Times wires
Saturday, February 19, 2011

AUBURN, Ala. — Thousands of fans — both Auburn and Alabama — came to Toomer's Corner on Saturday to mourn the poisoning of oak trees where Auburn fans have long celebrated wins.

They took pictures and left gifts and tributes, including rolls of toilet paper that surrounded the two 130-year-old oaks.

An Alabama fan, Harvey Updyke Jr., has been charged with first-degree criminal mischief for allegedly using a herbicide to poison the oaks after Auburn beat the Tide in football in November. Updyke, 62, was released from jail on bond Friday night. A trial date has not been set.

"In New York, Times Square is considered the crossroads of the world," retired Auburn athletic director David Housel said. "In our world, Toomer's Corner is the crossroads of Auburn."

The poisoning has momentarily united fans of the bitter rivals.

One Alabama group is raising money for replacements. Auburn coach Gene Chizik and Alabama's Nick Saban issued a joint statement calling it "an isolated incident … that is not representative of what the greatest rivalry in college football is all about."

Alabama student Sean Phillips, said Saturday it is "a really sad day for Alabama as a whole."

"The guy that did this was crazy," he said. "There might be animosity between the schools. But there's always that connection because we're all from Alabama."

Baseball: Hudson Randall struck out six over six innings as host Florida beat USF 4-1. The Gators won the first two games of the season-opening series. Tommy Toledo, a graduate of Tampa's Alonso High, pitched 21/3 scoreless innings for the save. … Stephen McGee's two-run double highlighted a five-run fifth as host Florida State (2-0) beat VMI 9-2.

Times wires
Saturday, February 19, 2011

TAMPA— David Wells is a changed man.

The former pitcher known as the "Hefty Lefty" during his playing days is a Yankees spring training instructor in a camp where player weights have become a focal point.

In the opening week, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said RH reliever Joba Chamberlain is heavier, ace LHP CC Sabathia reported 25 pounds lighter after minor right knee surgery and nonroster RHP Bartolo Colon is looking to shed 25 pounds.

Even a lighter Alex Rodriguez, who took grounders on a back field Saturday during his initial spring workout, was part of this year's weighty topic.

"It was his decision," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Rodriguez, 35, who had right hip surgery two years ago.

In a camp with some big men, a slimmer Wells caught Girardi's eyes right away.

"He's in better shape now than when he played," Girardi said with a smile.

Wells has developed a new outlook about carrying too much weight. A type-2 diabetic, Wells also reflected on how extra pounds affected back and knee injuries.

"That's why now, some of the bigger dudes, if they do have weight problems, I'm here if they want to talk to me about certain things," Wells said. "I would push them to lose the weight, not be a hard (guy) like I was because I've been through all the injuries. Do what they say. Get down to the goal they want you to, or get close to it. I'm sure they'll compromise."

Phils: Aiming high

CLEARWATER — For all those predicting the Phillies will win the World Series, the players quickly point out there's a long way to go until October.

To be exact, Game 1 of the World Series is 241 days away.

The four-time NL East champions have been prohibitive favorites since adding LHP Cliff Lee to an already elite starting rotation, and anything less than a World Series title would be a failure.

"I'd agree with that," Jimmy Rollins said. "That's what we wanted last year. It didn't happen. Nobody was satisfied with losing in the NLCS and winning 97 games."

Rollins, who famously called the Phillies the team to beat in the NL East in 2007 then backed it up with an MVP season, is back in the prognostication business.

"Yeah, we'll win 100 games," he said. "I really plan on going after, who is it, Seattle won (116) or something recently."

Jays: Comeback trail

DUNEDIN — Dustin McGowan has looked impressive early in his bid to return to the majors.

The right-hander knows he's running out of chances.

McGowan, 28, who was once projected to be the Blue Jays' ace, hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008 thanks to two major shoulder operations. He has thrown three bullpen sessions over the past two weeks but has been limited to 25 pitches.

"This is basically my last chance to get it right, and I want to do it the right way and make sure everything goes smoothly," he told MLB.com.

"There's no way to go through another surgery like that. I just want to make sure everything heals properly and I get it right this time."

Thomas P. Corwin, Special to the Times
Saturday, February 19, 2011

NAPLES — Entering Saturday night's Class 2A region final, Indian Rocks Christian had been undefeated on the road. Community School of Naples made sure that road came to a bitter end.

Michelle Woods scored 16 points and the Seahawks connected on seven 3-pointers to win 48-33. The Seahawks (24-5) earned their third straight trip to the state final four.

"We thought we were ready to play coming into the game," Indian Rocks coach Phil Farver said. "But we turned the ball over way too much. We had a lot of back-door passes that were intercepted or went out of bounds. It was very frustrating in that we only scored half of what our season average in points has been."

Tori Trador and Rachel Burnett each had 10 points for the Golden Eagles (28-4).

"We did a fairly good job on defense," Farver said. "But the transition game hurt us a lot. It gave Community School a lot of easy layups."

The key to the game came early in the fourth when Community School put together an 11-2 run. The Golden Eagles trailed the whole game, but never by more than seven until the final quarter. IRC had averaged 80 points a game in its previous two wins.

"Our girls did a phenomenal job on defense," Community School coach Mitch Woods said. "Indian Rocks has three 1,000-point scorers. We've worked hard on defense all year, and we handled defense on perimeter shooting very well."

Indian Rocks made only 4-of-18 shots from 3-point range.

CSN led 23-17 at halftime. The Golden Eagles pulled within 26-22, but 10 minutes later CSN was ahead by 12 with 6:18 left.

Times wires
Saturday, February 19, 2011

Cycling

Malaysian guts out third-place finish

MANCHESTER, England — Azizulhasni Awang won a bronze medal at the Track World Cup, and boy, did he earn it.

The Malaysian got back on his bike after four of the six riders crashed in Saturday's sprint final. Soon after, the extent of his injury became clear — a splinter of wood through his left calf.

