The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 18

BEN CRENSHAW Enters Masters with victory Page2C PORT Baseball NBA Scoreboard 4C 5C 5C CP MONDAY, APRIL 4, 1994 zorbacks face Blue Devils, doubters (.. i David 'I Qimer Ml ARKANSAS VS. DUKE I TV: 8:15 p.m., Channel 5. I Radio: 7:45 p.m. 99.7-FM.

Duke under pressure, 2C. Mil N.C. women get miracle RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Down by two points with less than a second to go, the North Carolina women needed, if not a miracle, then at least a clever play. And with a screen, a pass and a shot, they pulled one off.

North Carolina inbounded with seven-tenths of a second left and Charlotte Smith swished a 3-point shot at the buzzer, giving the Tar Heels a 60-59 win vs. Louisiana Tech yesterday and the NCAA women's basketball title. "I tried to make It exciting for you guys," North Carolina Coach Sylvia Hatchell said. Story, box score, SC. Parks should be able to play.

"I'm sure hell play," Krzyzewski said, adding, "We've been a no-excuse team all year." The tough game against Florida on Saturday night and Arkansas' talent and depth are serious concerns for Duke. "They're so deep," Duke All-America Grant Hill said. "It seems like Arkansas brings cheerleaders and fans out there and there's no slippage of play." In addition to his usual scoring and defensive role, Hill may be forced to handle the ball quite a bit for the Blue Devils. Freshman point guard Jeff Capel has had a good tournament but he has yet to face the kind of defensive intensity he will see tonight "It's real nice to have Grant around for that role if we need him," Capel said. "But he gets tired if he has to handle the ball too much because he's doing so many other things.

"A lot of people have questioned our back-court, but we're still playing." By DAVID CLIMER Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C After 30 victories and nine weeks atop the national rankings this season, it is all or nothing for Arkansas. "After everything we've done and everything we've accomplished, if we lose now, the season will be a said Corliss Williamson, Arkansas' offensive anchor. Duke who else? is the only other team left standing at the end of this long, meandering college basketball season. While Arkansas (30-3) was wearing down Arizona 91-82 on Saturday, Duke (28-5) took care of business with a tough 70-65 victory over Florida. And despite Duke's history of Final Four success, neither Nolan Richardson nor his Razor-backs seems daunted as they try to become the first Southeastern Conference team to win the men's NCAA title since Kentucky in 1978.

"I've never been afraid of anything or anybody," Richardson said. "I respect Duke to the utmost and that's where it ends. Our kids are very focused. They're on a mission." The mission: to erase any questions about their ability to finish what they started. "Right now I'm in the penthouse," Richardson said, "but if we dont win 111 be back in the outhouse.

IH be reading those 'cant win the big one headlines." Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, making his seventh Final Four appearance in the last nine years, learned yesterday that center Cherokee Parks sustained an injured left knee during the semifinal win over Florida. Although a partial cartilage tear is suspected, A grand opening for Cardinals Strawberry's safe after disappearing without a trace Ml, ar ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Darryl strawberry, whose disappearance prompted an all-day search by the Los Angeles Dodgers, was located by the team last night The Dodgers said he was safe and with his family, but did not loffer further details, The team, however, was not happy with his reason for leaving. i i nave spoken to Darryl land he is with his family," General Manager Fred Claire said in a statement "I am not satisfied with the explanation he has given me for his '1 ''4i 1 1 AP clubs took him, mostly because he has two seasons left on a five-year, $20.25 million contract Claire also tried to trade Strawberry. Strawberry had enjoyed a productive spring, even though there were reports linking him to IRS tax problems.

Often talking with enthusiasm about the new priorities in his life, Strawberry had gone 19-for-80 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 24 exhibition games. On Friday night before playing the Angels, Strawberry spoke optimistically about the coming season. "This is the year for me to truly accomplish what I want to accomplish, and not what everybody else is thinking I should accomplish. "It's going to be fun to be back on the field and do the things I've done in the past" Since breaking into the majors with the New York Mets in 1983, Strawberry has attracted attention for more than his long home runs. He has fought with teammates and feuded with managers, entered an alcohol rehabilitation clinic, admitted hitting his first wife, Lisa, from whom he is now divorced, and was arrested for threatening her with a gun.

