the biggest goals came later from Purcell, who extended his points streak to nine games (six goals, 13 assists), and Stamkos, who said the Lightning got some breaks getting the late power plays. Hurricanes forward Brandon Sutter was called for roughing in overtime after running into goalie Mathieu Garon, who was outside the crease.

In overtime, Purcell patiently carried the puck from between the circles and faked a shot before passing to Stamkos near the left post.

"An unbelievable pass," Stamkos said.

With contributions from many, including Tim Wallace's first NHL goal and Garon's 25 saves, Tampa Bay has worked its way back into the playoff conversation after falling 10 points out of the eighth spot.

"These guys are competitive; they're warriors," Boucher said. "And they want the end of their season to mean something. And we always say, 'The shame is not in losing; the shame is in not fighting.' "

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Wallace 1 (Shannon), 5:58. Penalties—Malone, TB (hooking), 19:06.

Second Period—2, Carolina, Stewart 8 (E.Staal, Spacek), 5:23. 3, Carolina, Jokinen 10, 15:02. 4, Carolina, Stewart 9 (E.Staal, Tlusty), 16:18. 5, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 46, 18:00. Penalties—Commodore, TB (tripping), 1:01.

Third Period—6, Tampa Bay, Purcell 19 (St. Louis, Malone), 7:24 (pp). Penalties—Tlusty, Car (tripping), 3:15; LaRose, Car (hooking), 5:28; E.Staal, Car (slashing), 5:28.

Overtime—7, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 47 (Purcell), 2:41 (pp). Penalties—Bra.Sutter, Car (roughing), 1:05. Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 8-7-6-2—23. Carolina 8-8-9-3—28. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 2 of 4; Carolina 0 of 2. Goalies—Tampa Bay, Garon 23-16-4 (28 shots-25 saves). Carolina, Ward 22-19-11 (23-19). A—17,116 (18,680). T—2:27.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2012

Fun and games

• Video coordinator Chico Fernandez always seems willing to do whatever manager Joe Maddon asks, so Maddon had a little fun Sunday setting up a desk outside his office, complete with a bell and balloons, for Fernandez to run the "Camp Concierge" desk.

• Maddon said C/INF Stephen Vogt, a two-time winner of the team talent show, has a future in show biz: "He could be starting out at the Improv and eventually doing movies with Chris Rock at some point hopefully, and who knows after that."

Who is this Ray?

He led the nation with a 1.14 ERA while pitching at UMass-Amherst. He was a first-round pick in 2005 by Arizona. He was acquired in trade last July.

The dish

Rays vs. Orioles

When/where: 1:05 today; Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte

Tickets: Reserved seats $17-25, berm/boardwalk $7 for "value game." Available through raysbaseball.com and Ticketmaster, at Tropicana Field and Charlotte Sports Park box offices, Tampa team store.

Gates open: 11 a.m.

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

Parking: $10, lots open at 10:30.

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

Pitchers: Rays — Wade Davis, Alex Cobb, Alex Torres, Bryan Augenstein, Cesar Ramos, Matt Bush, Matt Torra; Orioles — Alfredo Simon, Brad Bergesen, Zach Phillips, Miguel Socolovich, Pedro Strop

Heads-up

Matt Bush, impressive early in camp, gets his first chance in a game situation.

On deck

Tuesday: vs. Twins, 1:05. Rays — Jeff Niemann; Twins — Scott Baker

Wednesday: at Yankees, 1:05. Rays — James Shields; Yankees — Hiroki Kuroda

Thursday: vs. Tigers, 1:05. Rays — David Price; Tigers — TBA; at Twins, 1:05. Rays — Chris Archer; Twins — TBA

Upcoming schedule

All games 1:05 unless noted

March

9: Orioles

10: at Red Sox (7:05)

11: Pirates

12: Twins

13: at Orioles

14: Marlins

15: Phillies

16: at Jays

17: at Pirates

18: Red Sox

19: Off

20: at Marlins

21: Yankees

22: at Pirates

23: Jays (7:05)

24: at Twins (3:05)

25: Marlins

26: at Twins

27: at Red Sox (1:35)

28: Pirates (7:05)

29: at Phillies

30: at Pirates

31: Red Sox

April

1: at Orioles

2: Twins*

3: at Twins

4: vs. Future Rays, 1:40 , at Trop.

