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UFC / MMA: Bisping, Belcher ratchet up feud before UFC 159

April 25, 2013 By

6d798b1a57f988d9a0eeac45d6a62801 UFC / MMA: Bisping, Belcher ratchet up feud before UFC 159

(PhatzRadio / AP) — One year ago, middleweights and were considered two of the best 185-pound fighters in the UFC. After Saturday night, one of them will be further away from than at almost any point in his career.

“You’re only as good as your , and my was a loss,” Bisping said. “I don’t take that too well, you know? I want to win fights. I’m a natural competitor. And, you know, a win over Alan Belcher puts me back in the win column.

“As I say, I get redemption for my last fight. It’s a win over a top 10 .”

Bisping (23-5 , 13-5 UFC) and Belcher (18-7 , 9-5 UFC) meet in the co-headliner of Saturday’s “UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen” event at in Newark, N.J. The main card airs on pay-per-view (10 p.m. ET) after on FX (8).

Bisping is widely considered the best MMA fighter England has produced. As the winner of “The 3,” he has been a perennial UFC middleweight . Yet each time “The Count” has stood on the of a title shot, he has fallen short, as he did in January with a TKO loss to Vitor Belfort.

Belcher, meanwhile, has battled through numerous injuries the last few years and finally seemed primed to break out. But a December loss to Yushin ended his four-.

“We’re both coming off losses,” Belcher said. “We both have losses in our career, wins in our career, and now we’re going to see who the best is out of us two.”

Surprisingly, UFC 159′s headlining between light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and outspoken challenger has proved largely void of emotion.

That’s not the case in the co-feature. Bisping and Belcher have lobbed at each other for years.

Belcher suggested the tension, which has boiled over in recent weeks, would fuel his performance.

“It is emotional for me, and that’s when I perform at my highest,” Belcher said. “I have the most pressure on me. I’mthe most nervous for this fight ever. The only fights that I’ve ever lost are the fights that I wasn’t very excited for.”

That won’t be the case Saturday. Neither fighter can afford consecutive losses in the UFC’s increasingly talent-rich middleweight division, especially when both have a shot at division kingpin and longtime champion Anderson Silva as their ultimate goal. One only has to listen to Bisping to know what the contest means for both fighters.

“A win over me for Alan Belcher would be by far the biggest win of his pathetic career,” Bisping said. “I ain’t going to lose to you, man. It’s in the bag. It’s a formality. I’ve just got to show up, slap your little, take my check and go home.”

For more on UFC 159, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

UFC / MMA: Bisping, Belcher ratchet up feud before UFC 159 is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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UFC / MMA: Bisping, Belcher ratchet up feud before UFC 159

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March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling

April 1, 2013 By

baba93d965eb58fd7506420855025bd5 March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling
(Wichita ’t have a superstar-laden roster. They don’t play in a power conference. Still, thanks to its hard-nose , neither its coach, nor the community it plays in, would trade them.)

(PhatzRadio / SI Feature) — Now THIS is what a is supposed to look like.

We have a clear favorite (Louisville), two teams that could plausibly win it (Michigan and Syracuse) and a that appears to have accidentally hopped on the wrong bus. even comes with a geographically challenged name and a named Cleanthony Early, which has to be one of the top five names in history.

This reminds me of the 1985 , which heavy favorite , plausible St. John’s and Memphis State, and No. 8 seed , which of course beat for the championship in one of the great upsets in history.

In a crazy college year when no team was truly dominant — not even Louisville — wouldn’t it be fitting if Wichita State won the title?

I’m not predicting that. In fact, we should all agree not to predict that, so if it happens, it is a complete surprise to everybody and nobody can scream they called it, as if it were something other than dumb luck. So I think Louisville will beat Wichita State and play Michigan for the title. But I have been wrong before, and anyway, my predictions are not important. What is important is all the reasons this Final Four is compelling, such as …

1. Louisville is both the bully on the block and a tear-inducing story. Guard Kevin Ware’s gruesome broken leg Sunday means the Cardinals are playing with a rainbow of emotions. Will Ware’s inspiration compensate for the loss of his skill?

2. The two best point guards in the country are probably Trey Burke of Michigan and -Williams of Syracuse. They face each other Saturday, and that is not only the best individual matchup of this Final Four — it may be the best possible individual matchup in .

I believe Burke will be a star in the NBA and Carter-Williams has a chance, as well. The only downside is that it’s not really a true one-on-one matchup because Syracuse plays that dastardly 2-3 zone, and speaking of which …

3. That Syracuse 2-3 zone is genius. Not just because it has worked so well in this tournament. It’s genius because it is suited for the kind of long, athletic players recruits, it allows those players to save their energy for offense, and it doesn’t change that much from game to game. So Boeheim doesn’t have to run his players through extra preparation. Syracuse is not big on extra preparation. Almost every year, Boeheim talks about mixing in some man-to-man. And by March, it’s all 2-3 zone, all the time. Simple, effective … brilliant.

4. Boeheim hired at Syracuse and recommended John Beilein at West Virginia. He is the elder statesman of this Final Four. His program is also under investigation for like 400 things, but hey, elder statesmen aren’t perfect. Look at Congress.

5. HIS NAME IS CLEANTHONY EARLY.

6. Louisville guard Russ Smith in this tournament: 54 percent from the field, 80 percent from the line, an astounding 10 free throws and 26 points per game. I’m taking away his Russdiculous nickname just so I can give it to him again.

7. When the Boston Celtics stuffed Pitino in a box and shipped him back to college coaching, he supposedly chose between two jobs: Louisville and Michigan. I say “supposedly” because I have not heard anybody in the know at Michigan say the school tried to hire Pitino.

Pitino said it. But there were a lot of obstacles in the way then — Michigan’s reluctance (at the time) to pay coaches big money, the lack of a practice facility, resistance from certain people of influence at Michigan — and Pitino seemed to be using speculation to extract as much money as he could from Louisville. I don’t think Pitino was remotely close to going to Michigan. But anyway, if Louisville and Michigan both win Saturday, this story will pop up Sunday.

8. Michigan can become the first Big Ten team to win a title since Michigan State in 2000. If that doesn’t happen, then please, I’m begging you: Do NOT say the Big Ten was overrated this year.

The league put four teams in the Sweet 16, two in the and one in the Final Four. Of the top four teams, one made the Final Four, two others lost to Final Four teams, and the fourth, Michigan State, lost to Duke. Given the quirks of the tournament, that is a respectable showing for the best league in the country this year.

9. For the first week of the tournament, I was “embedded” with Michigan. If this were a war, that means I would have been inside tanks behind enemy lines. But since it’s just , it means I heard a lot of talk about ball screens. Good God, man. It’s all ball screens these days.

Anyway, two weeks ago I asked freshman Nik Stauskas about possibly being too loose. Sometimes freshmen seem nervous. The Michigan freshmen have the opposite problem: They don’t seem to realize the stakes. Stauskas admitted he is still learning to play hard on every possession.

“It’s a dangerous line, I guess,” Stauskas said. “The one thing I’ve been saying all year — and it helps me with the pressure of college basketball — is, ‘At the end of the day, it’s just basketball. It’s just a game. And I play this game to have fun.’”

