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(03/06/07 5:00am)
PEORIA, Ariz. – Mark Prior’s return didn’t answer as many questions as it created.\nPrior, who missed most of last season because of injuries, started, allowed three earned runs and got just four outs before Chicago manager Lou Piniella pulled the Cubs’ former ace from Monday’s exhibition game against the Seattle Mariners.\nPrior was scheduled to go two innings but left after 40 pitches – 16 of which were chest-high or higher. After an errant fastball forced catcher Michael Barrett out of crouch and into a reaching snag, pitching coach Larry Rothschild visited Prior on the mound. Mike Morse hit the next pitch into the left-center field gap for a double.\nJeremy Reed followed by hitting a 2-0 pitch 15 feet up the dark hitting background beyond straightaway center field, over the 410-foot sign. That double – one of three off Prior – scored Kenji Johjima for a 2-0 lead. After No. 9 hitter Yuniesky Betancourt’s hard, one-hop groundout on a 1-0 pitch, Piniella replaced the 26-year-old right-hander with Ben Howard.\nPrior sat on the dugout bench and threw his cap over his shoulder into the back wall of the dugout.\nHoward allowed Willie Bloomquist’s RBI single, the third and final run charged to Prior.
(03/06/07 5:00am)
MIAMI – Dwyane Wade’s dislocated left shoulder is so fragile there’s a risk of aggravating the injury when he sleeps.\nBut come April, Wade figures he might be up to the rigors of the NBA playoffs. The All-Star guard said Monday he has decided to delay surgery and rehabilitate his shoulder with the goal of returning to help the Miami Heat defend their league title.\n“It could have been easy for me just to shut it down,” Wade said at a news conference. “You don’t know if you’re going to be able to attack the same way and dive on the floor the same way. I’ll find out after therapy and rehab how my body responds to things.”\nWade’s decision was good news for the injury-plagued Heat, who entered Monday night’s game against Atlanta at 29-29. But even with rest and therapy, there’s no guarantee Wade can return this season.\n“The fact there’s a possibility would give us hope,” coach Pat Riley said. “He’s a pretty good player. He probably would be a pretty good player one-armed.”\nThe Heat went into Monday’s game 4-8 this season without Wade, but 3-2 since he was hurt Feb. 21 in a collision with Houston’s Shane Battier. At the time, he was the league’s third-leading scorer, averaging 28.8 points per game.\nWade underwent extensive tests and received a second opinion from specialist Dr. James Andrews before deciding he would try to return.\nWade disclosed Monday that his injury included a torn labrum. He was without a sling at the news conference but still wears one when he sleeps to keep the shoulder stable.\nThe decision to attempt a comeback this season was difficult, Wade said, even though Andrews and team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick supported the idea. Wade said he was told he can’t further damage his shoulder by playing, although another dislocation is possible.\nIf therapy goes well, Wade said, he might be able to return for the last couple of regular-season games before the playoffs start April 21, the two-month anniversary of his injury. Even if he does come back, he’s still expected to have surgery after the season, with the recovery time estimated at four to six months.
(03/05/07 5:00am)
The IU men’s tennis team (8-4) could not come up with the doubles point and lost 6-1 to the Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1) this weekend in Columbus, Ohio. \nThe Hoosiers did get a win at No. 1 doubles as senior David Bubenicek and junior Dara McLoughlin defeated the nation’s No. 60 team of Drew Eberly and Justin Kronauge, 8-7. The Bubenicek-McLoughlin tandem is now 9-1 on the year and 4-0 this spring.\n“It was a good win for us at number one doubles,” IU coach Ken Hydinger said. “They played a full game and played it well. They kept their composure and beat them in the end really good.”\nIn singles action, each of Ohio State’s five ranked players were victorious in straight sets. IU sophomore Mak Kendall prevented the singles sweep by winning at No. 6 singles. \nFor the second consecutive match, and Kendall took the first set but lost the second, but this time he held on, defeating Ty Schaub 6-3, 1-6, 10-8 to improve to 5-1 on the season. \n“We hung in there in some of our positions in singles, but they could hang in the point longer than we could,” Hydinger said. “We would have liked to have Thomas (Richter) at number three against them; that would have been a good matchup. We’ll get home and keep working on getting stronger as the season goes on.”