* Value game, $2 off

Who is this answer: RHP Matt Torra

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2012

GAINESVILLE — Two weeks ago, Florida and Kentucky were among the top teams in the SEC, but suddenly things have changed. No. 1 Kentucky's quest for SEC perfection came to a successful conclusion Sunday, while No. 16 Florida's struggles continued.

Kentucky (30-1, 16-0 SEC) took an early lead, withstood a couple of runs then pulled away for a 74-59 victory in front of a sold-out crowd at the O'Connell Center. The Wildcats are on a 22-game winning streak and finished undefeated in league play for the first time since their 2003 team. The 1966 Kentucky team is the only other in league history to finish with a perfect SEC record in the past 56 years.

Florida, now 0-9 against Kentucky when the Wildcats are No. 1, has lost five of its past eight games.

"I told them prior to the game, look, the bottom line is if we lose we're still the No. 1 seed, it doesn't change our seeding, it doesn't do anything," UK coach John Calipari said. "But it's about pride. And I know you guys want to win. And we play to win. We're not playing not to lose, we play to win. … So, that was the message prior to the game. Go have fun and play. And I thought at the start of the game we were really good."

Kentucky shot nearly 55 percent from the field in the first half and led by as many as 16 before Florida pulled to within eight at halftime. Sophomore center Patric Young (21 points, nine rebounds) dunked with 16:31 remaining in the game to pull Florida within 46-44, capping a 22-8 Gators run.

But every time Florida made a run, Kentucky responded. Trailing 59-55 with 9:05 remaining, the Gators scored just four the rest of the game.

"I thought we had some really good, decent looks during that stretch, but the ball just didn't go in," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "And like they've done all year long, and with their talent level, when you don't finish a possession out, but you don't guard a possession, then you really put yourself in a position where you're vulnerable and they score. And then I thought (Anthony) Davis made some unbelievable plays. And (Terrence) Jones didn't play well against us in Lexington. He was great" Sunday.

Jones scored Kentucky's first eight and finished with 19 points and four rebounds. Davis had a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Gators shot 38 percent from the field in the game and 18.2 percent from 3-point range in the second half (27 percent — 6-of-22 — for the game).

"We were right there in the game and we had some open looks," said Florida senior Erving Walker, who had eight points and five assists in his final home game. "If we had hit those, that could have changed some things."

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

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2012

GAINESVILLE — Two weeks ago, Florida and Kentucky were among the top teams in the SEC, but suddenly things have changed. No. 1 Kentucky's quest for SEC perfection came to a successful conclusion Sunday, while No. 16 Florida's struggles continued.

Kentucky (30-1, 16-0 SEC) took an early lead, withstood a couple of runs, then pulled away for a 74-59 victory in the sold-out O'Connell Center. The Wildcats have won 22 straight games and finished undefeated in league play for the first time since their 2003 team. The 1966 Kentucky team is the only other in league history to finish with a perfect SEC record in the past 56 years.

Florida (22-9, 10-6), now 0-9 against Kentucky when the Wildcats are No. 1, has lost five of its past eight games.

"I told them prior to the game, look, the bottom line is if we lose we're still the No. 1 seed, it doesn't change our seeding, it doesn't do anything," UK coach John Calipari said. "But it's about pride. And I know you guys want to win. And we play to win. We're not playing not to lose, we play to win. … So, that was the message prior to the game. Go have fun and play. And I thought at the start of the game we were really good."

Kentucky shot nearly 55 percent from the field in the first half and led by as many as 16 before Florida pulled to within eight at halftime. Sophomore center Patric Young (21 points, nine rebounds) dunked with 16:31 remaining in the game to pull Florida within 46-44, capping a 22-8 run.

