Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

Montoya cruises to pole in Fontana

Juan Pablo Montoya will start on the pole for his 150th career NASCAR race.

Montoya had the fastest time in Friday's qualifying at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., hitting 184.653 mph on the 2-mile oval. The former Formula One driver starts Sunday's 400-mile race on the front row next to Denny Hamlin and is looking for his first win on an oval after earning his sixth career pole.

Montoya has two Sprint Cup wins, both on road courses. He hasn't qualified well this season but has two top-10 finishes, including a third at Las Vegas.

Stewart-Haas off to quick start

Tony Stewart doesn't usually hit high gear until the summer, and Ryan Newman has a similar track record. This season, they're trying something new: running up front from the start.

The Stewart-Haas Racing teammates are ahead of schedule through the first four races, tied for third in the Sprint Cup series standings with 138 points each, 12 behind leader Kurt Busch.

"It's definitely a good thing," Stewart said. "I don't know if you can look at it as a telltale sign of what our season's going to be like, but it's always nice to get off to a good start. You don't feel like you're playing catch-up right off the bat."

Elsewhere

TRG Motorsports is switching to Ford after a three-year stint with Chevrolet. The team's No. 71 Sprint Cup car will switch to Ford Fusions supplied by Roush Fenway Racing, with engines provided by Roush/Yates Engines, owner Kevin Buckley said. The move will be made at the April 9 race at Texas Motor Speedway. Former road racer and NASCAR rookie Andy Lally drove the No. 71 the first four races and is slated to be behind the wheel for Sunday's race at Auto Club Speedway.

Sprint Cup points

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

Driver Pts. Back

Kurt Busch 150—

Carl Edwards 149 1

Tony Stewart 138 12

Ryan Newman 138 12

Paul Menard 136 14

Kyle Busch 133 17

J. Johnson 130 20

Juan Montoya 126 24

D. Earnhardt Jr. 124 26

Mark Martin 123 27

Martin Truex 123 27

Up next

Auto Club 400, 3 p.m. Sunday, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif. TV: Ch. 13

Number of the day

9 Drivers who have competed in all four Sprint Cup races this season without a top-10 finish. Eight of them are past winners: Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott, Robby Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray and David Reutimann. David Ragan, who doesn't have a win, has the highest points position of those without a top-10 finish: 20th.

Number of the day II

24.6 Paul Menard's average finish in his first 147 Cup starts. Menard has an average finish of 10.8 through the first four Sprint Cup races this season and is fifth in the standings.

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

PARIS

Defending Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel is entering uncharted territory. Not only is F1's youngest champion heading into the season as a marked man, the Red Bull driver goes into Sunday's Australian Grand Prix coming off preseason testing that left questions about those seeking to dethrone him. "How good we are in the end compared to the others has a bigger question mark this season than any other season before," said the German, 23. "In previous years you had an idea of where you were and where the others were at the end of the test season, but this year it is almost impossible."

Even so, it seems likely that Vettel's challengers will come from the same drivers who pushed last year's title fight to the final race.

McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have credentials as former champions but might not have the cars, and Michael Schumacher, 42, is an outside bet to add to his seven titles with Mercedes.

Red Bull and Ferrari, both strongest in the test sessions, should dominate again — meaning former champion Fernando Alonso and Red Bull driver Mark Webber are shaping up as the main threats.

Drivers normally have one race behind them before the Australian Grand Prix, but the cancellation of the Bahrain GP kept the suspense going a little longer, heightened by erratic testing performances.

Vettel became the youngest F1 champion last year, finishing third in the final race to edge Alonso by four points.

Vettel faces a different pressure now, having taken the overall lead only in the final race last year.

"It will be a tough, tough battle and a long, hard fight," he said. "Motivation is not a problem. It's a more difficult situation than last year."

Vettel knows Alonso is desperate to make up for that final-day loss, when clumsy orders in Abu Dhabi derailed the Spaniard's bid for a third title. At 34, Webber's chances of a first title are running out. But both are strong contenders because of the reliability shown by Red Bull's RB7 and Ferrari's 150th Italia in testing.

It could be a frustrating season for 2009 champion Button and 2008 winner Hamilton if McLaren's patchy form in testing is not ironed out.

Hamilton said they could be struggling in the early races.

"Do I believe I have a car to win the world championship at the moment? I don't," Hamilton said recently. "But that doesn't mean it won't become a world championship-winning car."

Meanwhile, among several changes from FIA, the sport's governing body, the switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli tires is the most glaring.

The softer Pirellis have been designed to degrade more quickly in the hopes of creating more pit stops and lead changes as teams take risks over pit strategy.

And FIA banned aerodynamic boosts such as last season's innovative F-duct and 2009's double-diffuser, while returning the hybrid KERS (kinetic energy recovery system).

The adjustable rear wing is set by the push of a button from inside the cockpit, which lowers a flap and increases straight-line speed.

"We will definitely stop more often," Vettel said. "Probably every five to 20 laps, so this will have a huge impact on how the race unfolds."

Practice time: Button posted the fastest lap of 1 minute, 28.854 seconds in the second practice session Friday, 0.132 seconds ahead of Hamilton.

Times staff, wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

NFL

Bucs receive 7th-round pick

The Bucs were awarded a seventh-round compensatory draft pick, No. 238 overall, by the NFL on Friday.

The team has eight selections in April's draft, one each in Rounds 1-6 and two in the seventh round.

The league awarded 32 compensatory picks to 23 teams. A team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory picks. In 2010, the Bucs lost S Will Allen to the Steelers and DE Jimmy Wilkerson to the Saints while signing S Sean Jones from the Eagles.