(03/05/07 5:00am)
MESA, Ariz. – Paul Konerko hit two solo home runs and Jermaine Dye hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning Sunday as the Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 13-2.\nKonerko homered off Cubs starter Rich Hill in the first inning and John Webb in the fifth. Dye sparked a four-run White Sox fourth with his three-run blast off reliever Juan Mateo. Rob Mackowiak hit a solo homer against Mateo later in the inning.\nKonerko’s homers were his first of the spring.\n“Usually I start out OK and then have a little dip somewhere in the middle and get worried and work harder,” he said. “But the last week (of spring), and more specifically the last couple of games, is when you get the feel.”\nDye’s three-run blast to left field was his second of the spring.\n“Like Paulie said, it’s just about getting feel and getting to see different pitches,” Dye said. “The results are good sometimes and sometimes they’re bad. That’s why you have spring training.”\nKonerko opened the scoring with two outs in the first inning. Hill, a lefty, struck out Brian Anderson and Robert Valido to start the game before giving up Konerko’s homer.\n“Just that one pitch, I kind of left it over the middle of the plate,” Hill said.\nThe homers by Dye and Mackowiak gave the White Sox a 5-0 lead in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee led off with his first homer of the spring.\nWhite Sox starting pitcher Jon Garland pitched three scoreless innings, giving up two hits while walking one and striking out one.\nThe game was played before 12,903 fans, a record for HoHoKam Park.\nThe Cubs are winless in Cactus League play this spring. The White Sox improved to 2-4.
(03/05/07 5:00am)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Blood poured from his nose and onto his lip, chin and the court. The latest bruised face of college basketball’s nastiest rivalry belongs to North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough.\n“Just a little bump and bruise,” teammate Reyshawn Terry said. “Nothing that a little ice can’t handle.”\nHansbrough had 26 points and 17 rebounds before suffering an injury that looked worse than it really was in the closing seconds of the No. 8 Tar Heels’ 86-72 win against 14th-ranked Duke on Sunday, clinching the top seed in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.\nTerry added 15 points in his final home game for the Tar Heels (25-6, 11-5), who swept the regular-season series with the Blue Devils for the first time in 11 years, avoided their first three-game slide under coach Roy Williams and gave the homespun coach his 100th victory at his alma mater.\nBut perhaps the lasting image of the intense rivalry is Hansbrough’s bloodstained face, a scary-looking picture that evoked memories of center Eric Montross’ bleeding, shaven head after he took an elbow in 1992. The latest injury came with 14.5 seconds left, when Hansbrough leaped for a layup. After the ball left his hand, he was struck in the face by Gerald Henderson’s right elbow.\n“He got our guys in the air, and I came down on him,” Henderson said. “It’s unfortunate that it turned out like it did, but I wasn’t trying to hurt the kid or anything. It just turned worse than it was.”\nHansbrough crumpled to the ground, his nose bleeding onto the floor and down his face, before he jumped to his feet menacingly and had to be restrained from Duke’s players while he was taken to the locker room. The officials reviewed the play and ejected Henderson, then later said in a joint statement that under NCAA rules he would be suspended for one game.\nAfter the game, Hansbrough had cotton in his nose while he watched his teammates cut down the Dean Smith Center nets. Williams said team doctors told him the center’s nose was not broken, and though Hansbrough didn’t speak to reporters after the game, point guard Bobby Frasor said the player nicknamed “Psycho T” for his relentless focus had calmed down and was laughing about the near-confrontation.\n“He said, ‘Did you see me get up?’” Frasor said.\nGreg Paulus had 21 points before fouling out, and Henderson finished with 16 for the Blue Devils (22-9, 8-8).\nTy Lawson scored 12 points and Brandan Wright finished with 10 for the Tar Heels, who took control early with a hot start before a fired-up Senior Day crowd, dodged Duke’s second-half rally and pulled away late for their fourth win in their last five meetings with the Blue Devils.\nNorth Carolina led comfortably for most of the way before Duke made things interesting midway through the second half, closing to 50-48 on Paulus’ baseline jumper with 12:50 left.\nThe Blue Devils then forced Frasor to miss and had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead, but Marcus Ginyard intercepted Paulus’ pass to the interior.\nGinyard then started the fast break, and it led to a three-point play by Hansbrough. That play started the game-clinching 18-4 run, capped by Hansbrough’s free throw that made it 68-52 with 5:14 left.\nThat led to a win that, coupled with Virginia Tech’s loss to Clemson, gave North Carolina the top seed and a first-round bye in the ACC tournament that begins Thursday in Tampa, Fla. Had the Tar Heels lost, they would have been the No. 5 seed and would have had to win four games in four days to claim their first league tournament crown since 1998.
