SMITHFIELD, R.I. (AP) — Addison Lynch and Samad Wagstaff each returned interceptions for touchdowns and Bryant defeated Robert Morris 27-21 on Saturday.
The Bulldogs (7-3, 4-3 Northeast Conference) led 7-6 before the back-to-back defensive scores. Addison Lynch had the first interception of Jeff Sinclair, returning it 43 yards late in the first quarter. Then Wagstaff followed with an 80-yard TD return with 9:15 left in the second …
Scoreboard Friday between England and Bangladesh in the third and final one-day international at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium:
England Innings
Alastair Cook c Rahim b Hasan 32
Craig Kieswetter b Razzak 107
Kevin Pietersen lbw Razzak 22
Paul Collingwood c Razzak b Suhrawadi 36
Eoin Morgan c Iqbal b Islam 36
Luke Wright not out 32
Tim Bresnan not out 6
Extras: (3lb, 10w) 13
TOTAL: (for five wickets) 284
Overs: 50.
Fall of wickets: 1-59, 2-96, 3-170, 4-237, 5-257.
Did not bat: Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Ajmal Shahzad, Liam Plunkett
…
The outlook appears to be dimming on Rondell White's return to theCubs. Manager Don Baylor said Thursday he doubts White will be ableto play full games when he returns to the team after being out sixweeks with a strained left groin muscle.
"He was going to try to play a full game [Thursday night at ClassAAA Iowa]," Baylor said of White's rehab. "He should be back here inthe next week or so, and he's worked awfully hard through this. But Iknow the soreness will be there all year. I don't foresee him backin a full capacity. I think it would be a long shot."
That outlook puts another damper on the offense, because White washitting .302 with 13 home runs at the time of …
CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Sweden swept past Moldova 4-1 on Friday to tighten its grip on second place in its Euro 2012 qualifying group.
Ola Toivonen opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a 25-yard shot before Johan Elmander made it 2-0 in the 29th with a left-footed strike and Sebastian Larsson added the third in the 59th.
Striker Igor Bugaiov gave Moldova a glimmer of hope by making it 3-1 in the 61st but Alexander Gerndt wrapped up a comfortable win for the visitors in the 87th.
Moldova could have taken the lead in the sixth minute but Alexandru Suvorov's 18-yard shot hit the crossbar.
Sweden has 12 points from …
North Koreans got a rare chance to see foreign films _ including Britain's Oscar-winning "Atonement" and China's "Assembly" _ on the big screen during the 11th Pyongyang International Film Festival held in the communist capital.
A total of 110 films from 46 nations, including Russia, France, Germany, Iran and Venezuela, were to be screened at the 10-day festival, which closes Friday.
North Korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world, and the average citizen does not have easy access to the Internet, cell phones or foreign broadcasts. But like people everywhere, North Koreans love movies and can watch mostly North Korean and …
Dr. Seuss event
"Go Green With Dr. Seuss" will be presented at 10:30 a.m.Wednesday at the South Charleston Public Library in honor of thebirthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss.
There will be crafts, refreshments and Dr. Seuss stories.
For more information, go to www.southcharleston library.org orcall 304-744-6561.
MU career expo
Marshall University students and alumni are invited to discovernew career opportunities at the annual Spring Career Expo on theHuntington campus.
The expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in theDon Morris Room on the second floor of the Memorial Student Center.More …
WASHINGTON - Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday she wants answers about the departure of the former U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, who resigned last October before the Justice Department's dismissal of eight other U.S. attorneys sparked controversy.
"I have questions about Debra Yang's departure and I can't answer those questions right at this time," Feinstein, D-Calif. and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters in response to a question. "Was she asked to resign, and if so, why? We have to ferret that out."
Debra Wong Yang went to work for a private law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and has said she left of her own accord.
A Gibson …
Overall World Cup leader Ivica Kostelic left the World Championships on Saturday to return home to Croatia for treatment on his injured back.