More NFL: Packers DL Johnny Jolly was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in Houston, police said. … Former Raiders C Barret Robbins was sentenced to five years in Florida prison for a drug-related probation violation. A Miami-Dade County judge imposed the sentence, more than a year after crack cocaine was found in Robbins' car. He had been on probation for a 2005 fracas in Miami Beach. He didn't play in the 2003 Super Bowl against the Bucs after disappearing for several days.

Tennis

No. 118 upsets Murray at Sony

Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam runnerup, lost in his opening match at the Sony Ericsson Open to American qualifier Alex Bogomolov Jr. — who is ranked 118th — 6-1, 7-5 in Key Biscayne.

"I was trying to get myself back into the match, trying to find ways," Murray said. "But I just didn't have that spark."

The fifth-ranked Scotsman hasn't won a set in three matches since being routed in the Australian Open final by Novak Djokovic.

Tampa residents Mardy Fish and James Blake reached the third round, but the last American in the women's draw was eliminated in the second round when Varvara Lepchenko lost to Petra Kvitova 6-1, 6-2.

Et cetera

SOccer: Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco will play right forward for Sporting Kansas City of MLS in a reserve team game Monday against the Kansas City Brass, a minor-league team. … The U.S. men will play World Cup champion Spain in a June 4 exhibition in Foxborough, Mass.

Rick Stroud, Times staff writer; Times wires

Times staff
Friday, March 25, 2011

In IndyCar, qualifying on road and street courses is broken into three segments. The cars are split into two groups; each group gets 20 minutes of track time including caution flags. The top six cars from each group advance; the rest are placed on the grid from spots 13 on back (odd-numbered grid positions come from the first group). The 12 cars left have 15 minutes for the second segment. The top six reach the final segment, the rest fill grid spots 7-12. The last segment is 10 minutes, with at least five minutes guaranteed under a green flag. The fastest qualifier gets the pole, the second fastest shares the front row and so on.

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

ORLANDO — Martin Laird loves when he can smash a driver, and that carried him a long way Friday at Bay Hill.

Laird reached three of the par 5s in two shots, converted one of them into an eagle and wound up with 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead over K.J. Choi (64) and first-round leader Spencer Levin (70) in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Laird was at 9-under 135.

"I'm driving the ball really well and putting really well," Laird said. "Ask any pro, that's a pretty good combination to have, especially on a golf course this long where you have to drive the ball in the fairway."

Tiger Woods is still in the game, too.

Woods raised his arm on the ninth green as his 20-foot birdie putt rolled in for 4-under 68, leaving him six shots behind going into the weekend.

He said he could have gone lower. "Unfortunately, I left a lot of putts dead-center short," he said. "There were about five putts that were dead center. It could have been a pretty special round."

A six-time champion at Bay Hill, Woods is in the best position he has been in all year heading into the weekend. And this is his last tournament before next month's Masters.

"We are trying to build towards the first major, and that's kind of how my game is," Woods said. "It's building, and it's coming."

Choi put in three hybrids to go with his driver and two fairway metals, all to get ready for the Masters. It paid dividends; his 64 was the tournament's best round. Levin didn't play his best in the morning, but his putting carried him.

The cut was at 4-over 148, the highest in six years at Bay Hill. Among those making the cut were Sam Saunders, Palmer's grandson.

LPGA: Jiyai Shin shot bogey-free 9-under 64, birdieing nine of the first 14 holes, for a four-stroke lead in the rain-delayed Kia Classic at Industry, Calif. She was at 12-under 134. Seventy-two players, all the afternoon starters, were unable to finish the round because of darkness after rain delayed the start. That group included Seminole's Brittany Lincicome, who was 2 over after 13 holes.

Langer out of outback: Bernhard Langer won't be able to defend his title at next month's Champions Tour Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz after having surgery Wednesday on his left thumb. He will be out two months; the two-time Masters champion also will miss the year's first major on the PGA Tour at Augusta. Langer, 53, said the injury occurred while biking in South Florida last fall. He was at an intersection when, with his bike moving, he reached out to push the button on the traffic signal. "I felt a sharp pain pushing the button," Langer said. The ligament damage wasn't discovered until more than six weeks later, after he won the Ace Group Classic for his 14th title on the Champions Tour.

Bryan Burns, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 25, 2011

WESLEY CHAPEL — The initial meeting between Wiregrass Ranch and Land O'Lakes produced a wild back-and-forth affair that the Bulls eventually rallied to win in extra innings.

In Friday's rematch, the Gators' pitching combination of Steven Rosario and Trey McNickle made sure the Bulls wouldn't come from behind a second straight time.

But the Gators' victory didn't come without a few tense moments.

Land O'Lakes jumped in front of Wiregrass Ranch 3-0 in the first inning and stayed ahead for the duration in an 8-4 win.

"We didn't play great defense, but we played better defensively this time," Land O'Lakes coach Calvin Baisley said.

Any momentum that carried over from Wiregrass Ranch's win against Hernando a day earlier was quickly washed away when the Gators' Gino Pepenella blasted a three-run home run to leftfield off Bulls starter Harry Olsen in the first inning. For Pepenella, it was his 10th RBI in three games this week.

"It's deflating when you come off a big game like last night and you come out and they're all flying high, then the first thing that happens is a three-run home run," Wiregrass Ranch coach Jeff Swymer said. "It knocks them down."

The Gators (13-3) added two more runs in the third inning on a sacrifice fly from David Perez and Rosario's RBI double to make it 5-0.

