Ohio State fights off Gonzaga

Jared Sullinger scored 18 points, including two big baskets in the final 3 minutes to lead Ohio State past Gonzaga 73-66 on Saturday and into the round of 16.

DeShaun Thomas also scored 18 for the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-7), while Aaron Craft added 17 points and 10 assists. Ohio State advanced to the East Regional semifinals for the second consecutive year and will play Florida State or Cincinnati in Boston on Thursday.
Gary Bell Jr. led No. 7 seed Gonzaga (26-7) with 18 points, but the Bulldogs were unable to become the third team to knock off a No. 2 seed in less than 24 hours.

Gonzaga erased a 10-point deficit to tie it at 61 on a 3-pointer by Elias Harris with 4:05 remaining, but Sullinger knocked down two pretty hook shots late while the Bulldogs went cold.associated press source

Leigh Shocks Duke!!!

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- It's been a long, historic run for Lehigh.
It got a little longer Friday night.
Lehigh pulled off a monumental upset of national power Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 75-70, at the Greensboro Coliseum.
C.J. McCollum scored 30 points and the Mountain Hawks converted their last six free throws to become the sixth No. 15 seed to win against a No. 2 seed, and the second in a three-hour span.
"Well, I want to congratulate Lehigh," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "They had the best player on the court tonight in McCollum.
"They were very bold the entire game. They were bold throughout and bold won."
Lehigh (27-7) plays the Notre Dame/Xavier winner Sunday in the round of 32. Duke's season ends at 27-7.
Lehigh led for the majority of the game and fought off several Duke runs, the last a 7-0 spurt to take a 49-47 lead with 8 minutes, 36 seconds left.
Mackey McKnight's 3-pointer from the right wing gave the Mountain Hawks the lead for good 16 seconds later.
And despite a few shaky moments in the closing moments, the Hawks made enough free throws to win their first NCAA Tournament game in five tries.
"Lehigh is a really good team and McCollum is a heck of a player," Krzyzewski added. "He's one of the best players in the country.
"But all of their kids played well."
Gabe Knutson's dunk with 47 seconds left gave Lehigh a 67-59 cushion, but a couple of missed free throws and Austin Rivers' two free throws had Duke down just three with 28 seconds left.
Lehigh, as it had all night, regrouped from adverse moments with the poise of champions.
Jordan Hamilton's dunk off a three-quarter pass from McCollum pushed the lead to five and Knutson rebounded a Duke miss, was fouled and made two free throws to restore a seven-point cushion.
Quinn Cook's trey with one second left ensured Lehigh had to get the ball inbounds one more time against Duke's frantic pressure.
The Hawks did and McCollum was fouled. McCollum, who missed two freebies with 36 seconds left, made both this time to secure the third win by a Patriot League team in the NCAA Tournament. Bucknell won in 2005 and '06.
"Though not in games in the tournament, we've played in some tough environments and we've always just played off the crowd," senior Hamilton said, referring to games earlier this season at Iowa State and Michigan State.
"We appreciate the North Carolina fans supporting us."
By the second half, fans from North Carolina who returned after the Tar Heels' win in the previous game, plus those from Xavier and Notre Dame who were waiting for their teams to play in the nightcap, joined the Lehigh faithful to offset the huge Duke following.
Lehigh used a 15-5 run to take at 47-42 lead with 12:08 left on a McCollum 3-pointer.
"There were numerous defensive strategies against (McCollum)," Krzyzewski said. "We wanted him to be a volume shooter but not foul him.
"(But) we didn't lose the game because of our defense."
Duke, which played without injured forward Ryan Kelly, responded with a 7-0 run. But its offense never sustained anything.
Star guards Austin Rivers and Seth Curry combined to make just six of 23 shots. Rivers managed 19 points. Curry, who was saddled with foul problems throughout, was just 1 of 9 with seven points.
Lehigh led 56-51 as late as the 4:06 mark, but missed two free throws and two 3-pointers that would have extended its lead.
But the Mountain Hawks' defense, which forced 41.4 percent shooting, kept the Blue Devils from putting together a game-changing run.
Lehigh was up 61-54 after a John Adams dunk with 1:51 left. Curry then hit a front-rim 3-pointer to cut the lead to four with 1:33 left.
With the pressure of the game, the moment and Duke's history staring at them, the Mountain Hawks made enough plays late.
"We weren't perfect," Lehigh coach Brett Reed said. "But we played well enough."
Knutson had 15 of his 17 points and all eight rebounds in the second half for the Hawks, who have won nine games in a row.by tom housenick
For Duke, Mason Plumlee had 19 points, including several monster dunks on 9 of 9 shooting.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/16/4344779/no-15-seed-lehigh-shocks-no-2.html#storylink=cpy

Norfolk State stuns No. 2 seed Missouri

OMAHA, Neb. (AP)

Kyle O'Quinn had 26 points and 14 rebounds, making several big plays in the closing minutes to help No. 15 seed Norfolk State stun second-seeded Missouri 86-84 on Friday in the West Regional
Pendarvis Williams and Chris McEachin each added 20 points for the MEAC champion Spartans (26-9), who made their first trip to the NCAA tournament a memorable one.
They became the fifth No. 15 seed to topple a No. 2 and the first since fellow conference member Hampton knocked off Iowa State in 2001.
O'Quinn had a chance to put the game away when he went to the foul line with 3.8 seconds to go, but the 70 percent free throw shooter missed both.