The 29-year-old Kostelic said after Thursday's downhill training session that he was at 70 percent fitness, then completed another run on Friday.
He will have intensive treatment at a spinal clinic in Daruvar, Croatian ski federation manager Vedran Pavlek …
WASHINGTON A new president should tell his national securityadviser at the start of his administration that the secretary ofstate is his "one principal lieutenant" in foreign policy, a reporton presidential transition recommends.
The report noted that Presidents Reagan, Jimmy Carter andRichard Nixon "all found their administrations involved early ininternal disputes between the national security adviser and the StateDepartment."
The report never mentioned the Iran-contra affair, which came tolight in President Reagan's second term. During the affair, in whichthe United States sold arms to Iran and profits were diverted to theNicaraguan contras, Reagan's …
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jeremy Hazell somehow got lost in the wild ending surrounding Seton Hall's 84-70 upset of No. 15 St. John's.
It's the way his senior season has gone with the Pirates.
The shooting guard scored 28 points in a win over Alabama early in the season and broke his wrist in the game. In the middle of his rehabilitation, he was grazed by gunfire in a Christmas holdup attempt near his home.
And when Hazell scored a season-high 31 points in the stunning upset of the red-hot Red Storm on Thursday night, he got pushed into the background with the ejection of St. John's coach Steve Lavin in the closing minutes.
Hazell doesn't seem to mind. The lanky 6-foot-5 …
Sprint Nextel Corp. said Monday it has paid off the $1 billion balance on its $4.5 billion credit line, helping the company's stock gain more than 10 percent.
Shares jumped 35 cents to $3.44 in morning trading.
The stock also got a boost Monday from an upgrade at Credit Suisse. In an investor note, Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin upgraded Sprint to "Outperform" from "Neutral" and raised his share price target to $6 from $4.
He said the growth of Sprint's cheaper, prepaid …
PENSACOLA, Fla. - When Marine Lt. Alan Zarracina finally did the splits after months of struggling with the difficult pose in yoga class, the limber women around him applauded.
Zarracina, a 24-year-old Naval Academy graduate and flight student, admits he would have a hard time explaining the scene to other Marines.
Each class ends with a chant for peace. Then, instructor Nancy La Nasa hands students incense sticks as a gift for their 90 minutes of back bends, shoulder stands and other challenging positions.
Zarracina has tried to drag some of his military friends to class, but they make fun of him. "It's not necessarily considered masculine," he said.
Still, the popular classes, based on ancient Hindu practices of meditation through controlled breathing, balancing and stretching, are catching on in military circles as a way to improve flexibility, balance and concentration. A former Navy SEAL told Zarracina about the class.
The August edition of Fit Yoga, the nation's second-largest yoga magazine with a circulation of 100,000, features a photo of two Naval aviators doing yoga poses in full combat gear aboard an aircraft carrier.
"At first it seemed a little shocking - soldiers practicing such a peaceful art," writes editor Rita Trieger.
Upon closer inspection, she said, she noticed "a sense of inner calm" on the aviators' faces.
"War is hell, and if yoga can help them find a little solace, that's good," said Trieger, a longtime New York yoga instructor.
Retired Adm. Tom Steffens, who spent 34 years as a Navy SEAL and served as the director of the elite corps' training, regularly practices yoga at his home in Norfolk, Va.
"Once in a while I'll sit in class, and everyone is a 20-something young lady with a 10-inch waist and here I am this old guy," he joked.
Steffens, who said the stretching helped him eliminate the stiffness of a biceps injury after surgery, said the benefits of regular practice can be enormous.
"The yoga cured all kinds of back pains," he said. "Being a SEAL, you beat up your body."
Yoga breathing exercises can help SEALs with their diving, and learning to control the body by remaining in unusual positions can help members stay in confined spaces for long periods, he said.
"The ability to stay focused on something, whether on breathing or on the yoga practice, and not be drawn off course, that has a lot of connection to the military," he said. "In our SEAL basic training, there are many things that are yoga-like in nature."