(03/02/07 5:00am)
Errek Suhr\n• 5-foot-8-inch, 156-pound guard\n• Hometown: Bloomington\n• Earned a scholarship his junior year
(03/02/07 5:00am)
The IU men’s basketball team defeated Penn State 94-63 Saturday night in Assembly Hall, completing a perfect 15-0 record at home this season. Senior guard Rod Wilmont led the Hoosiers with 21 points and 11 rebounds. The Hoosiers tied the school’s single-game record for 3-pointers made with 17. IU finished the game 17-of-32 from beyond the arc.\nJunior guard A.J. Ratliff scored 18 points in the contest on 6-of-8 three-point shooting in the game and was one of five Hoosiers to score in double-digits. Ratliff contributed to the Hoosiers’ 32 bench points in the contest, while the Nittany Lions tallied just 11.\nThe Hoosiers and Nittany Lions kept things close for the opening minutes of the game, but the Hoosiers used a 14-4 run midway through the first half of the game to pull away and break open a lead. They led 43-31 heading into halftime.\nSenior guard Earl Calloway tallied a double-double in the victory with 15 points and 11 assists, seven of which came in the first half. Junior forward D.J. White tallied 12 points and four blocks in 31 minutes of action.\nGeary Claxton led the Nittany Lions with 25 points Saturday night, while also grabbing a team-high six rebounds.\nThe Hoosiers will now head into postseason play Friday night at 9:10 p.m. at the United Center in Chicago. They will meet the winner of the Illinois-Penn State matchup.
(03/01/07 5:00am)
So Forest Whitaker won his Oscar despite my hopes that Leonardo DiCaprio might've taken home the statue for a film he wasn't nominated for. Yet after watching "Venus" late Saturday night, I reached the conclusion that if anyone deserved Best Actor, without a doubt it should've been Peter O'Toole.\nO'Toole stars as the ghostly Maurice, a very autobiographical turn as an actor in his olden years who's become typecast into playing corpses. When not on set he enjoys a pint with his acting buddies Ian and Donald (Leslie Phillips and Richard Griffiths respectively), that is until Ian's grandniece, Jessie (newcomer Jodie Whittaker), comes to take care of Ian. Maurice becomes enthralled with Jessie, despite a 60-year age difference and goes out of his way to crack her tough exterior in hopes of making a new friend -- and possibly something more.\nWhile it first appears as a Lolita complex, the angle of O'Toole just being a lecherous old man is quickly thrown out the window in a matter of minutes. He is genuinely interested in Whittaker and it shows in every scene. What is more important though are all the people whom O'Toole loves in life. Every scene between O'Toole, Phillips and Griffiths is warm, brimming with wit as we watch three old men enjoy each other's company as they curse up a storm and throw back drink after drink. When with his ex-wife Valerie (Vanessa Redgrave in a small yet poignant role), they are still so much in love with each other you never really understand why the split in the first place, nor are we ever actually told why. \nJodie Whittaker is wonderful in a role that asks her to make the transformation from bratty, young twentysomething to mature woman. O'Toole wines and dines her, and in return she grants him the smallest bit of affection, whether it's smelling her neck, holding her hand or the occasional glance up her skirt. Let it be known though that these scenes are handled with such care and grace that they never come off as creepy or disturbing. \n"Venus" goes to show that, despite his age, Peter O'Toole was right when he declined his honorary Oscar because he isn't in the ground yet. While he seemed distant in an interview I saw of him on "The Daily Show," on set O'Toole is very much alive, acting with the same passion he had in his first leading role in "Lawrence of Arabia." O'Toole is still in the acting game and "Venus" proves that without question.
