Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 17

SCOREBOARD PAGE 5 HOCKEY HIGH SCHOOLS PERSONALS BASEBALL 6 7 BUSINESS SECTION PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1996 PENGUINS 5, OILERS 4 Newcomers Kevin Miller, J.J. Daigneault score; Edmonton peppers Tom Barrasso with 45 shots. IffVl 811. THE SCORE INSIDE Rampaging Bulls Michael Jordan scores 36 points and grabs 1 1 rebounds to lead the Bulls past the Knicks, 107-86. Pago B-2.

Sweet repeats? 1 The Blackhawk boys will be seeking their second straight PIAA title and the North Catholic girls will be going after their fourth in a row at Hershey today. Page B-4. Lions go to mat Penn State trails only Iowa after early rounds of the NCAA wrestling championships. Morning Briefipg, Page B-5. BASKETBALL NBA Nets 97...

Nuggets 89 Bulls 107 Knicks 86 pavaliers90 Rockets 85 Suns104 Warriors 96 Lakers at Sonics, late NCAA Division I G'town98 Texas Tech 90 Kentucky 101 Utah 70 UMass vs. Arkansas, late Wake Forest vs. Louisville, late NCAA Division II Ft. Hays 76 CALIFORNIA 56 Va. Union vs.

N. Kentucky, late NIT St. Joseph's 76 R.I. 59 HOCKEY NHL PENGUINS 5 Oilers 4 I Bruins 3 Senators 1 Capitals 3 Lightning 3 panthers 3 Islanders 2 GOLF Freeport Classic Jim Furyk 32-3466 -6 tfrank Nobilo 33-3467 -5 John Wilson 32-3567 -5 L. Clements 35-3267 -5 I P.

Stankowski 33-3467 -5 vTom Watson 33-3568 -4 McCarron 32-3668 -4 Davis Love 35-3368 -4 Lehman 35-34 69 -3 Bob Gilder 33-3669 -3 Martin 34-3569 -3 fjohn Huston 36-3369 -3 Register 'Barb Mucha 35-3368 -5 M. Morris 34-3468 -5 33-3669 -4 D. Coe-Jones 33-3669 -4 37-3269 -4 Skinner 35-3570 -3 Susie Redman. 32-3870 -3 B. Burton 33-3770 -3 Karrie Webb 35-3570 -3 M.

Redman 34-3670 -3 ietaLindley 31-3970 -3 'ssssssd i Parrish's exit opens big door for Osik Replacement player becomes front-runner to be backup catcher By Paul Meyer Sports Writer TAMPA, Fla. It said volumes about Lance Parrish's status that Jim Leyland went to the catcher's locker yesterday to ask him to come into the manager's office. Normally, the "Grim Reaper" task is performed by coach Rich Donnelly. "Lance Parrish is in a different category," Leyland said. "Not that you're slighting somebody or trying to treat people differently, but there are certain people who are in different categories who have earned the right to be in a different category." Thus, Parrish followed Leyland not Donnelly into the manager's office to learn he'd been unconditionally released by the Pirates.

"I'm a little disappointed," Parrish said. "No, I'm a lot disappointed. I thought I had a legitimate chance of making the ballclub. I'm probably harder on myself than other people are, and I can't see myself perform, but I didn't think I'd done anything to hurt my chances. "I really don't know what they expected from me when they signed me.

I guess I was an insurance policy in case something didn't work out. Seems I find myself in that position more and more. "He Leyland! said they wanted to go with younger guys and that the person or persons backing up Jason Kendall would probably be asked to do a lot of things. They didn't feel I'd be able to do that. "You have to respect what they say, but I thought this might work out.

I was really looking forward to it." Parrish, who turns 40 in June, had four hits in 21 at-bats this spring and didn't throw well. "This decision was not a reflection of Lance's ability as much as it has to do with the flexibility of our club and our ability to utilize all the players we will carry this year," General Manager Cam Bonifay said. "It's not a very good day for me or the manager when you have to send out a guy who was an All-Star and who has graced this game not only with fine play but also with an outstanding attitude toward the game." Parrish's departure means Kendall will be backed up by either Angelo Encarnacion, who hit .226 in 58 games with the Pirates last season, or Keith Osik, who hasn't played in the major leagues. "That's still a tough decision we have to make going into next week," Bonifay said. "I would say that they're even." Osik, however, probably will wind up the winner.

A former replacement player, Osik can catch and play the infield and outfield. Encarnacion can only catch. And Osik's SEE PIRATES, PAGE B-7 Darwin closes in on starting job with Pirates. Page B-7. Robin RombachPost-Gazette photos Kevin Miller shoots past Edmonton goalie Curtis Joseph for the Penguins' first goal.

Defense loose again; Lemieux held pointless vwt mnwrnf ii" gal a A By Dave Molinari Post-Gazette Sports Writer The Penguins have talked a lot lately about tightening their defensive play. Seems like a good idea, what with the Stanley Cup playoffs scheduled to begin in less than a month. But that wasn't a variation of the left-wing lock the Penguins played during their 5-4 victory against Edmonton at the Civic Arena last night. More like a mutation of the "Matador" system: Just wave at whoever happens to be going past and get out of the way. The Oilers entered the evening averaging just 2.89 goals and 29.8 shots per game, but scored four times and threw 45 shots at Penguins goalie Tom Barrasso.

