The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 15

Saturday, March 22, 1997, Section The News Journal, Wilmington, Del. SCOREBOARD: NBA NHL N.Y. Rangers 3, Detroit 1 Buffalo 4, Washington 1 76ers 112, New Jersey 110 Orlando 104, Boston 99 Charlotte 102, Toronto 97 Miami 98, LA, Lakers 97 Atlanta 93, Dallas 72 Dallas 2, Hartford 0 COMING SUNDAY: Delaware high school baseball and softball previews Colorado 4, Anaheim 3 Exhibition Baseball .1 Detroit 112, Minnesota 98 Chicago 117, Indiana 98 St. Louis 10, Phillies 0 Orioles 11, N.Y. Mets 4 Got a news tip for Sports? Call 324-2801.

KStrt I MMM SGSip (US "'''1 Friday's scores 7-Z1IZ7 East Louisville 78, Texas 63 N. Carolina 63, California 57 Southeast Arizona 85, Kansas 82 Provid. 71, 65 Articles and brackets, C5 And sophomore A.J. Bramlett, who led the charge inside to nullify the tall Kansans. He outre-bounded Raef IaFrentz 12-9 and outscored Scot Pollard 12-0.

All was needed. For the Jayhawks hit three straight three-pointers in the last 1:01 to cut the lead to 83-82. But two free throws by Terry with 30.1 seconds left two more by Bibby with 18.2 seconds to play sealed te deal. Still, Kansas had a last gasp. Billy Thomas, Ryan Robertson and LaFrentz all had three-point shots to tie in the final seconds.

Shock. Despair. Desolation. All the above for a Kansas team that has been among the nation's finest in recent years, but has failed to get to the Final Four since 1993. "I thought we had the team to do it," said LaFrentz.

"It didn't work out." "I'm going to do a lot of soul searching and see if there is something missing from Roy Williams," Williams said. "If it is a failure in Roy Williams, I hope I find it." Kansas' problems began with a slow, fumbling start. Five turnovers in the first 2:10, and a quick 10-2 Arizona lead. "The message that probably sent," Simon said, "was we weren't intimidated at all." The Jayhawks' troubles mounted when they could do little inside. Arizona's defensive intent was clear.

Muscle, muscle, more muscle. Arizona led only 38-36 at half-time, but the whiff of an upset continued to grow stronger. All the signs were there. By MIKE LOPRESTI Gannett Newt Service BIRMINGHAM, Ala. The NCAA Tournament needs a new favorite.

Kansas is gone, leaving with tears in coach Roy Williams' eyes. No. 1 Kansas. Veteran Kansas. Before Friday night, 34-1 Kansas.

Done in 85-82 in the Southeast Regional by a precocious pack of Arizona Wildcats, who are apparently too young to know they were supposed to be cannon fodder. "It's been a dream season. But we didn't get the final dream," Williams said, his voice breaking. "That happens sometimes in life. But no coach feels about the kids in his locker room the way I foel abut the kids in that locker room.

I'm the luckiest coach in America." The No. 4 seed Wildcats (22-9) killed off the Jayhawks with inside defense and outside shooting. They rattled Kansas into 20 turnovers. And they had just enough poise down a scary stretch, when a 10-point lead with 1:52 left melted to one with 21 seconds to go. "We were hanging on by our fingernails at the end," Arizona coach Lute Olson said.

But this was an upset that would not be denied. Youth had to be served. For Arizona, this was rather precise revenge. Kansas knocked the Wildcats out of last year's West Regional, 83-80. "We had something to prove tonight," said Arizona guard Miles Simon.

"We came out and did it." Such as freshman Mike Bibby, who tormented the Jayhawks with 21 points, hitting the big shots that On TV today UCLA vs. Minnesota 3:30 p.m., Ch. 3,13,16. Kentucky vs. Utah 6p.m.,Ch.