(03/01/07 5:00am)
You'd think that recording one of the decade's greatest rock albums, praise from David Bowie, gracing the cover of Time magazine's Canadian edition, opening for U2 and touring the world would make Arcade Fire happy. But Neon Bible, their sophomore album due out March 6, belies this notion. Chock-full of paranoia, despair, loss, betrayal, war, religious demagoguery, media malfeasance and apocalyptic visions, Neon Bible could be the darkest modern rock LP since Radiohead disappeared into their cave (it's even more depressing than Arcade Fire's 2004 debut, Funeral). But don't worry, that's a good thing. \nArcade Fire works in angst like Van Gogh worked in oil paint -- piling it on, building it up in layers, not so much brushing it on as sculpting it toward an ultimate vision. Indeed, this deliberateness, I suspect, will become the heart of the inevitable debate over how well Neon Bible compares to Funeral.\nFirst, here's what's the same: Arcade Fire remains a big, ambitious, heavy, baroque, anachronistic, orchestral chamber pop operation -- traditionally nonrock instruments make their appearance (most notably violins and organ), oblique references abound, lyrics slip into French and Win Butler sings his tortured heart out. In another review two weeks ago, I called Arcade Fire the opera of indie rock -- play either of their albums at neighbor-alienating volume and you'll hear what I mean. \nBut Neon Bible is more cohesive than Funeral -- the various song elements often rest on a backbone of mid-tempo percussion and guitar strums, which gradually ramp up to an explosive conclusion (likewise, the album itself builds to a climax in "No Cars Go," a turbo-charged version of the song from Arcade Fire's self-titled EP). There are neither so much the stomping anthems like "Rebellion (Lies)" nor the sweet ballads like "In The Backseat." And, strikingly, Butler's better-half, Regine Chassagne, is relegated to background vocals. In all, this means that the album is less immediately appealing -- but it also has a greater emotional payoff when taken as a whole. \nAnd, besides, there are many individual tunes other than "No Cars Go" that'll get your heart beating -- a swinging ode to paranoia ("Keep The Car Running"), a soaring condemnation of mindless obedience ("Intervention"), a hard-charging attack on stage parenting ("Antichrist Television Blues") and "Windowsill," which provides plenty of good reasons to say to hell with this world and join Radiohead in their cave.
(03/01/07 5:00am)
Get in the pit … Comeback Kid is back in action. Following up their uber-successful record Wake the Dead is a difficult task, but Broadcasting..., their third release, is ready to bust some eardrums. Canada may have spawned such trash as Celine Dion and Shania Twain, but these Canadians know how to rock. Winnapeg-core at its finest.\nFans will notice the departure of singer Scott Wade, who claims he was "holding the band back," but former Figure Four vocalist Andrew Neufeld steps up to the plate and delivers. Wade thrashes on "Hailing on Me," and his tough-guy hardcore background shines. Hey, he's not a bad singer, either.\nBroadcasting... is filled with variety, which can be difficult to manage without deviating too far from the path. "The Blackstone" hints at the brutal kings that are Snapcase (R.I.P). "Give'r (Reprise)" is a blur of Rise Against punk rock that segues into the slower but passionate "One Left Satisfied." The guitars are slashing, the drumming is pretty damn intense and the energy will break your neck if you're not careful. Scream your lungs out with the sing-a-long parts and chant alon--this is positive hardcore the way it was meant to be. No fashion, no preaching, no Jesus, no bullshit. Just powerful lyrics and speed and energy. \nThe whole quality of this recording is crisper and bolder, maybe even a little darker. The guys went back to none other than the infamous Blasting Room with Mr. Bill Stevenson (a certain Bloomington punk act has recorded there as well). Things are certainly not poppier and radio-friendly, and the record isn't overproduced to hell. So don't worry, it's still hardcore.\nWhat maybe makes Comeback Kid stick out more in the hardcore scene is their amazing songwriting. Wade brings a more introspective point of view to the table, and the darkness surrounding the lyrics is chilling at times. Pair the feverishly quick and frantic rhythm changes with a madman on drums and this record just might revive a genre that has been anything but stable. Comeback Kid is going to keep Bane on their toes\nComeback Kid has been the "look out for these guys" band already, but if you missed them before, don't make that mistake again. Punk and hardcore, melody and metal; it's just the right dosage. Thirty-three minutes hasn't gone by so quickly before. Hey, Victory Records does have some talented bands beneath the shit like Hawthorne Heights and Bayside.
