The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 51

The Palm Beach Post SECTION ins IDE PANTHERS Rafter out at Upton The No. 3 player loses to Nicolas Kiefer again. PAGE 4C Herron wins at Bay Hill A birdie on the second playoff hole edges Tom Lehman. PAGE 6C Panthers pound Ducks Four goals in the third 1 I period lead Florida to a 5-2 victory against Anaheim to end its West Coast trip. PAGE 13C at Grand Prix NCAA MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1999 SPORTS Moore is i i Errors by Andretti, Franchitti give opportunity to 23-year-old Running on fumes beats no gas at all HOMESTEAD "HELP WANTED: High school math nerds needed to round out Indy-car racing crew.

No experience changing tires necessary. No experience driving cars necessary. Sole requirement is permission I tn 1 4. Grand Prix of Miami 1. Greg Moore, 1:38:54.5 2.

Michael Andretti, 1:39.655 3. Dario Franchitti 4. Jimmy Vasser 5. Max Papis RESULTS 16C INSIDE: Al Unser bad luck continues with broken leg. 16C from parents to travel the world.

1 Bring pocket calculators to interview. We provide the batteries." Place a fictional classified ad like that in front of Greg Moore and he'd probably laugh. The guy gets a chuckle out of just about anything, it seems, and why not? At 23, he's got the keys to an open-wheel land rocket with an engine by Sunday's results East Regional 1 By Jorge Milian Palm Beach Post Staff Writer HOMESTEAD In auto racing, it's sometimes better to be lucky than fast Ask Greg Moore. The 23-year-old Canadian has burned up the 1.5-mile oval at Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex since the track opened in 1995, but that speed never amounted to victory. Until Sunday.

Moore capitalized on a pair of mistakes by Michael Andretu and Dario Franchitti and his own good fortune to capture the Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami, CARTs season opener, before an estimated crowd of 40,000. It was the fifth career win for Moore, who began the race on the pole for the second year in a row after qualifying Saturday at 217.279 mph. Moore, piloting his No. 99 Player's Mercedes-Reynard, led 96 of 150 laps and defeated runner-up Andretu by Dave George AT EAST RirTKCnFORDrNJ. 1.

Duke 85 6. Temple 64 i Midwest Regional AT ST. LOUIS 1. Michigan State 73 3. Kentucky 66 1.11 seconds.

"Many times I've had the fastest; car, but I haven't gotten any breaks," said Moore, who averaged 136.671 mph and earned $100,000 for the wiiu Today, we had good luck." 1 That luck began when Andretti, winner of the 1997 and '98 Grand Prix Mercedes and a 2-inch coat of shiny wax. One other thing. Moore's got some real cool photos of him clowning around Victory Lane at the Miami Grand Prix Sunday, surrounded by pretty girls and TV cameras and corporate sponsors who would pay him for breathing if some marketing consultant suggested it. Please see GEORGEi 6C Devilish dominance TERRY RENNAThe Associated Press Canadian Greg Moore said he took care of some 'unfinished business' with a victory on the Miami-Dade Homestead oval. He finished second here last year.

Please see GRAND PRIV26G INSIDE: Another team falls to No. 1. Led bv Traian BLUE DEVILS Langdon (below) and his 23 points, Duke sends coach Mike Krzyzewski to the Final Four i for the eighth time. PAGE 7C I i I Si 1 Yr" 1 yVbWi "WiLLENSThe Associated Press "ism Pi Final Four WHEN: Saturday, St. Petersburg TV: WFOR-4 and WPEC-12 mv; SPARTANS BLUE DEVILS "77 1.

Duke (36-1) vs. Michigan State (33-4) 6:17 p.m. 3" 1 i 1 1 BUCKEYES HUSKIES 4. Ohio State (27-8) vs. i.

Connecticut (32-2) :42 p.m. Championship $:18 p.m., March 29 'a Women 4 Elite Eight Today TV: ESPN, ESPN2 MIDWEST REGIONAL Purdue vs. Rutgers, 7 p.m. MIDEAST REGIONAL fowa St. vs.

Georgia, 7:30 p.m. EAST REGIONAL Tennessee vs. Duke, 9 p.m. WEST REGIONAL vs. UCLA, midnight High praise "I tried to tell our guys that he could look at the Ibasket through the eye of I needle and get his shot i off.

He is absolutely one fthe best pure shooters I CLIFF SCHIAPPAThe Associated Press Michigan State's Antonio Smith, who delivered a pep talk, is ready to cartwheel his way to St. Petersburg after capturing the Midwest Regional over Kentucky 73-66, ichigan St. is Magical classic game. Magical history tour Step right this way as we travel back 20 years to when Michigan State 3 made its last Fina Four appearance. Magic Johnson took us (and Larry Bird) away.

Sunday, Johnson 3 witnessed more 2 magic. 'This just feels 3 he said. Why else was Sunday magical? Because the Spartans are returning to the Final Four for the first time since Johnson was a sophomore and they won the national title over Larry Bird and Indiana State in 1979. Because Johnson, the most famous pickup player to join games with Michigan State, has helped nurture these players on humid days when the Final Four was simply two 20-year-old words and not a reality. "It feels great because after Jiave.cjcren.

Magic Johnson cheers as Spartans overcome 13-point deficit to dethrone Kentucky. By Jack Curry The New York Times ST. LOUIS Magic Johnson stood on a folding chair about 10 rows from the crowded court, smiling and acting like a proud father as he watched Michigan State celebrate after defeating Kentucky 73-66 in the championship game of the Midwest Regional on Sunday. The joyful scene brought back so many memories tor jonnson, from as long as 20 years ago, when he was the starting point guard, and as recently as 10 months ago, when he was an imposing practice player against these Spartans. Call Michigan State's businesslike triumph over Kentucky magical, although there was no mystery about how the Spartans did it.

They never wilted when the Wildcats rushed to a 13-point lead in the first half, they played a smothering defense that frustrated Kentucky and they performed like the more-experienced team while dominating the final eight minutes of a crisp and Duke 5 Cuard Lancdon THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 1979 file photo Please see NCAA7C.