Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 27

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES 1 TfTIVT Sport Q) Scores, call InfoPhone: 257-2900 National Update: Ext. 6765 Local Update: Ext. 2030 PageD6-D8 Tuesday Southeastern Pro Hotline: Ext. 1700 March 30, 1999 ootnraLbU Mas Jim Lftke UConn ignores hype, stuns Duke 'A ''-'A 4 If I' 1 I 17 By Charean Williams THE ORLANDO SENTINEL SI PETERSBURG, Fla. Forget all those comparisons with the all-time great teams.

After Monday night, Duke will be compared with the University of Houston in '83, UConn rt 77 74 town in 85, trNny Kentucky in '66 and other seemingly invincible teams that were upset in the final. Connecticut spoiled the Blue Devils' dream season, with a 77-74 victory Monday night before a Tropicana Field crowd of 41340 the seventh-largest in Final Four history. Duke, a two-time national champion, now has lost in the final six times. Third-ranked UConn (34-2) wasn't exactly a pushover. It was the only other team other than Duke to be ranked No.

1 this season, and its only losses were to No. 16 Syracuse and No. 15 Miami But Duke was supposed to be unstoppable. The Blue Devils, who had won a school-record 32 straight games since a 77-75 loss to Cincinnati in Anchorage, Alaska, were 9 12-point favorites. UConn Ail-American Richard Hamilton scored 27 points and Ricky Moore shut down Duke All-Ameriean Trajan Langdon when it mattered most Langdon scored 25 in hitting 7-of-15 points, and he gave the Blue Devils a chance to win by hitting a 3-pointer with 1:43 remaining to draw them within, 73-72.

But, with Moore hanging on him, Langdon's playoff sibly three home games for the seventh seed will be played the week of April 5-11, with the final two games if necessary at the second seed. Playoff tickets for Asheville home games at Asheville Civic Ccnjter are on sale. Tickets are $16, $13, $10 and $8 and can be purchased at the Civic Center box office, at Ticketmaster (251-5505) or on the Internet at wwKashcvillc8moke.com. Dates and times of the games will be announced later this week after the playoff positions have been determined. Muskegon needs only one win or two shootout losses in its TIIK ASS4ICIATKP PKKSS Connecticut's Khalid El-Amin scrambles for the ball in front of Duke's Chris Carrawell in the first half of the championship game of the NCAA Final Four Monday.

Haze hovering over Smoke's NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP From the Magic to madness ST PETERSBURG, Fla. It changed more than the face of college basketball It changed the soul of the game, too. When Larry Bird met Magic Johnson on a Monday night in March 1979 with a national title on the line, the TV rights to the NCAA tournament cost what a light-hitting shortstop does today -about $6 million a year. Twenty years later, CBS paid the NCAA 100 times that much to show Duke and Connecticut finish off the tournament Monday night Money is hardly the only measure of how the event has changed. But it is certainly the most revealing.

As would happen with the NBA a decade later, the Bird vs. Magic rivalry laid the foundation that would make the Final Four one of sports' cornerstone properties, a showcase big enough to build personalities and a lore all its own and cash in on year after year. Suddenly, the stakes were raised all the way around. The influx of dollars was so great it gave teen-age stars enough leverage to make hostages of the schools that pursued them. It turned coaches into celebrities who could command six-figure contracts and multimillion dollar shoe deals.

It made the NCAA powerful beyond the most ambitious bureaucrat's wildest dreams. It fattened budgets at athletic departments that once struggled to pay for towels. And maybe most important to its success, the one-loss-and-you're-gone format made for great TV drama that gained momentum on successive weekends as even casual fans tracked its progress in thousands of office pools. "It gave college basketball three-week window to tell hundreds and hundreds of great stories about student-athletes, about the programs, the schools, about so many different things," Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said Calhoun should know, since his is one of the best stories around. Until this season, his Connecticut teams had won Ave Big East regular-season titles, a scintillating 72 percent of their games, advanced to the round of 16 on six occasions and the round of eight on three of those.