(02/28/07 5:00am)
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Sharks acquired forward Bill Guerin from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, adding another veteran to their young club hours before the NHL trading deadline.\nThe Sharks, who entered the day tied for fifth place in the Western Conference after a recent slump, gave up left wing Ville Nieminen, college forward Jay Barriball and New Jersey’s first-round pick, which they acquired last year.\nGuerin, a four-time All-Star and one of the NHL’s top American-born players, revitalized his career in his first season with St. Louis, scoring 28 goals and 47 points in his 14th pro campaign.\nThe bruising power forward waived his no-trade clause to leave the rebuilding Blues for the Sharks, who plan to contend for a Stanley Cup championship after two big moves in three days by general manager Doug Wilson.\n“I’m very excited about the trade, and I just have to come in and play my game, play the way that they expect me to,” Guerin said in a phone interview from the St. Louis airport, where he was waiting for a flight to Chicago and on to San Francisco.\n“(I’ll) just be a good addition to the locker room and help this team make some strides. I know Doug had mentioned (getting) an experienced player, and I’m going to have to bring some experience. I’ve been around a long time.”\nExperience is exactly what San Jose needs. Two days earlier, the Sharks acquired veteran defenseman Craig Rivet from the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Josh Gorges and their own first-round pick.\nThe moves are an aggressive new tactic by the Sharks, who gave every opportunity to their stable of young talent to grow into everyday roles. But San Jose’s youth has been evident in an inconsistent season despite the club’s impressive overall record.\n“Competition is really important to us, but it’s also about the depth,” Wilson said. “Our goal is to compete for a Stanley Cup, and I think we have as much depth as anybody in this league. We’re trying to put everything in place that allows us to go on the long run that’s needed.”\nThe Sharks, who lost 3-2 to Anaheim on Monday night, have dropped four of six to slip into a second-place tie with Dallas in the Pacific Division. Guerin got an up-close look at the Sharks’ strengths and weaknesses last month when he had a hat trick in San Jose’s 6-5 win at St. Louis.
(02/28/07 5:00am)
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Again and again, Francisco Liriano jogged along the warning track, working up a sweat in the Florida sun.\nEach time he finished a lap, the Dominican pitcher stopped and looked toward the diamond with a longing gaze, watching his Minnesota Twins teammates work out at spring training.\nLiriano dominated hitters for four months last year. Now, after having major surgery on his left elbow in the offseason, all Liriano can do is watch.\nHe will miss at least a year – and he won’t have much company in Fort Myers once the Twins head north on March 31.\n“This is the easy part, with us down here,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “The hard part’s going to be when we leave. That’s going to be very difficult, so he has a long road and a very hard road and it’s going to take a solid person to get it done. Hopefully he’s that person to get it done and maintain because it’s not going to be easy.”\nFor the first four months of his rookie season, everything came easy for Liriano.\nHe burst onto the scene as a 22-year-old last May, humiliating hitters with a combination of 97 mph fastballs, knee-buckling changeups and one of the best sliders in the game.\nThe fun really started when Liriano left the bullpen for the rotation on May 19.\nHe went 11-3 with a 1.92 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 98 2-3 innings as a starter and was one of the leading candidates for AL Rookie of the Year when he showed up at the All-Star game in July.\nBut the torque generated by a whirling delivery was too much for his elbow to take. Eventually it broke down, and Liriano pitched through pain for about a month before finally letting the trainers know something was wrong.\nBy then it was too late. Liriano had Tommy John surgery in November and he’ll spend most of this season rehabbing in Florida, with only sparse contact with the teammates he so enjoys.\n“It’s going to be tough,” Liriano said. “Everybody wants to play. I just have to be patient and do what I have to do to get better and be ready for next season.”\nPatience has never been Liriano’s strong suit.\nThe first sign of arm trouble popped up in August, when he spent a month on the disabled list with a strained ligament in his elbow. He rushed himself back for a start in September, but lasted just two innings.\nAs Liriano begins his rehab, the Twins are as concerned with the youngster’s ability to endure mentally as they are about the chances of him returning to full physical strength.\n“I do worry about that,” general manager Terry Ryan said. “I was a player once and was hurt too much and it’s not a good feeling. You just don’t feel like you’re part of the organization.”\nThe isolation can be difficult to handle.\n“When we leave here, there’s going to be a wake-up call and he’s going to be back here and it’s going to be very hard for him,” Gardenhire said. “We’ll see him up in the Twin Cities a few times throughout the course of the year. But for the most part, he’s really going to have to suck it up because this is not an environment that he’s used to.”