But Kentucky responded to every run. Trailing 59-55 with 9:05 remaining, the Gators scored four the rest of the game.

"I thought we had some really good, decent looks during that stretch, but the ball just didn't go in," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "And like they've done all year long, and with their talent level, when you don't finish a possession out, but you don't guard a possession, then you really put yourself in a position where you're vulnerable and they score. And then I thought (Anthony) Davis made some unbelievable plays. And (Terrence) Jones didn't play well against us in Lexington. He was great" Sunday.

Jones scored Kentucky's first eight and finished with 19 points and four rebounds. Davis had a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Gators shot 38 percent from the field in the game and 18.2 percent from 3-point range in the second half (27 percent — 6-of-22 — for the game).

"We were right there in the game and we had some open looks," said Florida senior Erving Walker, who had eight points and five assists in his final home game. "If we had hit those, that could have changed some things."

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

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2012

PORT CHARLOTTE — Without knowing what Rays officials will consider most important in picking a starting shortstop, Sean Rodriguez figures he had better do everything he can to beat out Reid Brignac for the job.

Sunday, Rodriguez got off to a good start in a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Twins, reaching base three times, making a stellar defensive play and sliding hard into second to prevent a double play.

"Whatever it is that is going to make that difference, if it's something I don't know about, it can come on the defensive end or the offensive end or the baserunning end," Rodriguez said. "I have to be playing basically like if it's the regular season. That's how it should be always, but it makes it a little more fulfilling knowing they're going to be watching your every move."

Rodriguez was hit by a pitch his first time up, a fitting start as he was hit a team-record 18 times last season. "Got to keep working on my hit by pitches," he said.

HELLY HAPPY: RHP Jeremy Hellickson was pleased overall with his two-inning, 22-pitch outing, throwing a handful of cutters, a pitch he hopes to mix in more this season. "I'm happy," he said. "I threw a lot of strikes (16)."

THAT'S A RELIEF: LHP Jake McGee was quite relieved to get through a bullpen session Sunday given the discoloration and net markings on his left elbow, a few days after a freak accident when he was watching batting practice with his arms resting on the cage and was struck by a ball that bounced up. "I was like, what are the odds of that?" McGee said. "I'm lucky. … It was very scary." His first game appearance is Thursday.

LOCKED AND LOADED: Engaged in a battle to keep his spot in the rotation, and unhappy with how he began last year, RHP Wade Davis isn't treating today's spring debut as just an exhibition.

"I'm looking at it differently," Davis said. "In general, whether it's a competition or no, I want to get off to a better start, and I'm going to. I've prepared myself physically to be ready for that. I'm ready to go out (today) and pitch like it's June or July. It's a little different mentality for me. I definitely want the opportunity to get that starting job.

"I'm just going to go out there and compete from Day 1, and however it plays out is what we'll land on."

MEDICAL MATTERS: 3B Evan Longoria flashed a thumbs-up with his bruised right hand and said Tuesday looks set for his exhibition debut. … LHP Matt Moore said Saturday's bullpen session, his first time throwing off a mound in eight days, went well, with no issues from the mild lower abdominal strain that had sidelined him: "It was like back to normal." Moore throws again today, then batting practice on Thursday, his first game, potentially, by the weekend.

IN THE SWING: 1B Carlos Peña, DH Luke Scott and OF Sam Fuld will take "live" batting practice today off RHPs Kyle Farnsworth and Brandon Gomes, a precursor to their first game action. Peña is likely for Tuesday, Scott and Fuld by the end of the week.

GAME DETAILS: Two-run homers allowed by new relievers Burke Badenhop (to Chris Parmalee in the sixth) and Josh Lueke (to J.R. Towles in the ninth) were the difference. … OF Matt Joyce, playing back-to-back games since the injured list is so long (and MLB requires four frontline players in a spring lineup), singled in the first run. … LHP J.P. Howell stood out with a crisp 1-2-3 inning. … RHP Fernando Rodney allowed two hits and threw a wild pitch in his Rays debut.