3.13,16. built the big, shocking lead in the second half. And junior Michael Dickerson, who scored 14 of his 20 points from various angles in the first half, pumping confidence into an underdog that set the tone from the start with a 10-2 lead. And sophomore Jason Terry, whose two steals fed the big Arizona gap 75-62 with 3:28 left, 79-69 with 1 :52 to go and whose free throws helped save it. ,7 APDAVE MARTIN Kansas' Ryan Robertson is stuffed by Arizona's Donnell Harris while going to the basket during Friday night's game.

Lipinski spinning; toward world title Sixers edge Nets Coleman, Williams come up big By KEVIN NOONAN Staff reporter PHILADELPHIA The 76ers, who have found so many ways to lose so many games this season, finally came up with a way to win. And Derrick Coleman got a shot the did. Scott Williams did a great i'ob and I think that was the to the win tonight it definitely was." Williams, the Sixers' starting center, came into the game averaging 5.7 points. He scored 20, his season high and just two below his career high. "I'm not the guy we look to to score, but when I can knock down some shots it takes the pressure off of everybody else," said Williams, who knocked down 9 of 15 and also grabbed 10 rebounds.

"When teams double down game-winning one at his old team in his first game against them. Coleman's follow-up basket with 2.4 seconds left to play lifted the Sixers to a 112-110 victory over the New Jersey Nets Friday night at the CoreStates 76ers 112 Nets 110 -u--V APRUSTY KENNEDY The Nets' Kendall Gill (left) tries to pry the basketball away from the 76ers' Jerry Stackhouse during the first quarter Friday night Center. (Joleman, who played for the Nets from 1990-95, was one assist short of a triple-double, with 14 points and 12 rebounds. "Derrick's been playing well for us for all season," guard Allen Iverson. "But it was really good to see Scott Williams step up like he The Sixers took a 107-105 lead with 1:47 left on a basket by Jerry Stackhouse (team-high 31 pointe, 1 4 in the last quarter), but a free throw by Tony Massenburg and a baseline jumper by Sam Cassell pushed the Nets back in front.

See76ERS C3 on Derrick, it's usually my man who does it," Williams added. "That why it's important for me to hit that open 10-15-footer. When I can do that, they can't just ignore me, they have to play me honest. And that leaves other guys open, especially Derrick." By COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press LAUSANNE, Switzerland Michelle Kwan's step out of a jump in the World Figure Skating Championships on Friday was a small mistake big enough to give U.S. champion Tar a Lipinski a clear run at becoming the youngest world champion.

Lipinski, 14, leads going into today's finals after a clean short program that packed in spins and spirals before the first leap. Her choreography meant to show she had grown up since her 15th-place finish last year. Kwan's stumble dropped the 1956 world champion to fourth, behind Vanessa Gusmeroli of France and Maria Butyrskaya of Russia. Even after winning the U.S. title last month, then winning an international competition at Hamilton, Ontario, Lipinski's mind was on last year's disastrous short program which included two falls and a 23rd-place finish that just got her into the finals.

"It felt great being able to do a clean short this year," Lipinski said, a former member of the University of Delaware Skating Club. "It gave me a lot of confidence." The 4-foot-8 jumping sensation barely got off the ice on the triple flip in the short program, pulling it off with rapid rotation that appeared to make some of the judges' question the landing. For once, her technical marks were not unassailable, including two 5.6s. Those kind of marks could hurt when the emphasis shifts in favor of presentation in todiiy's long program. Nets make 'unsound' choice to pump up fans APMICHAEL PROBST Tara Lipinski completes a jump Friday during her short program at the World Figure Skating Championships.

Kwan's grace was evident from her opening spiral arcing over half the rink's surface. But as in U.S. nationals and at Hamilton, where she was beaten by Lipinski, the jumps were her undoing. 1 Kwan, 16, stepped out of the opening lutz, turned, and recovered to hit a double toe combination. But it was too late to save the marks.

