Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 39

-L Thursday, March 18, 1999 03 COURIER-POST nside farmer Phillies ifianager Jim regosi returns as boss of Blue Jays, fjeats old team in first game. Page 7 Section )Bor NFL 2 NCAA Tournament 3 S.J. Sports NBANHL i IS Neilson faces disciplinary action "I didn't even see the linesman. It was just a protest, throwing the stick out on the Roger Neilson jjkJ 3lL3 UJK) 3rti rJ mzA nart) i nasi Vim A 3 ()fa i on nriA xo3 jsad I xb3 iJIiv iHdi iTui" mod llfOO 'ih'B 9i mt rsd iinq 1 wt i 14?" M.ft "I think the referee in his report said I was trying to hit the linesman," Neilson said. "Which is completely wrong.

He (McCreary) wasn't watching anyway. That's one thing that I wanted to make sure that Colin Campbell knew. "I didn't even see the linesman. It was just a protest, throwing the stick out on the ice. If you get suspended for that, well OK.

But I don't want to get suspended for trying to hit a linesman with a stick." which St. Louis scored, narrowly missed linesman Lon-nie Cameron with the stick. On Wednesday, Neilson claimed he was not trying to hit Cameron but rather get McCreary's attention at the 6:47 mark of the third period in a 5-2 loss to the Blues. Taking part in the conference call will be NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell, Flyers president and general manager Bob Clarke and McCreary. Neilson could face a fine and or suspension.

Former Los Angeles Kings coach Tom Webster received a 12-game suspension in 1991 for throwing a stick at referee Kerry Fraser, a Cherry Hill resident. Neilson, who was ejected from the game by McCreary, reportedly spoke to Campbell Wednesday to give his side of the story. JAMES A. FINLEY Associated Press Flyers coach Roger Neilson listens to linesmen Dan Schachte before being ejected from Tuesday's game. March iVif3 Madness Controversy surrounds Haddonfield's 0T loss to Ewing in of (gflflffllllKKf Temple coach not straying from basics PHILADELPHIA It was 7:30 in the a.m.

The day was just starting for most people. Prac ii in i By MICHAEL RADANO Courier-Post Staff ELIZABETH Not much can go wrong in .65 of a second. Unfortunately for the Had-donfield High School girls' basketball team enough went wrong to end its season. Haddonfield, seeded No. 5 in the Tournament of Champions, lost to No.

4 Ewing 59-55 in overtime Wednesday at the Dunn Center. It was a controversial play with less than a second remaining sent the game into overtime. Ewing (25-3) will play No. 1 St. John Vianney at 3 p.m.

on Saturday at the Dunn Center. Haddonfield (24-6) took a 49-47 lead on a Kate Rusie jump shot just inside the foul line with 10.5 seconds to play. After a timeout, Ewing attempted a full-court pass but Haddonfield's Stephanie Bi-tonti knocked the ball away. However, Ewing's Jenn Stiller recovered the loose ball and floated a pass over Haddonfield's Lori Quintavalle to Am tice was just ending for the Temple University basketball team. "Pepe No," screeched the wisest, oldest Owl, the elderly man with the baseball cap pulled down over his forehead.

John Chaney PHIL ANASTASIA JJFL brings back instant replay After a season full of officiating mistakes, NFL owners voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to bring back Instant replay tor tne iirst ime since 1991. The system to help officials make the right calls will include coaches' challenges and a replay official the press box who will call for replays in the final two minutes of each half. Voting against it were Arizona, Cincinnati and the New York Jets. All have been longtime opponents of replay, although Jets coach Bill Parcells voted in favor of it last year. NFL roundup, Page 2 (Nets win to end eight-game slide Stephon Marbury didn't exactly pack the house in his first home game for the Nets, but his 29 points gave New Jersey a rare reason to celebrate in an 88-87 vic-, tory over the Dallas Mavericks.