But without the instant credibility an appearance in the Final Four commands, Calhoun's resume was always found to be wanting. D5 The Ashevffla Citizen-Times wi publish a special section for opening night at Ashevilla Motor Speedway on April 16 and we want to hear about your speedway memories, either as a Ian or as a driver. Ted us what A fort like, what It sounded Ike, what it smelted Uke on nights Western North Carolinians gathered to watch tha races. Tel us about your tavorita personalities, too. We'd lova snapshots.

Send memories to: Racttrick Mtworta Carol Carrte Jufarflto CHiiM-rhMS rat 2090 Attain N.e. 2l 0J 0rfit2S14SS5fty Apr! 7. shot with 5.4 seconds to go had no chance. After Khalid El-Amin, who had been 0-of-2 from the line, hit two free throws with 5.2 seconds left to give UConn a three-point lead, Langdon took the ball the length of the floor but couldn't get a shot off. UConn, playing in its first final, got off to a shaky stall The Huskies made only one of their first four shots and turned the ball over three times as Duke jumped out to a 9-2 lead.

The Huskies, though, settled down and went on a 15-4 run, hitting 7-of-9 field goals with two offensive rebounds in an eight-possession span. In the first half, Moore carried the offensive load as El-Amin and Hamilton struggled. Thomas, whose season high was 20 points against Fairfield, scored 13 first-half points by hitting 6-of-8 field goals. Moore also blanketed Langdon until late in the first halt I.angdon, who was 3-of-9 from the field and scored seven points in the semifinal victory over Michigan State, hit one of his first four field goals. But he scored seven points in the final 105 of the first half.

With UConn holding its biggest first-half lead at 36-32, Langdon hit back-to-back, long-range jumpers. lie nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key and another from the left corner and drew the foul for a four-point play It hcl)cd give Duke a 30-37 lead. Duke had been 31-0 when leading at the half, but UConn was 94) when it trailed at the halt picture last two games (vs. Saginaw on Tuesday and at Madison on Wednesday) to claim the L'HCs top seed. If that happens.

Quad City, which has completed its regular season, would be the second seed. If Muskegon loses both games and neither are shootout. Quad City is the top seed and Muskegon is the second seed. Fourth seed Thunder Bay will play fifth seed Port Huron in the only first-round pairing that is already set Eighth seed Winston-Salem will meet the league's top seed in the other postseason match-up. Ligtenberg, obtained by Atlanta from the independent Prairie League for six dozen baseballs and two dozen bats, is to meet next Monday with the surgeon, Dr.

James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala. While Ligtenberg is out Wohlers appears to be coming hark. He was sent to the minors last season when he couktnt find the plate and his season ended early, but he has hern getting better with each spring outing. In his Inst three appearances, Wohlers has thrown four scoreless innings and lowered his ERA to 5.R3. Since giving up four runs in his first appearance against Houston, Wohlers has allowed one run.

Overall, in eight innings this spring, he has given up eight hits, walked six and struck out nine. "Right now, if wt had to start the season toilay, I dont know why we wouldn't open up with him as the closer" manager BoUy Cox sakL "It's been an amazing turnamumL Who knows what the odd He certainly has beaten them," Vital sixth seed still within reach for Asheville By Keith Jarrett STAFF WRITER ASHEVILLE -By the time the final horns sound Tuesday night in Winston-Salem and Flint, the Asheville Smoke may know where it will be playing this weekend in the United Hockey League playoffs. With two games left in the regular season, Asheville is assured of either a sixth or seventh seed in the eight-team playoffs that begin this weck-iend. Flint, which plays at home against Port Huron in its regular-season finale, has a four-point lead over Asheville in a battle for the sixth seed. If Flint wins, it will clinch the sixth seed.