Awang crossed the finish line fourth but was moved up after Spain's Juan Peralta Gascon, part of the crash, was disqualified for running across the line — without his bike.

Third was good enough to give Awang the series title ahead of Britain's Chris Hoy, who won the race.

Awang missed his moment on the podium (and was unavailable for comment) because he was on his way to a hospital.

"Awang is always in there with the rough and tumble," Hoy said. "So it's almost inevitable it's going to happen to him."

Tennis

Wozniacki moves on

Caroline Wozniacki beat Jelena Jankovic 7-5, 6-3 to reach the final of the Dubai Championships in the United Arab Emirates. The Dane, who will move up a spot to No. 1 on Monday, won the final four games of the first set and faces Svetlana Kuznetsova (6-4, 6-4 over Flavia Pennetta).

Morgan Keegan: Milos Rao­nic, who won the event in San Jose, Calif., last week, beat Tampa resident Mardy Fish 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the final in Memphis. He faces Andy Roddick (6-3, 6-4 over Juan Martin del Potro).

Horses

Bridgetown wins Dash

Bridgetown, ridden by Willie Martinez for trainer Todd Pletcher, won the $75,000 Turf Dash in a stakes-record time of 55.28 seconds over 5 furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar. Great Attack was second, Quite a Dude third.

Jockey moving: Eibar Coa, who has more than 4,000 wins, moved his hands after surgery for a broken C-4 vertebrae. Friday, he was thrown from his horse at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. Doctors aren't sure if he will regain movement in his legs.

Et cetera

Soccer: Tim Howard made a save to help visiting Everton beat Chelsea 4-3 in a shootout (after a 1-1 tie) and reach Round 5 of the FA Cup. Chelsea sought to be the first to win three straight titles since Blackburn in 1884-86.

Greyhounds: Flying Skillful, Kiowa Class King, M's Free Agent and Odd Inspector won first-round qualifying races for the $64,000 Sprint Classic at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. Favored Flying Coal City ran sixth. Qualifying resumes Wednesday night.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Times wires
Saturday, February 19, 2011

LOS ANGELES — Aaron Baddeley played 22 holes Saturday in just about every kind of weather, and it hardly mattered. He hit just about every shot where he was aiming and wound up with a one-shot lead in the Northern Trust Open.

In finishing a round suspended by darkness, Baddeley birdied the 18th in the chill of the morning for 69. He then ran off three straight birdies around the turn just as the afternoon rain arrived. That led to 4-under 67, giving him a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour for the first time in five years. He was at 10-under 203.

Fred Couples and his 51-year-old aching back managed well enough in the cold and rain. Couples made only one blunder, when he chipped too strong off the back of the 10th green for his lone bogey.

"I was thinking, 'What am I going to shoot on the back nine, 40?' " Couples said. "You start playing like those guys did yesterday in that weather, anything would have happened."

Something did. The rain stopped, and Couples played the rest of the way in 1-under par, tied for second at 204 and keeping alive his hopes of becoming the oldest PGA Tour winner in more than 35 years.

Kevin Na, who grew up nearby and first came to Riviera as an 11-year-old in 1995, plodded along to 67 and also was one back.

Vijay Singh turns 48 Tuesday and is starting to play much younger. In the worst slump of his career, Singh felt like the world's best putter in the third round as he turned in 67 and was two shots behind.

Singh last won in 2008 at the Deutsche Bank Championship on his way to the FedEx Cup title.

Baddeley's last victory was in 2007 at the Phoenix Open. Later that year, he had a two-shot lead going into the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont, only to close with 80. His game was in such disarray that he has plunged to No. 224 in the world ranking.

He is back with his old swing coach and starting to see results.

"I'm excited to test out the new action, and I feel good. I feel like it's going to be fun (today)," Baddeley said.

Baddeley was among those who went to the "Stack and Tilt" method taught by Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, then decided to go back to his Australian coach, Dale Lynch.

LPGA: Yani Tseng shot 2-under 70 for a one-shot lead after the third round at the LPGA Thailand in Pattaya. She's trying for her third victory in three weeks. A 4-foot eagle putt on her finishing hole gave her 9-under 207, one better than Michelle Wie (71) and second-round leader I.K. Kim (72). Seminole's Brittany Lincicome (76) was 3 over. Tseng became the world No. 1 when she won the Australian Open by seven, then the Australian Ladies Masters by four last weekend.

Champions: Bernhard Langer shot 6-under 66 and led the ACE Group Classic in Naples by four strokes heading into the final round. Langer matched the tournament's 36-hole record at 14-under 130. Mark O'Meara, Russ Cochran, Fred Funk and Mark Calcavecchia were tied for second. Langer, 53, has failed to win only once in 10 tournaments in which he either shared or was in the lead after two rounds.

Times wires
Saturday, February 19, 2011

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Florida State needed a half to find the energy and intensity to hand the ACC's worst team another loss Saturday.

Bernard James scored 15, and the Seminoles pulled away to beat Wake Forest 84-66, keeping them in sole possession of third in the conference.

Ian Miller and Deividas Dulkys added 14 for the Seminoles (19-7, 9-3 ACC), who trailed by two at halftime before dominating the rest of the way against the last-place Demon Deacons (8-19, 1-11).

FSU used a 13-2 run to push ahead by double figures then increased the margin to 20 by attacking the rim while Wake grew steadily more passive.

"Just intensity and energy," James said. "We picked both of them up, and we really got in synch."

It was FSU's first game without Chris Singleton, a 6-foot-9 junior who was leading it in scoring (13.8) and rebounding (7.1) before breaking his right foot Saturday against Virginia. He had surgery Monday and is out indefinitely.

"We tried to just develop a mind-set that you can't be overly concerned about those things you have no control over," Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton said. "And what we do have control over is the approach we have taken each and every day in practice. We understand we have to perform with the team we have available."