With the Meadowlands about half-full, including 16 family and friends who got their tickets from Marbury, the Nets snapped an eight-game losing streak and won for just the fourth time this season. NBA roundup, Page 5 Princeton falls to Xavier in HIT James Posey, playing despite a painful back, scored 19 points and sparked a second-half surge that carried Xavier to a 65-58 victory over Princeton in the quarterfinals of NIT. Xavier (24-10) overcame injuries and a 16-point to clinch an NTT semifinal game next Tuesday at Madison Square Gardens. It's Xavier's best showing in the NTT since winning it in 1958. Tigers led 35-23 at half-time.

Story, Page 8 CHUCK BAUSMAN Sports Editor 1-888-85-SPORT Today's schedule SOUTH REGIONAL At Thompson-Boling Arena Knoxville, Tenn. Maryland (28-5) vs. St. John's '(27-8), 7:38 p.m. Auburn (29-3) vs.

Ohio State (25-8), 9:55 p.m. WEST REGIONAL At America West Arena Phoenix Gonzaga (27-6) vs. Florida (22-8), 7:55 p.m. Connecticut (30-2) vs. Iowa (20-9), 10:15 p.m.

Friday's schedule EAST REGIONAL At Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford Duke (34-1) vs. Southwest Missouri State (22-10), 7:38 p.m. Temple (23-10) vs. Purdue (21-12), 9:55 p.m. MIDWEST REGIONAL At Trans World Dome St Louis Michigan State (31-4) vs.

Oklahoma (22-10), 7:55 p.m. Miami, Ohio (24-7) vs. Ken-tucky (27-8), 10:15 p.m. TV schedule TODAY (AW games onCh.3) Maryland (28-5) vs. St John's (27-8), 7:38 p.m.

Connecticut (30-2) vs. Iowa (20-9), 10:15 p.m. FRIDAY (All games on Ch. 3) Duke (34-1) vs. Southwest Missouri State (22-10), 7:38 p.m.

Temple (23-10) vs. Purdue (21-12), 9 55 pm. Local connection Dan Miller, a Rancocas valley High School graduate, is a reserve tor Maryland. was screaming at his point guard again, which was the surest sign that all was right at The Apollo of Temple. It might be Oct.

15. It might be the middle of the summer. It happened to be two days before the Owls play another massive Associated Press Flyers coach Roger Neilson is scheduled to have a conference call Thursday with the NHL to determine what, if any, disciplinary action will result from his stick-throwing incident in St. Louis. Neilson, who tossed a stick Tuesday in the direction of referee Bill McCreary to protest the lack of a penalty call on rankings into the East Regional finals at the Meadowlands only to suffer a 63-53 loss to Duke.

The Blue Devils were led by defensive star Billy King yes, the same guy who now serves as the 76ers' general manager who harassed Temple freshman Mark Macon into a 6-for-29 shooting performance. That loss marked the first of three Elite Eight appearances by Temple teams under Chaney. The Owls also made it to regional finals in 1991 and 1993. To get back to that level of the tournament again and to get a shot at a 34-1 Duke team that has looked unbeatable in recent weeks Temple will have to beat a physical Purdue squad er big team. It just shows you the character of this team." Hill limited Sixers starting center Matt Geiger (eight points, two rebounds) to only seven minutes in the second half by his play.

He helped the Sixers (13-9) score the most points they've scored all season. Said Sixers coach Larry Brown, who coached at Indiana from 1993-1997 and had not beaten his old team since taking over the Sixers job in May Temple coach John Chaney watches his team practice game against Purdue. DAN LOHAssociated Press Wednesday for Friday's See AN ASTASIA. Page 3D Temple not thinking about Duke ber Oliver. Oliver missed the layup, Tariqah Miller missed a putback and the ball went out of bounds off Haddonfield with .65 left "We asked the official what could they do," Haddonfield coach Trish McNutt-Green said.