Zarracina, the Marine, said yoga has helped him improve his posture and become more comfortable while flying.
"Sitting in an airplane for two hours with a harness pulling on you, you will feel a hot spot around your back," he said.
But he said mastering difficult stretches like the splits wasn't easy despite being in top physical condition.
"For the first two weeks, I didn't like (yoga) because it was painful," he said. At Marine training in Quantico, Va., "we did hikes and field training. Yoga taps into those core muscles that people don't really use."
At the Army's Camp Rudder on Eglin Air Force Base outside Pensacola, Army Ranger candidates go through their final and most difficult stage in their grueling training regimen. Capt. Jeremiah Cordovano, a Rudder instructor, said that yoga isn't a part of Ranger training but that some use it to build flexibility.
"It's still something that is sort of catching on, but a lot of guys have done it," he said. "I have done it quite a few times. A friend introduced me to it and I was surprised. At first I was just smiling, but after five or 10 minutes you really start to work out your muscles and stuff."
But the peaceful meditation techniques and chanting taught in yoga classes don't necessarily transfer to the combat zone, Cordovano said.
"I spent 14 months in Iraq, and I didn't see anybody doing yoga while I was over there," he said.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra presents century's last Christmas Spectacular
For the fifth consecutive season, "Welcome Yule!" ushers in the holiday season at Symphony Center. Its five programs are a treat for children and Christmas-spirited adults alike.
Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the Chicago Children's Choir, and Percussion Scholarship Group, all under the baton of CSO Chorus Director Duain Wolfe, will perform traditional Christmas favorites; a sing-along will prompt audience participation as well. Rumor has it that Santa himself will make an appearance!
The Christmas Spectacular will be held at 7:30 p.m. tonight.
Traditional songs will include "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Deck The Halls," "Christmas Flourish" by Bass, "March of the Kings (Farandole) from "L'arlesienne Suite No. 2" "Fum, Mum, Fum" traditional/arr.
Shaw, "Jordnanas" by Fry, "This Christmastide" by Fraser; "Welcome, Yule!" by Mathias; "Hallelujah" from "Messiah" by Handel, "I's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" Handel, "Skier's Waltz" by Wilson, "Christmas Menace" by Fry, "The Sleigh Ride" by L. Mozart, "Christmas in Chicago" and "Good Night" and "Merry Christmas."
William Eddins, resident conductor for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will conduct "The Millennium New Year's Eve Gala" with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra featuring Andrea Marcovicci, vocalist as soloist Friday, Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.
On New Year's Eve 1999, Orchestra Hall audiences will end the year-and the twentieth century-with dinner, music, champagne, and dancing `til dawn. Guest artist and cabaret song stylist Andrea Marcovicci will interpret the history of American popular song.
The Millennium New Year's Eve Gala is sure to showcase Symphony Center at its most festive occasion with music, sing, a balloon drop, party favors and dancing.
Supper club singer extraor-dinaire Marcovicci's appearance marks the second time that she has graced the Orchestra Hall stage. She is among the new generation of singers and pursues an active concert and cabaret schedule throughout the country.
Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.
Photo (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Cricketer Kevin Pietersen has married singer Jessica Taylor in astar-studded wedding ceremony.
But residents of picturesque village Castle Combe were less thanbowled over by one of the celebrity weddings of the year.
England star Pietersen married the Liberty X singer in thevillage's parish church.
But as a host of stars of music and sport made their way to thevillage - best-known as the location for the Dr Dolittle film -local people found themselves confronted by bouncers and bypaparazzi.
Part of the lower village became a no-go area on Saturday.
Vice-chairman of the parish council Adrian Bishop said: "I thinkthis is the most hyped wedding that has taken place there.
"Access to the church was completely cut off to people who livehere.
"I understand several people wanted to lay flowers on graves butwere prevented from doing so by bouncers. It upset some people.
"There were lines and lines of paparazzi but I doubt if they gotanything, there was so much security there.
"No one bothered to tell us about the fireworks display, either."
