New AL West foes Astros, Rangers open 2013 season Sunday night

The Houston Astros will make it official Sunday night when they face the Texas Rangers: They are an American League team - after 50 years in the NL. Houston has baseball's lowest payroll and is coming off consecutive 100-loss seasons. Things won't get any easier in the powerful AL West, though. The Astros are optimistic they'll be much better than they were last season. Most everyone else figures it will be difficult for this team to avoid becoming the first team to lose at least 106 games in three straight seasons since the expansion Mets did it from 1962-65. On Sunday night 28-year-old Bud Norris, Houston's highest-paid player with a $3 million salary, will become the team's fourth opening day starter in four years. He's looking to bounce back from a tough season where he went 7-13. In the major league's first regular-season game, he'll face Texas left-hander and All-Star Matt Harrison, who went 18-11 in 2012 and signed a five-year contract worth $55 million in the offseason. Along with their new league, there are plenty of other changes for the Astros this year. They've got a first-year manager in former Washington third base coach Bo Porter, and will don new uniforms which bring back the orange color associated with better times in Houston. Porter said he ignores what outsiders have to say about his team. ''That's not hard for me because when I look in the mirror I see a winner,'' Porter said. ''No one can make me have a different perception of myself because I know the effort I'm going to put into making sure our team is prepared.'' After trading away most of their veterans over the last couple of years to restock a once-depleted farm system, some in baseball have suggested the Astros are trying to lose. Owner Jim Crane, who enters his second year with the team, brushed off that notion. ''That's totally wrong and we would never do that,'' he said. He does however understand that fielding a team like this invites judgment. ''You're going to get the criticism,'' he said. ''We've told people what we're going to do and we're sticking to the plan. Everybody is welcome to their opinion and we're going to get a lot of opinions. So hopefully we'll prove the naysayers wrong and we'll play a lot more competitive this year.'' Texas is still expected to contend in the AL West despite the loss of several key players, most notably 2010 AL MVP Josh Hamilton. Also gone are catcher Mike Napoli and infielder Michael Young. The Rangers and Astros have traditionally played a home and home series each season, so facing each other is nothing new. But this year these teams, separated by about 250 miles, will meet 19 times. ''They're close and it's a natural rivalry, and we hope to build that up and make it a good tradition for the state of Texas,'' Crane said. Rangers manager Ron Washington knows better than to take any team lightly, regardless of expectations. ''I don't look at their payroll, I just look at the days we play them and make sure we don't think any games for granted, because on any given day anyone can get beat,'' Washington said. ''It's not the best team that wins; it's the team that plays the best.'' Washington has known Porter for years, and believes he'll help speed Houston's development. ''They have some young talent, inexperience, but believe me, they're going to play,'' Washington said. ''I still think that it's going to be a tough year for them, but they're not going to be anybody's doormat, I think Bo Porter and his staff will see to that.'' Lance Berkman is in his first season with the Rangers after two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. The slugger spent the first the first 11 1/2 years of his career with the Astros. ''It's going to be weird,'' he said of Houston's move to the AL. ''The Astros spent 50 years in the National League and now to think of them as an American League franchise is going to be tough. I guess we'll have to get used to it because, like it or not, that's the situation ... I don't like it because I like having a National League franchise in Texas.''

Sidney Crosby out indefinitely with broken jaw from puck

Sidney Crosby has a broken jaw and is out indefinitely after being hit in the mouth with a puck during a win against the New York Islanders on Saturday. The Pittsburgh Penguins said on the team website Sunday that Crosby had surgery Saturday night, and there will be an update on his status later in the week. Crosby, the NHL's leading scorer, was struck in the face during the first period of the Penguins' 2-0 win. Slow-motion replays showed multiple teeth flying out of his mouth after the puck struck him during his first shift. The team said Crosby had ''major dental work'' and will have more done later in the week. The Penguins have won 15 straight games, and next play Buffalo on Tuesday. Crosby has 56 points (15 goals, 41 assists) and holds a 10-point lead in the scoring race. He has not missed a game yet this season after being limited to 22 regular-season games over the prior two calendar years because of concussion-like symptoms and neck issues after absorbing big hits in consecutive games Jan. 1 and Jan. 5, 2011. Midway through his comeback season, Crosby said he was feeling so good he ''doesn't even think about'' the risk of concussion or head or neck injury anymore after two years in which it dominated his life. Teammates expressed similar sentiments. After Saturday's game, coach Dan Bylsma did not rule out the possibility Crosby would undergo evaluation for a concussion. ''I think every time that type of thing happens to a player you think of that,'' Bylsma said. ''It doesn't matter who it is. ... You think about those things regardless of the player, yes.'' There is no indication, however, that Crosby sustained a concussion and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, citing unidentified sources, reported Crosby is free of concussion symptoms. Led by Crosby, the NHL's leading MVP candidate as this lockout-abbreviated season, the Penguins (28-8) have a league-best 56 points and have opened up a seven-point lead on the Montreal Canadiens atop the Eastern Conference on Saturday. The playoffs are scheduled to begin April 30. After a shot from teammate Brooke Orpik deflected off an Islanders player Saturday, an unsuspecting Crosby was struck as he faced away from the net while standing low and to the inside of the left-wing circle. Crosby immediately collapsed to the ice, his stick flying out of his hand. A pool of blood formed on the ice before training staff came out. Crosby, who wears a visor that covers the top third of his face, soon left the ice, retreating into the locker room under his own power. The accident overshadowed not only the Pittsburgh's 15th consecutive victory - only one winning streak in NHL history has been longer - but also the Penguins debut of Jarome Iginla. Acquired via a trade with the Calgary Flames early Thursday morning, Iginla said players on the Penguins' bench were talking and asking about the condition of their captain during the game. ''Very tough,'' Iginla said. ''Very unfortunate play. Seeing on the replay, he didn't see it coming at all.'' Crosby won the Hart (MVP) and Art Ross (scoring champion) trophies as a 19-year-old in 2006-07 and shared the Rocket Richard (goal leader) with Steven Stamkos in 2009-10. He became the youngest captain lead his team to the Stanley Cup in 2009.