On Saturday, that meant a second half similar to its 85-61 home win against Wake on Feb. 1. Then, the Seminoles scored 54 in the second half, including 27 off turnovers. This time, they scored 53, including 18 off turnovers.

"What happened between the first half and the second half is a mystery to me," Wake coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "We came out very lethargic, for whatever reason."

Times wires
Saturday, February 19, 2011

DAYTONA BEACH — Immediately after crossing the finish line of the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway, Tony Stewart went on his radio and congratulated his team on the Nationwide series victory.

Stewart was sure of it — even if no one else was.

"If not, I was going to look really stupid saying, 'I won, I won,' " Stewart said.

Stewart surged ahead of Clint Bowyer off the final turn Saturday to win by 0.007 seconds, the closest margin of victory in series history at Daytona.

It was Stewart's fourth consecutive victory in the series' season-opening race and his sixth in seven years.

With six laps to go, Stewart had to pit because of a flat tire and fell from second to 11th. But he hooked up with 21-year-old Landon Cassill shortly after the restart, and the duo slowly picked through the field.

They got to the front in the waning seconds.

Bowyer got a boost from Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the final turn, but when Earnhardt made his move, Bowyer shifted back in front of Earnhardt.

That provided Stewart just enough time to lurch ahead.

Cassill finished third and Earnhardt fourth.

"I was worried about that because I'd never done this — actually, I've never done any drafting before in the Nationwide series," Cassill said. "It was kind of a learn-on-the-fly thing."

Bowyer was second for the second time in three days; he barely lost to teammate Jeff Burton in Thursday's 150-mile Sprint Cup qualifier.

"You work the whole race to put yourself in a situation to be there at the end," Bowyer said. "I've been able to do it twice. I've just got to get it all together for (today) and win the big one."

PATRICK MAKES HISTORY: Danica Patrick led Lap 30, becoming the first woman to lead a lap in a NASCAR race at Daytona. Her jump to the top came from a push by Bowyer.

Patrick finished 14th, her career best in the series.

"I pushed a little bit at the end, a little too late," the full-time IndyCar driver said. "But it was really cool when Clint was pushing me and they told me that I did lead a lap, at least."

Still, she often found drafting help hard to come by.

"I'm probably not to the point where if I pull out, people are going to go, 'All right, she's going, I'm going,' " Patrick said. "So that takes a while to earn the trust and respect from all the other drivers. I'm not mad at that. That's just going to take time."

Patrick's run was part of a historic weekend for women at the 2.5-mile oval. In Friday's trucks race, Jennifer Jo Cobb was sixth, the best for a woman in series history. Cobb is the first woman to finish in the top 10 in any of NASCAR's top three divisions at Daytona.

MORE HELP: The feel-good story of Speedweeks took another turn Saturday when Brian Keselowski picked up a sponsor for today's Daytona 500. The journeyman received funding from Discount Tire. "It's awesome," Keselowski said. " … They've made it happen."

EAST BAY RACEWAY: Mark Smith won the King of the 360's main event late Friday at the dirt track in Gibsonton.

By Chris Wagenheim, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 19, 2011

LAND O'LAKES — An explosive third quarter from Leesburg coupled with sickness-induced fatigue ended Land O'Lakes' postseason Saturday night as the Gators fell 61-49 in the Class 4A region finals.

"The third quarter has been big for us all year," Leesburg coach Mark Oates said. "We should have exploded in the first quarter, but we missed 11 layups in the first half."

The Yellow Jackets came out strong at the beginning and went up 7-0. The Gators, however, clawed back to take a 13-11 first-quarter lead thanks in big part to Simone Brown's eight points.

Brown, who was battling illness, finished with 17 points. The Gators' leading scorer, Shanel Sweet, also was sick, but finished with 20 points despite coming up empty in the first quarter.

"I got text messages last night saying that two of my girls were sick, and of course it had to be (Brown) and (Sweet)," Land O'Lakes coach Laurie Tyszko said. "I texted them today and they both were still sick, so I knew tonight wasn't going to be a good night."

Visibly fatigued after the first half, Brown, Sweet and the rest of the Gators were forced into playing the fast break.

"In the second half, we wanted to play full court on (Sweet) and make her expend energy," Oates said. "I thought she wore down as the game went on and that was the game plan. Just like the old saying, 'If you cut off the head, the body will follow.' "

The Gators were outscored 18-8 in the third quarter and never recovered.

Saturday was only the second time Land O'Lakes has reached the region finals.

"No one expected us to get this far," Tyszko said. "We played our hearts out."

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 19, 2011

TAMPA — Coach Guy Boucher said the Lightning is "really lucky" C Steven Stamkos wasn't seriously hurt when he went legs-first into the boards on a hit in the first period Saturday.

"That," Boucher said, "was scary."

About eight minutes into the game, Stamkos was racing for the puck deep in Florida's zone when D Mike Weaver hit him, knocking the star off his feet and sending him into the boards. Weaver was called for boarding. Stamkos stayed on his knees on the ice for a minute and was attended to by the team's athletic training personnel.

Stamkos returned to the game and said afterward he was fine, was fortunate he did not hit his head and that the hit was not worse.

"I wasn't expecting (it)," Stamkos said. "I was just trying to protect the puck. It's a dangerous play. I'm thankful I didn't get too seriously injured."

Stamkos said he hadn't seen a replay of the hit but "thought it was a little bit from behind."

"We're really lucky on this one," Boucher said. "Any time there's knees going into the boards full speed, there's a lot of worry there. We're quite happy with this one."

A night off: There's no question that G Dwayne Roloson has made a big impact since being acquired from the Islanders in January.

But as good as Roloson has been, he hasn't been at his best the past five games, giving up a combined 23 goals.

G Dan Ellis started Saturday against the Panthers, but Boucher said that had been planned awhile ago.

Boucher said though Roloson hasn't played like he is capable of recently — considering the standard he set with four shutouts already in a Lightning uniform — he is just small adjustments away from getting back on track.