If Flint loses and Asheville wins at Winston-Salem on Tuesday, the Smoke is still alive for the sixth berth- If Flint loses and Asheville wins on Tuesday, the Smoke would have to win its regular-season finale at home Wednesday to earn the sixth spot If Asheville loses either game, Flint is the sixth seed no matter the outcome of its game Tuesday night The sixth seed will begin the best-of-seven first round of the playoffs with two games at third seed Binghamton (N.Y.) this weekend, probably on Friday and Saturday to avoid playing on Easter Sunday. The sixth seed would then have at least two. and as many as three straight home games the week of April 5-11. The final two games, if necessary, would be played in Binghamton. The seventh seed will play its first two games at the second seed, either Muskegon (Mich.) or Quad City Two and pos uNifi PLAYOFF PICTURE Current UHL playoff seeds: 1-2.

Quad City and Muskegon 3. Binghamton 4. Thunder Bay 5. Port Huron '6-7. Asheville and Flint 8.

Winston-Salem 'Asheville win win sixth seed with two wins and one Flint loss. More bullpen leaks: Braves lose top closer Jordan airs thoughts on Hornet purchase I Stackhouse puts game before pain. Page 02. earlier this month about buying a 50-percent share of the NBA franchise, according to officials with the Hornets and the league. "At this stage, however, the discussions are very preliminary and I am unsure whether I will be able to make an investment on terms that are acceptable to me" Jordan said.

Hornets officials were not talking Monday about Jordan's remarks. Jordan, who grew up in Wilmington and starred at the University of North Carolina, said staying involved in the NBA "would be a fulfilling personal and business challenge." "In addition, as a North Carolina native, I would welcome the opportunity to be involved in growing the Hornets into an elite NBA team Jordan said. "It would be premature to comment any OARY HtiLtaXTOKN T1MKS Scott Burris, of Christ School, blasts out of the sand on hole No. 3 at the Buncombe County Golf Tournament Monday. Hatalsky edges Burris in playoff Ligtenberg out for the season By Tom SaUdino THt ASSOCIATED PRESS NSSIMMEE, fla.

Kerry Ligtenberg, who took over the Atlanta Braves closer's job last season when Mark Wohlers had control problems, said Monday he ill have season-ending surgery to repair a torn eHmw ligament LiKtcnberg, 27, converted 30 of 34 save chances, going 3-2 with a 2.71 ERA. On Marrh 12, Ligtenberg was diagnosed with a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament lie has not thrown since and decided on surgery after an examination Monday by the Braves' orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Joe Chandler. "He gave me three choices wait three more weeks and try to throw, throw right now, and the third choice was to go get the surgery." Ligtenberg said. "I figured I'd do it now.

That would put me out 12 months, and III 1 ready to go next season." By Paul Nowsfl THE ASSOCIATED WtSS CHARLOTTE -Michael Jordan went on record Monday that he's had preliminary talks about co-owning the Charlotte Hornets, but will his presence bring back the fans? And could it even breathe new life into the uphill battle to build a new downtown NBA arena? Lofty expectations for just one man. But this is Michael Jordan, after alL Jordan wasn't saying very much about his plans, although he did confirm Monday that he has been in touch with Hornets and NBA officials. "In response to report, I can confirm that I have been contacted by George Shinn and (NBA commissioner) David Stern regarding co-ownership of the Charlotte Hornets," Jordan said In the statement issued Monday through agent David Falk's office in Washington. Jordan spoke with Shinn I the horizon as he was aide to shake Scott Burris of Christ School during a one-hole playoff to defend his individual crown at the Broadmoor Golf Links. "I saw he shot a 75," Hatalsky said of Burris.

"I figured it would be me and him." Hatalsky and Burris were i Coif on pup 05 By Robert Alfonso Jr. STAFf WHITER ASHEVILLE Last year Reynolds senior Daniel Hatalsky put his clubs away before realizing he had to compete in a playoff to win the Buncombe County Golf Tournament This year Hatalsky kejrt his clubs handy because he knew a playoff game was on.