IN THE SADDLE: Saturday's seventh inning was a bit messy, with a hit and two walks, but it was memorable for RHP Ricky Orta, his first formal game in more than two years as he worked his way back from elbow surgery. "My brain was going crazy," he said. "I was excited, I had butterflies in my stomach."

MISCELLANY: ESPN's bus comes to camp today with Tim Kurkjian and John Kruk reporting for the 3:30 p.m. Baseball Tonight show. … The announced crowd was 5,346, well short of a sellout.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2012

PORT CHARLOTTE — Rays outfielder Jesus Feliciano believes he can write a book on his journeyman baseball career.

Right-hander James Shields goes one further: "You probably could do a movie on him."

It'd be a picture on perseverance, as Feliciano battled for 13 minor-league seasons — 1,271 games — before getting his first sniff of the majors, in a 2010 callup with the Mets. Feliciano, a 32-year-old from Puerto Rico, has traveled on buses in a dozen minor-league towns, from Oaxaca, Mexico, to Orlando, and Bakersfield, Calif., to Buffalo.

"I've played everywhere, pretty much," he said, smiling.

But what might be most impressive and a symbolic example of Feliciano's determination was what he did in his first stint with Tampa Bay, back in 2004.

Feliciano had been released by the Dodgers, which drafted him in the 36th round in 1997, coming off a season in which he hit .148 in Double A.

"I thought I was almost done with baseball," he said. "I didn't have anything to lose."

Desperate, Feliciano converted to pitcher, something he had done until he was 18 years old. A left-hander, he threw a curve and changeup, and he had success for the Rays' Class A affiliate in Bakersfield, giving up just one run over 51/3 innings.

"He was nasty," said Shields, Feliciano's teammate in Bakersfield. "Threw 89-90, with a nice little hook. He was a real good pitcher."

An elbow injury ended Feliciano's pro pitching career after just 61/3 innings. Told he'd need rehab, and potentially surgery, Feliciano decided to switch back to a position player. That winter, he won the batting title in Puerto Rico, with the successful turnaround "the most impressive thing I had in my career."

"He's like, 'I think this hitting thing is a little better for me,' " Shields said, laughing.

After hitting better than .300 for four consecutive seasons for the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, Feliciano finally got his shot June 7, 2010, getting called up to the big leagues. He played in 54 games over two separate stints, living a lifelong dream, with his parents and sister flying in from Puerto Rico for his debut.

"It was something I was expecting for so long, that when I got it, I knew I deserved it," Feliciano said. "It was great to be around the guys, they knew how tough my career had been, they were so happy to see me there."

Feliciano has baseball in his blood, with his father, also named Jesus, playing for Puerto Rico at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics.

"He's a legend back home," the younger Feliciano said. "I'm real proud of what he's done, and I'm sure he's proud of what I've done, too."

Feliciano followed in his father's footsteps, playing for Puerto Rico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, starting in leftfield alongside major-league veterans Carlos Beltran and Alex Rios.

Feliciano said his father, now 55, is still in baseball, managing in Puerto Rico. Neither wants to leave the game, with Feliciano taking a chance on a minor-league deal with the Rays. He's grateful and thankful for his life in baseball, still hopeful for another chance, though complete if it doesn't come.

"It's been a nice run," Feliciano said. "Being here again, looking at all those stories that I have, it's good to remember."

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.

Times wires
Sunday, March 4, 2012

PHOENIX — After watching the YouTube promotional video of the five-tool outfielder with a sculpted body and freakish athleticism, the Athletics were eager to see Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes up close.

"He's finally here," catcher Kurt Suzuki said. "We hear about the potential and the tools and all that stuff. I'm not just excited to see him hit but excited to see him working out with the team."

Cespedes certainly didn't disappoint.

