Tournament action heats up
COLUMBIA, Mo., March 4 (UPI) -- Kansas and Maryland both recorded historic victories Sunday to bring an end to their regular seasons and attention in the world of college basketball will now turn to the tournaments played this week in the power conferences.
The top-ranked Jayhawks finished the first unbeaten league season in Big 12 Conference history Sunday when they fought off the Missouri Tigers, 95-92. And Maryland closed out the 47-year history of Cole Field House by running over Virginia, 112-92.
Third-ranked Duke and fourth-rated Cincinnati also ended their regular campaigns with victories while the NCAA Tournament field was growing to four teams.
Davidson captured the Southern Conference Tournament title game Sunday with a 62-57 victory over Furman to join Florida Atlantic, Murray State and Winthrop in the 65-team NCAA field. Tournament finals are scheduled tonight in the Colonial, Metro Atlantic, Missouri Valley and West Coast conferences.
Big-time tourney action will get underway Tuesday in the Big East, Atlantic 10, Conference USA.
Els hold off Woods
MIAMI, March 4 (UPI) -- Ernie Els saw his eight-shot advantage all but wiped out by the oncharging Tiger Woods Sunday before holding on to capture the Genuity Championship, his first PGA Tour title in 19 months.
No player in PGA Tour history had ever started the final round with a lead as large as eight shots and lost. But Woods put all the pressure he could on Els, eventually finishing two shots off the pace.
Els labored through an even-par 72 to finish at 17-under 271. Woods birdied the first three holes at Doral's "Blue Monster" but cooled off during a 6-under 66 -- the low round of the day -- that left him at 273.
Winless in seven PGA Tour starts dating to last season, Woods has erased four 54-hole deficits of at least four shots during his still brief but legendary career.
He also has had Els' number, most recently rallying from eight shots down on the final day to edge him at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand last year.
Woods also defeated Els by a stroke at Disney World in 1999, beat him in a playoff at Kapalua in 2000 and banished him to runner-up finishes two years ago at the U.S. Open and British Open.
But an eight-shot lead was big enough for Els, who went 20 events between titles. His ninth PGA Tour win and first since the 2000 International was worth $846,000.
In Valencia, Calif., Tom Kite became the first two-time winner on the Senior Tour by defeating Tom Watson on the second hole of a playoff. Watson holed a 60-foot eagle chip on the final hole of regulation to force the playoff, but bogeyed the second extra hole.
Hewitt defeats Agassi in a thriller
SAN JOSE, Calif., March 4 (UPI) -- Lleyton Hewitt, in a match worthy of a Grand Slam final, outbattled Andre Agassi Sunday, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4), to capture the Siebel Open.
The reigning U.S. Open champion, Hewitt improved to 3-2 all-time against Agassi, a seven-time Grand Slam winner.
In their previous four encounters, Hewitt took the two matches in his native Australia and Agassi prevailed at Los Angeles in 1999 and Indian Wells last year.
Despite dropping the opening set, Hewitt displayed the mental toughness and determination in the fifth game that propelled him to the top of the ATP Champions Race at the end of last year.
In Scottsdale, Ariz., Serena Williams did her sister a big favor by defeating fellow American Jennifer Capriati to capture the State Farm Classic.
The third-seeded Williams held off top-seeded Capriati, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, to triumph in her debut at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.
Capriati needed the victory to regain the top spot in the WTA rankings after losing the position to Venus Williams a week ago.
Stars establish record for third-period success
DALLAS, March 4 (UPI) -- Pierre Turgeon and Jamie Langenbrunner scored 37 seconds apart midway through the first period Sunday and the Dallas Stars went on to down the San Jose Sharks, 4-1.
Dallas set an NHL record by winning its 48th consecutive game when leading after 40 minutes. The Stars broke the previous mark set by the Detroit Red Wings from Nov. 21, 1964 to Jan. 3, 1966.
The last time Dallas did not win when taking a lead into the final period came on Nov. 3, 2000 in a 2-2 tie with the Phoenix Coyotes.
The only negative for the Stars came with a minute remaining in the first period when star center Mike Modano suffered an apparent knee injury on a hipcheck by Alexander Korolyuk at center ice. Modano was helped off the ice and did not return, but he said he thought the injury was a minor one.
Owen Nolan halved the deficit two minutes into the second period, but the Stars broke it open with a pair of goals in the third.
Other NHL results: Chicago 2, Anaheim 1; Phoenix 2, Columbus 1.
Kings suffer rare home loss
SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 4 (UPI) -- Jermaine O'Neal scored 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter Sunday and Indiana shut down Chris Webber and the rest of the high-powered Kings on their vaunted home floor for a 97-86 victory.
O'Neal made the Eastern Conference All-Star team despite playing most of the season out of position at center. When the Pacers acquired center Brad Miller from Chicago as part of a seven-player deal, it allowed O'Neal to move to his natural position of power forward.
O'Neal was too much for the Kings as he made 13 of 24 shots and grabbed 11 rebounds. He took over in the fourth quarter, making a series of jumpers before sealing the win with a dunk in the final minute.
Austin Croshere added 19 points off the bench for the Pacers, who held the Kings to their lowest total at Arco Arena this season and dealt them just their third loss in 32 home games.
Other NBA results: Philadelphia 96, Toronto 84; New Jersey 92, Chicago 84; Detroit 83, Charlotte 81; Washington 107, Orlando 102 in overtime; San Antonio 99, New York 83; Seattle 96, Memphis 71; Milwaukee 101, Cleveland 91; Dallas 116, Denver 110 in overtime; LA Lakers 95, Houston 79.
Marlin wins NASCAR race
LAS VEGAS, Nev., March 4 (UPI) -- Sterling Marlin won Sunday's Winston Cup UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when lack of communication by NASCAR failed to assess the driver a 15-second penalty for speeding in pit lane.
Marlin had his Dodge Intrepid tapped from behind by Jerry Nadeau on lap 120 of the 267-lap event while heading toward a pit stop.
As Marlin was spun around, he could not control his car's speed on pit lane and passed the limit. But NASCAR could not communicate in time to hold him for the penalty, which was waved off after his exit.
Marlin, who started the year with an eighth-place finish at Daytona and was second last week at Rockingham, took his ninth career Winston Cup checkered flag. He led the final 30 laps after passing Jeremy Mayfield's Dodge on a late restart.
Marlin averaged 136.754 miles per hour and crossed the finish line 1.163 seconds ahead of Mayfield. His victory came in front of a crowd of 137,500, the largest for a sporting event in Nevada.