"It hasn't been his top game," Boucher said. "It's not bad. He's made a difference in many games, and he hasn't made the difference in the last games. He's been okay, but he hasn't made a difference."

Roloson, 41, said he doesn't pay attention to numbers and believes it is important to not get frustrated because that can affect his game. But what has bothered him is the team results. The Lightning has lost four of his past five starts, though one was a 4-3 shootout loss to Philadelphia.

"It's about getting wins, and that's all that matters," Roloson said. "Obviously, I'm not getting the wins, and that matters to me."

THE NEW GUY: Boucher was thrilled with the trade for D Eric Brewer, who he believes is "exactly what we were looking for." And Brewer, acquired Friday from the Blues for a third-round draft pick and the rights to defense prospect Brock Beuke­boom, was thrown right into the starting lineup Saturday, paired with veteran D Mattias Ohlund and playing 17:29.

Boucher said Brewer, who wears No. 2, will often play against the opposing team's top line and on the penalty kill. Brewer was on the ice during a Panthers five-on-three power play in the first period. "We got a top-notch player, and he fits right in," Boucher said.

Miscellany: LW Johan Harju and D Matt Smaby were scratched.

By Bryan Burns, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 19, 2011

LAND O'LAKES — For a fleeting moment in the first quarter, the faithful who crammed into Academy at the Lakes' gym, hoping to see if the upstart Wildcats could continue their unlikely run through the postseason, dared to think about the impossible.

The Wildcats kept region final opponent Trinity Christian Academy off the scoreboard for more than four minutes and multiple possessions to start the game. Marjorie Rivera drove the lane for a layup, Andrea Mauger drained an open look from 3-point range and the intimate setting inside the tiny gym suddenly turned frenzied.

Trinity Christian, three years removed from a Class A state championship and a participant in the semifinals a year ago, wasn't quite so superhuman, it seemed. The Warriors had weaknesses. The Wildcats were finding them. And their fans, sensing a miracle, were excited.

Unfortunately for Academy at the Lakes, it too had a number of shortcomings, and they were all exposed by a veteran Trinity Christian team in a 59-30 runaway win.

The Warriors (21-4) used their decided size advantage to outrebound the Wildcats 51 to 32. The Warriors' superior athleticism forced Academy into 30 turnovers. And an 8-0 run to end the first half followed by a 20-2 scoring margin in the third quarter signaled the end for Academy (19-5).

"It was women playing against girls, for the most part," AATL coach Karim Nohra said. "It showed, and it shows clearly when you're outmuscled on the boards."

Initially, the Wildcats defense forced Trinity Christian into tough shots. But all too often, the Warriors were waiting under the basket for several followup attempts before finally converting. Crystal Connors alone had 20 rebounds for the Warriors, and she added 15 points, mostly on put backs.

Trinity Catholic led 10-7 after the first quarter and opened a 14-10 advantage before Alex Gittens and Alexis Holler made consecutive field goals to tie it up.

Then the game turned bizarre, as Trinity Christian coach Luke McCray called for his star forward Danielle McCray, a Mississippi signee, to hold the ball near half court. Nohra kept his defense back, settled behind the 3-point line, and for two minutes, 41 seconds, McCray (game-high 17 points) stood like a statue, moving only once to wipe some perspiration off the ball with her shorts.

The stall tactic worked, though. The Warriors scored the next four baskets to go into halftime ahead 22-14 and dominated the second half.

"They were real hype, so I just stalled the ball so they can get back focus," Luke McCray said. "Then you see after we stalled them, and they started back playing, it was a whole different game."

The Warriors outscored the Wildcats 20-2 in the third quarter for a 42-16 lead going into the final quarter.

"We got sloppy and turned the ball over more than we should have," Nohra said. "Most of their points in that spurt was transition points. That's where they got their points."

Nohra, 0-for-7 in region finals, said he has never been more proud of one of his teams. Last season, the Wildcats were 0-15.

"I told them, 'You have made school history. Nobody can take that away from you. Nobody expected you to be here in the elite eight, are you kidding me?' "

By Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 19, 2011

EAST LAKE — At no point this past fall was Tarpon Springs at the center of the Pinellas County baseball discussion. The Spongers, after all, started last season 1-7 and finished with a losing record.

Yet one week into the 2011 season, Tarpon Springs is 3-0.

The Spongers' unexpected transformation continued in the final of the Lee Byers Invitational on Saturday, where they defeated Springstead 7-4. The Spongers, one of just a handful undefeated teams in Pinellas, now have confidence going into a Class 5A, District 11 showdown with Dunedin on Tuesday.

"I like where we're headed," said Tarpon Springs coach Dickie Hart, who had to sit out the championship game after being ejected earlier this week. "I think we can win a lot of games."

Michael Dunnigan pitched a complete game in the tournament final, allowing seven hits, six of which came in the first 2 2/3 innings. It was the second win in the tournament for Dunnigan, who was named to the all-tournament team. Other Spongers who were on the all-tournament were Tommy Grill, Danny Robison and Cole Miklavic.

Counting preseason games, the Spongers have won five straight.

"We're really starting to come together," Hart said. "We formed an AAU team in the offseason and the guys have played a ton of games."

Times wires
Saturday, February 19, 2011

LUBBOCK, Texas — Casey Morris scored 13 to lead Texas Tech to a 56-45 upset of No. 1 Baylor on Saturday. It was the first time the No. 1 team lost to an unranked team since Jan. 26, 2006, when Kentucky beat Tennessee.

The Raiders (19-7, 6-6 Big 12) led for most of the game and went up 52-37 with 5:23 left on Kierra Mallard's jumper. Tech beat No. 20 Iowa State 61-50 in its previous game and plays at No. 5 Texas A&M on Tuesday.

"I don't think we ever had a doubt," Morris said. "I think we know we can beat Texas A&M. We know we can beat Baylor. We know we can beat anybody when we play as good as we can."

