Gators end BYU's season
NEW ORLEANS, March 24 (UPI) -- Kenny Boynton scored five points early in overtime Thursday to help boost Florida to an 83-74 win over BYU in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Boynton's 3-pointer with 3:24 to play gave the Gators a 75-70 advantage and they went on to set up a Southeast Region final matchup against either Butler or Wisconsin.
Kyle Collinsworth hit a foul shot for BYU to forge a 68-68 tie with 44 seconds left in regulation but he missed his second attempt and neither team could score the rest of the way.
Alex Tyus led Florida with 19 points and 17 rebounds and Chandler Parsons had 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Boynton added 17 points for the Gators (29-7), who kept their hopes alive for a third NCAA title in six years.
BYU's Jimmer Fredette, the leading scorer in the NCAA this season, produced 32 points in his final college game. Fredette, however, went 11-of-29 from the field and was scoreless during the overtime period. He missed his only two shots in the extra 5 minutes and turned the ball over twice.
The Cougars finished their season at 32-5 and the Mountain West Conference's tremendous campaign came to a close with the elimination Thursday of both the league teams that had made it to the Sweet 16.
San Diego State, the MWC's tournament champion, lost Thursday to Connecticut.
Levin leads by three at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Fla., March 24 (UPI) -- Spencer Levin overcame difficult scoring conditions Thursday to shoot a 6-under 66 and take the first-round lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Phil Mickelson got off to a good start, shooting 70, and Tiger Woods settled for a 1-over 73 in the next-to-last event prior to the playing of the year's first major championship.
Levin played during the afternoon when the winds were strongest at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge. It is the third time this year he has led or shared the lead after the opening round of a PGA Tour event.
Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan were tied for second at 3-under 69, both having played in the morning before the winds picked up.
Mickelson was in a 12-way tie for fourth place, joined by Brian Davis, Lee Janzen, Martin Laird, Bubba Watson, Chris Couch, Vaughn Taylor, Jason Dufner, Hunter Haas, Daniel Chopra and Rocco Mediate.
Woods, who did not hit a fairway on the front nine, bogeyed the final hole to finish the round with 73.
Bruins roll over Montreal
BOSTON, March 24 (UPI) -- Two goals each from Gregory Campbell and Nathan Horton Thursday sent the Boston Bruins rolling to a 7-0 blasting of Montreal.
The Bruins increased their lead over second-place Montreal to five points in the Northeast Division.
Tim Thomas recorded the shutout, his eighth of the season and 25th of his career, by making 24 saves.
Johnny Boychuk opened the scoring 61 seconds into the game, and Campbell and Horton followed with first-period goals.
Horton, Adam McQuaid, Tomas Kaberle and Campbell scored in the third period -- Horton boosting his total for the season to 22.
Carey Price allowed five goals on 33 shots before being removed in favor of Alex Auld.
This was the first meeting between the teams since Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara delivered a controversial hit on Montreal's Max Pacioretty. Pacioretty was slammed into the side of a pane of glass between the benches, suffering a severe concussion and a fracture of the fourth cervical vertebra.
More signs Kings may move south to Anaheim
SACRAMENTO, March 24 (UPI) -- A California billionaire and basketball fan says he is negotiating with the owners of the Sacramento Kings to move south and play in Anaheim.
"I would love to lure an NBA franchise," said scientist, businessman, philanthropist and basketball aficionado Henry Samueli, the Sacramento Bee reported Thursday.
The Maloof family, owners of the Kings, has until April 18 to ask the NBA for permission to move south but Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson says his money is on the team leaving because the time is right.
The Kings have received several invitations to play at the Honda Center in Anaheim, formerly The Pond, as have several other basketball teams, but they have all run into the "Disney Effect," the newspaper said. Although just a tenant at the arena with its NHL Anaheim Ducks, a favorable lease emboldened Disney to keep a tight grip on all revenue streams such as the building's luxury suites, advertising and merchandising, the Bee said.
The "Disney Effect" kept many NBA teams from coming to the venue to make it their home, including the Clippers, the Charlotte Hornets and the Vancouver Grizzlies who, in 2001, considered a move but decided on going to Memphis.
"Disney has very strong opinions," former Grizzlies executive Andy Dolich said. "We would have controlled a small amount of revenue."
In 2003 Samueli, co-founder of a $6.8 billion-a-year Orange County firm that makes cellphone chips, took over the contract to run the Anaheim arena.
He bought the Mighty Ducks franchise from The Walt Disney Co. for $75 million in 2005 and renamed the team the Anaheim Ducks and groomed them into 2007 Stanley Cup champions.