Wiregrass Ranch (10-6) got its first run in the bottom half of the third on a RBI single from John Michael Gant. That would be the only run Rosario, the Gators' starter, would give up until the fifth inning, when Gant unleashed a massive, two-run home run to straightaway centerfield to cut the Gators' lead to two. The home run was Gant's second in two games.

Rosario, who allowed five hits and struck out two in 42/3 innings, gave way to McNickle shortly after.

"(Rosario) didn't have his good stuff, but he battled and gave us a chance," Baisley said. "Luckily, we got some big hits at the right time."

The Gators extended their lead back to five runs in the seventh inning on an RBI single from Perez and a two-run single by McNickle.

Trying to close out the win, McNickle loaded the bases in the seventh and gave up a full-count walk to Chris Kluender, making the score 8-4 and bringing the tying run to the plate. McNickle, though, got the Bulls' Michael Barrone to ground out to end the game.

"I was glad to see we fought back against a good pitcher on the mound," Swymer said. "That bodes well for our team because we're young and we're getting better. We're going to be scary toward the end of the year."

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

Tonight: Southeast Region Final

No. 2 Florida vs. No. 8 Butler

When/where: 4:30; New Orleans Arena

TV/radio: Ch. 10; 970-AM, 1010-AM

Enrollments: Florida 52,112; Butler 4,200

Records: Florida 29-7, Butler 26-9

How they got here: Florida — No. 15 UC Santa Barbara 79-51, No. 7 UCLA 73-65, No. 3 BYU 83-74 (OT). Butler — No. 9 Old Dominion 60-58, No. 1 Pitt 71-70, No. 4 Wisconsin 61-54

Key stat: Butler shoots 73.1 percent from the free-throw line, Florida 67.8 percent.

The Buzz: Florida must be patient against a smart Butler team on both ends of the court. Offensively, the Gators have more size up front. That includes Chandler Parsons, above, a 6-foot-10 swingman who is an excellent ballhandler and can shoot from the outside. Defensively, Butler runs a lot of screens, and Florida has to worry about Shelvin Mack from beyond the arc. Look for Butler's guards, including Wharton High graduate Shawn Vanzant, to pressure UF guards Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton. Florida's size also has helped it outrebound opponents by 5.8 per game. But Butler's Matt Howard, despite being only 6 feet 8, usually finds a way to neutralize bigger opponents.

Rivals.com

Tale of the tape

Florida Butler

72.6 Points 72.1

64.9 Opp. points 64.3

45.5 Field goal pct. 44.5

44.3 Opp. field goal pct. 42.7

35.7 3-point pct. 35.9

34.3 Opp. 3-point pct. 32.9

6.5 3-pointers 7.5

5.9 Opp. 3-pointers 6.2

67.8 Free-throw pct. 73.1

4.4 Rebounding margin 3.0

1.7 Turnover differential 1.6

6.8 Steals 6.0

3.1 Blocks 1.6

Andy Villamarzo, Times Correspondent
Friday, March 25, 2011

CLEARWATER — There was a lot going through the head of each River Ridge player going into Friday night's matchup with Bloomingdale.

The Knights, who own the No. 1 ranking in Class 4A, were upset Tuesday night by Sunlake in a 2-0 loss. River Ridge bounced back behind an all-around solid performance from pitcher Lakyn Shull and defeated the Bulls 4-1 in the annual Palm Harbor University Lady 'Canes Spring Tournament.

"We hit the ball much better tonight than last Tuesday," River Ridge coach Ernie Beck said. "You do the things you need to do to score runs, which we didn't do Tuesday night vs. Sunlake."

The Royal Knights (12-2) took the early lead off an error by Bulls shortstop McKenzie Carter that scored Nicole Bylski and Amber Jones. River Ridge added runs in the second and third innings to push the lead to four. The Knights didn't have to score too many more for Shull (three strikeouts), who held the Bulls to five hits.

Bloomingdale (8-8) scored its lone run in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Kaelyn Castellanos singled home Darby Bernaldo from third.

In the earlier game, Countryside routed Gulf 13-3 behind 13 hits and a solid pitching effort from freshman Eryn Rowe, who held the Buccaneers to six hits.

"Because of an injury I had to make changes," Gulf coach Rick Hohenthaner said. "I had to shuffle some players around after the injury to Chelsea Gorr. Before the fourth inning it was a good, tight defensive battle."

Countryside (13-4) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. The Buccaneers (8-7) battled back to tie the game at 3, but an injury to Gorr's knee hurt Gulf and opened the floodgates. In the top of the fifth the Cougars scored five runs, all earned, and cruised from that point.

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

NCAA Women's Tournament Round of 16

Asked an innocuous opening question about Ohio State on Friday, Tennessee C Glory Johnson wasted little time offering bulletin board material leading up to today's region semifinal at the University of Dayton Arena.

"They have a huge post presence, just like ours, but we have more. (We'll) wear out their posts," she said. Try to push it back on them. They can't run with us. I know for sure they can't run with us."

That was only the latest trash talk.

Earlier this week, Ohio State coach Jim Foster was asked what he admired most about Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, whom he butted heads with during his 11 seasons as coach of SEC rival Vanderbilt.

"She's done a great job of getting great players," he said.

There was no mention of developing those players or being a great bench coach for the woman who has won an NCAA-record 1,070 games against just 198 losses.

Foster said his relationship with Summitt during his years at Vanderbilt could be summed up in three words: "No love lost."

Summitt didn't jump into the fray.

