Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 39

ASBURY PARK PRESS MARCH 15, 1999 SECTION UNIMPRESSED: Stephon Marbury is highly critical of Nets after first game with his new team. D4 BACK TO BASICS: Good fourth'quarter defense propels Knicks to 94-86 victory over Hornets at the Garden, ds RECORD BREAKER: Middletown South's Cate Guiney sets N.J. 2-mile record in Boston; South relay team takes gold, ds mil I SKATING BY Mike Knuble (22) and the Rangers defeat Robert Reichel and the Islanders 3-2 in overtime. D3 tCaIpari' Nets days are EMintoeredl lYfiM II 11 straight defeat than by any ugli- 102 76 HEAT NETS meeting (with Wentworth) that would lead me to believe anything different" What's not different for the 3-17 Nets is the way they're playing, even with Marbury collecting 21 points and five assists and genet-ally giving the offense a better rotation. By BOB CONSIDINE STAFF WRITER MIAMI It appears the John Calipari era is ending just as the Stephon Marbury era is beginning for the Nets.

Calipari's fate seemed more sealed by all that went on off the court during the Nets' lifeless 102-76 loss to the Miami Heat yesterday the team's seventh that former Bulls coach Phil Jackson has been contacted by Nets brass. Calipari, normally confident in his responses regarding his job security, hedged slightly after being asked whether he would still be the coach when the Nets face the Raptors tomorrow. "I think so," Calipari said. "There was nothing said in that game. In a sure sign that they were discussing Calipari's future, Nets assistant coach Don Casey was called off the bench to join the meeting.

He returned in the fourth quarter. After the game, Calipari had a long meeting with team majority owner Finn Wentworth. Although Calipari said the discussion was about "how we get this thing changed," the third-year coach still wasn't out of the woods as the team left for Toronto. Katz was to have a one-on-one meeting with Calipari as they rode together to the airport. There was no vote of confidence from Katz regarding Calipari, just the comment to the media: "At the appropriate time, we'll talk." All of this on top of the rumors ness that happened on the court.

Nets co-owner and chairman Lewis Katz, president Michael Rowe and general manager John Nash convened for a private meeting at Miami Arena during the second half of the nationally televised See Calipari, Page D2 NJSIAA GROUP 11 BOYS BASKETBALL FINAL 1 ST SKiDD Rematch? EAST How about recount (ft TEMPLE 64 CINCINNATI 54 PURDUE 73 MIAMI 63 DUKE 97 TULSA 56 SW MISSOURI STATE 81 TENNESSEE 51 MIDWEST OKLAHOMA 85 UNC-aiARLOTTE 72 MICHIGAN STATE 74 MISSISSIPPI 66 MIAMI, OI HO 66 UTAH 58 KENTUCKY 92 KANSAS 88 -fV (ma DARYL STONEStaH Photographer John Donovan (10) of Holmdel drives to the basket against the Mendham defense. Holmdel nabs 2nd straight group title IN A BREEZE: The Rutgers women's team flattens Arizona 90-47 in a Midwest Region game. D6 STEAM ROLLING: Duke turns Tulsa's talk around like a hurricane in a second 41 -point victory. 07 MIAMI COMES AND GOES: Miami of Florida is stunned by Purdue; Miami of Ohio shocks Utah. D7 Padgett's heroics propel Kentucky By BOB JORDAN STAFF WRITER ATLANTIC CITY Faced with a desperate situation of needing David Klatsky to fail at the foul line in the waning moments of last night's state Group II championship game, West Morris-Mendham found out why Klatsky has avoided Staying late when Holmdel practices.

A magnificent 27-point performance by Klatsky featured 10-for-10 shooting from the line in the fourth quarter, allowing Holmdel to protect its lead for a No. 1,747 overall for those counting. Padgett, whose 3-pointer forced overtime, opened the extra period with a 19-foot jumper and then added five free throws in the final 1:05 for Kentucky (27-8). The Wildcats, who won the national title in 1996 and were runner-up in 1997 before winning again last year, will play Miami of Ohio in the round of 16 at St. Louis on Friday.

Padgett's 3-pointer with 18.7 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 79-79 and ended a 4:32 stretch in which Kentucky didn't make a field goal. Padgett got the ball from Ja-maal Magloire, who had grabbed an offensive rebound after Wayne Turner missed. "Wayne was driving and everybody collapsed on him. His shot hit the edge of the rim. As soon as I let it go I felt like it was good," said Padgett.