The 26-year-old Cespedes (Yo-EHN-ess SES-peh-des) worked out with the Athletics for the first time Sunday. The slugging outfielder performed some agility drills to measure his vertical leap and took batting practice with Manny Ramirez and Cedric Hunter during a highly anticipated session in which he sprayed pitches to all fields and sent a couple of souvenirs over the walls.

He then shagged flies with Ramirez and signed autographs for fans on a day where there wasn't a spring training game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, just a spectacle.

"I'm very happy to be here because I feel I'm very close to my dream to play in the big leagues," said Cespedes, who played in Cuba's top league for eight seasons before defecting in 2011 to the Dominican Republic with his mother, an aunt and four cousins.

He'll take batting practice and focus on defensive drills over the next week or so as he tries to get up to speed with his teammates who have been here for two weeks.

"I'll be ready in five or six days," he said.

AILING METS: Mets first baseman Ike Davis said he's ready to play despite being diagnosed with valley fever. Third baseman David Wright, meanwhile, will sit for a bit.

Wright has been slowed by soreness around his left ribcage. Scratched from an intrasquad game Saturday, the All-Star was told by manager Terry Collins he wouldn't play tonight or Tuesday when the Mets start the exhibition schedule.

"If this was opening day, I'd be playing 100 percent," Wright said.

Davis said he felt fine. Valley fever is a fungal infection that is released from the dirt in desert regions of the Southwest and can cause extreme fatigue. Davis lives in Arizona in the offseason.

BRAUN TEST: The players' association believes the leak of NL MVP Ryan Braun's drug test was an isolated occurrence. Speaking at the Brewers' training camp in Phoenix, union head Michael Weiner said "the leak was specific to this case" and "does not threaten the confidentiality of the program." Braun, in his first game of the spring, struck out in his only two at-bats. In other Brewers news, rightfielder Corey Hart will have surgery on his right knee to repair a meniscus tear and likely will start the season on the disabled list.

PITCHER ARRESTED: Rockies right-hander Alex White apologized to his teammates after being briefly jailed following an arrest Saturday on suspicion of drunken driving. White, 23, is expected to compete for a rotation spot.

BRAVES: Right-hander Julio Teheran, competing for a rotation spot, allowed six home runs in two innings in an 18-3 loss to the Tigers.

NATIONALS: Right-hander Stephen Strasburg, expected to reclaim his role as ace after returning late last season from elbow ligament replacement surgery, struck out three but gave up two runs while pitching into the third against the Astros in his spring debut.

TWINS: Oft-injured reliever Joel Zumaya told the team he'll have reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. He'll need a year to recover.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2012

TAMPA — Bucs coach Greg Schiano has formed a solid opinion on at least one of his new players. Then again, Jeremy Zuttah isn't so new to Schiano.

Zuttah, 25, and the Bucs are putting the finishing touches on a contract extension that will keep the offensive lineman off the free agent market, the Tampa Bay Times has confirmed. Zuttah, capable of playing all line positions, was drafted in the third round by the Bucs in 2008 after playing for Schiano at Rutgers. He was scheduled to become a free agent with his rookie contract expiring.

Zuttah is considered the Bucs' top priority among their impending unrestricted free agents. Kicker Connor Barth is a close second, with his fate expected to be decided prior to this afternoon's franchise-tag deadline. General manager Mark Dominik has said he will franchise tag Barth if a multiyear deal isn't reached by today, thereby keeping Barth off the market.

Zuttah has started 44 games and is almost as likely to play center as he is guard. He started 14 games in 2011, mostly at left guard. When injury-prone center Jeff Faine has gone down, Zuttah has performed well as the starter there.

Terms of the deal weren't available.

Coaching hire: The Bucs hired Ron Turner as quarterbacks coach, FoxSports.com reported. He reportedly interviewed for the offensive coordinator job, which ultimately went to Mike Sullivan. Turner, brother of Chargers coach Norv Turner, coached the Bears' quarterbacks while also serving as offensive coordinator from 1993-96 (Schiano was on the staff for part of that time). Turner, 58, has been on the Colts' staff the past two seasons, including as quarterbacks coach in 2011 before being let go at the end of last season.