"I have a lot of respect for Jim," she said. "We had some knockdown, drag-out games. He did a great job at Vanderbilt. He's going to have his team ready to play."

Whether the Vols (33-2) can slow Ohio State star C Jantel Lavender and whether the Buckeyes (24-9) can run with Tennessee are the game's major subplots.

Lavender, a 6-foot-4 senior, averages 22.9 points and 10.9 rebounds. The Vols plan to throw a lot of big players at her — including the 6-3 Johnson, 6-6 Kelley Cain and 6-4 Vicki Baugh — hoping to wear her down.

"The Big Ten really prepared us for that," Lavender said. "We have big-bodied post players, post players who like to (get physical), post players who are really athletic. Tennessee is kind of that same thing all in one."

Tennessee scored 78.3 points per game in the regular season, 11th in the nation. Meanwhile, Ohio State allowed 65.3 per game, 208th in the nation.

But as for the Vols winning a track meet, Buckeyes PG Samantha Prahalis isn't so sure.

"We've been in a few," said Prahalis, whose team's offense was 30th at 73.9 points per game. "We like to play fast. We like to play in transition."

Injury news: Stanford (31-2) is unsure if backup G Toni Kokenis, whom coach Tara VanDerveer calls her "sixth starter," will be available tonight against North Carolina (28-8). Kokenis, who sprained her left ankle late during a second-round victory over St. John's, averages just 5.6 points coming off the bench but has scored in double figures in five of Stanford's past eight games.

Still home: The last time Gonzaga (30-4) left its home city of Spokane, Wash., was for the West Coast Conference tournament in Las Vegas, which it won March 7. The No. 11 seed played its first two tournament games, wins over No. 6 Iowa and No. 3 UCLA, on its homecourt. Today, it travels about 2 miles to the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena to face No. 7 Louisville (22-12).

Familiar foes: Notre Dame and Oklahoma meet today for the third time in the past four tournaments. In 2008, the Irish (28-7) won a second-round game 79-75. Last year, the Sooners (23-11) won a region semifinal 77-72 in overtime.

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

NCAA Tournament Round of 16

According to reports from 53 schools obtained through open-records requests, Kentucky spent $434,095 in the season leading up to this one. Kansas was second ($419,228) followed by Florida ($326,306), Arkansas ($322,517) and Oklahoma ($316,755).

Private schools such as Duke and Vanderbilt aren't required to divulge their data.

Kentucky's spending comes as the state government is struggling to find a way to cover a $165 million shortfall for Medicaid, which provides health care to the needy. But in its most recent filing, the program had an operating profit of $5.2 million on $16.8 million in revenue.

"Kentucky basketball is one of the most important things in our state," Wildcats athletic director Mitch Barnhart said. "And we are going to direct resources to ensure that it stays that way."

Kentucky's recruiting budget includes accommodations for visits, scouting, communications and traveling expenses, Barnhart said. There is no major airport in Lexington, Ky., and coaches traveled to Oregon, Florida, New York and Europe to recruit.

Barnhart said the team's success compels the athletic department to dedicate resources to recruiting.

"There is an expectation that we continue to be in that group of schools that talks about championship performance," he said. "We've got to match resources to expectations."

Wisconsin spent the least on recruiting, $57,397. Of its 17 players, 15 come from Wisconsin or a neighboring state.

USF was 29th at $148,778, and Florida State was 47th at $93,119.

Dual roles: G Ronald Nored's focus these days is leading Butler. But when the season's over, he picks up a clipboard. The junior already has started practices in his second year of coaching Team Truth, an AAU team filled with high school juniors in Indianapolis.

Nored said it's sometimes hard to keep his players focused at practice. They want to know what's happening with the Bulldogs. That was especially true for last Saturday's game against Pitt, when Shelvin Mack almost cost them a victory by committing a foul with 1.4 seconds left.

"That's the first conversation at practice before we get started. I tell them about what's going on," Nored said. "I told them … that the first thing we're going to work on is not fouling at the end of games."

Bye-bye? San Antonio's Alamodome has hosted several NCAA Tournaments, including Kansas' title game in 2008 and last season's women's Final Four. But its days as a favored site appear to be waning.

Friday's and Sunday's games are the last tournament ones scheduled for the 18-year-old stadium. The opening of Houston's Reliant Stadium, site of this season's Final Four, and Arlington's Cowboys Stadium have created stiff competition in Texas.

Lynn Hickey, tournament director and Texas-San Antonio athletic director, said area officials are exploring ways to reconfigure the Alamodome to lure bigger games.

Draft: Southern Cal F Nikola Vucevic, an all-Pac-10 pick, will skip his senior season.

South Carolina: F Murphy Holloway plans to transfer back to Mississippi. Holloway played his first two seasons for the Rebels but transferred to be closer to his family. Holloway, who averaged 10.1 points and 7.6 rebounds in his sophomore season at Mississippi, sat out this season as required by NCAA transfer rules.

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Lamont Jones spent his last spring break staring at his dorm room walls, fuming over Arizona's failure to make the NCAA Tournament after 25 consecutive berths.

Kemba Walker had similarly sleepless nights when Connecticut missed the tournament for just the fifth time since 1990.

"It happens to all great programs from time to time," Walker said. "But I just decided I wouldn't go through that again."

So did Jones, Walker's friend since junior high. And the dynamic guards from New York have helped get two perennial powers get back to the brink of the Final Four.

Tonight, Arizona (30-7) and UConn (29-9) meet in the West Region final, ending one's resurgence.

"This is the kind of game you expect to play when you go to a school like Arizona or UConn," Jones said. "These are the teams that play for championships, and it's good to get Arizona back on top."