(02/28/07 5:00am)
NEW YORK – The Hall of Fame pitched another shutout.\nRon Santo, Jim Kaat, Marvin Miller and all the other candidates were left out Tuesday when the Veterans Committee admitted no new members for the third straight election.\nThe blank slate could lead to changes before the next vote in 2009.\n“We’re being blamed because something hasn’t happened,” Hall member and vice chairman Joe Morgan said. “If you’re asking me, ‘Do we lower our standards to get more people in?’ my answer would be no.”\nSanto came the closest to the required 75 percent. A nine-time All-Star, the former Cubs third baseman was picked on 57 of 82 ballots (70 percent).\nKaat, a 283-game winner and strongly backed by Hall member Mike Schmidt, drew 52 votes. Gil Hodges, who hit 370 home runs, got 50 votes and three-time AL batting champion Tony Oliva had 47. Players needed 62 for election.\nUmpire Doug Harvey received 52 of the necessary 81 votes on the ballot for managers, umpires and executives. Miller, the union head who led players to free-agent riches, showed a strong increase in getting 51.\nThe vets committee was revamped after charges of cronyism when it elected Bill Mazeroski in 2001. That marked the eighth straight year the 15-member panel sent someone to Cooperstown.\nAfter that, the panel was expanded to include all living Hall of Famers. The new committee votes every other year for players and every four years for the others.\n“We are disappointed that no one has been elected in the three voting cycles,” Hall chairman Jane Forbes Clark said. “We will be evaluating this process and its trends at our next meeting, which is March 13, and discussing whether there should be any changes.”\n“The board may decide that the trends are not what we thought they were going to be. Perhaps this hasn’t worked as well as some of the board members thought it would and maybe it needs a little bit of change,” she said.\nCal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were elected to the Hall by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in January. They will stand alone at the induction ceremonies July 29 in Cooperstown.\nThe 84 eligible voters on the vets committee included 61 Hall members, 14 broadcasters, eight writers and one holdover from the previous panel.
(02/27/07 5:00am)
INDIANAPOLIS – Affidavits by a police officer who arrested Indianapolis Colts running back Dominic Rhodes can be used in the drunken-driving case against him, a judge ruled Monday.\nRhodes’ attorney, Jim Voyles, argued during a hearing that there were inconsistencies between the affidavit the officer wrote soon after arresting Rhodes on Feb. 20 and a supplemental report filed later.\nMarion Superior Court Judge Barbara Collins turned down that motion but allowed Rhodes to keep his driver’s license pending future hearings.\nRhodes faces misdemeanor drunken driving charges after a state trooper reported pulling over his GMC truck about 3 a.m. for going 81 mph in a 55-mph zone of Interstate 65 on the northwest side of Indianapolis. Police said a test found his blood-alcohol level was 0.09 percent, just over Indiana’s legal limit to drive of 0.08 percent.\nRhodes did not speak with reporters as he entered and left the courtroom Monday. The judge set a March 28 pretrial hearing in the case.\nDavid Wyser, chief trial deputy for the Marion County prosecutor’s office, said he believed the material in both affidavits was admissible in court, as supplemental reports from police officers were common.\n“(Defendants) don’t like what’s in it because there’s more detail and that obviously hurts their case,” Wyser said.\nPenalties for Rhodes could range from no jail time to a year behind bars, prosecutors said. A conviction on a first-time offense typically results in probation, a fine and treatment.