Baylor (24-2, 11-1) got 15 points and six rebounds from center Brittney Griner. It lost for the first time since 65-64 at Connecticut on Nov. 16, a span of 21 games, and made 15 of 58 shots.

"We just kept thinking, 'We're going to shoot better. We're going to shoot better,' " said coach Kim Mulkey, whose team entered scoring 81.7 points per game. "We were just stuck in the mud. We didn't move."

UConn rips No. 8 Irish

STORRS, Conn. — Bria Hartley scored 29 as No. 2 UConn routed No. 8 Notre Dame 78-57.

"If I had the open shot, I'd take it," said the freshman, who had hit double figures once in her previous six games. "If they came out on me, I'd drive by."

UConn (26-1, 13-0 Big East) has won 14 in a row since its 90-game win streak ended, including Jan. 8, when it rallied to beat Notre Dame (22-5, 11-2) 79-76.

No. 5 texas A&M 76, Okla. St. 67: Tied at 54 with 5:00 left, the host Aggies (22-3, 10-2 Big 12) scored 11 in a row.

No. 14 Okla. 91, Texas 62: Whitney Hand scored 23 to lead the host Sooners (19-7, 9-3 Big 12) to their largest margin of victory in the teams' 40 meetings.

No. 17 wis.-Green Bay 77, Wis.-Milwaukee 59: An 11-2 run put the visiting Phoenix (25-1, 14-0) up 68-51 with 5:36 left and clinched a share of the Horizon title.

No. 20 Iowa St. 71, Colo. 45: The host Cyclones (18-8, 6-6 Big 12) committed a season-low six turnovers and used a 13-0 second-half run to pull away.

No. 21 W. Va. 90, Pitt 79: The visiting Mountaineers (21-6, 7-6 Big East) led by as many as 21 in ending a three-game skid.

Rutgers 76, No. 22 Marquette 55: A 24-1 first-half run sparked the visiting Knights. The Eagles (20-6, 8-5 Big East) missed 29 of 34 shots in the first half and 47 of 65 overall.

No. 25 Gonzaga 103, San Fran. 59: The visiting Bulldogs (24-4, 12-0) clinched their seventh straight West Coast title with help from a 23-0 run bridging the halves.

State

L'ville 66, USF 55: A 13-4 run put the visiting Cardinals up by 15 with 4:28 left. USF (10-17, 1-12) has lost a school-record 12 Big East games.

Tampa 71, Nova SE 49: Lindsey Watson scored 22 for the host Spartans (19-5, 11-3 Sunshine State), who used a 20-6 second-half run to pull away.

Eckerd 61, Fla. Tech 51: Kati Rausberg scored 14 for the visiting Tritons (15-10, 8-7 SSC), who trailed by 10 early in the second half before a 24-6 run.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 19, 2011

TAMPA — As consistently as USF has stayed close with the Big East's elite teams late in games this season, the Bulls have been just as reliable at failing to capitalize down the stretch.

So Saturday night was all too familiar for Stan Heath, whose team led No. 9 Georgetown by seven early and found itself down by four with the ball and 45 seconds to play. Georgetown's defense stepped up, guard Chris Wright went 6-for-6 at the line in the final 30 seconds and the Hoyas escaped the Sun Dome with a 61-55 victory, dropping USF to 0-10 against ranked teams.

"It's tough when you're not able to pull one out," Heath said. "I think our guys recognize that even though our record looks like we're a bad team, we're not what our record indicates. We're going to fight you. We're going to battle. And at some point in time, it's going to pay off. We're going to turn the corner and be on the other end of the four- or five-point games."

The Bulls, who took BYU to double overtime in November and Connecticut to overtime in December, had chances to pull off the upset they've barely missed all season in Big East play. Instead, they had the same consolation of another opposing coach singing their praises.

"With the exception of Notre Dame, every game has been just like this," Hoyas coach John Thompson III said. "Every game has been close. They've been in it, they've been up, down by a short margin. As a coach, you worry and try to express that to your team. Every game has been literally just like this. What it is (that's kept the Bulls from winning) … I'm not equipped to answer that. I'm just glad we turned out on the side we did."

Facing their third top-10 team in eight days, the Bulls (8-20, 2-13) came out strong, leading 24-17 as forward Augustus Gilchrist was aggressive to set the tone. USF held the Hoyas' leading scorer, Austin Freeman, scoreless in the first half and trailed just 28-26 at the break.

Gilchrist had one of his best games of the season, scoring 22 on 10-of-16 shooting to go with a team-best seven rebounds. And after falling behind by 11 late, the Bulls rallied to within four points with 53 seconds left, then got a backcourt steal by Anthony Crater only to see Hugh Robertson's driving shot blocked by Georgetown's Hollis Thompson. Wright, who had 26 points, clinched the win at the line to disappoint an announced crowd of 6,190.

"We have to figure out how to win games at the end; that's the one thing we haven't figured out," Gilchrist said. "As soon as we get that, we'll start cashing in on playing all these ranked teams hard."

Times wires
Saturday, February 19, 2011

LOS ANGELES — Blake Griffin leaped over a car and threw down a two-handed dunk to the accompaniment of a gospel choir, winning the slam dunk contest before his hometown fans on All-Star Saturday.

The Clippers' rookie caught a pass thrown out of the sunroof from teammate Baron Davis and easily cleared the 2011 Kia Optima's hood as the Crenshaw Select Choir sang I Believe I Can Fly at midcourt.

The inventive slam drove home the obvious point of the All-Star weekend's silly Saturday: Griffin has both the raw athleticism and the showtime flair to be the NBA's next big star.

With an entire building solidly behind Griffin, finalist Javale McGee of Washington and Toronto's DeMar DeRozan really didn't stand a chance despite their own creative dunks at Staples Center.

Griffin, 21, started the contest with a 360-degree spin dunk before converting a bounce pass off the side of the backboard in the first round.