The Wildcats missed the tournament in coach Sean Miller's debut season.

"I didn't expect the dramatic change to happen so fast," said sophomore swingman Kevin Parrom, a Bronx native and Arizona's top bench scorer. "It feels good that we're making our own mark in the history books."

Miller gives much of the credit to the culture of winning built by retired coach Lute Olson. He said programs build a generational momentum that one down season can't kill.

"It was only a matter of time before we bought into what the coaches were selling us," said Derrick Williams, who scored 32 in Thursday's upset of Duke. "It's a chain reaction, and you can believe in what they're saying when you're at a winning program like ours."

The Huskies' absence was just one disappointment in a few years of trouble for coach Jim Calhoun. He dealt with punishment for recruiting violations and what the NCAA called "failing to create an atmosphere of compliance."

Even this winter, UConn scuffled through a .500 regular season in Big East play before winning five games in five days to take the conference tournament followed by this cross-country tournament run. Not much can surprise the 68-year-old coach. But he's pleasantly thrilled by Walker's ability to take charge, including 36 points in Thursday's win over San Diego State.

"It's never unexpected to me. It's joyous to me," Calhoun said. "It's always going to have a special place for me … because of the way we started the season. Nothing seems to get them down. The kids really do want to win and listen, and this group has done as good a job as any team I've had in a long, long time."

Kerry Klecic, Times Correspondent
Friday, March 25, 2011

TAMPA — They say in baseball that a pitcher always needs help from his lineup.

On Friday, that saying didn't apply to Brooks-DeBartolo senior pitcher Javier Reynoso.

Reynoso was equally impressive from the plate and the mound, giving himself plenty of cushion to lead the Phoenix (6-7) to a 10-6 district win at Tampa Prep. (6-8).

"He's a great advantage," Brooks-DeBartolo coach Donnie Oliver said. "It's a big advantage when you have someone who can do that. You've got a kid throwing 90 or 92 mph from the left side; that's a big advantage."

Reynoso was an asset from the plate as well, going 3-for-4 with two home runs. He allowed only two hits and struck out eight in five innings.

Reynoso helped himself out in the top of the first, hitting a home run off Tampa Prep's Nick Adams over the short rightfield fence. Then he did the same thing in the third. With Brooks-DeBartolo leading 3-0, Reynoso's shot to right was almost identical to his first. The Phoenix got another run in the fourth and four in the sixth, including an RBI single from Reynoso, to open a 9-0 lead.

"It was just about throwing strikes tonight and getting my pitches over the plate," Reynoso said. "On the hitting, I wanted to stay back on my weight and try to pull the ball, not kill the ball."

Tampa Prep, which won the earlier meeting in the season, made a late push, roughing up the Phoenix's bullpen for six runs, but it wasn't enough.

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel forwarded e-mails to Terrelle Pryor's mentor that accused the star quarterback of selling memorabilia to a man under federal investigation, the Columbus Dispatch reported Friday.

The newspaper reported that Tressel sent the information to Ted Sarniak, a businessman in Pryor's hometown of Jeannette, Pa. That contradicts the coach's claim that he didn't share the information concerning the players.

Ohio State director of compliance Doug Archie said Sarniak and Pryor are longtime friends and that Sarniak was the player's primary contact during recruiting.

"As the friendship developed, Mr. Sarniak is someone who Terrelle has reached out to for advice and guidance throughout his high-school and collegiate career," Archie said in an e-mail to the newspaper.

Tressel will sit out the first five games this season and was fined $250,000 by the university for failing to notify the school about e-mails he received in April involving two players and questionable activities involving the sale of memorabilia.

During a March 8 news conference about his NCAA violations, Tressel said he was trying to protect his players by not breaking the confidentiality of the federal investigation, not even disclosing the e-mails to the Ohio State staff or the NCAA.

When asked by the paper whether Tressel had passed the information to Sarniak, Ohio State officials said: "We are not discussing any issues relative to the case until it is resolved with the NCAA."

Five Ohio State players, including Pryor, were suspended five games in 2011 for selling jerseys and other memorabilia to the owner of a local tattoo parlor, who was under investigation in a federal drug trafficking case.

More colleges: John Lomax III, 22, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the fatal stabbing of Connecticut junior cornerback Jasper Howard, 20, during an on-campus fight in 2009. … Penn State receiver Curtis Drake hurt his left leg in a drill and will miss the rest of spring practice.

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

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SAN ANTONIO, Texas — In a region full of underdogs, Kansas played like the No. 1 seed it is, beating 12th-seeded Richmond 77-57 Friday night to move one win from its first Final Four since its 2008 title.

The Spiders (29-8) looked jittery in their second Sweet 16 appearance. They passed up open shots, bounced balls into the Jayhawks bench and found themselves down 31-9 with more than six minutes still left in the first half.

"We didn't really play that well, so finishing like that is tough," Richmond center Dan Geriot said.

"There was a lot left in there for us to have competed a little better."

Its play belied the bluster Richmond appeared to show during a chippy confrontation with Kansas players before tipoff.

The Spiders were bouncing around the tunnel of the Alamodome, firing themselves up, when Kansas players brushed past them on their way to the court.

Some apparent contact set off an exchange of words and shoves, and security stepped between the teams.

By the time Kansas (35-2) filed back to the locker room at halftime, it led 41-22.

"We were trying to get past, and they were shoving us," Kansas guard Mario Little said of the pregame encounter. "But we tried to let our play do the talking, and I think we did a good job in the first half."