NFL: More bounties?

NEW YORK — The NFL's investigation that found the Saints paid bounties to players for knocking opponents out of games is far from over.

The NFL will be "addressing the issues raised as part of our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of the game," league spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email to the Associated Press on Sunday.

Those issues could include previous seasons, too.

Several players around the league have said the Saints and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams weren't the only ones with such a system. Former Redskins safety Matt Bowen said Williams had a similar bounty scheme when he was in Washington.

Aiello said the league would not comment on other reports. He added that the NFL will look at "any relevant info regarding rules being broken," saying that is "standard procedure."

The Saints maintained a bounty pool of up to $50,000 the past three seasons, the NFL said. Payoffs came for inflicting game-ending injuries, among other events. All payouts for specific performances in a game, including interceptions or causing fumbles, are against NFL rules. The NFL also warns teams against such practices before each season.

The league said 22 to 27 defensive players were involved in the program and it was administered by Williams, with the knowledge of coach Sean Payton.

Williams also has been the defensive coordinator in Tennessee and Jacksonville, was the head coach in Buffalo, and was hired in January by new St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher to lead the defense.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2012

TAMPA — Bucs coach Greg Schiano has formed a solid opinion on at least one of his new players. Then again, Jeremy Zuttah isn't so new to Schiano.

Zuttah, 25, and the Bucs are putting the finishing touches on a contract extension that will keep the offensive lineman off the free agent market, the Tampa Bay Times has confirmed. Zuttah, capable of playing all line positions, was drafted in the 2008 third round after playing for Schiano at Rutgers. He was scheduled to become a free agent with his rookie contract expiring.

Zuttah's considered the Bucs' top priority among their impending unrestricted free agents. Kicker Connor Barth is a close second, with his fate expected to be decided prior to today's franchise-tag deadline. General manager Mark Dominik has said he will franchise tag Barth if a multiyear deal isn't reached by today, thereby keeping Barth off the market.

Zuttah has started 44 games and is almost as likely to play center as he is guard. He started 14 games in 2011, mostly at left guard. When injury-prone center Jeff Faine has gone down, Zuttah has performed well as the starter there.

Terms of the deal weren't available.

Coaching hire: The Bucs hired Ron Turner as quarterbacks coach, FoxSports.com reported. He reportedly interviewed for the offensive coordinator job, which ultimately went to Mike Sullivan. Turner, brother of Chargers coach Norv Turner, coached the Bears' quarterbacks while also serving as offensive coordinator from 1993-96 (Schiano was on the staff for part of that time). Turner, 58, has been on the Colts' staff the past two seasons, including as quarterbacks coach in 2011 before being let go at the end of last season.

NFL: More bounties?

NEW YORK — The NFL's investigation that found the Saints paid bounties to players for knocking opponents out of games is far from over.

The NFL will be "addressing the issues raised as part of our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of the game," league spokesman Greg Aiello said Sunday.

Those issues could include previous seasons, too.

Several players around the league have said the Saints and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams weren't the only ones with such a system. Former Redskins safety Matt Bowen said Williams had a similar bounty scheme when he was in Washington.

Aiello would not comment on other reports. He added that the NFL will look at "any relevant info regarding rules being broken," saying that is "standard procedure."

Williams has been summoned to New York to meet today with league officials and possibly commissioner Roger Goodell, ESPN reported.

The Saints maintained a bounty pool of up to $50,000 the past three seasons, the NFL said. Payoffs came for inflicting game-ending injuries, among other events. All payouts for specific performances in a game, including interceptions or causing fumbles, are against NFL rules.

The league said 22 to 27 defensive players were involved in the program and it was administered by Williams, with the knowledge of coach Sean Payton.

Williams was hired in January by new St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher to lead the Rams defense.

Seahawks: Running back Marshawn Lynch signed a four-year, $31 million deal, with $18 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.