(02/26/07 5:00am)
It’s been the telltale sign of how the IU women’s basketball team fared this year.\nWhen it comes to field-goal shooting, the number 40 has dictated the Hoosiers’ record throughout the course of the year. On days when IU shot better than 40 percent from the field, the team secured a record of 14-1. When the Hoosiers shot under 40 percent, however, that record falls to 3-10.\nAfter losing at Penn State (14-15, 7-9) Sunday, the under-40-percent record fell to 3-11 as the Hoosiers (17-12, 6-10) dropped their final game of the regular season 78-68, shooting 39 percent from the field.\nNot even double-doubles from senior center Sarah McKay and freshman guard Jamie Braun could help the Hoosiers capture their 18th win. McKay led IU with 22 points and 11 rebounds, her sixth double-double of the season; Braun added 14 points and 12 rebounds for her third of the season.\nThroughout the game neither team allowed its opponent to go on a run to take a big lead, though the Hoosiers took a 34-33 lead at halftime. In the opening seconds of the second half, Penn State took a 35-34 lead and didn’t trail again for the rest of the game.\nFollowing two free throws by senior guard Leah Enterline at the 4:17 mark in the second half, the score was tied at 63-63. It would be the closest the Hoosiers would come to winning for the rest of the game.\nAfter Enterline’s free throws tied the game, Penn State put together its first real run of the day – an 11-0 run that put IU away for good. During the final 6:45 of the game, the Hoosiers made only one field goal.\nWith the loss to Penn State, the Hoosiers’ in-conference record fell to 6-10 on the season, which will give IU the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten tournament, which starts next Thursday in Indianapolis. \nThe Hoosiers will play in the opening round of the tournament against the No. 8-seed Iowa Hawkeyes. On Jan. 11, the Hoosiers lost 71-67 against the Hawkeyes in Bloomington, though IU led by as many as 11 points in the second half.
(02/26/07 5:00am)
With its 7-0 loss at No. 23 Tennessee, the IU women’s tennis team demonstrated the importance of home-court advantage this season. \nThe No. 29 Hoosiers (9-3) won their first eight games of the season for the first time since 2002, but after losing three of the last four – with each loss being on the road against higher-ranked teams – the team has proven that playing at home really does have its benefits. \nLast year, IU upset then-No. 28 Tennessee at home, 5-2, for the Hoosiers’ second win against a ranked opponent at that point in the season. After defeating a ranked Kansas team on the road and No. 21 Kentucky at home earlier this season, IU had the opportunity to notch its third win against a ranked opponent Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn., but on their home court, the Lady Volunteers weren’t going to allow another upset for IU coach Lin Loring’s team. \nThe Hoosiers lost two doubles matches 8-6 in addition to three singles matches that were lost in third sets, so the 7-0 score is deceptive, Loring said. \n“We were certainly capable of winning the match,” he said. “You’ve go to win the close games and the big points, and we just didn’t do it.” \nThough other opponents have been ranked higher, Loring said Tennessee is the second best team IU has faced thus far, behind North Carolina, but their home court was a bigger factor in the win than their advantage in talent. Loring said the Lady Volunteers were definitely beatable, but he added that the 7-0 deficit wasn’t completely unexpected. \n“I wasn’t really that surprised,” he said. “We didn’t get that many sets when we played there a few years ago. ... You’re just talking about a handful of points. When you’re on the road, typically (the home-court advantage is) the difference.” \nBefore the match, junior Brianna Williams said the Hoosiers hadn’t altered their practices during the week to focus on Tennessee, but their routine may be changed as a result of the match. Playing on the road typically spotlights a team’s flaws, Loring said, and for the second time this season, IU showed its weakness is winning close matches on the road. Following his team’s 6-1 loss at Duke on Feb. 10, Loring said that a few points would have changed the complexion of the match. He made almost identical statements following Saturday’s loss, but while there were consistent problems in the two road matches, Loring said things would have been different in Bloomington – where the Hoosiers are undefeated this season. \n“I think we would have won some of the three setters,” he said. The Lady Vols may have still won the contest, he added, but in a close match away from their home court, they certainly would have felt the pressure.