On Sunday, Stauskas made all six of his three-pointers against Florida, scored 22 points, and looked like he had never had more fun in his life. Guys like Stauskas are the key to the Final Four. The primary scorers should score. It’s the third, fourth and fifth options who usually make the difference.

10. Louisville, Syracuse and Wichita State all had three-game losing streaks this year. Michigan lost three out of four in one stretch and the win came in overtime. What does this mean? I don’t know. But I think it means the gap between the top and bottom of this Final Four is not as big as it seems. And this crazy season might just have a crazy ending.

March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling

March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling

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March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling

April 1, 2013 By

baba93d965eb58fd7506420855025bd5 March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling
(Wichita ’t have a superstar-laden roster. They don’t play in a power conference. Still, thanks to its hard-nose , neither its coach, nor the community it plays in, would trade them.)

(PhatzRadio / SI Feature) — Now THIS is what a is supposed to look like.

We have a clear favorite (Louisville), two teams that could plausibly win it (Michigan and Syracuse) and a random team that appears to have accidentally hopped on the . even comes with a geographically challenged name and a named Cleanthony Early, which has to be one of the top five names in .

This reminds me of the 1985 Final Four, which featured heavy favorite , plausible St. John’s and Memphis State, and No. 8 seed Villanova, which of course beat for the championship in one of the great upsets in history.

In a crazy college year when no team was truly dominant — not even Louisville — wouldn’t it be fitting if won the title?

I’m not predicting that. In fact, we should all agree not to predict that, so if it happens, it is a complete surprise to everybody and nobody can scream they called it, as if it were something other than . So I think Louisville will beat Wichita State and play Michigan for the title. But I have been wrong before, and anyway, my predictions are not important. What is important is all the reasons this Final Four is compelling, such as …

1. Louisville is both the and a tear-inducing story. Guard Kevin Ware’s gruesome broken leg Sunday means the are playing with a rainbow of emotions. Will Ware’s inspiration compensate for the loss of his skill?

2. The two best point guards in the country are probably Trey Burke of Michigan and -Williams of Syracuse. They face each other Saturday, and that is not only the best individual matchup of this Final Four — it may be the best possible individual matchup in .

I believe Burke will be a star in the NBA and Carter-Williams has a chance, as well. The only downside is that it’s not really a true one-on-one matchup because Syracuse plays that dastardly 2-3 zone, and speaking of which …

3. That Syracuse 2-3 zone is genius. Not just because it has worked so well in this tournament. It’s genius because it is suited for the kind of long, athletic players recruits, it allows those players to save their energy for offense, and it doesn’t change that much from game to game. So Boeheim doesn’t have to run his players through extra preparation. Syracuse is not big on extra preparation. Almost every year, Boeheim talks about mixing in some man-to-man. And by March, it’s all 2-3 zone, all the time. Simple, effective … brilliant.

4. Boeheim hired at Syracuse and recommended John Beilein at West Virginia. He is the elder statesman of this Final Four. His program is also under investigation for like 400 things, but hey, elder statesmen aren’t perfect. Look at Congress.

5. HIS NAME IS CLEANTHONY EARLY.

6. Louisville guard Russ Smith in this tournament: 54 percent from the field, 80 percent from the line, an astounding 10 free throws and 26 points per game. I’m taking away his Russdiculous nickname just so I can give it to him again.

7. When the Boston Celtics stuffed Pitino in a box and shipped him back to college coaching, he supposedly chose between two jobs: Louisville and Michigan. I say “supposedly” because I have not heard anybody in the know at Michigan say the school tried to hire Pitino.

Pitino said it. But there were a lot of obstacles in the way then — Michigan’s reluctance (at the time) to pay coaches big money, the lack of a practice facility, resistance from certain people of influence at Michigan — and Pitino seemed to be using speculation to extract as much money as he could from Louisville. I don’t think Pitino was remotely close to going to Michigan. But anyway, if Louisville and Michigan both win Saturday, this story will pop up Sunday.

8. Michigan can become the first Big Ten team to win a title since Michigan State in 2000. If that doesn’t happen, then please, I’m begging you: Do NOT say the Big Ten was overrated this year.

The league put four teams in the Sweet 16, two in the and one in the Final Four. Of the top four teams, one made the Final Four, two others lost to Final Four teams, and the fourth, Michigan State, lost to Duke. Given the quirks of the tournament, that is a respectable showing for the best league in the country this year.

9. For the first week of the tournament, I was “embedded” with Michigan. If this were a war, that means I would have been inside tanks behind enemy lines. But since it’s just basketball, it means I heard a lot of talk about ball screens. Good God, man. It’s all ball screens these days.

Anyway, two weeks ago I asked freshman Nik Stauskas about possibly being too loose. Sometimes freshmen seem nervous. The Michigan freshmen have the opposite problem: They don’t seem to realize the stakes. Stauskas admitted he is still learning to play hard on every possession.

“It’s a dangerous line, I guess,” Stauskas said. “The one thing I’ve been saying all year — and it helps me with the pressure of — is, ‘At the end of the day, it’s just basketball. It’s just a game. And I play this game to have fun.’”

On Sunday, Stauskas made all six of his three-pointers against Florida, scored 22 points, and looked like he had never had more fun in his life. Guys like Stauskas are the key to the Final Four. The primary scorers should score. It’s the third, fourth and fifth options who usually make the difference.

10. Louisville, Syracuse and Wichita State all had three-game losing streaks this year. Michigan lost three out of four in one stretch and the win came in overtime. What does this mean? I don’t know. But I think it means the gap between the top and bottom of this Final Four is not as big as it seems. And this crazy season might just have a crazy ending.

March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling

March Madness: This season’s Final Four just as crazy as it is compelling

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March Madness Updated: 2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule / Results / The Road to the Final Four – Atlanta

April 1, 2013 By

fd262b4f4bd678f93a8ac1a50c4da3f2 March Madness Updated: 2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule / Results / The Road to the Final Four – Atlanta
( ride to Atlanta on emotion.After suffering through an emotionally draining first half, Louisville came out after halftime and dominated Duke on Sunday in Indianapolis. The will face in the national semis.)