Kansas (23-10) still had a chance in regulation, but freshman Jeff Boschee was HOLMDEL 55 MENDHAM 51 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW ORLEANS It was too early for Kentucky to go home. The Wildcats are still three victories shy of their fourth straight national championship game. So the defending champion Wildcats overcame a five-point deficit in the final 1:29 of regulation, and Scott Padgett stepped up in overtime for a 92-88 victory over Kansas in the first-ever NCAA Tournament meeting of the national powers. "We felt like we had something to defend here. I think we just willed that win," said Padgett, who had seven of Kentucky's 13 points and had three rebounds in overtime.

Padgett finished with a career-high 29 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 18.9 seconds left in regulation, and 10 rebounds. Kentucky and Kansas have combined to win 3,435 games. But the only one that matters now is the one earned yesterday by the Wildcats 55-51 boys basketball victory at the Conven- Associated Press Lennox Lewis celebrates what he thinks is a victory as referee Arthur Mercante Jr. (left) Evander Holyfield, who was beaten according to most witnesses. See Kentucky, Page D2 Holyfield, Lewis ordered to fight in next 6 months Evander a victim in this unHoly Don King farce NEW YORK The damage is done, and while the backroom handshakes have yet to come to light, the perpetrators have been tion Center, giving the Hornets the New Jersey State In-terscholastic Athletic Association Group II title for the second straight year.

And Klatsky, a 5-foot-10 senior guard named the game's Most Valuable Player, credited assistant coach Tom Pushie for helping his foul shooting, which had been lagging. "Since the state playoffs began, (Pushie) makes us stay after practice until we hit a Certain number of foul shots in a row," said Klatsky. "We started with 10, now it's up to 17 in a row or else we stay. I was struggling before with about 60 percent foul shooting, but I'm up near 75 percent now." Mendham (25-4) fell behind 22-6 as junior swingman John Donovan (nine points) tossed in seven points for Holmdel during a second-quarter 16-0 run, but the deficit was cut to 41-40. That's when Klatsky, who scored 12 of Holmdel's 14 points in the final quarter, drained three foul shots after getting bumped outside the arc with 4:20 remaining in the game to make it 44-40.

Klatsky gave the Hornets (22-7) more breathing room with a foul shot and basket with 2:22 left for a 47-42 lead. Klatsky shot 7-for-ll from See Holmdel, Page D5 -I i I. i i.i .1 i. mrtrrrA 'J could it? Larceny is a staple of the colorfully corrupt circus that lives on the edges of civilization and grazes on savage spectacle. Boxing is a sport run by scoundrels for the benefit of scoundrels, always has been.

The public? Was anyone really shocked by this gross miscarriage of justice? If so, then those people were born yesterday, plain and simple. Anyone who has ever been caught downwind of boxing should know not to be surprised by anything. Don King? History may some day acknowledge his tremendous contribution to boxing. He has slithered his way in to provide a great exposed. Now the question is, who are the real victims of the laughable decision handed after the fight.

"It's a shame there was so much controversy attached to this important fight," Lee said. "But we did what we thought was the most sensible thing by ordering a rematch in six months." Holyfield holds the IBF and WBA titles. Lewis is WBC champion. IBF judge Eugenia Williams of Atlantic City, N.J., voted 115-113 for Holyfield. WBA judge Stanley Christo-doulou of South Africa had it 116-113 for Lewis.

WBC judge Larry O'Connell of Britain called the fight even at 115-115. The AP scored it for Lewis at 116-111. See Rematch, Page D2 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, who fought to a controversial draw for the un-disputed heavyweight championship, must fight a rematch within six months. The presidents of the IBF, WBA and WBC ordered the action yesterday following a bout many thought Lewis had won. "I am in disbelief," said Lewis after the 12-round match ended early yesterday in Madison Square Garden.

Bob Lee of the International Boxing Federation, Jose Sulaiman of the World Boxing Council and Gil-berto Mendoza of the World Boxing Association met BILL HANDLEMAN down by the three judges after Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in front of millions of witnesses Saturday night? Associated Prns Kentucky's Heshimu Evans goes around Kansas' T.X; Pugh for a shot near the basket. Does boxing suffer? How See Handleman, Page D2 -Was attMnsW'.