(02/26/07 5:00am)
Despite some strong individual performances, the IU women’s golf team placed a disappointing 11th in a 16-team field in the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico this weekend.\nIU coach Clint Wallman was pleased with the performance but thinks the Hoosiers have some things to work on also.\n“We did some good things,” Wallman said. “However we have some areas to improve and this tournament gave us a good barometer for where we are at.”\nLeading the way for the Hoosiers was freshman Laura Nochta, who tied for 33rd place, and junior transfer Lauren Harling, who tied for 48th in her first tournament as a Hoosier.\nWallman had praises for both individuals’ play.\n“Lauren (Harling) played a good tournament for her first time and gave us two good rounds, while Laura (Nochta) battled illness so I was especially pleased with her finish.”\nAlso competing for the Hoosiers were freshman Anita Gahir, who tied for 52nd, freshman Kellye Belcher and junior Elaine Harris, who placed 55th and 68th, respectively. \nAuburn won the tournament, while Georgia, Oklahoma State, rival and host Purdue and South Carolina rounded out the top 5. \nWallman said he was not upset the team did not play as well as they did in the fall.\n“We are playing a stronger field now and I think we’ll improve as we’re out on the golf course more,” he said. \nThe Hoosiers’ next competition is March 12 when they travel to Las Vegas to compete in the UNLV Spring Invitational.
(02/26/07 5:00am)
He spent Friday battling flulike symptoms, and well, he just doesn’t look like a basketball player.\nBut there Drew Neitzel was in the second half, crossing up IU’s senior guard Errek Suhr and nailing a tough jumper from just right of the free-throw line. And there he was, nailing 3 after 3, seemingly dissolving IU’s halftime lead to nothing in an instant. (Raymar Morgan helped out with that, too.)\nAnd here the Hoosiers were again – squandering yet another opportunity to pick up a road win. They led by 10 at half. They held a team that has been so dominant at home – Michigan State is now 18-1 on the season – to a mere 20 points in the first half. They forced the Spartans into 14 first-half turnovers. It seemed, finally – finally! – IU was poised to knock off a team of significance on the road. \nBut the second half came, and, boom, IU and Michigan State switched roles. It was now the Hoosiers running aloof and turning the ball over. Freshman guard Joey Shaw dribbled a ball off his foot and kicked it out of bounds. Fellow freshman guard Armon Bassett – though scoring a career-high 25 points – threw the ball away on occasion.\nDoes Earl Calloway make a difference in this game? I think we might be starting to find out how important he is to this team. Even though Bassett is at times an exceptional freshman, he’s a scorer more than a true point guard. In the second half, coach Kelvin Sampson seemed to think as much, as he delineated Suhr to the point-guard role for a portion of the half.\nCalloway is this team’s leader. Sampson might not have been too keen on his style of play early on this season, but the senior point guard has made a believer out of his coach. When IU started falling apart in the second half, Calloway could have provided a nice spark and perhaps saved the Hoosiers from another road loss. But, alas, he was relegated to the bench, barking orders all game to his teammates as he continued to rest his shoulder injury. But with the way this team has played on the road, it might not have even mattered.\nWe all know the deal now. With Saturday night’s 66-58 loss to the Spartans, the Hoosiers lost sole possession of third place in the Big Ten, ceding the spot to Illinois. IU is now tied with Michigan State and Iowa for fourth in the conference. \nThe Illini only have one game left in the Big Ten season. If IU can snatch a road win – yes, folks, a road win – at Northwestern on Wednesday, something six other Big Ten teams have done this year, and win its last game of the season Saturday, they’ll grab sole possession of third place back. That is, if Illinois loses its last game of the year at Iowa and Michigan State loses at Wisconsin on Saturday. Oh, and Iowa would have to lose at Penn State. Phew, that was a lot to swallow there.\nBut hey, do you think IU can get any Big Ten or NCAA tourney games inside Assembly Hall this postseason?
(02/23/07 5:00am)
Does anybody remember this nice little feature? For those of you who do, we hope you welcome back The Rant. For those of you who don’t ... hold on to your dental floss – we’re gonna rock your world. Every Friday, we will publish 50-word rants submitted by all IU fans. You can sound off on anything – IU basketball, IU football, the Little 500 or the Westminster Dog Show (Damn that Diamond Jim). You can send some praise and even send some criticism. Just e-mail your rant to sports@idsnews.com by 5 p.m., Thursday to appear in Friday’s paper. \nLove,\nJake Brown\nMichael Sanserino
(02/23/07 5:00am)
IU Hoosiers (17-8, 8-5)