2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule

First Round: March 19-20

Date Time/Recap /Result Region
TUE, MAR 19 Recap (16) Liberty 72, (16) N.C. A&T 73 Midwest
TUE, MAR 19 Recap (11) M. TN St. 54, (11) St. Mary’s 67 Midwest
WED, MAR 20 Recap (16) J. Madison 68, (16) Long Isl. 55 East
WED, MAR 20 Recap (13) Boise St. 71, (13) 80 West

Second Round: March 21-22

Date Time/Recap /Result Region
THU, MAR 21 Recap (3) Mich St. 65, (14) Valpo 54 Midwest
THU, MAR 21 Recap (6) Butler 68, (11) Bucknell 56 East
THU, MAR 21 Recap (8) Pitt 55, (9) Wich. St. 73 West
THU, MAR 21 Recap (4) St. Louis 64, (13) N.M. St. 44 Midwest
THU, MAR 21 Recap (6) Memphis 54, (11) St. Mary’s 52 Midwest
THU, MAR 21 Recap (3) 59, (14) Davidson 58 East
THU, MAR 21 Recap (1) 64, (16) Southern 58 West
THU, MAR 21 Recap (5) Okla. St. 55, (12) Oregon 68 Midwest
THU, MAR 21 Recap (1) Louisville 79, (16) N.C. A&T 48 Midwest
THU, MAR 21 Recap (4) Michigan 71, (13) SD St. 56 South
THU, MAR 21 Recap (6) Arizona 81, (11) Belmont 64 West
THU, MAR 21 Recap (5) UNLV 61, (12) Cal 64 East
THU, MAR 21 Recap (8) Colo. St. 84, (9) Missouri 72 Midwest
THU, MAR 21 Recap (5) VCU 88, (12) Akron 42 South
THU, MAR 21 Recap (3) New Mex. 62, (14) Harvard 68 West
THU, MAR 21 Recap (4) Syracuse 81, (13) Montana 34 East

, MAR 22 Recap (2) Duke 73, (15) Albany 61 Midwest
, MAR 22 Recap (5) Wisc. 46, (12) Ole Miss 57 West
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (8) 72, (9) Temple 76 East
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (2) Mia. FL 78, (15) Pacific 49 East
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (7) 67, (10) Cincy 63 Midwest
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (4) . 61, (13) 63 West
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (1) Indiana 83, (16) J. Madison 62 East
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (7) Illinois 57, (10) Colorado 49 East
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (2) G’Town 68, (15) Florida GC 78 South
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (2) Ohio St. 95, (15) Iona 70 West
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (8) UNC 78, (9) Villanova 71 South
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (3) Florida 79, (14) NW St. 47 South
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (7) SDSU 70, (10) Okla. 55 South
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (7) ND 58, (10) Iowa St. 76 West
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (1) Kansas 64, (16) W. Ky. 57 South
FRI, MAR 22 Recap (6) UCLA 63, (11) Minn. 83 South

Third Round: March 23-24

Date Time/Recap Matchup/Result Region
SAT, MAR 23 Recap (5) VCU 53, (4) Michigan 78 South
SAT, MAR 23 Recap (6) Memphis 48, (3) Mich St. 70 Midwest
SAT, MAR 23 Recap (1) Louisville 82, (8) Colo. St. 56 Midwest
SAT, MAR 23 Recap (6) Arizona 74, (14) Harvard 51 West
SAT, MAR 23 Recap (12) Oregon 74, (4) St. Louis 57 Midwest
SAT, MAR 23 Recap (6) Butler 72, (3) 74 East
SAT, MAR 23 Recap (1) Gonzaga 70, (9) Wich. St. 76 West
SAT, MAR 23 Recap (12) Cal 60, (4) Syracuse 66 East

SUN, MAR 24 Recap (10) Iowa St. 75, (2) Ohio St. 78 West
SUN, MAR 24 Recap (1) Indiana 58, (9) Temple 52 East
SUN, MAR 24 Recap (1) Kansas 70, (8) UNC 58 South
SUN, MAR 24 Recap (11) Minn. 64, (3) Florida 78 South
SUN, MAR 24 Recap (7) SDSU 71, (15) Florida GC 81 South
SUN, MAR 24 Recap (12) Ole Miss 74, (13) La Salle 76 West
SUN, MAR 24 Recap (7) Illinois 59, (2) Mia. FL 63 East
SUN, MAR 24 Recap (7) Creighton 50, (2) Duke 66 Midwest

Regional Semifinals: March 28-29

Date Time/Recap Matchup/Result Region
THU, MAR 28 Recap (3) Marquette 71, (2) Mia. FL 61 East
THU, MAR 28 Recap (6) Arizona 70, (2) Ohio St. 73 West
THU, MAR 28 Recap (1) Indiana 50, (4) Syracuse 61 East
THU, MAR 28 Recap (9) Wich. St. 72, (13) La Salle 58 West

FRI, MAR 29 Recap (1) Louisville 77, (12) Oregon 69 Midwest
FRI, MAR 29 Recap (1) Kansas 85, (4) Michigan 87 South
FRI, MAR 29 Recap (3) Mich St. 61, (2) Duke 71 Midwest
FRI, MAR 29 Recap (3) Florida 62, (15) Florida GC 50 South

: March 30-31

Date Time/Recap Matchup/Result Region
SAT, MAR 30 Recap (4) Syracuse 55, (3) Marquette 39 East
SAT, MAR 30 Recap (9) Wich. St. 70, (2) Ohio St. 66 West
SUN, MAR 31 Recap (4) Michigan 79, (3) Florida 59 South
SUN, MAR 31 Recap (1) Louisville 85, (2) Duke 63 Midwest

: April 6

Date Time/Recap Matchup/Result Venue
TBD TBD (1) Louisville, (9) Wich. St. Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
TBD TBD (4) Michigan, (4) Syracuse Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

NCAA National Championship: April 8

Date Time/Recap Matchup/Result Venue
TBD TBD (#) TBD, (#) TBD Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

March Madness Updated: 2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule / Results / The Road to the Final Four – Atlanta is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

March Madness Updated: 2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule / Results / The Road to the Final Four – Atlanta March Madness Updated: 2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule / Results / The Road to the Final Four – Atlanta March Madness Updated: 2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule / Results / The Road to the Final Four – Atlanta March Madness Updated: 2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule / Results / The Road to the Final Four – Atlanta March Madness Updated: 2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule / Results / The Road to the Final Four – Atlanta

March Madness Updated: 2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule / Results / The Road to the Final Four – Atlanta

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March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset

March 31, 2013 By

27c439f2d82f2f68b232515dfaa8fd81 March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset
( controlled Ohio State on Saturday in the West Regional final. In the end, the held on to eliminate the favored Buckeyes and advance to their first since 1965.)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — is headed to the Final Four, and these should be no surprise to anybody.

Not after the way they held off mighty Ohio State in the West Regional final.

Malcolm scored 14 points, Fred Van Vleet bounced in a big basket with 1 minute left, and ninth-seeded Wichita State earned its 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 with a nail-biting victory over the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-8), whose 11- ended one game short of their second straight Final 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 ’s improbable run in 2011.

Wichita State roared to a 20-point lead with 11 minutes to play after Ohio State played an awful first half, but scored 15 of his 19 points after halftime, leading a ferocious rally that got the Buckeyes within three points in the final minutes.

But after Tekele Cotton hit a 3-pointer with 2:20 left, Van Vleet scored on a shot that bounced all over the rim before dropping. and Cotton hit last-minute free throws to secure the second Final Four trip in Wichita State’s history.

EAST REGIONAL

SYRACUSE 55, MARQUETTE 39

WASHINGTON (AP) — Using its trapping, shot-challenging 2-3 to perfect effect, Syracuse shut down Marquette to reach the Final Four for the first time in a decade.

Boeheim and the Orange (30-9) haven’t been to the national semifinals since a freshman named led them to the 2003 championship.

Fittingly, a matchup between schools from the soon-to-break-apart, rough-and-tumble Big East became quite a struggle to score. Syracuse was led by James Southerland’s 16 points.

Marquette (26-9) hadn’t scored fewer than 47 points this season. But with Syracuse playing Boeheim’s beloved zone throughout, 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.

