The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 32

D2 THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2003 Sports THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR WWW.INDYSTAR.COM THE DAILY DOUBLE IHSAA won't use mercy rule States can choose if they'll adopt running clock in basketball blowouts; Indiana won't. THEY SAID IT "They're going to have to stab us, cut our heart out and leave us in the morgue. You can knock us out, but we're going to get back up." Kevin Garnett after the Timberwolves beat the Lakers 119-91 Tuesday night, evening the NBA playoff series at one game apiece. I 2003-04 season, the number of players permitted on marked lane spaces during free throws (not including the shooter) will be six four defensive and two offensive players. The lane spaces closest to the line (and the shooter) must remain vacant.

Among other mandates for state organizations, the committee voted to change wording in specifications for the ball, which will make the new 10-panel basketball legal; a change in administration of when a player has fouled out, and a change in the penalty to a direct technical foul on the coach if a fouled-out player continues to play. Call Star reporter Pat McKee at 1-317-444-6182. THE NEXT THREE Home games in bold By Pat McKee pat.mckeeindystar.com Each state will have the option to use a mercy rule in high school basketball, but the Indiana High School Athletic Association does not plan to implement such a measure. States on Wednesday were given the opportunity to utilize a mercy rule after a meeting by the National Federation of State High School Associations Basketball Rules Committee. However, IHSAA commissioner Blake Ress said the Hoosier state would forgo the option that would allow the association to institute a running clock when one team's lead reaches a certain levei at a specified time in the game.

"We don't normally adopt those rules that are used by state adoption, so we don't plan to use it," Ress said. "For this to become an issue in Indiana, some of the membership would have to bring it forward." A more significant change approved by the committee for next year and one the IHSAA must adopt involves free-throw administration. Beginning with the PACERS Today 5 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. Tuesday 8:30 p.m.

FIREBIRDS Saturday 6 p.m. May 4 2 p.m. May 11 2 p.m. INDIANS Today 7 p.m. Friday 7 p.m.

Saturday 7 p.m. TV AND RADIO TODAY OFF THE WIRE Players forced to qualify for Wimbledon wild cards Baseball 1:05 p.m. AL, Boston at Texas ESPN 5 p.m. H.S., Anderson at Ben Davis FM 6:35 p.m. NL, St.

Louis at Atlanta TBS 7 p.m. IL, Toledo at Indians WXNT-1430 AM Basketball 5 p.m. NBA playoffs, Pacers at Boston WTTV-4, TNT, WIBC-1070 AM 7:30 p.m. NBA playoffs, New Jersey at Milwaukee TNT 10 p.m. NBA playoffs, Minnesota at LA.

Lakers TNT Golf 9 a.m. European PGA, Canarias Open de Espana GOLF 3 p.m. PGA, Shell Houston Open USA Hockey 6 p.m. NHL playoffs, Tampa Bay at New Jersey ESPN2 6:30 p.m. NHL playoffs, Anaheim at Dallas ESPN stays'' HOOSIER DIGEST ELKHART LAKE, WIS.

Road America race back on 2003 CART schedule Mario Andretti brokered a deal Wednesday between the Championship Auto Racing Teams series and Road America, and the reinstated race at Elkhart Lake, will be renamed the Mario Andretti Grand Prix at Road America. CART last month canceled the Aug. 3 race at one of its traditional venues in a dispute over sanctioning fees. After each side filed a lawsuit, Andretti was commissioned by CART to mediate. The race has been put back on the schedule for this year and next.

"Road America has always been one of the premier tracks in the United States and is probably the most popular venue among the drivers," Andretti said. "It was a track we needed to have on the schedule." INDIANAPOLIS Golden Gloves boxing tonight at Tyndall Armory Sixteen bouts are scheduled tonight in the second round of the Indiana Golden Gloves boxing tournament at Tyndall Armory. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. The first open division bout in the five weeks of competition will highlight the card. David Thomas of the Evansville Boxing Club starts his quest for a fourth consecutive state championship in a 152-pound bout with Vance Garvey of the Hispanic Center.

Also on the card are eight junior open bouts, one female bout and six sub-novice fights. NEW CASTLE Basketball exhibition game has ex-IU, Butler players An exhibition basketball game matching former players from Indiana University and Butler has been scheduled for May 3 at New Castle Chrysler Fieldhouse. Tickets are on sale for $5 at the high school athletic office. Tip-off is 7 p.m. IU's team features Damon Bailey as well as seniors from the past season: all-Big Ten forward Jeff Newton, Tom Coverdale and Kyle Hornsby.

Butler's team includes LaVall Jordan, whose last Bulldogs season was in 2000-01, plus six seniors from this year's NCAA Sweet Sixteen team. Brandon Miller and Darnell Archey, both from New Castle, made up Butler's backcourt this year. AKRON Tippecanoe Valley's Eaton commits to Saint Francis Tippecanoe Valley's Trey Eaton, the No. 2 scorer in Indiana high school basketball this past season, has made a verbal commitment to play basketball for Saint Francis, an NAIA school in Fort Wayne, Ind. Eaton plans to sign his letter of intent Friday at his high school.