Michigan rolls into Final Four, beats Florida 79-59

Trey Burke and Michigan had the perfect response for everyone who said they were too young or not tough enough to make it all the way to Atlanta. The championship trophy for the South Region is headed back to Ann Arbor, while another fabulous group of young Wolverines is going to the Final Four. Led by Burke and sharp-shooting guard Nik Stauskas, one of three freshmen starters, Michigan controlled Florida from start to finish in a 79-59 win Sunday. ''It means the world - 20 years has passed and we haven't been on that stage yet,'' said Tim Hardaway Jr., the junior elder statesman in the starting lineup. The last time Michigan made it this far was the Fab Five era of the early 1990s, what until now had been considered the program's glory years. Might be time to start rethinking that. Once they got ahead Sunday, the Wolverines (30-7) maintained a double-digit lead against the experienced Gators (29-8), who won the regular-season title in the Southeastern Conference, but lost in a regional final for the third straight year. ''We've almost become numb to it now. Been here before,'' Gators junior center Patric Young said. ''I just really wish we were out there cutting the nets down.'' Stauskas scored 22 points while making all six of his 3-pointers. Burke, the South Region's most outstanding player, scored 15 points even while dealing with some spasms in his upper back, and 6-foot-10 freshman Mitch McGary had 11 points and nine rebounds. When the game ended, Burke and several of his teammates went to the opposite side of the court toward Michigan fans behind press row with fingers raised. Fans were chanting, ''It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!'' And great to be young. ''Seeing it all come together, I don't what to say,'' sixth-year Wolverines coach John Beilein said. ''I'm a little bit speechless.'' Michigan hadn't reached the Final Four since consecutive finals appearances in 1992 and 1993, the freshman and sophomore seasons of the Fab Five - Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King. Webber was gone before that team's 1994 regional final loss to Arkansas played in the now-demolished Reunion Arena in Dallas, with Rose and Howard following him to the NBA after that. With four wins in this NCAA tourney, the Wolverines already have more tournament victories than their total (three) from the end of the Fab Five era to this season. They won a game in 1998, and then didn't even make the field again until 2009. Burke is from Columbus, Ohio, and grew up an Ohio State football fan while rooting for Duke basketball. The sophomore still knew of the Wolverines' history and isn't surprised to be back in the Final Four again so quickly after arriving in Ann Arbor. ''I said it in the summer and the coaches kind of got on me saying we can be national championship contenders. But that was coming from my heart,'' said Burke, surrounded by the sons of three former NBA players. ''I knew once we put the talent with the toughness and execution, then I knew this team could be special. We're coming together at the right time.'' The Wolverines overcame a 14-point deficit in the final 7 minutes against top seed Kansas two days earlier, getting to overtime after Burke's long 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation. Despite being the only team to make regional finals each of the last three seasons, the Gators haven't been to the Final Four since winning consecutive national titles in 2006 and 2007 for coach Billy Donovan. Kenny Boynton and Erik Murphy, the four-year seniors who came in not long after those titles, will leave without one of their own. They were part of the only Gators class to win consecutive outright SEC regular-season championships, but came up short in the biggest games. Florida is the first team to make it to three consecutive regional finals without winning at least one of them, according to STATS LLC. Wyoming lost in the round of eight from 1947-49, but that stretch ended two years before the NCAA tournament expanded to more than eight teams. ''I feel more upset for Boynton, (Mike) Rosario and Murphy, who don't get a chance and have come so close,'' Donovan said. ''This one, we didn't play well enough or deserve to win.'' Boynton and Will Yeguete had 13 points apiece for the Gators. The Gators were able to recover from an early deficit against Florida Gulf Coast for a 62-50 win Friday night on the raised stage at Cowboys Stadium. It was another story facing Big Blue. After McGary started the scoring with a layup, Stauskas made a behind-the-back pass to McGary for a slam before making his first 3-pointer less than a half-minute after that. Burke passed to McGary for a layup before driving for one of his own. McGary's jumper made it 13-0 only 3:05 into the game. Stauskas, who was 2 of 12 from 3-point range the first three games of this NCAA tourney, was on target against the Gators. The 6-foot-6 guard from Canada put the Wolverines up by 24 points with 4:08 left in the first half after two consecutive 3s from the left corner in a span of 27 seconds. Like he did on all of his makes, Stauskas came back down the court with a smile on his face, sharing the moment with the Wolverines fans who made the trip to North Texas. ''I can't even explain the feeling. I was having so much fun,'' Stauskas said. ''I've been working and dreaming my whole life about something like this. To finally have it, I have a smile on my face and I'm enjoying the moment.'' Florida missed its first seven shots before Yeguete made a layup more than 3 1/2 minutes into the game. It was a rough finale for Murphy, who twice thought he had easy baskets in front of him only to have the shots blocked. Murphy had eight rebounds, but finished 0-of-11 shooting and was scoreless for the first time this season. Murphy was clearly devastated, staring at the floor with slumped shoulder in the locker room after the game. ''Just missed shots,'' Murphy said, barely loud enough to be heard, and answering in short spurts. ''Our defense was bad.'' Even with an 11-2 run late in the first half punctuated by Boynton's 3-pointer, the Gators were still down by 15 with a minute to go in the first half. But the Wolverines were able to score even after it appeared that the half had ended; Burke was already heading off the court pumping his right arm toward the Michigan fans. Stauskas was fouled on a 3-point attempt with .4 seconds left and, after officials reviewed the play, hit two free throws to give the Wolverines a 47-30 lead. It was that kind of day for Michigan, and for Florida, as well.

With tears in their eyes, Louisville reaches Final Four handling Duke, 85-63

With tears in their eyes and Kevin Ware in their hearts, there was no way Louisville was losing this game. Russ Smith scored 23, Gorgui Dieng had 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, and top-seeded Louisville put aside the shock from Ware's gruesome leg injury to earn a second straight trip to the Final Four with an 85-63 victory over Duke on Sunday afternoon. As the final seconds ticked down, Chane Behanan put Ware's jersey on and stood at the end of the Louisville bench, screaming. Cardinals fans chanted ''Kevin Ware! Kevin Ware!'' ''We won this for him,'' coach Rick Pitino said. ''We were all choked up with emotion for him. We'll get him back to normal. We've got great doctors, great trainers.'' Ware played his high-school ball in Georgia and the Final Four is in Atlanta, just adding to the emotion for the victorious Cardinals. ''We talked about it every timeout, 'Get Kevin home,''' Pitino said. This was the first time Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski had met in the regional finals since that 1992 classic that ended with Christian Laettner's improbable buzzer-beater, a game now considered one of the best in NCAA tournament history. This game will be remembered, too, but for a very different - and much more somber - reason. With 6:33 left in the first half, Ware, who has played a key role in Louisville's 14-game winning streak, jumped to try and block Tyler Thornton's 3-point shot. When he landed, his right leg snapped midway between his ankle and knee, the bone skewing almost at a right angle. Ware dropped to the floor right in front of the Louisville bench and, almost in unison, his teammates turned away in horror. Thornton grimaced, putting his hand to his mouth as he turned around. Louisville forward Wayne Blackshear fell to the floor and Behanan looked as if he was going to be sick on the court, kneeling on his hands and feet. Luke Hancock patted Ware's chest as doctors worked on the sophomore and Smith walked away, pulling his jersey over his eyes. The arena was silent, and several fans wept and bowed their heads. Pitino had tears in his eyes as he tried to console his players. Dieng draped an arm around the shoulders of Smith, who repeatedly wiped at his eyes and shook his head. The Cardinals (33-5) gathered at halfcourt to try and regroup before Pitino called them over to the sideline, saying Ware wanted to talk to them before he left. ''Basically, the bone popped out of the skin. It broke in two spots,'' Pitino said. ''Remember the bone is six inches out of his leg, and all he's yelling is 'Win the game, win the game.' I've never seen anything like that.'' News of the injury dominated social media. Joe Theismann whose NFL career ended with a horrific broken leg, said on Twitter, ''Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin Ware.'' Fans chanted ''Kevin! Kevin'' as Ware was loaded onto the stretcher, and Pitino wiped away tears again as Ware was wheeled off the court. ''That was a tough one,'' Pitino said. Play resumed about 10 minutes later, but it was clear the Cardinals' minds were elsewhere. They missed four of their next five shots along with two free throws, and were uncharacteristically sloppy. But they regrouped after a timeout, with Smith's finger roll sparking a 12-6 run to finish the half that gave them a 35-32 lead. Smith picked up where he left off at the start of the second half, making all three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt to give Louisville a 38-32 lead, its largest of the game to that point. But just as he did against Michigan State, Duke star Seth Curry got hot after halftime, making two 3s in the first three minutes. Mason Plumlee dunked to tie the game at 42. That, however, was all Louisville needed. Clawing for every rebound, diving on the floor for loose balls and cranking the intensity up even higher on their ferocious defense, the Cardinals were not going to lose. And everyone, Duke included, knew it. Smith, the most outstanding player of the Midwest Region, made a layup. Peyton Siva had a nice jumper at the top of the key, and then followed with a layup. Just like that, the Cardinals were off on a 20-4 run that sealed the victory. Siva had 16 points and Luke Hancock added 10 for the Cardinals, who will play Wichita State in the national semifinals next Saturday. The ninth-seeded Shockers (30-8) added to their streak of upsets with a 70-66 victory over Ohio State on Saturday night. Plumlee finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Curry added 12, all in the second half. The Blue Devils (30-6) needed Curry to come up big as he did against Michigan State if they were going to have any chance against the Blue Devils. But Curry didn't take a shot until almost nine minutes into the game, and missed each of his three shots in the first half. This was only the second time the Blue Devils have reached the regional finals and failed to make it to the Final Four. The only other time? In 1998, when the Blue Devils lost to eventual national champion Kentucky. The loss prevented Krzyzewski - for now - from tying John Wooden's record of 12 Final Four appearances.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - MARCH 31ST

1878 - Jack Johnson, first black Heavyweight boxing champ (1908-1915) is born.