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.

00f94b8f03d3f0bb8cd6e9aceaecf558 March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset
(Georgia chops Cardinal, heads to Elite Eight. Stanford won’t be making a sixth consecutive Women’s Final Four after a come-from-behind effort by Georgia. The Bulldogs overcame three major scoring droughts to take the 61-59 Sweet Sixteen win.)

: Women’s Results

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Jasmine Hassell scored six of her 13 points in the minutes and fourth-seeded Georgia reached the NCAA women’s regional finals for the first time since 2004 with a 61-59 victory over top-seeded Stanford on Saturday night.

Georgia overcame three major scoring droughts, including falling behind 9-0, to oust the No. 1 seed from the Spokane Regional and end Stanford’s hopes of reaching the Final Four for the sixth straight year.

Jasmine James led Georgia (28-6) with 16 points, including a pair of free throws with 23.5 seconds left that gave the Lady Bulldogs a 60-56 lead. It’s the 11th trip to the regional finals for coach Andy Landers in his long tenure at Georgia.

Chiney Ogwumike led Stanford (33-3) with 26 points, but was held to eight in the second half.

CALIFORNIA 73, LSU 63

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Layshia Clarendon scored 19 points to lead California over LSU and send the Bears to the round of eight for the first time in program history.

Gennifer Brandon had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Brittany Boyd added 14 points for second-seeded Cal (31-3), which will play Georgia in the Spokane Regional final on Monday night.

Theresa Plaisance had 15 points and 12 rebounds for sixth-seeded LSU (22-12).

BRIDGEPORT REGIONAL

CONNECTICUT 76, MARYLAND 50

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — Breanna Stewart and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis each scored 17 points, leading top-seeded Connecticut past Maryland in the regional semifinals.

Stewart got help from fellow freshmen Moriah Jefferson, 10 points, and Morgan Tuck, eight points, in sending the top-seeded Huskies (32-4) to their eighth straight NCAA regional final.

Alyssa Thomas, who had averaged 28.5 points in the tournament, had 13 to lead Maryland (26-8). Tianna Hawkins and Chloe Pavlech each had 11 points for the Terps.

The Huskies will play Kentucky in on Monday night in a rematch of last year’s regional final.

KENTUCKY 69, DELAWARE 62

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — Jennifer O’Neill scored 19 points and A’dia Mathies added 16 to help Kentucky hold off Delaware, ending Elena Delle Donne’s college career

The Wildcats (30-15) have already set a school record for victories.

Delle Donne had 33 points for Delaware (32-4) and finished her career as the fifth leading scorer in NCAA history. She passed former stars Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw and Maya Moore on Saturday, but finished well short of Jackie Stiles’ record of 3,393 set at Southwest Missouri State from 1998-2001.

March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset

March Madness – Men’s: Wichita St. and Syracuse punch ticket to the Final Four / Women’s: Standford upset

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Tennis Recap: Serena Williams to meet Sharapova in Sony Open final

March 29, 2013 By

4b56e614a8bf7668c5b3c375498f1d28 Tennis Recap: Serena Williams to meet Sharapova in Sony Open final

Story Highlights

Sharapova, a four--up, beat 6-2, 6-1 to advance
Williams, a five-, defeated defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-3
Sharapova is 2-11 against Williams

, Fla. (AP) — keeps drawing a different opponent in the final, and has yet to find one she can beat.

Now she’ll give it a try against Serena Williams.

Sharapova, a four--up, earned another berth in the final by beating Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 6-1 Thursday at the . later, five- Williams advanced when she beat defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-3.

Sharapova has lost the final to four different players — in 2005, in ’06, Victoria Azarenka in ’11 and Radwanska last year. The No. 1-ranked Williams might be the toughest matchup for her yet.

Sharapova is 2-11 against Williams, with both of the wins way back in 2004. Williams has won their past 10 meetings and their past 13 sets.

“They have been pretty quick matches,” Sharapova said. “She’s a tremendous athlete, has so much power, and a confident player as well. So if you have a few games where you’re not stepping in and not playing the way you should be, she takes really good advantage of it.”

With a victory Saturday, the No. 3-seeded Sharapova would plug one of the few holes in her resume. She completed a by winning the French Open last year but has never won the tournament near .

“It would mean so much to me,” the Russian said. “I absolutely love this city. It’s the first city I landed in when I came to the United States as a little girl.”

Gardens resident Williams considers Key Biscayne her home tournament, and she was at her best before a near- for the night’s .

“I’m excited because I’m in the final again. Yay!” she told the crowd. “So many of my friends are here. My family is here. I have to do well here. I can’t let my friends down.”

Williams broke the tournament record for victories by a woman. She’s 60-7; Steffi Graf went 59-6.

Andy Murray, the 2009 champion and runner-up last year, advanced to the semifinals by beating No. 9 Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3. Murray has yet to drop a set, and his path is made easier because Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer skipped the tournament, and Novak Djokovic lost in the fourth round.

“Obviously, if they aren’t there, then you don’t have to play against two or three of the best players that have played the game,” Murray said. “So it’s not as challenging. I always enjoy playing against them because it’s good for me. It’s a good test of my game.”

Murray’s opponent Friday night will be No. 8-seeded Richard Gasquet, who beat No. 4 Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-3. The other semifinal will match No. 3 David Ferrer against 34-year-old Tommy Haas, who upset Djokovic.

Williams had struggled in her previous two matches but played almost error-free tennis in the semifinal, using her superior power to keep Radwanska pinned deep and on the run. They played for 37 minutes and 55 points before Radwanska won a game, prompting a big roar from the crowd.

That made it 1-all in the second set, but there would be no comeback. Williams hit 12 aces, including four in one game, and enjoyed a 40-6 advantage in winners.

Radwanska, who also lost to Williams in last year’s Wimbledon final, fell to 1-11 against No. 1 players.

The earlier semifinal was just as lopsided. On a sunny, mild afternoon, Sharapova won the first 10 points against the No. 22-seeded Jankovic, then hardly let up from there.

Sharapova swept seven consecutive games during one stretch, and committed only 10 unforced errors from the baseline in 88 points while breaking serve six times.

Sharapova took the Indian Wells title two weeks ago and has won 22 consecutive sets, a career best, while winning 11 matches in a row.

Williams said her final against Sharapova should be a crowd-pleaser.

“She’s playing so well,” Williams said. “I’ll do the best I can. It’ll be a good match. We love playing against each other. I love playing her and we always have a great match.”

Like Williams, Sharapova survived a sloppy quarterfinal, winning despite 57 unforced errors, including 13 double-faults. She double-faulted only three times against Jankovic and won 23 of 25 points on her first serve.

“I just really thought I needed to step it up from my last match and play a little better,” she said. “I was really happy with the way I focused.”

Jankovic, playing for the second time in less than 18 hours, was repeatedly a step late trying to reach Sharapova’s shots.

“I wasn’t moving,” she said. “I felt heavy on the court. I felt really tired and exhausted.”

Jankovic questioned scheduling that forced her to play in consecutive sessions while Williams and Radwanska had a day off before the semifinals.

“Kind of crazy,” she said. “I had a couple of hours of sleep, and then I had to be back on the court.”