The first rookie All-Star in eight years then brought back a difficult favorite with his first dunk of the final, sticking his arm into the hoop and hanging from it by his elbow, as Vince Carter did while winning the 2000 contest.

And when fans saw the car driving out of the arena tunnel, the contest already seemed over.

MAKING NICE: Kobe Bryant needed only a quick survey of the All-Star rosters for the names to jump out at him. "We're playing the Celtics and the Heat," he said. "And the Hawks."

Forget that last one. Those first two should spice up tonight's game on Bryant's home floor, particularly the presence of a record-tying four players from that hated team in green.

Boston coach Doc Rivers leads an East team that includes Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. He also gets Miami's Big Three, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in his starting lineup.

So tonight the Celtics and Heat, developing their own rivalry, must play nice.

"For that weekend, as hard as it is, we'll kind of put the rivalries and the dislikes aside for the better of the fans and the better of the game," James said.

Rivers is glad to hear it — even if he doesn't necessarily buy it.

"I've always been amazed by it, even when you know guys don't like each other," he said. " … You know, boy, they're so … phony right now. That's what you want to say."

WINNERS: Miami's James Jones held off Boston teammates Pierce and Allen to win his first 3-point shootout. Jones had 20 points in the final round. Golden State's Stephen Curry beat Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook to win the Skills Challenge, and a three-person team from Atlanta won the Shooting Stars competition.

NO MOVE, NO MEETING: Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov met with Nuggets All-Star Carmelo Anthony just hours after a spokeswoman for the Russian billionaire said they would not meet. Nets minority owner and rapper Jay-Z also was involved, according to the New York Daily News. Several outlets had reported that Anthony would not sign an extension with the Nets if they got him in a trade.

Stern on labor talks: 'It's time to start'

Commissioner David Stern said "it's time to start negotiating" a new collective bargaining agreement and kill the rhetoric.

But shortly after he said the players largely agreed with the league's financial figures, the union said it still disagreed. Stern said the league and the players association realize the importance of a deal before the current one expires June 30.

The sides met Friday and agreed to hold more talks in smaller groups over the next few months.

The league is leaning toward a hard salary cap, which union executive director Billy Hunter has called a "nonstarter."

Times wires
Saturday, February 19, 2011

NEW YORK — Madison Square Garden has been a second home to St. John's basketball over the past eight decades.

The current team has turned the building at 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue into a house of horrors for highly ranked teams.

Dwight Hardy's underhanded flip with 1.2 seconds left Saturday gave the Red Storm a 60-59 victory over No. 4 Pittsburgh before a crowd of 14,514. It was its fifth win this season over a team that spent time in the top 10; all have been at Madison Square Garden.

With five wins in six games overall, St. John's is looking at its first Top 25 appearance in just more than a decade.

"I can't wait," Red Storm forward Justin Burrell said. "We deserve to see that number."

Much of the credit has to go to first-year coach Steve Lavin, who has reminded some of St. John's legend Lou Carnesecca's low-pressure style.

"He's calm. He's the calmest out of everybody, just sitting there smiling and tells us we're going to win the game and to stick with it," Hardy said of Lavin, who returned to coaching after seven years as a TV analyst.

Hardy started his winning drive near midcourt and went past Gilbert Brown twice on the right side of the court. He went to the baseline and underhanded the ball up and over the rim.

"I knew the ball was going to be in my hands during the timeout," Hardy said. "Once I couldn't make my initial move, I just had to go with my instincts, not think, and I had a layup with reverse spin, made the shot and no one was on my side. When I saw that, I elevated as quick as I could so no one could come over and block it."

Ashton Gibbs, who missed three games with an MCL injury to his left knee, had a career-high 26 points for the Panthers (24-3, 12-2), who had won five straight.

NO. 1 KANSAS 89, COLO. 63: Markieff Morris had 26 points and 15 rebounds as the host Jayhawks (25-2, 10-2 Big 12) bounced back from an ugly loss to Kansas State.

NEBRASKA 70, NO. 3 TEXAS 67: Brandon Richardson hit two free throws with 7.2 seconds left for the host Cornhuskers, who snapped a record 11-game Big 12 winning streak by the Longhorns (23-4, 11-1).

NO. 6 SAN DIEGO ST. 70, AIR FORCE 58: Malcolm Thomas had 20 points to help the visiting Aztecs (27-1, 12-1 Mountain West) set a school record for victories.

NO. 7 BYU 79, TCU 56: Jimmer Fredette had 23 points to lead four players in double figures for the visiting Cougars (25-2, 11-1 Mountain West).

W. VA. 72, NO. 8 NOTRE DAME 58: Truck Bryant broke out of a slump with 24 points for the host Mountaineers, who ended a seven-game winning streak by the Irish (21-5, 10-4 Big East).

NO. 12 ARIZONA 87, WASH. 86: Derrick Williams had 26 points, 13 rebounds and a game-saving block on Darnell Gant with less than a second left, lifting the host Wildcats (23-4, 12-2 Pac-10).

NO. 15 VILLANOVA 77, DEPAUL 75, OT: Corey Fisher had a career-high 34 points and hit a tying 3-pointer near the end of regulation as the visiting Wildcats (21-6, 9-5 Big East) escaped.

NO. 17 SYRACUSE 84, RUTGERS 80, OT: Kris Joseph scored six of his 21 in overtime for the host Orange (22-6, 9-6 Big East), which avoided a major upset.

NO. 18 VANDY 77, AUBURN 60: The visiting Commodores (20-6, 8-4 SEC) went on a 23-4 run after the Tigers had tied it six minutes into the second half.

NO. 19 UNC 48, BC 46: The visiting Tar Heels (20-6, 10-2 ACC) held the Eagles to a season-worst 26.9 percent shooting.

NO. 20 MIzzou 76, IOWA ST. 70: Marcus Denmon had 25 points as the Tigers (21-6, 7-5) got their first Big 12 road win this season.