"It makes me so mad," she said This is the third straight event in which Kwan's technical performance was shaky, and the stumble was beyond her comprehension. "I'm in shock. It's like, 'What plause signs." Spokespersons for the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and 76ers all said their clubs don't use fake crowd noise. NBA spokesman Brian Mclntyre said the practice would violate NBA rules if the noise were broadcast during free throw shooting. Otherwise, the home team can broadcast whatever it wants over the public address system, he said.

Calipari says the bogus cheers will eventually be silenced. "One day, you'll say it was only three years ago that they were pumping in fake crowd noise. You'll say, 'How far has this organization he said. News. "I just shook my head.

I said, 'Do we need to do said Calipari, who learned of the high-decibel hoax early in the season. The arena can hold 20,049 for basketball games. The average attendance at Nets games this year is 16,017, up from 15,564 last season. The team is 20-45. The artificial cheers were noticeable during the Nets' 99-98 victory over Chicago on March 14.

They drowned out booing by Chicago fans trying to distract Xavier Mc-Daniel, who made four foul shots in the final minute to clinch the victory for the Nets. "I didn't notice that," he said. "Is that true?" Said guard Kevin Edwards: "I guess it's like a game show, where they have those ap Associated Presa EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Take heart, Milli Vanilli fans: Your lip-synching heroes weren't the only ones faking it. The New Jersey Nets admit phony crowd noise has been used to pump up the volume at the team's home games in Continental Airlines Arena.

The cheers were amplified through loudspeakers. It wasn't clear how long the club has been engaging in the practice, what equipment was used or whether the Nets had tape-recorded arena noise and then played it back. Spokesman John Mertz declined comment Friday. "Some of this stuff is embarrassing," Coach John Calipari told the New York Daily league shows her value in leading Blue stars TOT) good ballplayers." Karl said she wasn't thinking about any pressure during the three-point shootout. "You block all that out when you are shooting," said Karl, who hopes to make the team at Salsibury State next year.

ALL-STAR NOTES: At halftime the YMCA Spirit, Mind and Body award winners honored were se niors Stephani Adams (Wood-bridge), Allison Ekins (Alexis duPont), Courtney Jones (Sanford) and sophomores Dana Donovan (Seaford) and Kristin Mills of two three-pointers, as the Gold took a 41-34 halftime lead. It was a night for Teague and Karl, the two smallest players on the court, to shine. Karl won the three-point contest as she beat Teague in an overtime shootout. "1 had fun tonight," Karl, a four-year varsity player, said with a big smile. "During the season we play mostly against downstate teams.

"Tonight, it was a nice to play with girls who have such excellent basketball skills. I really loved working the ball in to Katie (DelCampo and Jamie Dowd. 1 was playing with and against some very Blue a 75-70 lead with 23 seconds left. Guard Denise Igo of Padua also scored 13 points and center Stephanie Baker of state champion St. Mark's added 11 as the Blue wiped out a 12-point Gold lead in the final 11 minutes.

Jamie Dowd of Ursuline scored 12 points off the bench and Chastity Cole of Lake Forest added nine to spark the Gold. Katie DelCampo of Cape Henlopen arid Leann Karl of Indian River added eight each. The two teams were comprised of many of the top senior players in the state. "I just have td thank God for giv- By JACK IRELAND Staff reporter WILMINGTON Guard Dean-dra Teague caught fire in the second half as the Blue rallied for a 76-70 victory over the Gold in the Blue 76 Delaware High Gold 70 School All-Star Basketball Game Friday night at Wilmington High. Teague, the 5-foot-3 Brandywine High point guard, scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half and was named the game's most valuable player.

Her steal and layup gave the All-Star box score C2 ing me the ability to come out and play the game like this," said Teague, who finished second to Karl in the three-point shooting contest at halftime. "A game like this is very interesting. I've heard a lot about Stephanie Baker and even played against her. Tonight, it was fun playing with her and a lot of other talented players. I guess that is what an All-Star Game is all about." Karl, a 5-4 point guard, scored eight first-half points, including The Nevn JoutnalBRIAN BRANCH-PRICE The Gold's Shari Lee of Caesar Rodney drives for a layup during Friday night's All-Star Game..