Sharapova looked fresh even though she has played a lot of tennis lately. She’s bidding to become the third woman to win Indian Wells and Key Biscayne in the same year.

Steffi Graf did it in 1994 and 1996, and Kim Clijsters won both in 2005.

“Winning a title on its own, whether it’s here or Indian Wells, is a great achievement,” Sharapova said. “To be able to come back from that and recover in just a few days and come back to the final here, it’s great. Physically, many years ago I wouldn’t be able to do that, so I’m very proud of the way I have recovered.”

Tennis Recap: Serena Williams to meet Sharapova in Sony Open final is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

Tennis Recap: Serena Williams to meet Sharapova in Sony Open final Tennis Recap: Serena Williams to meet Sharapova in Sony Open final Tennis Recap: Serena Williams to meet Sharapova in Sony Open final Tennis Recap: Serena Williams to meet Sharapova in Sony Open final Tennis Recap: Serena Williams to meet Sharapova in Sony Open final

Tennis Recap: Serena Williams to meet Sharapova in Sony Open final

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UFC / MMA: Lyoto Machida granted UFC title shot; will he take it?

March 26, 2013 By

a5695f5ff4b8164e9f40935cc71df852 UFC / MMA: Lyoto Machida granted UFC title shot; will he take it?

Story Highlights

says timing will play important role in ’s next fight
Soares: ‘Lyoto doesn’t want to spend too much time outside of the octagon.’
Machida was the for a while after defeating Rashad Evans in 2009

(PhatzRadio / ) — If all goes according to plan, Lyoto Machida will try and regain the sometime this summer. But his manager, Ed Soares, said timing will play a very important factor in his client’s next fight.

“We’ve spoken with the UFC,” Soares told Ron Kruck on Friday’s new edition of TV’s Inside MMA. “Lyoto doesn’t want to spend too much time outside of the octagon. He wants to get in there and stay busy. He doesn’t want to wait too long.”

A former champion, Machida gained the belt with a 2009 knockout of Rashad Evans. After defending the belt once against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Machida ceded the title in a 2010 rematch.

In December 2011, Machida challenged current champ Jon Jones for the title and made a game effort in the opening round before being choked unconscious in the second frame of the UFC 140 headliner.

However, Machida has since bounced back with wins over Ryan Bader and, most recently, , after which UFC President named “The Dragon” the No. 1 and promised him a fight with the winner of April’ vs. title fight. But Soares doesn’t necessarily believe that is a given and prefers to take a wait-and-see approach before considering anything a guarantee.

“Chael vs. Jon Jones is the next fight,” Soares said. “We have to first of all see how that fight turns out. Then we have to see if the winner comes out of there healthy.”

If Jones or Sonnen do suffer an injury in victory and are forced to the sidelines for an extended period of time, it would seem Machida isn’t necessarily ready to wait. Of course, as the current No. 1 in the division, he would need a top-level opponent. The winner of April’s UFC on FUEL TV 9 headliner between Alexander Gustafsson and Gegard Mousasi could potentially provide an option, but there isn’t really one clear candidate that stands head and shoulders above the rest. As such, Soares said he and Machida are playing a waiting game.

Another shot at the title remains the ultimate goal, but the future doesn’t appear to be set in stone just yet.

“We can’t really make any decisions until after that (Jones vs. Sonnen) fight happens because when you look at the rankings, and you look at the top-10 fighters, all of the guys that make sense for Lyoto fight have fights already,” Soares said.

MMAJunkie.com is a property of Sports Media Group.

UFC / MMA: Lyoto Machida granted UFC title shot; will he take it? is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

UFC / MMA: Lyoto Machida granted UFC title shot; will he take it? UFC / MMA: Lyoto Machida granted UFC title shot; will he take it? UFC / MMA: Lyoto Machida granted UFC title shot; will he take it? UFC / MMA: Lyoto Machida granted UFC title shot; will he take it? UFC / MMA: Lyoto Machida granted UFC title shot; will he take it?

UFC / MMA: Lyoto Machida granted UFC title shot; will he take it?

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March Madness: Picking the Sweet 16 games on Thursday, Friday (TV schedule)

March 26, 2013 By

e0cfd54cb2a680ea531faf8e086a3037 March Madness: Picking the Sweet 16 games on Thursday, Friday (TV schedule)

Story Highlights

ACC champion Miami will take on a tough Big East in Marquette
Kansas and Michigan both meet with much to prove
Florida plays Cinderella darling

bracketologist Patrick Stevens guides you through Thursday and Friday’s Sweet 16 games in the .

No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 4 Syracuse (Thursday, 9:45 p.m. ET, CBS): The survived a well-coached Temple bunch with an elite player ( Wyatt) in the round of 32 on Sunday, while Syracuse slogged its way past California in an ugly but effective game a day earlier.

Forget about those contests, though, because this could be a treat.

The have one of the highest floors in the country, and it’s going to take a stellar game to knock them out of the tournament. But one thing that could flummox them is Syracuse’s vaunted zone, which held California to 39.3 percent shooting on Saturday.

Unlike its last two trips to the second weekend of the tournament as a No. 1 seed in 2010 and 2012, the Orange has already lived up to its billing. This should be a looser bunch, particularly after winning five of its last six. There’s a real chance Syracuse is the team to knock Indiana out of the field; if it doesn’t, it will certainly keep things interesting.

No. 2 Miami vs. No. 3 Marquette (Thursday 7:15 p.m. ET, CBS): Whether it’s the folksy Texan Buzz Williams or the garrulous New Yorker Jim Larranaga, the tournament is guaranteed an especially chatty coach in the regional final.

It’s also guaranteed a fairly smart team, too.

The Hurricanes aren’t a of Larranaga’s 2006 team at George Mason, which went through Verizon Center to reach the final weekend (just like this year’s will have to). But they play great defense, have a strong backcourt at both ends with Shane and Scott and pose a tough with at the four.

Marquette … well, Marquette rebounds, makes a decent percentage of free throws and most of all takes optimal shots. The Golden Eagles shot 46.7 percent in the regular season, which is particularly remarkable when you think about Marquette’s reputation as a grind-it-out, hustling team that makes the most of its talent.

Part of that is taking smart shots and remaining poised. It helps explain the rally against Davidson (as does the Wildcats’ forgettable end-game turnover) and then the comeback against Butler. Miami’s a better foe, but still beatable. This one could and should go down to the wire in D.C., with a slight edge to the Hurricanes.

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Michigan (Friday, 7:37 p.m. ET, TBS): Well, this should be fun. After muddling through three halves in Kansas City, the Jayhawks throttled North Carolina after the break to move into the round of 16. Meanwhile, Michigan blasted both South Dakota State and Virginia Commonwealth in the Detroit suburbs

Both teams leave their comfort zones for a trek to the Dallas Metroplex, and it’s hard not to like the ’ chances. Michigan, so up-and-down since the start of February, has its guard tandem of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. playing well — along with skilled freshman forward Mitch McGary.

Kansas has its own pieces, from big (Jeff Withey) to the backcourt (Ben McLemore). It isn’t a game lacking for talent.

Ultimately, this could go either way, but the guess here is Michigan gets one step closer to its first Final Four trip since 1993.