1909 - Baseball rules players who jump contracts are suspended for 5 years.

1928 - Gordie Howe, Floral Sask, NHL right wing (Detroit Redwings) is born.

1931 - Knute Rockne, football player/coach, dies in a plane crash at 43.

1935 - Fusahige Suzuki runs world record marathon (2:27:49).

1973 - Ken Norton defeats Muhammad Ali in a 12 round split decision.

1976 - Cleveland Cavaliers clinch their first ever NBA playoff bearth.
1978 - Red Rum wins 3rd consecutive Grand National & retires.

1991 - 20th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship is won by Amy Alcott.
1991 - St Louis Blues Brett Hull scores his 86th goal.

1996 - 15th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Georgia 83-65.

1998 - Tampa Bay Devil Rays hosts their first game against the Detroit Tigers.

2008 - Bill Keightley, "Mr. Wildcat." University of Kentucky 

basketball equipment manger 1962-2008 (b .1926) dies.

Wichita State upsets OSU 70-66 for Final Four trip

Cleanthony Early kept stealing glances down at the hat in his hands while he waited for his turn to climb the stepladder. The Wichita State forward seemed stunned at the words on the side of his brand-new ballcap: ''Final Four Atlanta.'' ''It's crazy. I still can't believe we're here,'' Early said. ''You try to expect it, but you expect a lot of things that don't happen. This really happened.'' Believe it. Wichita State is going to Atlanta, and these Shockers are no longer a surprise after the way the tenacious ninth seeds held off mighty Ohio State in the West Regional final. Malcolm Armstead scored 14 points, Fred Van Vleet bounced in a big basket with 1 minute left, and Wichita State earned its first trip to the Final Four since 1965 with a 70-66 victory over the Buckeyes on Saturday. Van Vleet scored 12 points as the Shockers (30-8) followed up last week's win over top-ranked Gonzaga with a nail-biting victory over the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-8), whose 11-game winning streak ended one short of their second straight Final Four. Wichita State's 20-point lead in the second half dwindled to three in the final minutes, but several Shockers stepped up with big plays to stop the surge, heeding coach Gregg Marshall's halftime command to ''play angry.'' All that anger turned into a joyous postgame party at midcourt, even though the Shockers realize they've got more work to do. ''I don't think we're Cinderella at all,'' Marshall said. ''Cinderellas usually are done by this stage. If you get to this point, you can win the whole thing. You beat a No. 1 seed and a No. 2 seed - I don't think Cinderella just found one glass slipper. I think she found four.'' Wichita State is just the fifth team seeded ninth or higher to reach the Final Four since seeding began in 1979, but the second in three years following 11th-seeded VCU's improbable run in 2011. The Shockers' celebration was wild, if a bit disbelieving, in front of several thousand roaring fans. ''Last year we were watching all this on television,'' said Early, who scored 12 points despite spraining his ankle in the second half. ''I just feel like we've got the same potential as those (big-name) guys, regardless if they know who we are or not. We just tend to work hard.'' Wichita State roared to a 20-point lead with 11 minutes to play after Ohio State played an awful first half, but LaQuinton Ross scored 15 of his 19 points after halftime, leading a ferocious rally that got the Buckeyes within three points in the final minutes. Tekele Cotton hit a clutch 3-pointer for Wichita State with 2:20 left and grabbed a key offensive rebound moments later, allowing VanVleet to score on a shot that bounced all over the rim before dropping. Ron Baker and Cotton hit last-minute free throws to secure the second Final Four trip in Wichita State's history and a school-record 30th win. ''We're happy, but I'm still shocked,'' said Carl Hall, the glasses-wearing big man who scored eight points and led the Shockers' strong defensive effort. ''We've got a team full of fighters. I brought them all together near the end and said, 'No matter what happens, I love y'all.' We had to fight so hard. We've got each other's backs, and it's hard to beat a team that's got five guys who work together like us.'' Deshaun Thomas scored 21 points after missing nine of his first 12 shots for Ohio State, which made just 24 percent of its first-half shots. Aaron Craft scored nine points on 2-for-12 shooting against Armstead and a host of defenders for the Buckeyes, who dug a hole too deep to escape with their second-half rally. ''The way we shot coming into the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, everything was falling,'' Thomas said. ''Today, it just wasn't our night. Nothing was falling. We had great looks, some of them, but they just weren't falling.'' Yet after two weeks of upsets in the wild West bracket, underdog Wichita State seemed an appropriate pick to cut down Staples Center's nets. The Shockers' well-balanced roster managed built that enormous lead with the same consummate team play that they've shown throughout the tournament. The Shockers are also the kings of Kansas, reaching the national semifinals after the powerful Jayhawks and Kansas State both went down. Two sections packed with cheering Shockers fans provided all the encouragement necessary for a team that didn't win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and was thought to be a bubble team for an NCAA berth. Now, Wichita State is the MVC's first Final Four team since Larry Bird led Indiana State to the title game in 1979. Another giant awaits the Shockers in Atlanta next weekend: They'll face the winner of Sunday's Midwest Regional final between Duke and Louisville. ''We're all new to this, but I think we're ready for this,'' Early said. ''We're going to prepare ourselves, and this game was pretty good preparation. We started at the bottom, and we've been working our way up.'' Everybody chipped in for the Shockers. Armstead, the Oregon transfer, was named the regional's top player. Baker made nine free throws without a miss on his 20th birthday. And both Early and Hall returned to the court with second-half injuries, pushing Wichita State forward. Seven seasons after underdog George Mason crashed the Final Four and underlined college basketball's growing parity, the Shockers are the latest smallish school to get on a big roll in the tournament. Butler made the national championship game in 2010 and 2011, and the Bulldogs were joined by that VCU team in the Final Four two years ago. This year's tournament included stunning wins by Florida Gulf Coast, La Salle and Harvard, but nobody kept it going longer than Wichita State. Although the Shockers have a beautiful home arena and robust support from fans and donors in Kansas' largest city, Marshall acknowledged that Wichita State's athletic budget is a fraction of what a BCS school can spend. He hasn't let it slow the Shockers, who made the NCAA tournament last year only to lose to 12th-seeded VCU in the first round. After the Shockers easily beat La Salle two days ago to reach their first regional final since 1981, Marshall's pregame speech to the Shockers on Saturday finished with talk of cutting down the nets at Staples Center before getting on that plane back to Kansas, saying Wichita State didn't have to play ''a perfect game'' to beat mighty Ohio State. ''The Mecca awaits in Atlanta,'' he said. Marshall was right, but he couldn't have anticipated just how imperfect Ohio State would be. The postseason-tested Buckeyes appeared calm and confident during warmups in front of their healthy fan contingent, yet they proceeded to play the first half just like NCAA newbies. They missed their first seven shots after the opening tip in a string capped by an airballed 3-pointer from Thomas, who missed his first five overall. The junior star was labeled ''a bad-shot taker and a bad-shot maker'' by Marshall on Friday, but he only lived up to the first part of that billing while going 4 for 13 in the first half. Early hit two 3-pointers in the opening minutes, and the Shockers stretched their lead to 13 points shortly before halftime. ''You've got to give them credit,'' Craft said. ''They really came out firing and we really didn't regain our footing until it was too late.'' Hall went to the locker room after drawing a charge from Thomas early in the second half, holding the back of his head after Thomas' elbow clipped him on the jaw. Hall found his glasses and got back in the game 66 seconds later. Wichita State gradually stretched its lead early in the second half, with Early's layup putting the Shockers up 53-33 with 12:09 to play. Ross desperately tried to rally the Buckeyes, scoring eight consecutive points and leading a 23-6 run midway through the second half. Ohio State went into a full-court inbounds defense, and Shannon Scott's free throws with 2:49 left cut the lead to 62-59 - but Ohio State couldn't get any closer.