Kansas coach Bill Self downplayed the pregame tunnel dustup as "typical stuff, but it wasn't anything."

The Jayhawks have yet to be tested this tournament, winning by an average of nearly 18 points.

They are riding — at least on paper — an easy-looking path toward the Final Four. They can make it to Houston next week without having beaten a seed higher than nine.

If that happens, Kansas will join Michigan State in 2001 and North Carolina in 1991 as the only schools to get that far without having to beat a seed higher than nine. And only five teams have reached the Final Four by beating teams seeded eighth or lower, according to STATS LLC.

One of those schools? The 2008 Jayhawks.

That run ended in the Alamodome with Self winning his first title at Kansas. Three years later, the Jayhawks looked every bit at home.

When Thomas Robinson dunked over a pair of Richmond players to make it 31-9, Kansas players on the bench jumped to their feet and laughed. The Jayhawks shot 48 percent from the floor and made 9 of 19 3-pointers.

"We weren't able to slow them down in any way," Richmond coach Chris Mooney said.

Kevin Anderson, who hit the winning shot to upset Vanderbilt in its tournament opener, averaged 26.2 points in Richmond's previous five wins over ranked teams. But the senior scored 13 on 5-of-17 from the floor, including 0-for-6 on 3-pointers.

Mooney sought to inspire his players this week by showing them Richmond's win at Allen Fieldhouse in 2004 during Self's first season at Kansas.

That win ended Kansas' 52-game home unbeaten streak against unranked opponents. But these Jayhawks never looked in trouble.

"It's just a lot of energy, getting ready to play a big game," guard Brady Morningstar said. "So that's how sports are sometimes. And I respect Richmond a lot.

"They're a heck of a team, and I'm glad we got a win."

Times wires
Friday, March 25, 2011

NEWARK, N.J. — Brandon Knight did it again.

The freshman knocked down a jumper with 5.4 seconds left as Kentucky beat top-seeded Ohio State 62-60 on Friday in the East Region semifinals.

The Wildcats' senior center, Josh Harrellson, held his own against Ohio State's super freshman, Jared Sullinger, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

After missing all of his previous shots from the field, Knight hit the winning basket with two seconds left in Kentucky's tournament-opening win over Princeton. Friday, he shrugged off another sluggish performance to drill the biggest shot of his career.

Kentucky coach John Calipari opted not to call timeout after Ohio State's John Diebler hit a 3-pointer to tie the score at 60 with 21.2 seconds left. And Knight delivered a 15-foot jumper.

Ohio State rushed down the floor. But William Buford's 3-pointer clanked off the rim, and the rebound was tapped out of harm's way.

The Wildcats rushed onto the floor as the buzzer sounded. DeAndre Liggins, like Harrellson a leftover from coach Billy Gillispie's days at Kentucky, hopped atop a table and pounded his chest as Knight stood at halfcourt and soaked in the moment.

The win gives Kentucky a chance to avenge a loss to North Carolina this season. The Wildcats fell 75-73 in Chapel Hill in December, a game in which they gave away several chances to win.

Liggins added 15 points for the Wildcats (28-8), who beat Ohio State for the first time in the NCAA Tournament behind a suffocating defense that limited the Buckeyes to 32 percent shooting.

Sullinger led Ohio State (34-3) with 21 points and 16 rebounds. But the Buckeyes fell in the region semifinals for a second straight season.

Heels make quick work of Golden Eagles

NEWARK, N.J. — North Carolina put the whole package — offense, defense and toughness — on display while dismantling Marquette 81-63.

The Tar Heels (29-7) limited Marquette (22-15) to 15 first-half points while opening a 25-point lead.

The first-half points were the second fewest allowed by North Carolina in a half in 144 tournament games (eight against Pitt in the first half of the 1941 East semifinal).

And Marquette's 20 percent shooting from the field, on 6-of-30 shooting, was the second lowest allowed in a half by it in a tournament game (16.7 percent against Radford in the second half of a 2009 first-round game).

"I still think we can play better," Tar Heels guard Dexter Strickland said. "We haven't played to our potential."

Unlike the ACC tournament, when they had to rally from double-digit deficits, the Tar Heels took control early.

Trailing 10-8 with 12:43 to go, North Carolina went on a 19-0 run as Marquette missed 14 consecutive shots. Marquette coach Buzz Williams called three timeouts during the run.

"We just couldn't do anything right in the first half, and that's just not the way we play," said Davante Gardner, who led the Golden Eagles with 16 points. "It was uncharacteristic of us, and actually, it was pretty embarrassing."

Marquette's futility finally ended when Butler hit a jumper with 3:54 to go — there was a derisive cheer from the crowd when the ball went in — ending a nearly nine-minute scoring drought. The Golden Eagles scored five points in the final 12:42 of the half to fall behind 40-15.

North Carolina added to Marquette's misery in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring the first six for a 46-15 lead.

After the second basket, Williams called another timeout.

Again, it didn't matter.

Strickland stole the ensuing inbound pass and scored on a fastbreak.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 25, 2011

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 25, 2011

TAMPA — The boos directed toward the Lightning began with about five minutes left in the second period Friday night against the Hurricanes, and they continued sporadically throughout the first part of the third.

With nearly 10 minutes left in the game and Tampa Bay down three goals, many fans headed for the exits. Then the Lightning stormed back with a flurry as unexpected as its uninspiring start. It scored twice in 52 seconds but lost 4-3 in front of 16,656 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The score wasn't indicative of how the game was played.