No. 3 Florida vs. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast (Friday, 10:07 p.m. ET, TBS): This is going to be the most anticipated meeting between teams seeded 12 lines apart ever.

There’s the geographic commonality. There’s Florida trying to reach a regional final for the third straight year.

But let’s face it: The real story is whether the first No. 15 seed ever to reach the round of 16 can keep its run going.

It would be easy to dismiss the dunk-happy Eagles because of Florida’s stout defense, but guess what? San Diego State allowed 0.91 points per possession. yielded 0.87 points per possession. Florida’s imposing 0.84 points per possession doesn’t look like it will be a deciding factor.

The Gators play at roughly the same pace Georgetown does, though it should be able to deal with Florida Gulf Coast’s athleticism a bit better. But if the jump shots aren’t falling for Florida, look out. The guess is Florida survives another round, but it isn’t going to be a pleasant round of 16 game for Billy Donovan’s team.

No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 12 Oregon (Friday, 7:15 p.m. ET, CBS): The last time Louisville played a regional game in Indianapolis, it was a vaunted No. 1 seed and drew a No. 12 seed out of the Pac-12.

Forty minutes later, Louisville had blasted Arizona 103-64 without incident to advance to the 2009 regional finals.

It’s not going to be that bad for the Ducks, because they’re not [ital] really [/ital.] a No. 12 seed and certainly haven’t played like it. The selection committee’s decision to peg them as a 12 was glaring the second it was announced. Oregon’s eviscerations of Oklahoma State and Saint Louis weren’t necessary in emphasizing how lousy the seeding was.

That said, while the Ducks are well-coached, talented and better than a No. 12 seed, they are not as good as Louisville. They have a better chance of giving the Cardinals some headaches than North Carolina A&T or Colorado State, and they’ll fare better than losing by 39 despite their penchant for turnovers. But Louisville should eventually move past Oregon and reach their fourth Elite Eight in six years.

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Michigan State (Friday, 9:45 p.m. ET, CBS: For all of their many deep runs in the postseason, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo have only two NCAA tournament meetings — in the 1999 Final Four (won by Duke) and the 2005 round of 16 (won by Michigan State).

All the things you would expect from both teams are in play. Michigan State has scoring balance and three guys who average at least six rebounds a game. Duke relies heavily on its seniors (Seth Curry, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee) to handle its offensive load.

This would arguably be a more fascinating regional final, if only to see which of the two coaches’ sterling records on short rest would hold up; Izzo is 18-3 in the second game at an NCAA tournament site, while Coach K is 11-1 in regional finals.

Nonetheless, it has the makings of a spotlight game; little wonder CBS put it in the late slot Friday to keep viewers to the very end. This is a tossup, plain and simple; the only thing that would surprise is if it was a full-fledged rout in either direction.

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Arizona (Thursday, 7:47 p.m. ET, TBS): Is this the de facto West regional final? There’s an argument to be made that’s the case in a game involving the Big Ten tournament champions and probably the most complete team in the Pac-12.

(It’s also worth noting the last time was in a regional semifinal, the setup was similar. Connecticut and Washington played in the high-profile game of that regional, while faced a nifty local team by the name of George Mason. We all know how that turned out in 2006).

Few players in the country are as consistent as Deshaun Thomas and as clever as Aaron Craft. Maybe one of the Buckeyes’ greatest advantages is that they know they’ll get high-level performances from two of their starters each night, which is more than most teams enjoy.

Arizona has won two straight with ease, upending 11th-seeded Belmont and 14th-seeded Belmont. This will be a far trickier test, and Ohio State coach Thad Matta’s 14-4 record in the first game at an NCAA tournament site suggests the Buckeyes will be fully prepared for the trouble the Wildcats will pose.

No. 9 Wichita State vs. No. 13 (Thursday, 10:17 p.m. ET, CBS): This might be deemed the undercard at Staples Center, but it has the makings of a stellar contest with a significant contrast in how each team gets the job done.

Wichita State is all about its bigs, with Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall the two leading scorers. Early can and will step out and shoot a 3-pointer, but both guys are 6-foot-8 and can aggravate larger teams.

That’s not what La Salle is about. The Explorers were built to win with guard play, from Ramon Galloway to Tyreek Duren to Tyrone Garland, who hit the winning layup in the round of 32 against Mississippi. If you have guards and you can score, you have a chance in the NCAA tournament — as La Salle has illustrated against Boise State, Kansas State and now Mississippi.

None of the five previous No. 13 seeds to make a regional semifinal have advanced, but three of them (1998 Valparaiso, 1999 Oklahoma and 2012 Ohio) played a game with a single-digit margin. In a year when a No. 15 seed made the second weekend for the first time, La Salle has a superb chance to become the lowest-seeded team ever to reach the Elite Eight.

March Madness: Picking the Sweet 16 games on Thursday, Friday (TV schedule) is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

March Madness: Picking the Sweet 16 games on Thursday, Friday (TV schedule) March Madness: Picking the Sweet 16 games on Thursday, Friday (TV schedule) March Madness: Picking the Sweet 16 games on Thursday, Friday (TV schedule) March Madness: Picking the Sweet 16 games on Thursday, Friday (TV schedule) March Madness: Picking the Sweet 16 games on Thursday, Friday (TV schedule)

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College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results

February 13, 2013 By

7c1700820905b190f18e2b09ea9dd544 College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results
(Thanks to double-digit scoring from five players, No. 7 Florida eased to a 69-52 win against SEC foe and 25th-ranked Kentucky. The had only two players score in double figures with 10 apiece.)

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — scored 17 points and had 14 to help No. 8 Michigan State No. 4 Michigan 75-52 on Tuesday night, the rivalry’s first of top 10 teams.

The Spartans (21-4, 10-2 Big Ten) broke a first- in the conference with No. 1 Indiana, which plays at Michigan State next Tuesday.

The Wolverines (21-4, 8-4), who have lost three of four, were held to a season-low .

Michigan State didn’t trail once, led by as many as 16 points in the first half and enjoyed 30-point leads in the second half.

Trey Burke scored 18 points for the Wolverines while Jr. was 1 of 11 from the field and scored a season-low two points. Michigan had a season-high 16 turnovers.

No. 7 FLORIDA 69, No. 25 KENTUCKY 52

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Scottie Wilbekin had 14 points and eight assists and recorded his sixth double-double of the season for Florida.

The Gators (20-3, 10-1 ) snapped a five- in the series, and coach improved to 2-7 against Kentucky’s John Calipari.

The (17-7, 8-3) lost for the first time in , and it may have been costly.

Nerlens Noel, the nation’s leading shot-blocker, injured his in the second half and did not return.

Noel, a freshman who averages 10.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.5 blocks a game for the , landed awkwardly on his leg with about 8 minutes to play.

25cfef3b3a5029119c3df26e96f4491d College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results
(Rebounds and strong paint play helped the No. 2 Fighting Irish easily take down No. 10 Louisville 93-64 on Monday. Natalie Achonwa led the Notre Dame with 22 points and grabbed 12 boards.)