"(The officials) said all they could do was a tap-in. So we double covered (Miller)." Erin DeVanney looked for Miller, a senior who scored a game-high 23 points, inside but she was covered. DeVanney passed to Oliver on the low far post. The freshman got the ball at her knees and, as she went up, was fouled by Haddonfield's Kristen McCan-dless. "I looked back and saw she was wide open on the block," said McCandless, who scored 12 points in her final game.

"It did seem like a long time went past. But give her a lot of credit. (Oliver) showed a lot of poise." Oliver, who had three Ewing senior teammates telling See HADDONFIELD, Page 4D including 23 turnovers against Orlando on Monday. Brown gave them the day off Tuesday after the loss. The day off helped me forget about what happened on Monday," Lynch said.

"That's the great thing about being in the league. You just have to be as good as the next game." Trailing by eight (91-83) at the end of the third quarter, the Sixers used a 90 run over the first few minutes of the fourth to goup by one (92 91). that upset Texas and second-seeded Miami in the first two rounds of the tournament "They're a typical, physical Big Ten team," Temple senior guard Rasheed Bro-kenborough said of the lOth-seeded Boilermakers. Said Chaney: "They remind me of Michigan State." Brokenborough said the sixth-seeded Owls, who beat llth-seeded Kent and third-seeded Cincinnati, were more concerned about their own play. "We really can't do anything about the other team," Brokenborough said.

"Our main concern is how we play. That's something we can control. We try not to even think about the other team." ford to look past the Boilermakers. Still, Duke is out there, looming over this weekend's regional competition off Exit 16W of the New Jersey Turnpike just as surely as the top-ranked Blue Devils have hovered over the entire tournament the entire college basketball season, really. A Temple-Duke clash in the East Regional finals on Sunday assuming, ahem, that the Blue Devils beat 13th-seeded Southwest Missouri State in Friday's other semifinal would bring back a lot of memories for Chaney and others close to the Owls' program.

It was 11 years ago that Chaney's most celebrated Temple team brought a 32-1 record and a No. 1 national By PHIL ANASTASIA Courier-Post Staff PHILADELPHIA Don't say it. Don't even think it. Duke is a dirty, four-letter word to the players and coaches from Temple University, who have other things on their minds as they enter the East Regional semifinals of the NCAA basketball tournament. "Ask me about Duke and I'll break out in a rash," Temple coach John Chaney said as his team continued preparations for Friday night's game against Purdue at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford.

It's Purdue this and Purdue that for Temple. The Owls know they can't af -6 CHRIS LaCHAUyCouner-Post Haddonfield's Lisa Warden (left) and Tracy Bolger watch the final seconds of Wednesday's overtime loss to Ewing. Sixers over Pacers Star performance Hill lifts By CELESTE E. WHITTAKER Courier-Post Staff PHILADELPHIA Tyrone Hill has done something none of his 76ers teammates have ever accomplished he played in an NBA All-Star Game. On Wednesday, in his home debut Hill showed why he earned the honor in 1995.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward, who played the entire fourth quarte finished with with All of 1997: "I think he gives us an extra big guy. He takes pressure off of Theo (Rati iff) and Matt, and I don't have to worry about getting in foul trouble. We have experience coming off the bench and toughness. It's like having another starter." Hill got plenty of help. Allen Iverson scored a game-high 39 points on 13-for-21 shooting and had seven rebounds and three assists.

George J.ynch who went 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting and had seven rebounds as the Sixers held off Indiana 114-110 at the First Union Center in front of 16,588. "I think (the win) is important because in this league you need momentum in such a short season," said HilL who was traded from Milwaukee last Thursday in the trade that sent Tim Thomas and Scott Williams to the Bucks. "It felt good to lose a game in Orlando and come back and beat anoth from hero to goat in the loss to Orlando on Monday night with a costly turnover more than made up for his mishap with a season-high 21 points and two steals. Ratliff had 15 points and seven rebounds. The Sixers, who had lost 10 straight to Indiana (15-7) including a 99 95 defeat on Feb.

18, shot 575 percent from the field. They committed just nine turnovers (none in the fourth quarter) after six straight games of 20 qr more. i.