Syracuse on to Final Four, beats Marquette 55-39

When played to perfection, there's nothing quite like Syracuse's aggressive, half-court 2-3 zone defense. It's 40 minutes of trapping and shot-challenging, of closing off angles, of trusting teammates. ''We showed,'' senior guard Brendan Triche said, ''that defense wins games.'' Yes, the Orange D certainly does. With a second suffocating performance at the East Regional, No. 4-seeded Syracuse shut down No. 3 Marquette 55-39 Saturday to earn coach Jim Boeheim his fourth trip to the Final Four - and first since a freshman named Carmelo Anthony helped win the 2003 NCAA championship. ''A tremendous, tremendous defensive effort,'' Boeheim said. Fittingly, a matchup between schools from the soon-to-break-apart, rough-and-tumble Big East became quite a struggle on the offensive end. Syracuse (30-9) was led by senior forward James Southerland's 16 points. Michael Carter-Williams, a 6-foot-6 guard who is out front in the zone, was named the regional's top player after accounting for 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists, five steals and only one turnover Saturday. Marquette (26-9) hadn't scored fewer than 47 points all season - and, indeed, put up 74 in a victory over Syracuse on Feb. 25. But this time, Marquette kept turning the ball over, seeing its shots blocked or just plain missing. The Golden Eagles' 39 points were a record low for a team in an NCAA tournament regional final since the shot clock was introduced in 1986. ''They beat us from start to finish. We collectively tried everything we knew to try,'' Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. ''It is the zone, and it is the players in the zone.'' Much like what happened Thursday in the regional semifinals, when Syracuse knocked off top-seeded Indiana by limiting it to a season-low output, too. ''I don't think we've played as good defensively as these last two games,'' Triche said. ''We held some good teams down.'' All told, Marquette made only 12 of 53 shots - 23 percent - and was 3 for 24 on 3-pointers. Vander Blue, who carried Marquette to the round of eight, was held to 14 points on 3-for-15 shooting. ''They cover ground really good. You've got to get the ball in the middle, you've got to play inside out, you've got to get to the free-throw line and wear them down with the 3-pointer when you can,'' Blue said. ''They're really good at what they do in that zone.'' Consider these numbers through four games in the tournament: Syracuse is averaging 6.5 blocks and 10.8 steals, while forcing opponents into 29 percent shooting, including 15 percent on 3-pointers. ''We couldn't get one to drop in from up close,'' said Marquette's Jamil Wilson, who was 0 for 5 on 3-pointers, 1 for 9 overall. ''We couldn't get one to drop in from outside.'' The next team to try to solve that defense will be the winner of Sunday's South Regional final between Florida and Michigan. Syracuse is 3-0 in national semifinal games under Boeheim. And to think: Exactly three weeks ago, in this very same building, Syracuse wrapped up its final Big East regular-season schedule before heading to the Atlantic Coast Conference with a bad-as-can-be performance in a lopsided loss to Georgetown. Syracuse's 39 points that day were the Orange's tiniest total in a half-century. That was Syracuse's fourth loss in a span of five games, a stumbling way to head into tournament play. That night, Boeheim forgot to adjust his alarm clock to account for daylight saving time, and so showed up late for a pre-practice coaches' meeting. His players, turned out, had organized their own session without supervision, starting the work it would take to get going in the right direction. ''I watched them for a few minutes and it was really a good thing. I thought our practices were really good after that,'' Boeheim said. ''You can turn things around in this game.'' Since then, Syracuse has won seven of eight. ''When you bounce back like that, that says a lot about your kids, your team and your character,'' Boeheim said. ''This is a heck of a bounce back.'' And the secret to success? Defense, naturally. ''We got the right personnel for each key position,'' C.J. Fair said. ''We got big long guards, we got big long forwards that can cover ground and our centers do a good job holding down the inside.'' Because of that, Syracuse really needed only one run on offense in the second half, making five shots in a row during a spurt that gave it a 41-28 lead with 9 1/2 minutes left. Last season, Syracuse fell a victory short of the Final Four, losing to Ohio State in the round of eight. ''We wanted to get over the hump,'' Southerland said. ''That's what I told the guys: We've still got two more to go.'' With President Barack Obama - a basketball fan who picked Indiana to win the title - and NFL Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins sitting in the crowd, Syracuse harassed Marquette into missing 14 of its first 15 tries from beyond the 3-point arc. Marquette started 1 for 10 overall on field-goal tries, with Blue's 3-pointer about 1 1/2 minutes in the only make. He celebrated as though it came at the end of the game, not the outset, punching the air and tapping defender Triche on the back while heading to the other end of the court. After Blue's 3, Marquette missed its next seven shots. There would be other such stretches. Six misses in a row. Six misses in a row. Even nine in a row. The Golden Eagles also went nearly 6 1/2 minutes without a single field-goal attempt in the first half. Forget about putting the basketball through the net; Syracuse was so smothering, Marquette did not even manage to shoot. When Southerland hit a 3, off a pass and screen by Carter-Williams, the Orange led 24-18 at halftime. After helping cut down the net to celebrate Saturday, Southerland was asked whether he thought this sort of thing was possible when his team was leaving the same arena on March 9 after losing meekly to Georgetown. ''We just did a good job of recovering from that,'' Southerland explained, ''and not sulking.''

UCLA hires Steve Alford as new basketball coach, days after agreeing to a new contract with New Mexico

Steve Alford was hired as UCLA basketball coach on Saturday, spurning New Mexico days after he agreed to a new 10-year deal with the Lobos for a chance to run what he called ''the premier basketball program in the country.'' The Bruins are bringing in someone who shares the same Indiana roots as John Wooden, who led UCLA to a record 10 national championships, including seven in a row, before retiring in 1975. Alford learned about Wooden as a first-grader in Martinsville, Ind., where his father, Sam, coached the high school basketball team at Wooden's alma mater. ''Ever since then there was a draw to find out more about him,'' Alford said on a teleconference. ''I know my first steps into Pauley I will really feel that.'' Alford agreed to a seven-year deal worth $18.2 million, with a yearly salary of $2.6 million and a $200,000 signing bonus, according to UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero. Alford will be introduced in Westwood on Tuesday. ''This is truly a leap of faith,'' he said. Guerrero said UCLA reached out to Alford first, not knowing whether he would be interested in the Bruins. Once he confirmed he was, the details were finalized early Saturday, Guerrero said. ''It was not an easy decision because I was extremely happy,'' Alford said. ''I was about as happy as I can be. ''When I kept thinking about things, it still came back to UCLA. You're talking about the premier basketball program in the country. To have an opportunity like this, they don't come around every day.'' Guerrero said Alford is ''the perfect fit for UCLA'' because he connects with a new generation of players and brings an up-tempo and team-oriented style of play to Westwood. ''He's ready for this stage,'' Guerrero said. Alford's deal with New Mexico, scheduled to take effect on April 1, was worth more than $20 million over 10 years. Guerrero said Alford is responsible for a buyout of his agreement in Albuquerque, but that UCLA would work out the details. Both Alford and New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs said they didn't know how much the buyout was worth. Alford, who is 48, succeeds Ben Howland, who was fired last weekend after 10 years and a 233-107 record that included three consecutive Final Four appearances and four Pac-12 titles. The Bruins were 25-10 this season, which ended with a 20-point loss to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Alford led New Mexico to a 29-6 record this season that included the Mountain West regular-season and tournament titles. But the Lobos were upset by Harvard in the second round of the NCAAs shortly after Alford's new contract had been announced. Alford had a 155-52 record in six years at New Mexico, with the Lobos making three trips to the NCAA tournament. He was selected Mountain West coach of the year three times. ''I'm about building programs, not teams, not seasons,'' Alford said. ''UCLA doesn't just want one winning season, UCLA wants a basketball program that is going to breed consistent excellence. ''I've always tried to do things with excellence. When you think of UCLA in every regard, you see the word excellence.'' Expectations have always been high in Westwood since Wooden's era. The Bruins own a record 11 national championships, but have won just one - in 1995 under Jim Harrick - since Wooden retired. ''Nobody understands pressure any more than I do. I've been under pressure since I was 16,'' said Alford, whose high school gym in New Castle, Ind., seats 10,000 and frequently sold out when he was there. ''You're not going to find anybody more competitive than I am.'' Guerrero said, ''He's not the kind of guy that will shy away from what UCLA basketball is all about.'' The Lobos didn't just lose Alford, they also won't have his son, Bryce, on their roster next season. Alford said his highly touted son would follow him to Westwood, continuing a tradition that Alford first established when he played under his father at New Castle Chrysler High. Krebs said it was clear when he talked to Alford on Saturday morning that his mind was made up, and although he's disappointed, he said he respected the decision. Krebs said it was like a ''bomb dropped in the room'' when Alford told his players he was leaving. ''This is a very emotional time,'' Krebs said. ''There is no good way to break the news to the young men in the program. ... There's a lot of raw emotion right now.'' Alford said, ''That's not easy to look those young men in the face, but I think they understand. The reason they understand is it's UCLA. If it was anywhere else, this is not a decision that would have been made.'' Lobos senior center Alex Kirk said, ''Nobody would say no to UCLA. That's crazy.'' Guerrero had said he wanted a coach who would help boost season ticket sales. The Bruins had just a few sellouts at newly renovated Pauley Pavilion this season. ''I think the UCLA family will embrace him. I think he'll be able to hit on all cylinders,'' Guerrero said. ''He'll be able to energize the fan base in so many ways. Look at New Mexico, they get 15,000 a game. It's madness there.'' Alford is known for his up-tempo coaching style, which should suit Bruins fans turned off by Howland's grind-it-out defensive emphasis. ''We do like to score points, we like transition, we like to get up and down the floor,'' he said, while noting that defense wins championships. ''Ultimately, it's about the product - are they good young men of character and integrity?'' Alford called recruiting in fertile Southern California ''of the utmost importance.'' He had players from the region on his New Mexico roster, including Kendall Williams, who became Mountain West player of the year. ''I will hit the ground running,'' he said, noting the respect he has for high school coaches was formed through his father.Alford's other head coaching stints were at Iowa (2000-07), Missouri State (1996-99) and Manchester College (1992-95) in Indiana. Alford is famous in the Hoosier state, where he starred at Indiana University from 1984-87 under coach Bob Knight. The Hoosiers won the national championship in his senior year. He also played on the gold medal-winning 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team in Los Angeles as a college sophomore. Knight coached that team. Alford said he put in a call to his former coach about taking the UCLA job. Alford was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 1987 and played four years in the NBA before starting his head coaching career at tiny Division III Manchester. As a high school senior, Alford averaged 37.7 points and was Indiana Mr. Basketball. Besides Bryce, Alford and his wife, Tanya, have a son, Kory, and a daughter, Kayla.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - MARCH 30TH