Top 25 Women’s Results

WACO, Texas (AP) — Brittney Griner had 10 points and 11 rebounds for her 54th career double-double and the top-ranked Baylor Lady Bears moved closer to another Big 12 title with their 52nd consecutive home game, 89-47 over Texas Tech on Tuesday night.

Griner, the two-time All-American senior, also had seven blocked shots and five assists while leading four players scoring in double figures for Baylor.

Along with their nation’s best home winning streak have several other impressive winning streaks, the Lady Bears have won 21 games in a row overall and 35 consecutive Big 12 regular-season games.

Odyssey Sims had 18 points, six steals and five assists for Baylor. Brooklyn Pope had 17 points while Kimetria Hayden had 10 points and seven assists.

Chynna Brown had 15 points to lead Texas Tech (18-7, 8-5), and Casey Morris had 10.

No. 3 CONNETICUIT 105, PROVIDENCE 49

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Kaleena Mosqueda Lewis scored 17 points and Kelly Faris aded 16 to lead No. 3 Connecticut to a 105-49 win Tuesday night over Providence, the Huskies fourth 100-point game this season.

Faris, who was making her 100th consecutive start, hit six of her eight shots, and added six rebounds and five assists.

Mosqueda-Lewis, the nation’s leading 3-point shooter, had three more for the Huskies (23-1, 10-1 Big East), who had six players in double figures.

Brianna Edwards had 17 points to lead Providence (7-17, 2-9), and Tori Rule added 11.

UConn hit 24 of its 30 attempts from the foul line, while Providence attempted just four free throws, hitting two.

It was UConn’s 28th straight win over Providence, which has not beaten the Huskies since the semifinals of the 1993 Big East tournament.

No. 23 SYRACUSE 69, GEORGETOWN 60

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brianna Butler scored 16 points and Kayla Alexander had 13 points and 10 rebounds as Syracuse pulled ahead with a 20-4 second-half run for a win over Georgetown.

In the final regular-season game between the Big East rivals, the Orange (20-3, 8-2) held Sugar Rodgers, the nation’s second-leading scorer at 23.2 points per game, to eight points on 1-of-12 shooting. Syracuse has won four straight games.

Dominique Vitalis had 15 points and Katie McCormick 14 for the Hoyas (13-11, 4-7), losers of three straight. Georgetown committed a season-high 27 turnovers.

Elashier Hall scored 14 points for the Orange, who triumphed despite going more than 10 minutes without a field goal. After leading by nine in the first half, Syracuse trailed 35-27 early in the second.

Hall’s jumper ended the drought and her 3-pointer put Syracuse ahead for good at 38-35.

College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results

College Basketball: Tuesday’s Top 25 Men’s and Women’s Results

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College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match-ups for the Men this weekend

February 9, 2013 By

8771388fddf8b9dbe752676f8c56bacf College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match ups for the Men this weekend
(The Demon Deacons stayed within a few points for most of the first half, but behind 23 points each from Alyssa Thomas and Hawkins, No. 7 Maryland turned a 39-28 halftime lead into a 73-63 win.)

(PhatzRadio / AP) — CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Haley Peters scored 16 points and No. 5 Duke used a 21-5 run spanning the halves to overcome a slow start and win its 20th against Virginia, 62-41.

The burst turned a 22-13 deficit into a 34-27 lead for Duke (21-1, 11-0 ). After Virginia closed within four at 34-30, Duke scored nine of the next 11 points and cruised to victory.

scored 14 of her 18 points after halftime, and Chelsea Gray finished with 14 for the .

Ataira Franklin led Virginia (14-8, 6-5) with 15 points. The had won three of their last four overall, shot just 26.7 percent (16 of 60) and had 21 turnovers.

Maryland 73, 63

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Hawkins and Alyssa Thomas each scored 23 points and No. 7 Maryland held on to beat pesky Wake Forest.

Malina Howard added 12 to help the (19-3, 10-1 ) sweat out their ninth straight win.

They shot 54 percent, built a 20-point lead and then blew nearly all of it during a dizzying series of mistakes before regrouping just in time to preserve a huge matchup Monday night at No. 5 Duke.

Chelsea Douglas scored 17 points for the Demon Deacons (10-13, 3-8), who were denied their biggest victory in 20 years and lost their fifth straight.

They clawed back in the game with a 31-14 run during a 12- that coincided with a stretch in which Maryland had 12 turnovers on 17 possessions.

No. 21 Colorado 61, Oregon St. 47

BOULDER, Colo. — Chucky Jeffery had 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead 21st-ranked Colorado to victory over Oregon State.

Jen Reese added 10 points for the Buffaloes (17-5, 6-5), who matched their season total for Pac-12 wins from last year, their first in the conference.

Colorado has not allowed an opponent to score 70 points this season. The Buffaloes never trailed in the game, but their biggest lead was 15 points.

The Buffaloes shot 31 percent from the field but went 28 for 39 from the free-throw line, with Reese making all six of her attempts. The Beavers’ Jamie Weiner was also 6 for 6 but Oregon State tried only one other free throw, missing it.

Weisner scored 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting for Oregon State, but none of her teammates had more than seven points. The Beavers (9-14, 3-9) have lost five in a row.

734690bba324d3f8a2007086f9dbe9db College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match ups for the Men this weekend
Mississippi’s Murphy Holloway (31) and Missouri’s Keion Bell (5) battle for the ball during a game at C.M. “Tad” Smith Coliseum on Jan. 12, 2013.(Photo: Bruce Newman, AP)

Top 5 -ups for the Men this weekend

Story Highlights

This Saturday features more must-watch showdowns
No. 3 Michigan visits Wisconsin in a Big Ten battle
No. 23 Mississippi travels to No. 20 Missouri in a rematch

Thursday’s action, which included a 65-foot game-winner, a 53-point performance and the No. 1 team losing on a 0.9-second buzzer-beater, should be enough indication that March is ever-so-close. Here’s the top games on deck Saturday:

No. 3 Michigan at Wisconsin | Saturday, noon,

About the Wolverines (21-2, 8-2 Big Ten): Michigan’s only losses came on the road in tough environments—a 56-53 loss at Ohio State and an 81-73 loss at Indiana. Playing at Wisconsin is no easy task, either. The Wolverines can’t afford to get off to a slow start like they did against Indiana (falling behind 20-7) and they also need to control the tempo. The more turnovers this team forces on defense, the more transition opportunities will come. Trey Burke is a potential player of the year, averaging 18.1 points and 7.2 assists a game, but he can’t try to do too much the way he did against Indiana (24 field goal attempts). Glenn Robinson III is having a strong freshman season, but he can’t disappear if this team expects to win. He had a season-low two points vs. Indiana.

About the Badgers (16-7, 7-3): Wisconsin proved it can play with the top-tier Big Ten teams with a Jan.15 victory at Indiana but also has looked vulnerable, falling to Iowa on the road. Jared Berggren leads the team in scoring at 11.8 points a game, but he hasn’t had a breakout game in Big Ten play, scoring in single digits five times. Stopping Burke and Michigan’s potent backcourt will be a top priority for Wisconsin. That defensive assignment could go to guard Ben Brust, whose offense is always a bonus. He scored 20 points in a win against Illinois on Sunday.