During the off-season, he angered fans in Los Angeles when he professed his indifference to the fires that swept the area. Strawberry later said his comments were misinterpreted. "I'm relieved to know he's OK," Dodgers Manager Tom Lasorda said from his home. "I don't know any of the particulars. I don't know any of the details.

Until I do, I can't sav any more." Arkansas will be a world beater CHARLOTTE, N.C Nolan Richardson has this knack of finding dark clouds on sunny days, using foul forecasts as a cornerstone of his coaching philosophy. Every game is Us vs. The World, and The World is a five-point favorite. He has the best college basketball team in the country, a program that carries the presidential seal of approval, but he can't escape his own underdog, pit-bull mentality. His secret: Find a negative and turn it into a positive.

All coaches love to do this. It's as much a part of the profession as dealer cars and shoe contracts. But Richardson is the best at it He found convenient fodder yesterday. Channel surfing on Easter morning, he happened upon some TV talking heads who agreed that yes, the smarter team would win the national championship game. Some coaches would frown and move on to the Weather Channel.

Not Nolan. He had found his dark cloud right there. By the time he got to the lobby, the NCAA should've been waiting with the national championship trophy. If an Arkansas title was ever in serious doubt the events of yesterday erased it Not only is his team better, deeper and more talented than Duke, but now Richardson has a spark to light the emotional fuse. Richardson dwelled on what he considers a pervasive media perception of smart Duke, dumb Arkansas at a mass media briefing yesterday, voice rising with indignation each time his tongue lit upon the subject He was twisting the words and turning the ignition.

And what better point of contrast than squeaky, smug, four-figure SAT, whitebread Duke? "It bothers me. I think I'm a pretty smart guy in the classroom," Scotty Thurman sniffed. The needle had found the target It was sinking in. The latest motivational dunk comes at the end of a season where Richardson has played every emotional card in the deck. His most enduring theme is some half-baked suggestion that Arkansas does not get proper respect "The whole team feels that way," said Corliss Williamson, who apparently has bought into this Razor-backs hogwash.

"We work it to our advantage. We go out and play harder." Excuse me, but isn't this a team that spent nine weeks atop the poll in a season of supposed parity, that was top seed in the Midwest Regional, that can get the president to wear a red Razorback hat and call the Hogs? Even Mike Krzyzewski, normally the paragon of peaceful coexistence off the court, seemed a little put off by this Final Four folderol that would've put Rodney Dangerfield to shame. "I don't know how much more respect you can give a team than to vote them No. 1," he said. But give the Boss Hog his due.

Richardson is covering all angles, leaving no motivational stone unturned in his search for his first national championship. He'll get it tonight Says Williamson: "If you see two guys in a fight a smart guy and a dumb guy who's bigger and stronger, which one do you think is going to win?" In this game, the smart money is on David Qimer is a senior writer for The Tennessean. failure to report STRAWBERRY for the game today." Claire said he will speak to Strawberry today about the incident and to determine the "appropriate disciplinary action." "This type of behavor is extremely detrimental to the ballclub and will not be tolerated," he said. The 32-year-old outfielder had not been seen, nor heard from, by the Dodgers since he left Anaheim Stadium following Saturday night's game, in which he homered. Strawberry was to be in the starting lineup for the team's final exhibition game yesterday, and the Dodgers are to open their season tomorrow, at home against Florida.

Strawberry has played sparingly the last two seasons because of back injuries, homering just five times each year. He was placed on waivers during the winter, but no St. Louis' Gregg Jefferies congratulates Ray Lankford, who led off the game and the season with a home run yesterday against host Cincinnati. The Cardinals won 6-4. Story, 4C.

White Sox-Sounds rained out as injury fears reign COMING UP FOR SOUNDS 1 6 tonight: at Middle Tennessee St. Radio: 810-AM. 1 6:30 tomorrow: vs. Xpress at Greer. Free admission.

1 7:05 Thursday: Season opener at Oklahoma City. I Former Sounds pitcher Bere still learning, on 4C. By MAURICE PATTON Sports Writer A soggy outfield washed out yesterday's scheduled exhibition between the Nashville Sounds and the Chicago White Sox at Greer Stadium. The contest, set for 1:30 p.m., was held up for about an hour before being announced as a postponement to an as-yet-undetermined date. "There won't be any make-up date," Sounds President Larry Schmittou said.

