The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey • Page 21

AUBURN i. A 1 AM OHIO St. SI. e.VJ St. JOHN'S MARYLAND -10 UCONN fCCA-VSA N.

r.tEXiCO IOWA IKS S-iHA FLORIDA gonzaga i. DUKE AnZCN'A Mexico OKLAHOMA si, miami-o TEMPLE PURDUE SW Mo St. Kentucky MICHIGAN St. 1 Qfi MOVE OVER CINCY Look who's back in the Sweet 16 once again It's John Chancy and the Temple Owls, a winner over Cincinnati. C-3 MARCHING WALLY'S TEAMS IN LIGKT FACE HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED THEY WHO? Upstart Southwest Missouri State gets the Blue Devils next.

C-3 C-l afHKirtNS MSN! A km I II f-ff i WINNING Wally Szczerbiak (32) and his Redhawks KO'd No. 2 seed Utah, 66-58. i C-3 ir 11 i jtf Michigan State was one of the favorites tn survivfi Sunriav IF 'sifts IMftgieir'S Wln7DliTl w5B(al MS, March Madness more like a holiday tourney iW 1 II C-3 RUTGERS 90 ARIZONA 47 the Sweet 16 for the second straight year and will play Friday against the winner of tonight's second-round game between No. 2 seed Texas Tech and No. 10 seed North Carolina St.

"I think they are one of the best teams in the country," said Arizona point guard Lisa Griffith about Rutgers. "We played Purdue and Louisiana Tech and I think they are right up there. I think they can do a lot of damage in the tournament. By MIKE LOPRESTI Gannett News Service Monday, March 15, 1999 Rutgers, led by a game-high 18 points from sophomore point guard Tasha Pointer, had four players score in double digits. Shawnetta Steward and Tomo-ra Young netted 17 points apiece for the Scarlet Knights, while Tammy Sutton-Brown added 13 on her ninth perfect night of shooting (4 of 4) from the floor.

Arizona (18-11), which came into the game averaging 75.2 points, was held to a season low in points on 36 percent shooting (9 of 30). The point total was the lowest allowed by Rutgers in 22 NCAA tournament games. See RUTGERS on page C-3 What a twisting, weaving, wonder-what's- around-the-next curve tournament it could be, i to the very end. If only they kicked out one team. One after another, the surprises took their place in the Sweet Sixteen of a tournament gone wacky.

Cinderella could be named Gonzaga Temple Miami of Ohio Southwest Missouri State Oklahoma Purdue. Mighty Duke flattened one team by 41 points and then another, and now has beaten its last 11 opponents by an average of 32 points, a reign of terror the mightiest UCLA teams never had. But beneath them, delightful chaos. COMPLETE MEN'S, WOMEN'S ROUNDUPS AND BRACKETS. Consider some of the upcoming regional matchups, which sound more like a holiday tournament than March.

They suggest what happened to the NCAA Men's Tournament in the first two rounds. Duke vs. Southwest Missouri State in the East? Kentucky vs. Miami of Ohio in the Midwest? Florida vs. Gonzaga in the West? All coming attractions.

The handiwork of an upset-laden weekend, and an especially bloody Sunday. By GREG TUFARO Staff Writer PISCATAWAY If the Rutgers University women's basketball team's offense ever catches up to its defense, the Scarlet Knights are going to be a dangerous team in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Arizona found this out the hard way Sunday night as Rutgers rolled to a 90-47 victory over the Wildcats in the second round of the Midwest Region before 3,397 here at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Rutgers (28-5) advanced to 8w IProvidleDiKe "ttjt I 'i g- 4 i ifftr im j-. Iff 1, ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO New Jersey miard Steohon Marburv (33) attempts to drive oast i Miami center Alonzo Mourning, left, and guard Tim Hardaway (10) Sunday.

Marbury led the Nets with 21 points in his debut Calipari, Nets 4 feel the Heat The Courier-News SIDELINES NBA lore coverage, Miami 102 Nets 76 Knicks 94 Charlotte 86 Indiana 99 Boston 96 Washington 98 Milwaukee 86 Atlanta 85 72 Houston 104 Phoenix 90 L.A. Clippers Seattle (n) A. Lakers Sacramento (n) NHL More coverage, C-4 fiangers 3 Islanders 2 (OT) Flyers 1 Dallas 1 Nashville 3 Edmonton 1 Detroit 3 Colorado 1 St. Louis 5 Chicago 2 NCAA Men's Tournament More'coverage, East Region Duke 97 Tulsa 56 SW Mo. St.

81 Tennessee 51 Temple 64 Cincinnati 54 Purdue 73 Miami 63 Midwest Region Okla. 85 N.C. Charl. 72 Michigan St. 74 Ole Miss 66 Miami-0 66 Utah 58 Kentucky 92 Kansas 88 (OT) Women's NCAA Tournament More coverage, Rutgers Arizona (n) UConn Xavier (n) Oregon Iowa St.

(n) Clemson 63 Illinois 51 N. Carolina 70 Alabama 56 ODU 72 Maine 62 La. Tech 79 PennSt. 62 SW Mo. Colorado St.