"We didn't work (Friday). We deserved the result," alternate captain Marty St. Louis said. "They outplayed us, plain and simple. We didn't respond to any of their surges or anything. We didn't win too many battles. We were easy to play against (Friday).

"I'm running out of answers right now, to be honest. I feel like this is Groundhog Day," St. Louis said, referring to the Bill Murray movie about a man who lives the same day over and over.

The loss was the fourth straight for the Lightning, which has lost 10 of 12, falling out of first place in the Southeast Division and from second to fifth in the East.

Coach Guy Boucher has been disappointed with losses before. But he had trouble finding answers after this one. He had given most of his players two days off after Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Islanders, hoping it would help them re-energize and refocus.

Instead Carolina, fighting for its playoff life, outshot Tampa Bay 25-10 in the first two periods, including holding the Lightning to two shots in the second, matching its season low. Boucher said players were looking for the "pretty play" instead of putting the puck on the net, "and we don't have the skill enough and the depth to go out there and skill it."

"This one scares me," he said. "Because it becomes the result now of our players not sticking to what made us successful all year. To get that, we need guys to do it consistently throughout 60 minutes, and now we're not close to that."

The Lightning (39-24-11), largely due to strong early play by goalie Dwayne Roloson (35 saves), trailed 2-1 after two. But the Hurricanes scored twice in the third, taking a three-goal lead with eight minutes left before the Lightning showed more life.

Boucher said he believes in some cases, previous losses hurt his team in its next game and "we need to be a lot stronger than that and a lot more mature than this."

"We're not competing for anything," Boucher said. "We're kind of floating right now, and that's the wrong state to be in."

First Period—1, TB, Gagne 13 (St. Louis, Lecavalier), 7:11 (pp). 2, Carolina, Skinner 26 (Ruutu, Pitkanen), 12:52. Penalties—Lecavalier, TB (roughing), :13; Skinner, Car (holding), 1:49; Harrison, Car (roughing), 5:53; Harrison, Car (cross-checking), 9:37; Downie, TB (slashing), 9:37.

Second Period—3, Carolina, Cole 21 (Stillman, E.Staal), 8:23 (pp). Penalties—Roloson, TB, served by Purcell (tripping), 1:56; Stamkos, TB (hooking), 7:52; Hedman, TB (tripping), 9:32; Harrison, Car (tripping), 12:52; Bergenheim, TB (hooking), 19:17.

Third Period—4, Carolina, Cole 22, 6:50. 5, Carolina, E.Staal 30 (Corvo, Pitkanen), 12:20 (pp). 6, TB, Lecavalier 20 (Hedman), 13:17. 7, TB, Gagne 14 (St. Louis, Clark), 14:09 (pp). Penalties—Downie, TB, misconduct, 10:56; Stamkos, TB (tripping), 10:56; Joslin, Car (goaltender interference), 14:00; Allen, Car (boarding), 17:20. Shots on Goal—Carolina 16-8-15—39. TB 7-3-11—21. Power-play opportunities—Carolina 2 of 6; TB 2 of 5. Goalies—Carolina, Ward 32-24-9 (21 shots-18 saves). TB, Roloson 20-24-5 (39-35).

Anthony Salveggi, Times Correspondent
Friday, March 25, 2011

SEMINOLE — Turnabout, the saying goes, is fair play.

A little more than two weeks after a wild pitch put Seminole on the short end of a 1-0 loss to Dunedin, the Warhawks used some timely hustle to best the Falcons 1-0 Friday night.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Giovanni Sardo beat out the first baseman's throw to the pitcher, allowing Jordan Doyle to score the game's only run.

The Falcons (10-2) put the tying run in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but Joey Krehbiel stopped the threat when he got Michael Tipton to pop out to the infield then struck out Andrew Brodbeck for the game's final out.

Dunedin was held to two hits by Krehbiel, who also pitched in the previous matchup between the teams.

Falcons pitcher Colyn O'Connell nearly matched Krehbiel's effort. He worked out of bases-loaded situations in the third and fourth innings then cruised in the fifth, putting the Warhawks (11-2) down in order.

Michael Mann led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. He then reached third after Doyle was safe at first on a bunt that O'Connell couldn't get to the first baseman. Scott Withrow followed with a chopper to third, forcing out Mann. Casey Jennings walked to load the bases, and Adam Atkinson hit to the second baseman, who turned the force at home.

Sardo, who had struck out looking to end the fourth, then redeemed himself with his hustle to first base.

Ben Emery led off the top of the seventh with a single, putting the potential tying run on base. Alex Libby bunted him over to second. Tipton's pop fly was the second out, bringing Brodbeck to the plate as the Falcons' last chance.

"Dunedin is one of the best teams in the state," Warhawks coach Greg Olsen said.

He also praised his starting pitcher: "To watch Joey compete the way he did, I can't put it into words. He's a special kid."

By Chris Girandola, Times Correspondent
Saturday, March 26, 2011

CLEARWATER — Palm Harbor University was well aware of Canterbury's recent move up to the top spot in the Class A state softball poll.

The Hurricanes just didn't know what to expect Friday night when they faced the Crusaders in the first round of the Lady 'Canes Spring Tournament at Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater.

Once they figured them out, though, the Hurricanes took advantage of crucial errors and used timely hitting to score two runs in the second, third and fourth innings to build a 6-0 lead.

Canterbury, which had seven juniors return Friday afternoon from a weeklong canoe trip, managed to score two runs late, but PHU starter Taylor Sabol prevented any more damage as the Hurricanes won 6-2 for their ninth consecutive victory.