"Forty-five shots is too many," Penguins Coach Ed Johnston said. "We're not playing very smart sometimes in our own end." Or playing much at all there, for that matter. Nonetheless, newcomer Kevin Miller, acquired for his superb defensive work, believes the Penguins' failings in their own zone don't have to be fatal. "If we concentrate on our defense, we can definitely play it," he said. While the Penguins might not be thrilled about how they earned their points last night, that doesn't detract from their significance: The victory allowed the Penguins (42-24-4) to hurdle the New York Rangers and take over first place in the Eastern Conference.

Both teams have 12 games remaining. The most intriguing for each figures to be Sunday, when the Penguins visit Madison Square Garden at 8:05 p.m. SEE PENGUINS, PAGE B-4 CAL LOSES The season ended for California (Pa.) in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II basketball tournament last night at Louisville, Ky. The Vulcans met their match against unbeaten Fort Hays State. Story, Page B-2.

Robin RombachPost-Gazette photos Petr Nedved, Kevin Miller and Francois Leroux celebrate Glen Murray's first-period goal in the Penguins' win over Edmonton. Wildcats leave pawprints on stunned Utah, 101-70 Rooting for Hoyas difficult; rooting for Iverson a snap Jl lira RON COOK "They were on fire tonight," Utah forward Brandon Jessie said. "It's not the first time Kentucky did this to a team." Utah (27-7) never stood a chance, not after Kentucky hit 17 of its first 23 shots, including a sizzling 13 in a row during a 5:15 stretch of the first half. The Utes trailed by as many as 25 in the first half (52-27) and 32 in the second half (88-56) as the Wildcats played a near flawless game. Kentucky had four players in double figures, led by sophomore forward Antoine Walker with 19 points, and committed six turnovers, including.two in the opening 20 minutes.

The Wildcats forced the Western Athletic Conference champions into 21 turnovers. "We went on a good run shooting the ball at the beginning of the game," Pitino said. "We got in transition and we made some threes, and the game was decided in the first few minutes." Forward Keith Van Horn tried to keep Utah within shouting distance, scoring 14 of his 23 points in the First half. But Kentucky wore down the Utes with its superior skill and depth, easily handing them their worst SEE MIDWEST, PAGE B-3 By Gerry Dulac Post-Gazette Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS It didn't surprise Rick Majerus. Only impressed him.

More than he already was. He knew the potency of this Kentucky team, how his coaching adversary, Rick Pitino, kept shuffling talent on the floor like a Broadway musical. Only problem was, he hadn't witnessed it first-hand until last night. Then it was like being in Pamplona when the bulls start running. When it was all over last night at the Metrodome, No.

12 Utah was stampeded by the second-ranked Wildcats, 101-70, in a NCAA Midwest Region semifinal game that was every bit as lopsided as the score suggests. "Kentucky was the like of which we have not seen," Majerus said: "They gave us a good ol' butt-kicking tonight." The victory puts Kentucky (31-2) in tomorrow's regional championship game against the winner of last night's Louisville-Wake Forest game. The Wildcats, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest, have now won three tournament games by an average of 31 points. ATLANTA I have become a Georgetown fan.

There, I said it. It wasn't easy. If you live in Pittsburgh or any Big East city, it's almost impossible to like Georgetown. How are you supposed to root for John Thompson? He's a hypocrite. Remember that very public stand he took a few years ago in protest of Prop 42? Remember how he said it would deprive deserving inner-city American kids of a chance to get a college education? That was fine until he started recruiting players Cheikh Ya-Ya Dia from Senegal and Godwin Owinje from Nigeria.

I guess they deserved more of a chance than the American kids. And how can you condone the type of basketball Thompson teaches? It borders on thuggery. The Hoyas are more physical than the Penguins. They always have been. And how about Hoya Paranoia, Thompson's philosophy? I was thrilled when Georgetown beat Texas Tech, 98-90, in the East Regional last night.

I can't wait until it plays again tomorrow for the right to go to the Final Four. Please don allow the Georgetown sea- LAST NIGHT EAST G'town 98 Texas Tech 90 UMass vs. Arkansas MIDWEST Kentucky 101 Utah 70 Wake Forest vs. Louisville TONIGHT SOUTHEAST UConn vs. Miss.

7:40 Cincinnati vs. Ga. Tech WEST Georgia vs. Syracuse, 8 Kansas vs. Arizona (Second games start 30 minutes after end of first game) PG Link is covering the NCAA tournament with scores updated during games.

Call 261-1234, ext. 3600. son to end. The reason is simple, really. Allen Iverson.

It wouldn't be accurate to call him the best player in the history of the Big East. That honor belongs to Patrick Ewing, probably will for a long time. And if Ewing is No. 1, Chris Mullin is 1A. But Iverson is the most exciting.

He's the most exciting 6-foot player in the country right now, pro or college. I'm not sure he isn't the most exciting player who isn't named Jordan. SEE COOK, PAGE B-3.