NO. 21 TEXAS A&M 67, OKLA. ST. 66: B.J. Holmes hit two key free throws in the final seconds as the visiting Aggies (21-5, 8-4 Big 12) won their fourth straight game.

NO. 22 KENTUCKY 90, S.C. 59: Darius Miller had a career-high 22 points for the host Wildcats (19-7, 7-5 SEC).

NO. 24 XAVIER 79, FORDHAM 72: Tu Holloway had his second career triple double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the host Musketeers (20-6, 11-1 Atlantic 10).

NO. 25 UTAH ST. 75, SAINT MARY'S 65: Tai Wesley and Brockeith Pane had 22 points each, and the visiting Aggies (25-3) rallied from a 10-point deficit early in the second half.

REBOUND MARK: Morehead State's Kenneth Faried snapped Tim Duncan's modern (since 1973) Division I career rebounding record with 12, giving him 1,576, six more than Duncan had at Wake Forest from 1994 to 1997.

State

UAB 63, UCF 58: The Blazers snapped a two-game winning streak by the Golden Knights (16-9, 3-9 C-USA).

TAMPA 91, NOVA SE 82, OT: Anthony Griffis had 21 points as the host Spartans (20-5, 9-5 Sunshine State) reached 20 wins for the first time since 2007-08.

ECKERD 65, FLA. TECH 63: Alex Bodney hit two free throws with 0.5 seconds left to lift the visiting Tritons (19-6, 10-5 SSC) to their fourth straight win.

Chris Girandola, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 19, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — With two key district games looming this week, Dunedin coach Tom Hilbert figured it was safe to bring in a reliever or two after Aaron Chesson held St. Petersburg Catholic scoreless and without a hit entering the fourth inning of Saturday's Baron Classic title game.

The game seemed well in hand considering the Falcons led 10-0. So Hilbert decided to give the sophomore right-hander, usually a reliever, a rest.

But Corey Baptist ended the drought for the Barons in the fifth with a solo homer, and the Falcons ended up using six pitchers as a runaway game turned into an interesting one before Dunedin held on 15-10.

"We knew with the district games (against Tarpon Springs and East Lake) coming up that we wanted to be able to rest some guys, and we didn't want to use (Chesson) for an extended period of time," Hilbert said. "They made things interesting because they're a good team. They didn't back down, and they showed a lot of fight."

Mike Tipton (3-for-4, two RBIs) and Mikey Clarkson (1-for-3) were instrumental in helping build a huge lead. Dunedin scored seven runs in the third, including Tipton's RBI-single and Clarkson's two-run double.

The Falcons scored five runs in the sixth, highlighted by Casey Turgeon's two-run homer. But the Barons exploded for seven runs in the bottom half of the inning, during which Baptist hit a three-run homer. The Barons scored two more runs in the seventh but did not get any closer.

"We're not happy that we lost, but it feels good that we were able to battle back like that," Baptist said. "It does well for our confidence, especially against a team like that."

Scott Clair, Special to the Times
Saturday, February 19, 2011

NAPLES — St. Petersburg is just about two hours north of Naples. But Lakewood wasn't taking any chances.

The Spartans arrived in Naples on Friday for their Class 4A region final at Barron Collier. They got some rest by staying at a hotel, and, as they did in their 61-48 victory on Saturday night in a hostile gym, by staying together.

When Barron made a 5-0 run to begin the second half, cutting into the Spartans' 11-point halftime lead, the home crowd came to its feet.

A timeout to talk things over and experienced floor leadership by Lakewood's senior backcourt of Taye'lor Trotter and Kayla Roberts helped settle the crowd.

The Spartans responded by reeling off seven straight points to help send them to their first state final four in coach Necole Tunsil's seven years at the helm.

"We felt from Day 1 we had the tools to get to this point," said Tunsil, who as a player helped lead Lakewood to its last state title in 1989. "It's a blessing for us to have the opportunity to go to states."

The Spartans (26-4) held Barron (24-7) to just five points in the opening quarter and dominated the offensive boards 15-4.

But even with the high level of play Lakewood demonstrated and the double-digit lead it held throughout most of the second half, the outcome was in question.

Barron made numerous runs late, causing seven Spartan turnovers in the fourth quarter. And with each Barron run, the gym's noise level shot up.

"We just know when the crowd is against us, we have to talk to each other," said Trotter, who led all scorers with 21 points. "We just know we have to stay together."

Backing up Trotter were junior Shineice Beamon and sophomore Tianah Alvarado with 12 points each.

"This is the easiest team to coach," Tunsil said. "They always come prepared. I don't have to motivate them in practice."

Tunsil said Lakewood will be sticking with its winning game plan for Friday's state semifinal.

"We'll be there Thursday," she said.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 19, 2011

TAMPA — In a week filled with difficult defeats, Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss to the last-place Panthers was especially tough to take for the Lightning.

Coach Guy Boucher knew the game would be very close, anticipating it would be tied going into the third period. And it was. But Tampa Bay, which had more shots and more scoring chances — and held a one-goal lead with three minutes to go — watched one slip away in front of 18,710 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

"We felt we deserved the game," Boucher said.

Said center Nate Thompson: "I thought we played a pretty complete game all over the ice. … It's a tough one to swallow."

The Lightning (34-18-7), ending a week in which it lost in a shootout to the Eastern Conference's top team, the Flyers, and 6-2 Thursday to the Red Wings, appeared to be on the verge of picking up two huge points against the Southeast Division's bottom-dweller.

But with about five minutes to go in regulation, Thompson was called for a boarding penalty, and on the ensuing power play, Mike Santorelli knocked in a rebound to tie it up. (Santorelli was the only player to score in the shootout to lift Florida to the win).

Thompson was disappointed in himself for taking a penalty, but he said he didn't think icing was going to be called on the play and was just finishing his check.