The 6-4, 200-pound forward averaged 27.8 points and had the state's highest scoring game of the 2002-03 season with a 51-point performance. Eaton averaged 9.5 rebounds for the Class 3A Vikings. WEST LAFAYETTE Deane named Purdue MVP for 2nd consecutive year Purdue senior Willie Deane has been named the Boilermakers' basketball MVP for the second consecutive season. The first-team All-Big Ten selection led Purdue with a 17.8-ppg scoring average. Star report STAFF CONTACTS Brett Coomer Associated Press Back at you: Andy Roddick returns a shot in a second-round U.S.

Men's Clay Court Championships win over Paul Goldstein. Assistant Managing Editor for Sports: Tim Wheatley 1-317-444-6502, tim.wheatleyindystar.com Sports Editor: Jim Lefko 1-317-444-6352, jim.lefkoindystar.com Assistant Sports Editor: Tom Rietmann 1-317-444-6046, tom.rietmannindystar.com Assistant Sports Editor: David Lewandowski 1-317-444-6730, david.lewandowskiindystar.com Sports Copy Desk Editor: Martha Allan 1-317-444-6525, martha.allanindystar.com Main number: 1-317-444-6644 Fax line: 1-317-444-6500 The Lawn Tennis Association has changed its wild-card selection guidelines for Wimbledon. Traditionally, most of the eight men's and women's wild cards are given to British players. But this year, the LTA said the four "most deserving" men's players ranked in the top 350 would get a wild card; two more would be selected after an eight-man playoff. For the women, the LTA would chose four players, and four others would have a playoff for one spot.

The remaining wild cards for both will be made by the All England Club's championship committee. Wimbledon begins June 23. "The LTA gets criticized for just giving it away, but we want to get away from that," LTA performance director David Fel-gate said Wednesday. Andy Roddick, ranked No. 6 in the world, survived an erratic serve and forehand to subdue qualifier and 193rd-ranked Paul Goldstein 7-5, 6-4 in the second round of the U.S.

Men's Clay Court Championships Wednesday in Houston. BASKETBALL New WNBA contract still not a done deal Five days after reaching what the players' association termed an agreement in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement, lawyers for the WNBA and the union were still working on final details Wednesday in New York. The two sides started meeting Tuesday. Webber skips practice because of sore back Chris Webber didn't participate in the Sacramento Kings' practice on Wednesday, instead receiving treatment on his sore lower back muscles. The Kings will evaluate Webber several times before they face the Jazz in Game 3 of their first-round series on Saturday at Utah.

Sacramento won the first two games at Arco Arena. Webber, who averaf.ad 23.0 points and 10.5 rebounds during the regular season, left Game 2 in the second quarter after landing awkwardly going for a rebound. San Antonio's David Robinson is cautiously optimistic he will be able to play Friday night in Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns. The series is tied at one. Robinson has partially torn cartilage in his left knee, but jogged and did some light work at practice on Wednesday.

HOT CORNER Pacers split hairs this year: Some shave heads, some don't at Boston (NBA playoffs) at Boston (NBA playoffs) vs. Boston (NBA playoffs) at Buffalo vs. Georgia at Grand Rapids vs. Toledo vs. Toledo vs.

Columbus Darron Cunnings Associated Press Bald and beautiful? Not every Pacer is shaving his head like Ron Artest (from left), Brad Miller and Jeff Foster. Austin Croshere says his hasn't grown back from the '98 playoffs. shaved when he was a rookie in 1998, although he wasn't on the playoff roster. He prizes his thinning locks too much to shear them now. "When my hair grows back from the first time, I'll do it again," he said.

"I'm still waiting." Call Star reporter Mark Montieth at 1-317-444-6406. WOMEN'S SPORTS NOTES Pat McKee graduate who will lead the sixth-ranked Tigers into this weekend's Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament at Terre Haute, Ind. "It's been a great season, and I want to finish it with a championship." DePauw coach Scott Riggle said such a goal is reasonable at the nationals, which run May 14-19 at Redlands, Calif. But no matter what happens, Heathman, who is 30-4 in singles and 26-3 in doubles, has been an excellent BOXING Lewis, Canada's Johnson to fight at Staples Center Lennox Lewis will defend at least one version of his heavyweight championship June 21 against Canadian Kirk Johnson at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Promoter Gary Shaw said that Lewis and Johnson will appear at a news conference today.

Shaw said Lewis, the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Organization heavyweight champ, will defend the IBO version of his title. Attorneys for the WBC filed last week for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to keep from paying a $30 million judgment to German G.aciano "Rocky" Rocchi-giani, who had his light heavyweight title taken away from him. The title was given to Roy Jones who had earlier vacated it. The filing came after a New York court upheld the verdict earlier this month, declaring Rocchigiani light heavyweight champion from 1998-2000. HOCKEY Sabres new owner plans for balanced approach Upon formally completing his purchase of the Buffalo Sabres, B.