The matchup: Michigan was outrebounded against Indiana and needs to control the boards. Both teams play smart, with Wisconsin ranking first and Michigan second nationally in fewest turnovers a game. Michigan should be well-prepared for the atmosphere.

Our pick: Michigan

TOP 25: Rankings from last coaches poll

No. 23 Mississippi at No. 20 Missouri | Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS

About the Rebels (18-4, 7-2 ): Senior sharpshooter Marshall Henderson has taken the college basketball world by storm with his flamboyant personality and trash-talking style, but Mississippi’s perfect SEC start ended quickly, as the Rebels came up short in big tests against Kentucky at home and Florida on the road. Henderson is the SEC’s best scorer, but the Rebels struggle when he doesn’t shoot the ball well, evidenced by his 5-for-19 performance against Kentucky. Another fifth-year senior, Murphy Holloway, averages a double-double. Ole Miss ranks fifth nationally in scoring.

About the Tigers (16-6, 5-4): Missouri went 3-2 without Laurence Bowers (knee sprain) and wasn’t the same team without its leading scorer, but he has returned. The Tigers’ biggest issue will be trying to rekindle the chemistry and momentum they had when Bowers was at full strength. The team looked sloppy in his first game back, a 73-70 loss to LSU and a recent two-point loss is the latest hiccup for the Tigers. Missouri lost at Mississippi by 15 points without Bowers on Jan.12. With Bowers back, the team’s defense is automatically improved and the offensive load won’t be as heavy for guards Jabari Brown and Phil Pressey.

The matchup: In the first meeting this season between the teams, Holloway dominated the paint with 22 points and eight rebounds to help Ole Miss expose Missouri’s weakness without Bowers. With Bowers, the Tigers are one of the best rebounding teams in the country.

Our pick: Missouri

North Carolina at No. 11 Miami (Fla.) | Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPN

About the Tar Heels (16-6, 6-3 Atlantic Coast Conference): North Carolina squeaked out an overtime victory against Virginia Tech on Saturday, a clear sign that Roy Williams’ team isn’t the force it has been in years past. The Tar Heels might even find themselves on the NCAA tournament bubble without enough key wins. Beating the ACC’s only undefeated team would boost UNC’s résumé, especially with its only notable win coming against underachieving UNLV at home in non-conference action.

About the Hurricanes (18-3, 9-0): Reggie Johnson’s tip-in with 0.8 seconds left gave Miami a 79-78 win at North Carolina State and kept the Hurricanes undefeated in the ACC with a nice two-game cushion. This team’s best attribute is confidence. Since a 27-point demolition of then-No.1 Duke, the Hurricanes haven’t taken their foot off the gas. Jim Larranaga’s group, which hasn’t lost since Dec. 25, has the depth to blow out teams and the experience to play well in the clutch. Durand Scott paces Miami’s balanced scoring attack, which features five players averaging more than nine points a game.

The matchup: In the season’s first meeting, in Chapel Hill, Miami limited UNC to one field goal during a seven-minute span. The Tar Heels aren’t bad offensively, averaging more than 78 points a game. But scoring lapses are always costly, particularly against Miami, a team that knows how to break a game wide open.

Our pick: Miami (Fla.)

No. 5 Kansas at Oklahoma | Saturday, 4 p.m., ESPN

About the Jayhawks (19-3, 7-2 Big 12): Kansas’ 18- ended in a close battle against Oklahoma State , with its only other loss coming against Michigan State on Nov.13. A stunning lost to last-place TCU dealt KU its second straight loss. The Jayhawks are still the best team in the Big 12, and that’s because they have arguably the league’s two best players. Leading scorer Ben McLemore continues to make his case for freshman of the year, while 7-footer Jeff Withey changes the game at both ends of the court. In Kansas’ 67-54 win against Oklahoma on Jan.26, Withey had 13 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Senior guard Elijah Johnson hasn’t scored in double figures in five consecutive games, one of many signs that the Jayhawks need others to contribute.

About the Sooners (14-7, 5-4): Oklahoma’s last-second 52-50 loss to Kansas State on Saturday is typical of its other losses: The Sooners were close but fell just short. Aside from a 25-point loss to Gonzaga on Nov. 23 and a recent road loss to Iowa State, the Sooners have been right there. There’s a strong race for second and third in a congested Big 12 race, so a win against the league’s most talented team would help the team’s chance to finish ahead of challengers Baylor, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Senior forward Romero Osby can take over games offensively, which he proved with a 29-point performance in a win against Texas. Senior guard Steven Pledger hasn’t been as productive as he was last season, averaging five fewer points a game.

The matchup: If Oklahoma is to have any chance, its guards will need to play better. The backcourt of Pledger, Buddy Hield and Je’lon Hornbreak was limited to 2-for-12 shooting against Kansas State. In these teams’ last meeting, Withey was dominant. Containing him should be a priority.

Our pick: Kansas

No. 12 Louisville at Notre Dame | Saturday, 9 p.m., ESPN

About the Cardinals (19-4, 7-3 Big East): Louisville got back to top form with a 19-point win vs. Marquette on Sunday, the team’s most decisive victory since starting Big East play 4-0 and beating foes by 18.5 points a game. The Cardinals eventually found out how grueling the Big East can be, losing three consecutive games after becoming the No.1 team in the country in the second week of January. Rick Pitino’s seasoned group appears to be back on track, and that’s in large part due to defense and a recharged offense. Point guard Peyton Siva needs to score to help this team, and a two- or three-point game won’t cut it.

About the Irish (18-5, 6-4): Notre Dame hasn’t beaten one of the conference’s top teams aside from Cincinnati. A recent 79-71 overtime win against a DePaul team in second-to-last place in the league is a sign that the Irish need to be on their A-game to compete. That means shooting well (they rank in the top 10 nationally at 49% from the field) and sharing the ball (they rank in the top five nationally with 18 assists a game). Senior Jack Cooley scored 26 points in the team’s win against DePaul. Senior Jerian Grant is a consistent scorer.

The matchup: Louisville’s bench has stepped up recently, and that’s always crucial when playing on the road. As in most games, Cooley is the X-factor for Notre Dame, as he’ll need to be aggressive around the basket against the Cardinals’ less-savvy big men.

Our pick: Louisville

Five other games worth watching on Saturday: Temple at Dayton (11a.m., ESPNU), Saint Joseph’s at Massachusetts (2p.m., ESPN2), No. 8 Michigan State at Purdue (7p.m., Big Ten Network), No. 16 New Mexico at UNLV (9p.m., NBC Sports), Illinois State at No. 13 Creighton (10p.m., ESPN2).

Games that should be on TV and you should follow on your computer: No. 14 Butler at George Washington (2 p.m.), Mississippi State at No. 2 Florida (5 p.m.), Iowa State at No. 15 Kansas State (6 p.m.), No. 25 Pittsburgh at No. 17 Cincinnati (6 p.m.), Utah at No. 19 Oregon (8 p.m.)

College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match-ups for the Men this weekend is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match ups for the Men this weekend College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match ups for the Men this weekend College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match ups for the Men this weekend College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match ups for the Men this weekend College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match ups for the Men this weekend

College Basketball: Top 25 Friday’s Women’s Results / Top 5 Match ups for the Men this weekend

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