"I saw a (uniform) number and let up anyway. I didn't even hit him that hard," Thompson said. "It was a judgment call."

Said Boucher: "It was a real close, close, close icing, and it wasn't a very big check. He's fighting for the puck. It's a close call. I'm not going to blame Thompson on this."

Goalie Dan Ellis, making his first start since Feb. 6, played good enough to win, making 24 saves, including huge ones on breakaway chances by David Booth and Cory Stillman. Ellis said he saw the puck well and felt "the best I've ever felt."

"(Ellis) was fantastic," Thompson said. "He made some big saves. That's why it is disappointing. We wanted to win for him."

The Lightning had its share of chances, outshooting Florida 36-26. It got goals from Marc-Andre Bergeron and Sean Bergenheim. But Tampa Bay went 0-for-6 on the power play. That included one chance in overtime, during which Steven Stamkos ripped a shot off the post.

Boucher said he believed the power play unit progressed throughout the game but couldn't capitalize.

The Lightning is 5-3-2 on its 12-game homestand but 2-3-2 in its past seven. The schedule doesn't get easier, as the surging Coyotes and Devils come to town this week.

"It's disappointing because I thought we deserved to win that game," Stamkos said. "But that's the way things are going right now."

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Bergeron 2 (R.Jones, St. Louis), 4:45. Penalties—Weaver, Fla (boarding), 7:56; Stillman, Fla (delay of game), 10:33; Ellerby, Fla (tripping), 15:55; Moore, TB (interference), 18:38; Ohlund, TB (tripping), 19:09.

Second Period—2, Florida, Booth 17 (Wideman, Weiss), :24 (pp). Penalties—None.

Third Period—3, Tampa Bay, Bergenheim 12 (Moore, Hall), :14. 4, Florida, Santorelli 16 (Stillman, McCabe), 17:00 (pp). Penalties—Reasoner, Fla (hooking), 1:17; Booth, Fla (interference), 12:28; Thompson, TB (boarding), 15:26. Overtime—None. Penalties—Dvorak, Fla (tripping), 2:20. Shootout—Florida 1 (Santorelli G, Booth NG, Stillman NG), Tampa Bay 0 (Hall NG, Moore NG, Downie NG). Shots on Goal—Florida 6-10-8-2—26. Tampa Bay 12-13-8-3—36. Power-play opportunities—Florida 2 of 3; Tampa Bay 0 of 6. Goalies—Florida, Clemmensen 6-5-3 (36 shots-34 saves). Tampa Bay, Ellis 13-7-6 (26-24). A—18,710 (19,758).

John C. Cotey, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 19, 2011

CLEARWATER — It's hard to tell who was happier following Sickles' Class 5A region final victory over Clearwater on Saturday night — coach Mark Key or star Amber Henson.

Both ran around after the final buzzer looking for someone's arms to jump into. Eventually, they found each other.

After failing to meet expectations the past two seasons, Key and 6-foot-4 All-American Henson are heading to Lakeland for the state semifinals after a 53-40 win over the Tornadoes.

The Gryphons (19-10) lost in the region semifinals in 2009 and the region finals last year. They will take on Winter Haven on Friday in their first trip to state.

"This is the moment I've been waiting for my whole high school career," said Henson, who finished with a game-high 14 points and five assists.

As they did in the region semis, the Gryphons used a big second quarter for the second straight game, opening a 23-12 halftime lead, then fending off two furious Tornado rallies.

Clearwater (25-5) had fits against Sickles' 3-2 zone.

With Henson and Diasha Whiten playing aggressively to take away the 3-point shot, the middle was open but the Tornadoes struggled to get the ball inside, and when they did they missed too many layups.

The Tornadoes went eight minutes without a basket over the first and second quarters, and Sickles went on a 14-2 run to take the lead for good.

"Those were two of our worst quarters (of the year). It just seemed we were out of synch, no doubt about it," Clearwater coach Tom Shaneyfelt said.

The Gryphons opened a 31-18 lead midway through the third quarter. But once Clearwater was able to turn Sickles over and get its running game going, it got back in the game with an 11-0 run. But Bre Crum converted a steal to stem the tide, and Henson had a rebound, layup and block on consecutive series and the Gryphons answered with a 13-0 run.

"The best way to end Amber's senior season is in Lakeland," said Crum, who had 12 points. "It feels great. I was nervous the whole game."

Alex Alford led Clearwater with 11 points; Tyra Bolden had nine.

Travis Puterbaugh, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 19, 2011

SEFFNER — For the first time since 2000, a Class A team from the Tampa Bay area is headed to the state tournament. Seffner Christian (22-7) earned a trip to Lakeland by outlasting Orlando Christian Prep 57-55.

Sophomore standout Tesha Hanson scored 28 points as the Crusaders captured the first region championship in school history. They overcame a three-point deficit in the final minute after squandering a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead.

"It feels amazing; I love it," Hanson said. "Now we're making history for the school. It's just a great feeling."

Orlando Christian (12-14) nearly pulled off the upset. After chipping away at Seffner's lead, the Warriors went ahead 51-50 on a 3-pointer by Alex Alfonso with 1:25 left in the game. Hanson put Seffner ahead 54-53 with a put-back following a wild scrum under the basket with 33 seconds left.

Orlando's Ashley Diaz had a chance to tie with nine seconds remaining, but missed a critical free throw. Hanson then iced the game for Seffner with a pair of free throws. Despite trailing late — and with momentum clearly on Orlando Christian's side — Seffner Christian coach Greg Fawbush said he never doubted that his team could rally.

"This team has been resilient all year," Fawbush said, "and anytime you have Tesha Hanson and Sabrina Whiting on the floor, you've got a shot."

Hanson, who scored the Crusaders' final seven points, echoed her coach's sentiments.

"I knew we could win, but I was hoping everyone would pull together as a team, because I was kind of tired at the time," Hanson said with a laugh. "I'm just glad we all came together at the end."