Missouri called a timeout with 2.9 seconds to go and got the ball in the hands of Phil Pressey, but his long 3-pointer from the wing bounced off the back iron as the final buzzer sounded.

Miami Dolphins out of running for Peyton Manning

The Miami Dolphins, now fully aware that Peyton Manning will sign elsewhere, have turned their attention to a consolation prize: Green Bay backup quarterback Matt Flynn.Flynn is planning to visit the Dolphins, likely on Saturday, after spending Thursday evening and part of Friday with the Seattle Seahawks.
As for Manning, sources confirmed that his camp informed the Dolphins that they are no longer under consideration by the four-time league MVP. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Denver, Arizona and Tennessee are still in the running and added, “You notice we did not mention the Miami Dolphins?”
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, in his only public comments since Manning was released March 7, told CNBC he personally was “very involved” in the Manning pursuit, despite perceptions to the contrary.
An associate of Flynn could not rule out Flynn signing with Seattle before he flies to Miami. (Chad Henne this week signed during his trip to Jacksonville and canceled his trip to Seattle.) But it would be somewhat surprising if Flynn did that.
It likely would take a very big, perhaps take-it-or-leave-it offer – and strong indication that Seattle wants him to be their starter – for Flynn to consider not following through on his trip to South Florida.
The Dolphins expect him to visit, knowing he has interest in the team and high regard for Dolphins coach Joe Philbin from their time together the past four years, when Philbin served as the Packers’ offensive coordinator.
Flynn believes he would thrive in the West Coast style offense that will be used by Philbin and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman. But he also would be very comfortable in Seattle’s West Coast offense.
And the Seahawks have far more cap space, reportedly $30 million. The Dolphins are believed to have in the $4 million to $5 million range and very likely need to create more room.
Like Miami, the Seahawks also have familiarity with Flynn; Seattle general manager John Schneider was part of the Packers’ front office when Green Bay drafted him in the seventh round in 2008, out of LSU.
Money will obviously be a huge factor, but so will his belief about where he has a better chance to start. The Dolphins would like to upgrade over Matt Moore, and the Seahawks have been looking for competition for Tarvaris Jackson.
Flynn, 26, has spent four seasons as Aaron Rodgers’ backup and was very impressive in two starts. He went 24 for 37 for 251 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception in a 2010 game at New England, which the Packers lost 31-27.
He was 31 for 44 for 480 yards, with six touchdowns and one interception, in a 45-41 Packers win against Detroit to close last season.
His overall career totals: 82 for 132 for 1,015 yards passing, nine touchdowns, five interceptions, two lost fumbles and a 92.5 rating.
For perspective, Moore had 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season and an 87.1 rating.
In other developments Thursday:
• The Dolphins signed veteran offensive lineman Artis Hicks, 33, to a one-year, $2 million deal. Hicks, who started three games for Cleveland last year and 10 for Washington in 2010, could end up competing for a starting job at right tackle or right guard.
• Miami re-signed No. 3 running back Steve Slaton to a one-year deal; he ran for 84 yards on 24 carries in 2011. The Dolphins also re-signed Ryan Baker, meaning they likely will retain all of their 2011 defensive linemen except Kendall Langford, who visited St. Louis and plans to meet with Cincinnati.
• The Dolphins were very close to completing a deal with defensive lineman/outside linebacker Jamaal Westerman, who had 32 tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Jets last season.
• The Dolphins would need to clear a lot more cap space to have a legitimate chance at landing right tackle Eric Winston, who has drawn interest from at least seven teams. With limited cap space, Miami hasn’t been as aggressive in its pursuit of receiver Mario Manningham as the 49ers and Rams, who invited him for visits.
• Cornerback Richard Marshall said the Dolphins did not tell him whether he will play cornerback, where he has spent most of his career, or free safety, where he played some last season.
“They just said they know I can play multiple positions in the secondary and we were going to figure that out in training camp and OTAs.”
• Henne was never told by Miami that he wouldn’t be re-signed, though that seemed clear. “They were gonna wait a while,” he said, mentioning Miami’s interest in Manning. “In my position, there wasn’t much time to wait. I definitely kind of wanted a fresh start.” source miami herald

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/15/2696474/miami-dolphins-out-of-running.html#storylink=cpy

Peyton Manning Meets With Titans

Peyton Manning left the Tennessee Titans' facility shortly after 10 p.m. ET Wednesday following a meeting that lasted nearly seven hours, and fans gathered outside greeted him with cheers, hoping the four-time NFL MVP will pick their team.