1889 - John T Reid opens first US golf course (Yonkers, NY).

1940 - Jerry Lucas, Middletown OH, NBA center (Oly-gold-60, NY Knicks) is born.

1952 - Patty Berg wins LPGA New Orleans Women's Golf Open.

1970 - Secreteriat, race horse, triple crown (1973) is born.

1975 - Ron Lalonde scores the first hat trick by a Washington Capital.

1980 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open.

1990 - Jack Nicklaus made his debut in the "Seniors" golf tournament.
1991 - First exhibition baseball games at Joe Robbie Stadium (Yanks-Orioles).

1991 - Northern Michigan wins its first NCAA hockey title.

2008 - Richard Lloyd, Racing Car Driver (b. 1945) dies.

Cowboys, Tony Romo agree on 6-year, $108M extension

Tony Romo has a chance to start for the Dallas Cowboys longer than Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman. The question is whether he will ever match their Super Bowl pedigrees. Romo signed a six-year contract extension worth $108 million Friday, with about half of that guaranteed to make him the highest-paid player in franchise history. The agreement, reported on the team's website, will lower the quarterback's salary cap number for 2013 by about $5 million, giving the team more room to sign free agents and draft picks. Romo, who turns 33 next month and was entering the final year of his contract, gets $55 million guaranteed. Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco got $52 million guaranteed in the six-year, $120.6 million contract he signed with Baltimore earlier this month. ''I think it's just exciting more than anything that you know you're going to be here the rest of my career,'' Romo said in a video on the team's website that showed owner Jerry Jones exchanging high-fives with Romo's nearly 1-year-old son. ''We're a team on the rise and I think it's going to show here going forward.'' Romo could be with Dallas through 2019, giving him a chance to be the starter longer than the 11 seasons of Aikman and seven of Staubach, who was a part-time starter his first four years with the Cowboys. Aikman and Staubach won five Super Bowls between them, while Romo has just one playoff win in six full seasons as the starter. He had a gut-wrenching playoff loss the year he took over midseason in 2006, flubbing the hold after driving the Cowboys into position for the go-ahead field goal in the final minutes. Romo alluded to changes ''behind the scenes'' in the interview on the team's website, and Jones said in a statement that his quarterback will have ''a significant level of input and contribution to the planning and implementing of our offensive approach - both in the meeting room and on the field.'' ''Tony is uniquely qualified to lead this team at the quarterback position for the next several years,'' Jones said. ''He knows how to run an offense and run a team.'' Romo lost playoff-or-bust games in regular-season finales the past two years. That included a loss to Washington last season when Romo threw an interception with a chance to tie or win the game with a drive in the final 3 minutes. A former Romo rival, Donovan McNabb, questioned the deal on Twitter. ''Wow really, with one playoff win,'' McNabb wrote. ''You got to be kidding me.'' Dez Bryant, who teamed with Romo for career highs of 1,382 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 2012, tweeted, ''Congrats Big Tony on the contract extension.'' Romo is the franchise leader in touchdown passes and the single-season leader in touchdowns, passing yards, completions and attempts. He had a career-high 4,903 passing yards in 2012 but matched his highest interception total at 19 and had his lowest quarterback rating at 90.5 rating. His best rating of 102.5 came in 2011, when the Cowboys lost to the New York Giants with a playoff berth on the line in the finale. His other best season was 2009, which included his only playoff win against Philadelphia.

Justin Verlander, Tigers agree to $180M, 7-year deal

For Justin Verlander, $180 million was enough. No need to wait two seasons, become a free agent and find out how much baseball's biggest spenders would offer. ''I wondered what it would be like to test free agency, but the pull of Detroit was too much,'' the Tigers' ace said Friday after agreeing to a seven-year contract, the richest deal for a pitcher in baseball history. ''Once spring training started I knew I wanted to stay.'' Verlander's deal broke the record for pitchers set just a month earlier when Seattle's Felix Hernandez agreed to a $175 million, seven-year contract. ''It's a very exciting day,'' Tigers President Dave Dombrowski said. ''It's a big day for us. He's as fine a pitcher as there is in baseball. His record speaks for itself. He can be one of the greatest, if not the greatest pitcher in Tiger history.'' The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner had been signed through 2014 under an $80 million, five-year contract paying him $20 million in each of the next two seasons. The new deal keeps those salaries and adds $140 million in guaranteed money: $28 million each season from 2015-19. It includes a $22 million option for 2020 that would become guaranteed if he finishes among the top five in 2019 Cy Young voting. The deal could be worth $202 million over eight seasons. ''The city of Detroit is committed to winning,'' he said. ''I'm so excited to be playing in Detroit. I was never shy about saying I wanted to stay in Detroit. It's tough to put into words how much I love Detroit. We have the best fans in baseball.'' Considered an elite pitcher since winning the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year award, the 30-year-old right-hander is 124-65 with a 3.40 ERA in eight major league seasons with two no-hitters. He was 24-5 two years ago, becoming the first starting pitcher to sweep Cy Young and MVP since Boston's Roger Clemens in 1986. Verlander also has compiled a 19-win season and two each of 18 and 17. He led the big leagues in strikeouts and innings in 2009, 2011 and 2012. ''He is never going to be content,'' Dombrowski said. ''He wants a World Series, and he wants the Hall of Fame.'' Verlander's teammates were pleased for their star pitcher. ''First, he deserves it because it means a lot for all of us,'' pitcher Max Scherzer said. ''From now on, every time we go out to dinner, I am not even going to make a token effort to pull out my credit card. Every dinner this year is on him.''