At the pounds300-a-night, five-star Manor House Hotel, all 48rooms had been booked for the wedding
Flamboyant batsman Pietersen, 27, had tried to keep details ofhis wedding to Taylor, 27, a secret.
But news leaked out as teammates, including England captainMichael Vaughan, and celebrity friends began showing up.
Hair and make-up experts were on hand to ensure the bride, whoarrived at the church in a black Rolls-Royce, looked stunning.
One of the few locals who managed to catch a glimpse of her wasTina Seiler, 41, who said: "She was gorgeous. Her dress was abackless ivory silk chiffon design, tightly crunched at the frontwith sparkling beads hanging like icicles down the pleats."
After the 45-minute ceremony - which included the carol SilentNight - the bridal party and 200 guests walked to the hotel.
Pietersen had spent the night before enjoying a quiet meal withhis family and best man, England colleague Darren Gough, in aprivate room.
Other guests included England one-day captain Paul Collingwood,fast bowler Matthew Hoggard and veteran wicketkeeper Paul Nixon.
MILWAUKEE -- Speculation about Dusty Baker's future with the Cubsis reaching Florida, where rookie manager Joe Girardi is dealing withhis own rumors about feuding with team owner Jeffrey Loria and eyeinga move north to his old team.
Girardi tried to quell the rumors Tuesday before the Marlins' 4-2victory over the Washington Nationals.
"I am still the Marlins' manager, [and] I plan on being theMarlins' manager for a long time," Girardi, who signed a three-yearcontract, told reporters Tuesday. "People like to speculate that I amgoing to Chicago.
"If I was going to go to Chicago, I wouldn't have sold my house[in the north suburbs]. I have property there that we've kept therefor a long time. I don't have a house there; I sold my house, my kidsare enrolled in school in South Florida. I enjoy jumping in my poolevery day. It's a nice life."
Rumors have swirled that Girardi has an "out" clause in hiscontract that allows him to leave for the Cubs. It also has beenalleged that he has a handshake agreement with Loria for the samereason.
"There are no outs," Girardi said. "I have a three-year deal. Nohandshake agreement, no elbow rubbing, no kissing, nothing. Why wouldany club hire someone who had a handshake agreement that they couldget out? Because you would know their heart's not in it. I think theone thing that you know about my heart is that it's about winning."
Z STREAK: Carlos Zambrano (12-4) starts tonight hoping to extendhis 10-game road winning streak dating to last year. Zambrano is 10-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his last 14 games on the road, holding opponentsto a .194 batting average since Aug. 17, 2005, at Houston. Hisoverall nine-game win streak was halted Friday.
While Zambrano contends for the Cy Young Award, he also could be acandidate for the Silver Slugger honor, given to the best hitter atevery position, and a Gold Glove.
"I've never seen a guy who could switch-hit [Zambrano has hithomers from both sides of the plate] and throw with both arms," Bakersaid of Zambrano, who typically throws with his left hand in practicethe day after he pitches. "He's an athlete, not just a pitcher, andtakes pride in being an athlete."
REHAB TIME: Left-handed pitcher Sean Marshall threw three inningsin the bullpen at full speed without discomfort. Marshall, who hasbeen on the disabled list with a strained oblique since July 23, isexpected to be sent on a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend.Wade Miller (shoulder) also will make another rehab start thisweekend.
tginnetti@suntimes.com
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Debutant Declan O'Donnell scored three tries as New Zealand came from behind to beat England 29-14 in Saturday's final of the Wellington Sevens rugby tournament.
England went ahead 7-0 in the second minute when Fijian-born British Army solider Isoa Damu crossed, but New Zealand piled on the pressure, mainly through tight defense, to score five straight tries and clinch a comfortable win.
The tournament victory took New Zealand level with England on 64 points after three of eight rounds of the World Series. The next round of the Series is at Las Vegas on Feb. 12 and 13.