"They don't like to play during the season. I don't want to get into bashing the White Sox, but I thought we'd get to play." "It would be awfully tough explaining to my boss how we got somebody hurt especially with Raines and Ozzie," said Ron Schue-ler, White Sox general manager. Both left fielder Tim Raines and On TV today NATIONAL LEAGUE St. Louis (Cormier 7-6) at Cincinnati (Smiley 3-9), 1:05 p.m. TV: Channel 30.

New York (Gooden 12-15) at Chicago (Morgan 10-15), 150 p.m. TV: WGN. Pittsburgh (Smith 3-7) at San Francisco (Burkett 22-7), 3:05 p.m. TV: ESPN. Atlanta (Maddux 20-10) at San Diego (Benes 15-15), 4:05 p.m.

TV: TBS. AMERICAN LEAGUE Seattle (Johnson 19-8) at Cleveland (Martinez (15-9), 12:05 p.m. TV: ESPN. Standings, today's schedule, pitching matchups, 4C. Braves vs.

Padres Greg Maddux, who went 20-10 with a 2.36 ERA in winning his second consecutive Cy Young Award last year, will be the starting pitcher for Atlanta at 4 p.m. today when it opens the season at San Diego (TV: TBS. Radio: 11 60-AM). Maddux allowed five hits in 8Vi innings to beat his old team, the Chicago Cubs, 1-0 in last season's opener at Chicago on a cold, blustery afternoon. "The weather was perfect," Maddux said.

Reminded the weather would probably be quite a bit warmer in San Diego, Maddux said: "I'm sure it will be nice there. I'll just have to pitch better, I guess." Andy Benes (15-15) pitches for the Padres. Brave preview, 4C. urday when pitcher Scott Ruffcorn was optioned to Nashville. Ruffcorn (11-6, 2.75 ERA, 185 strikeouts at Birmingham and Nashville in '93) was deemed expendable when Jose DeLeon (partially torn knee ligament), was pronounced healthy enough to pitch for the White Sox.

Said Ruffcorn: "Jose's healthy, I've never pitched relief and he has. I've just got to come down here and be focused, and work on the things I need to work on to get back up there." shortstop Ozzie Guillen have experienced knee problems in the past, which could have been aggravated playing on a rain-slickened surface. All tickets may be exchanged for tickets of equal value to any future Sounds contest The Sounds will play MTSU (12-11) tonight in Murfreesboro. Robert Ellis, who went 13-11 with an ERA of 2.77 at Sarasota (Class A) and Birmingham (Class AA) last year, starts for the Sounds. The White Sox, meanwhile, got their roster down to 25 players Sat AROUND THE DIAL Channel 5 has put together a 30-min- MEN'S BASKETBALL Charlie Ward, the football Heisman ute basketball special that will air at 7:30 tonight, just before the NCAA men's championship game.

Titled Winning It All, it focuses on the pressures of coaching and features RESULTS NBA Chicago 96, Detroit 93 Boston 135, Philadel. 112 Port 109, New Jer. 105 Phoenix 108, Denver 98 Houston 106, Clippers 98 Lakers 102, Atlanta 89 It'S a Keeper: Get ready for Nashville's minor league baseball double play. Complete Sounds and Xpress rosters and schedules can be found on 6C. R.A.

Dickey, a freshman from Montgomery Bell Academy, improved his record to 7-1 for the season as Tennessee defeated Auburn 8-4. Vandy loses, 2C. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL The NOVA Tournament win have a new format next season. A total of 16 subregionals will be played at the top 16 seeds. Two first-round games will be played at each site, followed by a second-round game.

The winners will advance to the regional semis (one being in Knox-ville). The change is meant to create more neutral-site games and reduce travel. Nikki McCray of Tennessee was named to the U.S. Basketball Writers All-America team. Team members, 5C.

1M v. Trophy winner for Florida State, had 13 points, seven assists and seven rebounds and was named most valuable player in leading the East to a 77-73 victory over the West in the 32nd annual NABC All-Star game in Charlotte, N.C. Box score, 5C. SECTION EDITORS Ted Power, Managing EditorSports, 259-8022. Carol Stuart, Assistant Sports EditorPlanning, 259-8299.

Senior Writers: Jimmy Davy, 259-8298; David Climer, 259-8020. To report news: 259-8010. Fax: 259-8826. interviews with area men's and women's coaches. ESPN's Outside the Lines at 7 tonight will analyze the spring training of Michael Jordan.

Listings, 5C, WARD.