Buster Posey gets $167M, 9-year deal from the Giants

At age 26, Buster Posey can envision one day retiring with the San Francisco Giants. For now, he is their new franchise man. The Giants rewarded the NL MVP and batting champion catcher with a $167 million, nine-year contract Friday, a deal that includes a club option for 2022 that could raise the value to $186 million over a decade. ''It's hard to put into words what I feel right now, just an incredible feeling know that for the next nine years I'll be a part of this very storied franchise,'' Posey said. ''I'm incredibly humbled to know I'll be a part of that.'' Posey had been due to make $8 million this year. He instead gets a $7 million signing bonus, with $5 million payable Oct. 15 and the remainder Jan. 15, and his 2013 salary is reduced to $3 million. He will make $10.5 million in 2014, $16.5 million in 2015, $20 million in 2016 and $21.4 million in each of the following five seasons. The Giants' option is for $22 million with a $3 million buyout. ''Obviously this is a big day for the Giants and a big day in Giants history,'' CEO Larry Baer said. ''By any measure the largest and boldest commitment we've ever made to a player, and obviously that's a big deal. We don't make these kinds of commitments lightly. ... In order to make a commitment like this we have to look at other measures, too, and look at the person. A nine-year commitment sounds like a lot but it wasn't scary to us when you look at Buster the person.'' Posey's agreement includes a full no-trade clause and is the longest for a catcher and the largest in Giants history, surpassing Matt Cain's $127.5 million, six-year contract signed before the start of last season. In addition, the deal is a record guarantee for a player with fewer than three years of major league service time - more than doubling the $80 million, seven-year contract Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez received before the 2011 season. It also is a record guarantee for a player with fewer than four years of service time, topping the $151.45 million over 11 years Colorado's Todd Helton was assured in March 2001. ''I don't know if we had a mountain to climb but we had a hill to climb to try to get on the same page,'' general manager Brian Sabean said. ''If he's not the face of the franchise, he's certainly a player that comes around either once every baseball life or not that often.'' The Giants captured their second championship in three years behind the play of the All-Star, who won the NL batting title and MVP award after missing most of 2011 following season-ending left leg and ankle injury. Posey knows that there will be times things don't go as well as they have so far for him with a World Series and Rookie of the Year award in 2010 followed by another title and season of honors last year. ''You get kind of spoiled when you win the World Series in your first year,'' he said. ''I can't see how you can play here and not want to spend your career here.'' Posey received his deal a day after the Giants gave Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy contract extensions through 2016. Posey batted .336 with 24 homers and 103 RBIs while playing 148 games for the NL West champions, including 111 starts at catcher and 29 at first base. During the Giants' 2010 and '12 championship runs, Posey has hit a combined .244 with four home runs and 14 RBIs. Two of those homers and five RBIs came in last year's NL division series against the Reds, when San Francisco became the first team in big league history to rally from a 2-0 deficit to win a five-game series with three straight road victories. ''We've got a group of guys who are not going to rest on what we've accomplished so far,'' Posey said. ''Nine years is a long time. It's exciting. I enjoy the challenge of trying to get better. I enjoy the ups and downs that baseball brings.'' On May 25, 2011, Posey tore three ligaments in his left ankle and broke a bone in his lower leg in a devastating collision at the plate with Scott Cousins, then with the Marlins. Posey received his nice payday two days after turning 26. He will donate $50,000 per year to Giants charities. He could wind up playing his entire career in the Bay Area - and the Giants certainly hope that will be the case. The club posted a photo on its Twitter account Friday of Posey, Baer, Sabean, vice president and assistant general manager Bobby Evans and Bochy - with the hashtag ''SFG4Life.'' ''It's truly one of the great days for Giants fans,'' Baer said. ''Our fans will be very privileged to watch Buster for the foreseeable future, and ideally Buster will be wearing a Giants uniform for the entirety of his career, which is our goal.'' The 2010 NL Rookie of the Year is represented by the same agency that negotiated Cain's deal last year, and both sides were eager to do something again this year to lock Posey up for the long-term. ''We're extremely pleased to reach an agreement that keeps Buster in a Giants uniform for a long time,'' agent Jeff Berry of CAA Baseball said. ''Buster and the Giants have brought each other mutual success, and this contract reflects Buster's extraordinary accomplishments in just three years in the Major Leagues.'' The contract includes the following bonuses: $100,000 for NL MVP, $100,000 for World Series MVP, $75,000 for NL championship series MVP, $50,000 for a Gold Glove, $50,000 for All-Star Game election, $25,000 for All-Star selection and $50,000 for a Silver Slugger. In 2010, Posey wasn't even called up from Triple-A Fresno until late May but still batted .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs in 108 games to help the Giants capture their first NL West crown since 2003. Even with the injury, Posey plans to catch for as long as his body allows it. ''My passion is to be behind the plate for as long as I can,'' he said. ''For anyone who's caught, it's a special position you can't describe until you get back there.'' Yet he did once play all nine positions in one game during college. San Francisco gave him $6.2 million when he signed in August 2008 as the fifth overall pick out of Florida State, the richest deal for an amateur joining the Giants. For Evans in his negotiations, there weren't many players to use as a gauge for having so many accomplishments in such a short career. The Giants entered talks with the idea they would find a way to sign Posey for the long haul. ''The organization will be better off for it each day he's in our uniform,'' Sabean said.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - MARCH 29TH

1917 - Man O'War, racehorse (winner of 20 out of 21 races & $249,465) is born.

1919 - Stanley Cup: Montreal (NHL) & Seattle (PCHA) win 2 games each with 1 tie, 

1919 Stanley Cup not awarded due to flu epidemic.

1940 - Joe Louis KOs Johnny Paycheck in 2nd round to retain Heavyweight boxing title.

1945 - Walt "Clyde" Frazier, NBA guard (NY Knicks) is born.

1955 - Earl Campbell, NFL running back (Houston, New Orleans, 1977 Heisman) is born.

1966 - Muhammad Ali beats George Chuvalo in 15 rounds for Heavyweight boxing title.
1970 - Manchester City wins 10th Europe Cup II.
1973 - Dave Cowens, wins NBA MVP.

1976 - Jennifer Capriati, Long Is NY, tennis pro (Oly-gold-92) is born.

1984 - NFL Baltimore Colts move to Indianapolis.
1985 - Wayne Gretzky breaks own NHL season record with 126th assist.

1988 - Ted Kluszewski, 'Big Klu', Cincinnati Reds standout, (b. 1924) 

dies at 63 of a massive heart attack.

1989 - First Soviet hockey players are permitted to play for the NHL.

1996 - Cleveland Browns choose new name, Baltimore Ravens.

1997 - First game at Turner Field Atlanta, Braves beats Yanks 2-0 (exhibition).