Thomas Golisano, the Rochester N.Y., billionaire, said he intends to take a balanced ap-' proach to determining the team's salary structure. "Are we going to go out and select the top seven paid players in the league? Absolutely not," Golisano said. "But somewhere in the middle is the balance." From Star news services By Mark Montieth mark.montiethliindy5tar.eom Overeager analysts seeking an explanation should the Indiana Pacers lose their playoff series with Boston might start from the top and work their way down. Some Pacers shaved their heads, while others refused. Do players who shave their heads together play together? Or is that a bald-faced lie? Jeff Foster and Primoz Bre-zec trusted teammates Al Harrington and Fred Jones with the razor in the locker room before Game 1 on Saturday.

Foster went with a mohawk for a few minutes before letting Harrington finish the job. Jermaine O'Neal, however, believes chopping off his carefully crafted cornrow would affect him the same as it did the biblical character Samson. "I'd have to retire if I cut it off," he joked. Austin Croshere begged off, too. He succumbed to peer pressure and had his head Marquette's Crean signs a long-term contract Coach Tom Crean, who took Marquette University to its first Final Four in 26 years, has received a new contract.

Marquette didn't disclose terms, but Crean, who is 83-41 since taking over at Marquette in 1999, said it's a long-term deal. Crean, 37, had been mentioned as a possible replacement for Bill Self at Illinois. Bob Hill, coming off a 2-26 season at Fordham, will not return as the men's basketball coach, multiple sources close to the program confirmed to The New York Times. Fordham is expected to announce his dismissal at a news conference today. Hill signed a 10-year, $2.5 million contract with Fordham in 1999.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, who had emerged as a possible candidate for the Illinois job, Wednesday said he was not interested. GOLF LPGA Tour's Walker battling breast cancer Colleen Walker, who missed the past three LPGA Tour seasons with a wrist injury, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Walker, whose nine LPGA victories include a major championship at the 1997 du Maurier Classic, is undergoing chemotherapy and hopes to return in 2004. She planned to play this year until a lump was detected in her left breast. She had a mastectomy Feb.

17. In softball Purdue sophomore Andrea Hillsey is one of 25 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Also, senior teammate Angi Roembke set records for single-season (26) and career steals (74) with a record-tying three in a game last week against Eastern Illinois. IUPUI senior Brandy Moser-Salisbury (LaPorte) set a school record for career doubles with her 48th last weekend. She has 14 doubles this season, five shy of the Jaguars' single-season record.

Lake Forest pitcher Leigh Anne Furgerson (Westfield) has set a school record for career victories. In 2'A seasons, the jun DePauw's Heathman has 3 chances for NCAA tennis title ior is 29-15 with a 1.42 earned-run average. Players of the week include Notre Dame senior Lisa Matti-son (Perm) in the Big East, Franklin freshman Margo Mast (Lawrence Central) in the Heartland Collegiate, DePauw senior Kylie Moord and sophomore Hillary Enyart (Rochester) in the Southern Collegiate, and Grace sophomore Michelle Liebsch (Warsaw) in the Mid-Central conferences. Here there Junior Brina PoUack of Marlboro (N.J.) High School has committed to Purdue for basketball A 5-7 point guard, Pollack is coach Kristy Curry's first recruit in the class of 2004. Haley Heathman knows she is going to miss her college graduation to compete in the NCAA Division III women's tennis nationals, so the DePauw University senior figures she might as well win a championship.

Ranked first in the Central Region and third nationally in singles, Heathman has three chances for a title in singles, in doubles with freshman partner Liz Bondi or with a team that stands 21-2 in dual matches and recently set a school record for wins in a season. "I am completely excited because this is the best team I have ever played for," said Heathman, a Lawrence Central High School Freshmar Brookley Crews (North Central) and senior Natalie Bednar helped the IUPUI women's tennis team to a berth in the upcoming NCAA tournament by winning the Mid-Continent Conference tournament last weekend. Other contributors include sophomore Michelle Cunningham (Silver Creek), freshman Mallory Stemle (Jasper), senior Hillary Byard (Pike) and junior Emily Dukeman (New Castle). NCAA Regionals will be May 9-11. Southern Indiana freshman runner Heather Cooksey (Brownsburg) set a school record of 9:41.37 in the 3,000 last Saturday.

Call Star reporter Pat McKee at 1-317-444-6182. leader for a team that features four freshmen among its top seven players. "Haley has been incredible," Riggle said. "It's not only how she plays on court, but how she works in practice. She's so competitive, and her approach has filtered to the rest of the team." Heathman said experience and maturity are the items that have caused her game to improve.

"Skill-wise, I'm not a lot different than I was a couple of years ago," she said, noting she has a capable forehand and can play from the baseline or go to the net "But mentally, I deal with situations better. I'm now winning a lot of close matches that I might not have won in the past." 4.