Woods reaches Match Play quarterfinals
CARLSBAD, Calif., March 1 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods coasted into the quarterfinals of the Accenture Match Play Championship Friday, but Phil Mickelson made his way to the exit.
Former PGA champion David Toms, meanwhile, overcame a case of food poisoning to rally past Alex Cejka, Darren Clarke ousted Jim Furyk and Adam Scott brought an end to the eight-match winning streak of defending champion Kevin Sutherland.
Woods won the first three holes of his match against Australian Stephen Leaney at the La Costa Resort & Spa course and wound up with a 7 & 6 victory, equaling the most one-sided triumph in the five-year history of the event.
The world's No. 1 player will meet Scott Hoch in Saturday's quarterfinals -- Hoch winning his match against Japan's Toshi Izawa, 4 & 3.
"I don't think Tiger will be changing his departure plans just because he is playing me," said Hoch, 47. "But like the old coach said, I'll show up and play. If Tiger plays well, he can overpower the course. I can't do that. I'll try to keep it in play, get it on the greens and try to make a birdie or two."
Mickelson had scrambled to victories over Robert Karlsson and Brad Faxon, but he was unable to keep up with Jerry Kelly in falling, 3 & 2. Mickelson consistently missed the La Costa fairways, leaving him to deal with the thick rough made even more difficult by the heavy rains that fell earlier in the week.
Kelly, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour last year, will play Toms in the quarterfinals. Toms, weakened by his overnight illness, was 1-down going to the 17th tee but Cejka bogeyed both the 17th and 18th holes to hand Toms the match.
Clarke, who defeated Woods in the final of this event three years ago, recorded a 2-up victory over Furyk, who three-putted three holes in a row beginning at the 15th. Clarke will take on Australian Peter Lonard Saturday with Lonard having eliminated countryman Robert Allenby, 1-up.
Allenby missed a six-foot putt at the 18th hole that would have sent the match into sudden death.
Scott, one of golf's rising young stars from Australia, did not lead in his match until the 14th hole, but he finally downed Sutherland, 2 & 1.
Sutherland was the shocking winner of this championship last year and won his first two matches this year against Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose. His good fortune finally ran out, however, allowing Scott to advance for a quarterfinal match against Jay Haas.
Haas and fellow-veteran Nick Price played the day's best match with Haas winning on the second extra hole by hitting his tee shot on the par-3 to within two feet.
Knicks honor Ewing with victory
NEW YORK, March 1 (UPI) -- Latrell Sprewell produced his second career triple-double Friday night in carrying New York to a double-overtime, 118-110 win over Orlando.
Sprewell scored 16 of his 28 points in the two overtime periods and added 11 rebounds and 11 assists on the night the Knicks honored Patrick Ewing.
It was a magical night at Madison Square Garden, where Ewing had his No. 33 retired in a halftime ceremony and the sellout crowd of 19,763 was treated to a physically and mentally draining game punctuated by Sprewell's performance.
Sprewell compiled his triple-double before the end of the fourth quarter. The Knicks had a chance to win in regulation, but Clarence Weatherspoon -- after pulling down one of his 24 rebounds -- missed an open layup in the final second.
After making the first basket of overtime, Sprewell made consecutive three-pointers to erase a six-point deficit and forge a 103-103 tie with 59 seconds left. He stole an inbounds pass but missed a runner, then missed an open 10-footer just before the buzzer.
The teams went to a second overtime, where Sprewell again made consecutive three-pointers to offset a basket by Magic rookie Gordan Giricek and give the Knicks a 109-105 lead with 3:49 remaining.
The game was scoreless for 2 1/2 minutes as the players appeared exhausted. Orlando's Drew Gooden tipped in a miss at the 1:17 mark, but Sprewell answered with a jumper with a minute to go.
Other NBA results: Indiana 107, Milwaukee 98; Philadelphia 104, Utah 83; Boston 90, Toronto 85; Minnesota 118, Cleveland 95; Memphis 126, Miami 116 (OT); Atlanta 110, Chicago 88; New Orleans 94, Denver 88.
Sabres pile it on against Stars
BUFFALO, N.Y., March 1 (UPI) -- Martin Biron made 31 saves and five Buffalo Sabres beat the NHL's stingiest goaltender Friday night for a 5-3 win over Dallas.
The Stars were hoping to reclaim the NHL's point lead from the Ottawa Senators, but Marty Turco -- who leads the league with a 1.77 goals-against average -- surrendered goals to rookie Ales Kotalik, defenseman Brian Campbell, Stu Barnes, Curtis Brown and Jason Botterill.
Brown's 13th goal snapped a 3-3 tie with 12:22 left in the third period. Kotalik passed the puck out from the left corner and Brown put it through Turco's legs for a 4-3 lead.