(n) Baseball Spring Training More coverage, C-4 Kansas City (ss) Detroit, ccd. Cleveland Tampa Bay, ccd. Boston 8 Cincinnati 7 Houston (ss) Kansas City, ccd. Yankees Atlanta, ccd. Phillies Minnesota, ccd.

Montreal (ss) 8 Baltimore 6 Houston (ss) Toronto, ccd. Texas Pittsburgh, ccd. Mets (ss) 3 Florida 2 Los Angeles 9 St. Louis 8 Mets (ss) 5 Montreal 3 Anaheim (ss) 9 S.F. (ss) 8 Oakland 4 Milwaukee 1 Chi.

White Sox 10 Colorado 7 San Diego 6 Anaheim (ss) 4 Seattle 8 Chi. Cubs 7 Arizona 5 S.F. 0 BEST BET NIT Picking It's a rare meeting between the Ivy League and the Atlantic Coast Conference as Princeton (21-7) takes on North Carolina State (19-13) in the second round of the Men's National Invitation Tournament, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. GOT A TIP? You can e-mail us at or call Dave Siminoff sports editor, at (908) 707-3156. THIS SECTION Pages in this section were designed and edited by Mark Lussier, George Henn and Dave Siminoff.

mm I vsmz5 win of-six in the fourth quarter. And it wasn't the last because of an impressively patient offense that worked overtime for good looks. "We knew they play a real uptempo game with a lot of 3-pointers," Machin said. "We did a good job of slowing them down." The Owls almost broke it open in the first quarter, taking a 10-5 lead on a pair of treys by guard Tony Williams. But Pioneers point guard Kyle Rust who rarely shoots got his team back in the game by banking in a 30-foot shot at the buzzer.

The defensive-minded See CHAMPS on page C-3 1 1, 1 i STAFF PHOTO BY MARY IUVONE Senior center Mike Machin (44) celebrates after he tapped In the Group l-winning shot over Highland Park Sunday in Atlantic City. Next for Pioneers: Tournament of Champs Teaneck, the Group IV winner, Thursday night in Elizabeth High School's Dunn Center. "We're on top of the world right now," said Simo, who tallied 12 points, six rebounds and three steals. "No one expected us to get this far. But we've stuck together like a family.

We've played every game like it's our last." It wasn't the team's last game thanks to a suffocating 3-2 zone that limited high-powered Highland Park (23-4) to just one field goal in the fourth quarter. It wasn't the last thanks to the Pioneers' steely proficiency from the free throw line, from which they sank nine-of-10 attempts including six- '1 -j MOB NEW PROVIDENCE 39 HIGHLAND PARK 37 and moved into position to get the rebound," said Machin, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. "I got a good bounce. What else can you say?" Say Tournament of Champions, because that's where New Providence (21-5) is headed just one year after finishing 11-14. The Pioneers, who last won a group basketball title in 1965, are seeded sixth in the six-team field.

They will face third seed HEAT 102 NETS 76 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 that former Chicago 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 on Tuesday. "I think so," Calipari said.

"There was nothing said in that 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 generally giving the offense a better rotation. There was no stopping Alonzo Mourning (25 points) or Tim Hardaway (20 points). And even See NETS on page C-4 VAN CUND1TS JOB ON THE LINE, TOO. C-4 By BOB CONSIDINE Staff Writer MIAMI It appears the John Calipari era is ending just as the Stephon Marbury era is beginning for the New Jersey Nets. With all that went on off the court during the Nets' lifeless 102-76 loss to the Miami Heat Sunday the team's seventh straight defeat Calipari's fate seemed more sealed than by any ugliness that John Calipari happened on the court.

Nets co-owner and chairman Lewis Katz, president Michael Rowe and general manager John Nash all convened for a private meeting in the bowels of the Miami Arena during the second half of the nationally-televised 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 Went-worth. Although Calipari said the discussion was about "how we get this thing changed," the Vehicle History Search 3-Day150Mile Money-Back uuarantee' 24-Hour GM Roadside Assistance1 I Sty sfiX 1A By JERRY CARINO Staff Writer ATLANTIC CITY The biggest bounce in a season of good bounces went New Providence's way in Sunday's NJSI-AA Group I championship game.

Senior center Mike Machin tapped up a missed last-second shot by teammate Todd Simo. The ball clanked the front of the rim and inexplicably spun over the top and through the net as the buzzer sounded, lifting the Pioneers to a thrilling 39-37 victory over Highland Park before a stunned crowd of 1,500. "I saw Todd start to pull up USED VEHICLES 110-StepGM Certification GM12-MOJ 12,000 Mi. Ltd. Warranty No-Hassle Market-Based Pricing 1 dr-x t-K t.i 1 W- i IdllaYJNDlLlsir 1 I "97 BUICK SKYLARK '86 BUICK CENTURY I '98 CHEVROLET CAVALIER '88 CHEVROLET PRJZHI LSI '88 CHEVROLET LUNIINA 4 dr.

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