Syracuse ex-coach to sue ESPN over sexual abuse allegations

Fired Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine has filed the initial paperwork in a defamation lawsuit against ESPN for reporting two former ball boys' claims that the longtime coach sexually abused them. A yearlong federal investigation that followed accusations that Fine abused team ball boys ended with no charges. Fine was Hall of Fame Coach Jim Boeheim's assistant for 35 seasons. ESPN reported the allegations on Nov. 17, 2011. Fine was fired 10 days later when a third man made similar claims. In the court paperwork, Fine indicates he'll sue for defamation and seek undefined damages. The ''summons with notice'' was filed Nov. 15, 2012, in state Supreme Court in Onondaga County and sat unreported until Thursday, when The Associated Press asked the court clerk for a copy. Fine's Buffalo-based lawyer, Richard Sullivan, declined to comment Thursday. ESPN spokesman David Scott said the network doesn't comment on pending litigation and stands by its reporting. Hearst Corp. and The Walt Disney Co., which together own ESPN, are also named as co-defendants along with reporter Mark Schwarz and producer Arthur Berko. In the initial ESPN report, two former Syracuse ball boys, Bobby Davis and his stepbrother Michael Lang, came forward and accused the longtime assistant of fondling them when they were teens. Davis said the sexual contact continued for years. ESPN said that Davis had come to them in 2003 but that his story couldn't be corroborated then. When Lang also came forward, the network decided to air the story. But the claims by Davis and Lang had happened too long ago to be prosecuted. Ten days later, a third man, 23-year-old Zachary Tomaselli, of Lewiston, Maine, went public with an accusation that Fine had molested him in 2002 in a hotel room when the team played in Pittsburgh. The same day, ESPN aired an audiotape in which Fine's wife, Laurie Fine, apparently acknowledged to Davis she knew about the molestation he alleged. Laurie Fine is also suing the sports network for defamation. Bernie Fine, who has consistently denied the allegations, was fired Nov. 27, and the federal government began investigating Tomaselli's claim, the only one that fell within the statute of limitations. Boeheim at first angrily defended his assistant of 35 years and said the accusers were only out for money, seeking to cash in on the publicity generated by the Penn State scandal, in which former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with and ultimately convicted of sexually abusing several boys. Davis and Lang sued Boeheim and the university for defamation, but a judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying Boeheim's defense of his friend was clearly opinion. Another accuser, Floyd Van Hooser, said Fine abused him for years but later said he was lying. Tomaselli was eventually convicted of sexually abusing a boy at a camp in 2010 and sent to prison. Before he went to jail, he repeatedly lied and changed his story. In November, federal authorities dropped their investigation, saying there was not enough evidence to support Tomaselli's claim. Fine, now 67, has been in Florida and was hired as a consultant for an Israeli basketball team. On Thursday, the Orangemen were playing Indiana with a chance to advance to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.

Bruins GM thought he had made trade for Iginla

The Boston Bruins lost to Pittsburgh in the competition for Jarome Iginla. That should make it tougher for them to beat the already powerful Penguins in the playoffs. It was a bitter battle to lose, of course. Especially considering Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli thought he already had the Calgary Flames' all-time leading goal scorer in the fold. A few hours later, Iginla was a Penguin. Just like that. ''We believed we had a deal,'' Chiarelli said, at about noon on Wednesday for the Flames' captain and the top prize in the NHL trade market. But Iginla had a no-trade clause which allowed him to choose his destination from teams that made offers. And shortly before midnight on Wednesday, Calgary general manager Jay Feaster called Chiarelli with the bad news: Iginla had chosen the Penguins and Sidney Crosby. ''It's tough. I mean, we're talking about a really good player,'' Chiarelli said. ''This kind of stuff happens. It shouldn't, but it does. The reality of no-movement and no-trade clauses, it's going to happen more. It's a disappointment, but you get back on your horse and you go out there and find some more players.'' He still has time to improve one of the NHL's stingiest defensive teams but one that has struggled on offense. The Bruins scored five goals Wednesday night against the Montreal Canadiens, but still lost 6-5 to drop from the second to the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The Penguins hold the top spot, lead the league in goals and had won 13 straight games at the time of the trade. That deal followed two others in which they obtained forward Brenden Morrow from Dallas on Sunday and defenseman Doug Murray from San Jose on Monday. So what does Chiarelli think of the Penguins now? ''Well, they're a lock, right?'' he said with a laugh. ''They're a good team.'' But so are the Bruins. Chiarelli called them ''a serious contender'' but said they must improve to become more competitive for a spot in the Stanley Cup finals two years after they won the NHL championship. ''You still have to be patient because, you know, you trust in your players,'' he said. ''They're a good team. We have to be better in a number of areas, but we're getting points, and we also know that the prize is after the regular season. We're committed to fixing these things. ''I'm committed to trying to improve the team also.'' He'd like to add a forward and a defenseman. But the big catch got away when Iginla chose the Penguins. Chiarelli said he talked with the Flames a couple of weeks ago about Iginla and there were further conversations between the teams. Feaster told him that the Bruins were on a list that Iginla, in the final year of his five-year contract, would agree to be traded to, he said. A few days ago, the Bruins offered defenseman Matt Bartkowski and minor-league forward Alexander Khokhlachev for Iginla. The final offer also included a first-round draft choice. ''We were informed around noon (Wednesday) that we had the player,'' Chiarelli said. Feaster ''just had to talk to Jarome and his agent regarding the logistics of everything. From that point on, there had been some discussions regarding Jarome taking some time, not to decide, but to kind of let things soak in.'' Chiarelli had ''no doubt'' that the deal was done, ''but as time went on, the doubt started to grow.'' Starting at around 5 p.m. there was ''radio silence'' between the teams and the Flames didn't return his calls, he said. ''I, obviously, in my experience, know that if things go silent it means that something is going screwy from your end. And it was,'' Chiarelli said. ''Later that night, around quarter to 12, I got a call from Jay saying that it was the player's choice and he opted to go to Pittsburgh and we were out.'' He said he had asked for permission to talk with Iginla earlier but was denied so he wasn't able to offer a contract extension or convince him to come to Boston. He didn't blame Feaster, called him a ''gentleman'' and said he didn't think ''there was anything nefarious on Jay's part.'' Iginla said during a news conference on Thursday that ''when it comes down to the choice I had, one or the other, it's really hard to pass up the opportunity to play on a team with Sid and (Evgeni) Malkin.'' That's the team the Bruins could face in the playoffs. ''I would welcome it. I think when we're going, we play a really good game that matches up well against them,'' Chiarelli said. ''I'm not laying down for them, but they know what it takes.'' And now they have Iginla. ''There's always other players'' the Bruins could trade for, Chiarelli said, but ''that was a good player. That was a real good player.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - MARCH 28TH

1891 - First world Weightlifting championship held.

1899 - August Anheuser Busch, Jr., brewing magnate and 

American baseball executive (d. 1989) is born.

1940 - J Michael Plumb, Islip NY, Equestrian (Oly-2 gold/4 silver-1976,84) is born.

1944 - NBA rookie of the year in 1966, Rick Barry is born.

1953 - James Francis Thorpe, decathelete (Olympic-gold-12), dies at 64.

1958 - Bart Wayne Conner, Morton Grove Ill, gymnist (Olympic-2 gold-1984) is born.

1963 - AFL's NY Titan's become the NY Jets.

1972 - Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game.

1982 - First NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: LA Tech beats Cheney 76-62.

1989 - New Zealand wins America's Cup over Stars & Stripes, in a NY court.

1990 - Michael Jordan scores 69 points, 4th time he scores 60 pts in a game.

1991 - Mike Tyson admits paternity to Kimberly Scarborough's son.