New Zealand was the dominant team at its home tournament, clearing its pool with ease and progessing comfortably through Saturday's knockout rounds, beating Wales 26-5 in the quarterfinals and Australia 17-0 in the semis.
England, in contrast, was hard-pressed in almost all of its matches at the two-day, 16-team tournament. It needed a last minute try to beat the unranked Cook Islands in pool play and labored to a 14-7 win over Argentina in the quarterfinals and a 7-5 win over world champions Samoa in the semis.
Samoa had earlier ousted defending Wellington Sevens champions Fiji 12-5 in the quarterfinals.
England was seen to have more pace than New Zealand in the showdown between the top two teams in the World Series but New Zealand's defense quickly shut down the English speedsters and its robust style allowed it to dominate possession.
Damu scored a try from a tapped penalty in the second minute, exploiting the only lapse in concentration from the home side's defense. New Zealand quickly recovered and established its dominance, scoring tries through Toby Arnold and O'Donnell to lead 12-7 by halftime.
Veteran Tomasi Cama scored and converted his own try in the first minute of the second half to extend New Zealand's lead to 19-7, then O'Donnell scored back-to-back tries to make its advantage unassailable at 29-7.
England managed a consolation try in stoppage time.
"He's outstanding. He had an outstanding tournament," New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens said of O'Donnell who was playing in his first World Series tournament and final.
New Zealand lost captain D.J. Forbes to injury when it was still behind on the scoreobard but rallied in his absence to reclaim its home title.
"We lost D.J. early which could have been a major played but the guys went out and played for him," Tietjens said. "We got up from that setback, picked the game up and didn't look back."
Fiji won the plate competition, beating South Africa 26-12 in the final and Kenya won the bowl, beating Tonga 19-0.
If William Shakespeare were alive, he might revise his line fromHamlet to read, "Something is rotten in the state of Englisheducation."
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni did a survey andfound only 15 of the nation's top 70 universities require Englishmajors take a course on Shakespeare, whose birthday is Monday.
The report lists the University of Chicago and Northwestern amongthose that do not require such a course. The University of Illinoisat Urbana-Champaign does require it. "A degree in English withoutShakespeare is like an M.D. without a course in anatomy," the reportdeclares.
But that's not to say the Bard isn't taught at those schools: Thehome page for U. of C.'s English department features his picture,and students must take courses on British literature and onliterature written before 1700. NU requires a course in pre-1798lit. NU English department officials could not immediately bereached for comment.
Ever wonder what people say about you behind your back? Youngsenior forward Amanda Thompson, quite possibly the best girlsbasketball player in the Public League and one of the best in thestate, doesn't have to wonder anymore.
Thompson led Young to a third-place finish at the Class AA statefinals last season at Redbird Arena in Normal and also led theDolphins to the Public League title over Hope for its first citytitle since 1995.
After the season, Thompson participated in the USA BasketballYouth Development Festival and was ranked sixth in the latest NikeBlue Star report. Earlier this month, she was featured on the coverof School Sports magazine.
Thompson, who is averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds, took thefirst step to her promising future last month when she signed withOklahoma.
Thompson is sure to continue the Sooners' tradition of contendingin the Big 12 conference and making appearances in the NCAAtournament. The Sooners' first-ever Final Four appearance was in 2002when they reached the championship game and lost to Connecticut.Oklahoma has won four Big 12 Conference titles, all under coachSherri Coale.
Coale had the obvious praise for Thompson on signing day, usingthe same words to describe the 6-foot Thompson that many othercoaches and players have -- tremendous player, toughness, a specialkid, extraordinary skills. I could go on, but Coale also put a uniquespin on Thompson that I haven't heard from many others.
"Amanda Thompson is one of those rare finds," Coale said onsigning day. "You're going along and sifting through, and all youfind are rocks. Then all of a sudden, you find a diamond. That'sAmanda.
"We began watching her a couple of years ago and followed her. Themore we watched her and followed her, the more we fell in love withher grit and her toughness."