Manning put his bag in Titans coach Mike Munchak's car, waved to the crowd, then hopped in the vehicle.


Manning traveled from North Carolina to Nashville, Tenn., earlier in the day on Titans owner Bud Adams' personal jet to meet with team officials. Mike Munchak, general manager Ruston Webster and chief operating officer Mike Reinfeldt also were aboard the plane, which landed at Nashville International -- not John C. Tune airport, as indicated on a flight plan. They returned to the team's headquarters, where the Titans made their pitch to Manning.

Several team officials apparently met with Manning throughout the day, including Tennessee's team doctor, Burton Elrod. He spent 90 minutes at the team's headquarters during Manning's visit.

By 9:45 p.m. ET, there were approximately 40 fans gathered along the fence surrounding the facility hoping to get a glimpse of Manning.

Munchak, Webster and Reinfeldt had flown out of Nashville around 12:15 p.m. ET, with the flight plan showing the plane headed to Atlanta and not Raleigh-Durham, the destination under a flight plan for Tuesday afternoon. That changed back to Raleigh-Durham after the flight took off, and the plane with the Titans' emblem on the tail landed there just before 1:30 p.m. ET.

Manning arrived at the airport in the back seat of black Escalade at 1:53 p.m. ET, boarded the plane, and the group headed back to Tennessee.

NFL Network's Michael Lombardi reported that a key to the Titans' pitch could be their ability to offer Manning an organizational role after his playing days are over. According to Lombardi, Manning would be more likely to find such a spot with the Titans than in, say, Denver, where John Elway currently holds a key management position.

The Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins also have met with Manning since the Indianapolis Colts released him last week.

Adams told WSMV-TV on Tuesday night the meeting with the four-time NFL MVP would happen Wednesday with plans for a full day together.

"I think he's ... wanting to sign up with somebody pretty quickly," Adams said by telephone from his Houston home Tuesday.

Miami Dolphins In Contention For Peyton Manning

JOEY FOLEY / STRINGER

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 07: Peyton Manning attends a press conference announcing Manning's release from the Colts at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on March 7, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images)

The Miami Dolphins have made the cut for Peyton Manning.Manning will visit with the Dolphins as one of three or four teams he’ll talk to before he decides where he will continue his apparent Hall of Fame career.
It’s unclear when specifically Manning will meet with the Dolphins. According to three NFL sources and a report from The Denver Post, Manning was scheduled to meet Friday with the Denver Broncos, possibly in Stillwater, Okla. The Post said the Arizona Cardinals also are on Manning’s list of upcoming visits.
Kansas City is a possibility for Manning, as is Seattle. Washington has been eliminated from consideration, one source told The Miami Herald.
 ESPN reported the Dolphins’ chances of landing Manning had suffered a blow based on the quarterback’s apparent distaste for media attention. According to Adam Schefter, Manning didn’t like all the attention he received from local media Wednesday after returning to Miami from.by armando salguero

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/09/v-print/2685159/peyton-manning-narrows-list-of.html#storylink=cpy

Danica Patrick Worth The Hype?

 People looked at Danica Patrick crossways when she started in what is now the IndyCar Series and again when she decided to jump into NASCAR's top circuit, her first Sprint Cup race being this very recent Daytona 500. Actually, with my very poor car knowledge, I am not going to take full responsibility for the doubters about the Sprint Cup jump. I mean, she had won a big bag of almost nothing in the IRL and NASCAR's Nationwide series before being blessed with a good car, a good team and a fighting chance in the Daytona 500. The whole idea felt like a GoDaddy commercial.
I always enjoyed watching Danica, rooted for her too. The whole girl-power thing was nice, especially that Indy 500 where she threatened until the very end when she ran out of gas. I figured it was a matter of time.
What I cannot understand is who — besides the marketing people — thought putting her in Sprint Cup races was a good idea?
As I watched the Daytona 500, before the big fireball exploded and I eventually bailed, the announcers kept saying this was great practice for her and this was a great learning experience and how she would get the hang of it. Wait, what? In the most crashy weekend of Daytona in a long time, where a dude crashed into a jet dryer and ignited a section of the track in a gigantic fire, who exactly thought it was a good idea to turn this into practice time?
And how desperate is NASCAR to thrust this gimmick onto us?

 none of Danica's three  yes, three  crashes during the course of the weekend were her fault. It was bad luck. But her pounding on the steering wheel, and losing it after the second, looked like what you might expect from an in-car camera in my ride. I am not saying Danica is not ready because she is a girl. I am saying the girl is not ready.
So get her off the track.by jen engel

And sell NASCAR the old-fashioned way, by racing