Heat's winning streak ends at 27 in Chicago

The Miami Heat's 27-game winning streak was snapped Wednesday night by the Chicago Bulls, 101-97, when a furious comeback by LeBron James and his teammates fell short. The Heat finished six games short of the record held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. Luol Deng scored 28 points, Carlos Boozer added 21 points and 17 rebounds, and the Bulls brought the Heat's pursuit of the record to a screeching halt despite another big game from James. Miami's superstar did all he could to keep the run going, scoring 32 points in a physical final few minutes that saw the MVP even collect a flagrant foul. The Heat hadn't lost since the Pacers beat them in Indianapolis on Feb. 1. But after grinding out some close wins lately, including a rally from 27 down in Cleveland, they simply came up short down the stretch in this one. For the better part of two months, they were the NBA's comeback kings. They erased seven double-digit deficits during the streak. They found themselves trailing in the fourth quarter 11 times, and won them all. Not Wednesday. And when they walked off the floor in Chicago, they were not happy. Faces were stoic as the Heat trudged toward the locker room. James turned and glared at one fan who grabbed at his head. Meanwhile, the Bulls whooped and slapped hands with anyone they could reach, with some acknowledging that being the team that snapped the streak meant plenty. It will go down as the second-longest winning streak in the history of American major pro sports, behind only the Lakers. And some of those who helped that 33-game run become reality were openly cheering for the Heat as Miami's streak rolled along, with Jerry West among those saying that he believed the reigning champions had a real shot at pulling the feat off. The streak began on Super Bowl Sunday in Toronto, a day when Heat players were mildly annoyed about having to miss football's title game. When San Francisco and Baltimore were to be playing, the Heat were to be flying home for a game the following night. So team officials team changed course, as a surprise. Miami beat Toronto that afternoon, then stayed in the city several more hours to watch the Super Bowl together, an event highlighted by Shane Battier giving an unplanned speech about appreciating little moments as a team. For whatever reason, the Heat were unbeatable for nearly the next two months. And they won games in a number of different ways. They blew out good teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Bulls, then inexplicably struggled with lottery-bound Cleveland, Detroit, Sacramento, Charlotte and Orlando. They rallied from 13 points down in the final 8 minutes to beat Boston, from a 27-point third-quarter hole at Cleveland, and from 11-point deficits against Detroit and Charlotte - all those coming in a seven-day span, no less. ''There are several teams that can do it,'' Pistons guard Jose Calderon said, when asked what it would take for someone to beat Miami. ''It's difficult to maintain this concentration every day. It will likely take everyone to have a bad day.'' Even when those bad days happened, the Heat found ways to win. A buzzer-beater by James against Orlando. Double-overtime against Sacramento. Huge comebacks. Whatever it took. ''To do something like this, everyone needs to step up,'' said Battier, who was part of a 32-game winning streak at Duke, a 22-gamer with the Houston Rockets and now played a role in this epic Heat run. There were times when even the Heat themselves didn't know how long the streak was. Because it was interrupted by the All-Star break, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was surprised when a staff member said something about Miami having won nine in a row. When it was at 24 games, Dwyane Wade made a reference to ''23, 24, whatever it is.'' They insisted they did not care about it, whatever the number was. Heat President Pat Riley played for the Lakers team that won 33 in a row, and remained silent throughout Miami's streak, mainly because he rarely gives interviews these days but more so because the official team stance was that it simply did not matter. This season is championship-or-bust for Miami, one where nothing else other than raising yet another Larry O'Brien Trophy will satisfy. ''I understand the history of the game,'' James said after the streak reached 25. ''I appreciate the history of the game. But this team has a bigger goal than winning a number of consecutive games in a row.'' Still, the streak will go down as the story of the regular season. When it started, Miami was 5 1/2 games behind San Antonio for the overall NBA lead, only a half-game ahead of New York in the Eastern Conference race, held just a four-game edge over Atlanta in the Southeast Division and were the league's ninth-best road team in terms of winning percentage. Funny what two months or so without losing can do. The Heat now sit atop the overall NBA standings, gained 12 games over New York in the East entering Wednesday, put away the Hawks for good several weeks ago and are now, by far, the league's best road team. And with the streak over, all that's left now is getting ready for the postseason.

'The Gentle Giant'; Tom Boerwinkle, 67, loses his battle to leukemia

Tom Boerwinkle really was the gentle giant. He grabbed more rebounds in a single game than any player in Bulls history, was a team broadcaster during the first three championships, a successful businessman, and the most unassuming seven-footer you’d ever meet. It was often said about the likeable Boerwinkle by friends he was the only former NBA player they knew who didn’t always start sentences with, “When I played…” Boerwinkle, 67, died Tuesday in his sleep after a long battle with Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a form of leukemia. Boerwinkle was diagnosed about 10 years ago, but you’d see him around the United Center never with a concern for himself and always a positive, upbeat, outgoing outlook about life and basketball. And a work ethic that not only fit perfectly with that first great Bulls team of Jerry Sloan, Norm Van Lier, Chet Walker and Bob Love, but which carried through to everything he did. “He was successful, yet no one worked harder at it,” said Neil Funk, Boerwinkle’s broadcast partner in the first Bulls championships and close friend. “He bought a failing oil company and made it a success. He was the kind of guy we’d get back from a road trip and he’d be going to his office. Yet, you’d never hear him ever talk about long hours. So successful, but so low key about it. “He never used the fact he was a former player,” said Funk, who still is Bulls play-by-play TV broadcaster. “You’d meet him and think here’s just some big guy. He was never down about anything, his condition, anything, always upbeat. A great partner and a better friend.” When Boerwinkle played as one of the best, if most unappreciated centers in the NBA, the Bulls were an elite, tough, hard working blue collar team that gave you every bit of talent it had every game. It’s why Chicagoans embraced that Bulls team that averaged more than 50 wins a season in the early 1970’s even though it never reached the ultimate success. But it achieved the ultimate of its talent every game, and that’s something any person can be proud of and aspire to. It’s what made that Bulls team popular, but also why it became so ingrained in Chicago sports lore. It reflected the city as it liked to see itself and hoped to be seen, the way anyone would want to. It set an example of hard work and selflessness without celebrity. If Chicago was the second city or the home for blue collar workers, this 1970’s Bulls team was its coat of arms. And in the midst of it all, even the players basically found Boerwinkle as their favorite. “He made guys like myself look good because he’d be the one making the passes for us to score,” said Jerry Sloan, who was Boerwinkle’s closest friend as a teammate. “He’s the only guy I ever knew other than (John) Stockton who would ask you where you wanted the ball (on a pass); on the outside, the inside. He had a great knack for passing the ball and making just the right pass, the simple play.” Bounce pass, chest pass, back door, leading you. Boerwinkle had it all playing out of the high post. Those wonderful back door bounce passes you see Joakim Noah making these days? That was the Boerwinkle video. “Everyone wanted him to be Russell, Thurmond, Chamberlain,” said Sloan. “That was an unfair comparison. He was instrumental in helping us win. He was who he was. His strengths complemented his teammates very well.” Which is what a team truly is about, and that Bulls group in the early 1970’s defined team. Boerwinkle liked to call them the team of role players. They were thwarted and eventually stopped at the end of the season playing in the Western Conference then by Wilt or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Though when I’d ask Phil Jackson, who played on the 1973 Knicks championship team, whom they feared the most back then, he’d invariably say the Bulls because of the way they fought and battled you. No, they didn’t have quite the exceptional talent. But the games were as fiercely contested as any you’d play then. And Boerwinkle was the man in the middle. Which really allowed Dick Motta to run the forward oriented offense for which he became famous and successful, winning a title with the Washington Bullets in 1978. When the Bulls, frustrated losing to the Lakers and Bucks, finally went the way of the big center in trading for Nate Thurmond in 1974 they basically lost their way. They began to lose the identity of the team they were, making one last run that season despite failing to win 50 games for the first time in five years and then beginning a precipitous fall that wouldn’t end, except with a few brief interludes, until the arrival of Michael Jordan. Boerwinkle played his entire career from 1968 through 1978 with the Bulls. He is third on the franchise list for seasons played and fifth in games played. He was always a Bull, and he represented what it was to be a Chicago Bull, if there was such a thing. Perhaps that identity changed some with the titles and the flash of Jordan and the 1990’s and then Dennis Rodman. But there’s an ethic of competition and consistency and showing up to do your job that is built within the franchise. Boerwinkle represented that without the glamour, a first round pick in 1968 out of the University of Tennessee. Only once in his career did he average more than 10 shots per game in the era of the NBA’s Big Center with Russell, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, Wes Unseld, Bob Lanier, Willis Reed, Walt Bellamy and Thurmond, the greatest center era in league history. This was who Boerwinkle met every day at work. And there wasn’t much help defense back in those days. You had your man. Boerwinkle had the greatest to play the game most every game. Unsurprisingly without complaint. Yet with their forward oriented offense and tough guards, the Bulls evolved into one of the premier teams of the era winning 51, 57, 51 and 54 games in consecutive seasons. And this was when the Lakers were winning 33 straight, when the Bucks were becoming one of the great teams just up the road and the Knicks were setting a standard still admired in New York. Boerwinkle quietly averaged a double-double two seasons and was among the league’s top rebounders in 1970 and had himself a 37-rebound game on a snowy January night that season in 35 minutes. His teammates tried to get him to go back in as there was ample time left for more stats. He declined. Boerwinkle was the ultimate team guy, as he was as a friend and colleague, always sacrificing for the group to be better, to succeed as well as it could. “He was one of the best teammates you could have,” said Sloan. “Humble, hard working, a great person, fun to be around every day. Sometimes the talent is not enough. But we were guys who were as good as we could be and good for Chicago, and Tom was one of those guys.”