Similar to Dales-Schuman
Coale didn't stop there. She also compared Thompson to formerSooners standout and current Chicago Sky guard-forward Stacey Dales-Schuman, who was on Oklahoma's 2002 Final Four team.
"[Thompson] delivers the basketball in similar ways as StaceyDales," Coale said. "There are a lot of similarities in the offensiveway the two of them play the game."
Thompson's best asset might be blocking shots. I've watchedThompson perfect that skill over three years, and she seems to keepgetting better. Coale noted that blocking shots is almost an art formby itself in basketball because a player has to get the timing downjust right against players who might be taller. And it also takes aplayer of high caliber to block shots without picking up a foul inthe process.
Respect from Gaters
"She is an outstanding player," said Marshall coach DorothyGaters, whose team is set for its annual grudge match with Thompsonand the Dolphins on Wednesday at Young. "She's made consistentprogress, steady progress. We try not to let any one player beat usand just try to hold her down."
Dolphins senior guard Ashley Bey is good friends with Thompson andhas learned a lot about competing from just watching her.
"Playing off of Amanda is fun, and she's really hyper and likes toget her teammates involved -- and she's a good friend," Bey said."When she's playing well, people can feed off of her energy, and thatmakes everybody else play better."
Bey's favorite Thompson memory doesn't even have to do with aparticular game or move by Thompson on the court. Bey will miss thepregame pep talks.
"Before the game when we're in our huddle, she's always excitedand she gets hyped up," Bey said. "Then everybody knows we need toget things together to win this game."
Coaches can talk all they want about Thompson's skills on thecourt and what she'll bring to the game of women's basketball in thefuture. But I think Bey and Dolphins coach Corry Carter give the bestdescription of what Thompson is like as a person, and not necessarilyas a player.
"She's just a good person to be around," Bey said. "She's not sador anything and is just real happy all the time."
"She always plays at the same level all the time," Carter said."Off the court, she is a real genuine, nice kid, and never gets intoconfrontations with anyone."
PEOPLE WATCHING: It's never too early to think spring.
At the Young-Crane girls game Wednesday, I spotted CynthiaAnderson, mother of former Morgan Park state track record-holderAlexandria Anderson, who is now at Texas. Anderson was watching heryounger daughter, Ashlee, play for the Dolphins.
Track and Field News has ranked the Longhorns' freshman class No.2 in the nation behind Oregon. Who is leading that class? Anderson,who was named as a "prize recruit" in the latest issue of Track andField News, which also predicted the Longhorns will defend their NCAAnational title.
I can't wait until the snow melts, the temperatures rise and theoutdoor track season begins.
takouris@suntimes.com
BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS:
By Michael O'Brien
(Last week's rank in parentheses)
1. Glenbrook North 10-0 (1)
- Tyler Cullitan is pitching in
2. Simeon 3-2 (2)
- McKinnie played well in Indy
3. Crane 6-0 (3)
- Collins is a highlight film
4. Warren 7-0 (4)
- Marcus Lewis can score
5. Thornton 7-1 (6)
- Catron hot vs. Von Steuben
6. Proviso East 7-2 (7)
- Jacob Pullen is a smart player
7. St. Joseph 7-1 (8)
- Showdown with Oden on Sat.
8. Marshall 7-1 (9)
- Illini are watching Beverley
9. H-F 9-0 (11)
- Vikings dangerous at Proviso
10. Glenbrook South 9-0 (10)
- Can Titans repeat at Elgin?