Recalled Friday afternoon from Rochester, Botterill sealed the win with his first goal with 1:29 remaining. He was leading the American Hockey League with 36 goals when he was called up.
Turco finished with 15 saves as Dallas, which was coming off a 3-2 overtime setback to Ottawa on Thursday, dropped consecutive contests for the first time since a three-game losing streak from Dec. 21-26.
Jere Lehtinen set his career high for goals in a season with 26 in the losing effort. Defenseman Derian Hatcher tallied on the power play to tie the game at 3-3 with 51 seconds left in the second.
In the only other game on the schedule, Phoenix defeated Anaheim, 3-1.
Scott Erickson to miss entire season
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 1 (UPI) -- Oft-injured Baltimore pitcher Scott Erickson will undergo surgery on his pitching shoulder and miss the entire 2003 season.
The veteran righthander is entering the final season of a five-year contract. The date for the surgery has not been determined.
Erickson said Friday that his right labrum is more than 50 percent torn.
In the offseason, Yocum said rehabilitation and strengthening the muscle would be as successful a solution as surgery, so Erickson chose the former. But after reporting to camp in good health, Erickson began laboring the past week. He lost velocity and location on his pitches during an intrasquad game Monday. An MRI revealed a considerable tear of the glenoid labrum.
"This is very frustrating," said Erickson, who was vying for the team's No. 5 starter spot. "I thought I was over this stuff. I have missed most of the last three years. I want to finish my career strong, not like this."
Erickson, 35, missed the entire 2001 season after undergoing elbow surgery late in August 2000. He returned last season and was the Orioles' Opening Day starter, but went just 5-12 with a 5.55 ERA.
Jim Harrick's son reportedly suspended
ATHENS, Ga., March 1 (UPI) -- The University of Georgia reportedly suspended assistant basketball coach Jim Harrick Jr. Friday.
The action came in the wake of allegations that he provided improper benefits and academic assistance to a former player. ESPN reported that Harrick arranged the payment of telephone and hotel bills for former Bulldogs guard Tony Cole and helped him fraudently achieve high grades at two schools, including Georgia.
After hearing of the report, Georgia Athletic Director Vince Dooley issued a statement Thursday night, neither confirming nor denying the accusations. He said the school is cooperating fully with the NCAA and Southeastern Conference.
Bulldogs Coach Jim Harrick Sr. addressed the media Friday before practice.
"Despite the many issues we've had in the past with Tony Cole, we take these things seriously," Harrick said of his former player, who was suspended last season after being charged with sexual assault.
On Friday, a school spokeswoman would not confirm the suspension. ESPN reported that Harrick Jr. was suspended because he was named in every allegation made by Cole and that he will be out indefinitely, pending an investigation.
Adams signed by Cowboys
IRVING, Texas, March 1 (UPI) -- The Dallas Cowboys signed tackle Flozell Adams to a five-year contract Friday, making him one of the highest-paid players at his position.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but there was a report the deal is worth $25 million and includes a $10 million signing bonus. Earlier Friday, New York Giants left tackle Luke Petitgout signed a similar deal.
Nicknamed "Hotel" for his massive size, the 6-7, 357-pound Adams started all 16 games last season. He widely is recognized as a solid pass and run blocker and should fit nicely in new coach Bill Parcells' style of offense.
The team made the re-signing of Adams one of its top offseason priorities.
A 1998 secound-round pick out of Michigan State, Adams has started 76 of 80 games during his career.
The Cowboys also re-united Terry Glenn with Coach Bill Parcells, acquiring the veteran wide receiver from the Green Bay Packers for an undisclosed future draft pick.
Glenn, who played just one season in Green Bay, spent his first six seasons in New England after being drafted seventh overall in 1996 by Parcells, then coach of the Patriots.
In other transactions, Green Bay picked up cornerback Al Harris and a fourth-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles for a second-round pick while Indianapolis signed free-agent defensive tackle Montae Reagor.
Reagor spent four seasons with the Denver Broncos.
Dusty Baker makes Cubs debut
MESA, Ariz., March 1 (UPI) -- Dusty Baker got the best of Barry Bonds Friday as the Chicago Cubs outsluggled the San Francisco Giants, 7-5.
Managing his first game for the Cubs since the Giants let him go after the World Series, Baker watched Midre Cummings homer twice in the exhibition opener for both clubs.
Bonds homered on the first pitch he saw this the spring, hitting a solo shot off Cubs phenom Mark Prior in the first inning to make it 3-0. In his first at bat as a Giant, Jose Cruz Jr. had hit a two-run blast.
Bonds went one for two. Earlier in the day, it was reported that his father -- former Giant Bobby Bonds -- is undergoing chemotherapy in the Bay Area for lung cancer.