"We had heard about them and everyone said they were better than they turned out to be," said Sabol, who allowed one earned run and five hits while striking out six over seven innings. "We were a bit nervous because of that so we lacked the intensity we should have had.

"We have to come out more intense from here on out."

After scoring two runs in the second inning thanks to some throwing errors by the Crusaders, the Hurricanes (14-3) began to break away in the third inning when Chrissy Tabulov and Moriah Connolly each had a run-scoring single off Canterbury starter Emily Winesett.

In the fourth inning, the Hurricanes added insurance runs when Megan Copeland and Lindsay Fenlon had RBI singles. Winesett gave up six runs, five earned, in four innings.

Things got interesting toward the end of the game when Canterbury scored a run in the sixth inning on a series of errors by the Hurricanes then put another run on the board in the seventh after loading the bases with one out.

But Sabol shut the door on the Crusaders with a flyball to rightfield and a runner thrown out to end the game.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 26, 2011

UPDATE: 7:07 p.m.: For the second time in this NCAA Tournament, Florida needed overtime to decide the outcome of a game.

But this time around, things didn't fall Florida's way.

The Gators squandered a double-digit lead midway through the second half, before eventually falling 74-71 in overtime to Butler Saturday afternoon in front of 12,139 at the New Orleans Arena.

Florida (29-8) falls one game shy of advancing to the Final Four. Butler (27-9) will advance to the Final Four for the second consecutive season.

The Gators hit 13 out of 14 free throws in regulation, but in overtime Florida hit 3-of-8 from the free throw line to help seal its fate.

The Gators led 33-32 at halftime, and neither team could generate more than a two-point lead in the first 5 minutes of the second half.

UPDATE, 5:29 p.m.: No. 2 seed Florida is leading No. 8 seed Butler 33-32 at halftime of Saturday's NCAA Southeast Regional at the New Orleans Arena.

A trip to the Final Four in Houston is on the line.

The Bulldogs have battled back from a double-digit defict.

Butler took an early 8-4 lead in the opening 2:17 of the half with back-to-back 3- pointers by junior guard Shelvin Mack to open the game for the Bulldogs.

But the Gators - aided by its inside play of center Vernon Macklin - outscored Butler 7-2 to take a one point lead with 13:39 remaining in the first half.

With 7:35 left in the first half, the Gators were shooting 50 percent from the field. Taking advantage of a size advantage inside, Macklin had 11 of his team-high 15 first half points and Florida led 25-15 with 7:01 remaining.

The double-digit lead wouldn't last long.

Butler outscored Florida 10-2 during a three-minute run to pull within 27-25 with 4:01 remaining.

The Bulldogs ended the half with an offensive rebound and a layup with :03.4 seconds remaining for the halftime score.

Florida guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker have struggled throughout the first half against a stifling Butler defense that kept both limited in shot attempts.

Boynton has five points and just one field goal; Walker has not had a field goal, but is 4-for-4 from the free throw line. The two are a combined 1-for-4 from the field. Mack leads Butler with 14 points.

Florida has shot 44 percent from the field. Butler is shooting 40 percent, and has hit 5-of-15 3-pointers to keep the game close.

NEW ORLEANS - Darrell Newman is standing outside the New Orleans Arena about 75 minutes before tipoff of Florida's NCAA Southeast Regional game against Butler donned in full Gator gear and cheering like he's on scholarship.

Newman and his wife Kim have made the 20-25 minute drive from nearby Boutte, LA., to watch the No. 2 seed Gators and the No. 8 seed Bulldogs battle for the right to advance to the Final Four.

Darrell Newman is high-fiving other Florida fans as they pass by and encouraging them to get fired up.

"We're trying to get them fired up," Darrell Newman said.

Kim Newman is a 1978 Florida grad and an avid basketball fan. Earlier in the day, the two were among a group of fans at the New Orleans Sheraton for a Gator pep rally. Kim had it all on videotape. They saw the Gator players leaving the hotel for the arena, and Florida coach Billy Donovan came out where the fans were during a raffle session.

"Here's Chandler Parsons," she says, proudly showing off pictures on her new camera. "Isn't he cute? And one of the players (Patric Young) touched my hand."

During pregame warm-ups, the Florida players seem loose and relaxed.

Outside, in front of the New Orleans Arena, Deborah Yarbaugh is decked out in her Butler gear, complete with a Final Four shirt commemorating the Bulldogs' appearance in the championship game last season (a 61-59 last-second loss to Duke).

Yarbaugh's 21-year-old son Charles has been best friends with Butler junior guard Ronald Nored since elementary school. Last year, Deborah Yarbaugh sent her son to the Final Four in Indianapolis. This year, because it's Spring Break, she decided to join him in New Orleans. If Butler advances to the Final Four in Houston, Yarbaugh will be there, she said, cheering on Nored.

"He's the most awesome kid," she said. "There's just not words to say about him. His dad passed away awhile back, and I just know he would be so proud to see him now."

Yarbaugh said she's an avid basketball fan - she even correctly called the Kentucky upset over Ohio State Friday night. So here's how she sees today's matchup.

"All they've got to do is stay on their game, pass the ball and run well, and they'll be fine. "Florida struggled a little bit early (in Thursday night's win over BYU), so if they can get going early, they should be fine."

Kim Newman has a little different feeling. She thinks the Gators are bound for Houston and the Final Four.

"I think it's going to be a good game," Kim Newman said. "But after Thursday night's game, in my gut I think they are going to go all the way. It reminded me of Joakim Noan and those guys on those (national championship) teams. They weren't selfish, and that's what Thursday night reminded me of."