11. Von Steuben 2-2 (5)
- Went cold late vs. Thornton
12. Bolingbrook 7-0 (12)
- Walker and Raiders keep rolling
13. Hillcrest 7-1 (13)
- Justin Taylor is playing well
14. West Aurora 7-0 (15)
- Thompson is a super soph
15. Schaumburg 8-1 (18)
- Another Pancratz beats T-Birds
16. Washington 6-1 (16)
- Mario Little living up to hype
17. Thornwood 6-1 (14)
- Fell short against the Saxons
18. Farragut 4-3 (20)
- Isiah Williams is growing up
19. Lincoln Park 6-2 (22)
- Could prove a lot at Dipper
20. T.F. North 7-3 (23)
- Redmond huge vs. Bloom
21. Loyola 7-1 (25)
- Matt Steger is a tough player
22. Julian 9-0 (NR)
- Rocky Hill brings Jags back
23. Marian Catholic 6-1 (NR)
- Vance Cooksey having a year
24. Proviso West 9-2 (NR)
- Stinnett delivers in clutch
25. York 8-0 (NR)
- Fendley has Dukes on a tear
CLASS A
1. Hales Franciscan 6-2 (1)
- Upset by Fenwick
2. Seneca 8-0 (2)
- Callahan, Irish undefeated
3. Timothy Christian 11-0 (3)
- Huizinga, Crittle lead the way
4. Leo 7-3 (4)
- Lawson great vs. Marist
5. North Lawndale 9-2 (5)
- Haywood Brown 21 vs. Crane
GIRLS BASKETBALL RANKINGS:
By Tina Akouris
(Last week's rank in parentheses)
1. Bolingbrook 6-0 (1)
- M. Adams owns the boards
2. Fenwick 12-0 (2)
- A. DiCanio saves day with 3s
3. Wheeling 11-1 (3)
- A. Wilson a big freshman
4. Young 9-0 (4)
- Ashley Bey does a lot on floor
5. Marist 12-0 (5)
- M. Downs nails double-double
6. New Trier 11-1 (6)
- Riding 10-game win streak
7. Buffalo Grove 10-1 (8)
- Buchek gets 1,000th point
8. Loyola 8-2 (9)
- Can't keep B. McCoy down
9. Warren 9-3 (10)
- G. Lopez is a feisty guard
10. Benet 9-3 (7)
- McInerney, McGue tough
11. Maine South 11-2 (11)
- Angie Rieger pours it in, too
12. Thornwood 8-1 (12)
- Ashanti Walker gets boards
13. Marian Catholic 9-2 (16)
- Grossnickle sets pace
14. Palatine 10-0 (17)
- Big game with Wheeling Fri.
15. Crane 7-1 (15)
- K. Shelton rebounds, scores
16. Trinity 8-3 (14)
- L. Johnson a bright spot
17. Naperville Cent. 8-2 (19)
- Next stop: Dundee-Crown
18. Bartlett 9-3 (13)
- Shocking loss to Neuqua V.
19. Resurrection 9-3 (20)
- Monaco, Ortiz great tandem
20. Glenbard West 12-1 (NR)
- M.E. Mazza a clutch player
21. Sandburg 7-4 (18)
- J. Storm still plows through
22. Geneva 11-2 (NR)
- C. Whitley a hot shooter
23. Hillcrest 7-2 (22)
- Tough holiday tourney ahead
24. Joliet Catholic 7-4 (21)
- Career-high 39 for S. Quigley
25. Schaumburg 10-2 (25)
- Rebounded from Maine S.
CLASS A
1. Hope 12-0 (1)
- Jasmine Stewart also scores
2. Bishop McNamara 9-1 (2)
- Schmidt, Juergens score big
3. Montini 10-3 (3)
- Knocked off Sandburg
4. Walther Luth. 12-1 (4)
- J. Harvey keeps rolling along
5. North Lawndale 7-0 (5)
- Angelique Beasley does it all
Suspected Maoist rebels blew up a police jeep in India's restive east on Friday, killing at least nine police officers, an official said. The attack came after police thwarted the rebels' attempt to rob a bank.
Dozens of attackers also stabbed to death two of the police officers who earlier challenged them at the State Bank of India branch in Bokaro district, 150 miles (240 kilometers) south of Patna, the capital of Bihar state, said Lakshman Singh, superintendent of police.
They fled the area but later triggered a roadside land mine blast targeting the jeep bringing police reinforcements to the bank in Jharkhand state, Singh told The Associated Press.
Another three police officers were wounded in the attack by suspected rebels, many of them women wearing civilian clothes, he said.
It was the second major attack blamed on rebels in Jharkhand state this week. On Wednesday, they killed 11 police officers in a similar land mine blast.
The rebels are called Naxalites after Naxalbari, a village in West Bengal state where the movement was born in 1967, and say they are inspired by Chinese communist revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.
The rebels have been fighting for more than three decades in several Indian states, demanding land and jobs for agricultural laborers and the poor.
Over the past few years about 2,000 people _ including police, militants and civilians _ have been killed in the violence.
He just had shot a 2-under-par 70 in the third round Saturday, putting him at 4 under and tied for 10th place heading into the final round today.
''You don't want to know my thoughts,'' Woods repeated.
That he said it twice means you probably didn't want to know. Without ear censors, that is.
Standing next to him, you wondered whether his big-toothed smile was propped open with fish hooks -- and whether he would snap your finger off like a boiled shrimp if it got too close to those pearly whites.
Later, as Woods walked up the path toward the clubhouse, agent Mark Steinberg muttered, ''What was your problem?''
''Who the [bleep] knows?'' Woods hissed.
If you haven't noticed Woods has been in a foul mood this week, you haven't been paying attention to the 73rd Masters.
It's not that he has played horribly; it's just that the four-time Masters champion with the surgically repaired left knee has played without consistency, flair or that Tiger-like genius we have come to expect.
Being 4 under after 54 holes isn't a terrible thing at Augusta National. It's just that co-leaders Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry are 11 under and Chad Campbell is 9 under. Fellows such as Jim Furyk, Rory Sabbatini and Tim Clark are ahead of Woods, too.
NON-SUNNY DISPOSITION
It would be one thing if those guys were little kids or unconscious duffers high on dogwood pixie dust. But Cabrera won the 2007 U.S. Open, Perry has 13 PGA Tour victories, Furyk twice has finished fourth in the Masters, Sabbatini tied for second in 2007 and Clark finished second in 2006.
Every time Woods has had a chance to soar, he has dipped a wing and sputtered.
He especially wanted to get off to a good start Saturday. And what did he do? On No. 1, he clanked a drive into the woods, left his chip short, then three-putted for a double bogey.
''Just put myself right behind the eight ball,'' Tiger said.
But if there was some redemption for him, it came on the 18th. He analyzed his second shot forever, tossed grass into the air, switched clubs twice, then hit long and off the green. He chipped onto the putting surface and sank a seven-foot putt to save par.
That got a mini-fist pump from Woods, whose ill humor has been about the only non-sunny thing here this week.
It is an amazing and tantalizing coincidence that Woods and his anointed chaser, Phil Mickelson, who also is at 4 under, will be in the same twosome for the final round. The two haven't been paired in the final round of a major since the Masters in 2001, when young Eldrick was out of control and won with a 16-under 272. That was also the final victory of his now-named ''Tiger Slam'' -- four major championships in a row, but not in the same calendar year.
'WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF?'
Mickelson has been inconsistent this week, too. But he has settled some in his last 24 holes, shooting 6 under par during that stretch while chasing his third Masters green jacket.
If the 48-year-old Perry wins today, he will become the oldest player to win a major.
''Forty-eight's just a number,'' said Perry, who was born Aug. 10, 1960. ''You need to test yourself. You need to see what's inside yourself.''
That's a coincidental statement, considering there is a billboard on Washington Road, not far from the entrance to Augusta National, of Woods promoting Tag Heuer watches. Next to an image of his face are the shiny guts of an open watch.
''What Are You Made Of?'' the sign asks.
About a half-mile from that is another billboard, this one with a photo of Mickelson swinging a driver, promoting his timepiece of choice, Rolex.
''Phil Always Connects,'' the sign says.
All these statements are interesting, philosophical, even trite.
We'll find out today if they mean anything.
Photo:timothy A. Clary, Getty Images / Tiger Woods hits out of the trees on the eighth hole Saturday at the Masters. ;
