Dothan Eagle 1B
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Sports Monday, April 8, 2013 B PGA Tour Laird ties course record 4B u College Baseball .... 2B u MLB .... 3B u Tennis .... 4B u NASCAR .... 5B u Classifieds .... 6B Indy Car In Alabama NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay poses by his car before before qualifying for Sunday’s IndCay Grand Prix of Alabama, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham. Hunter-Reay holds off Dixon Women’s Final Four The Associated Press BIRMINGHAM — Andretti Autosport remained perfect on the year Sunday when defend- ing IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay snapped Penske Racing’s winning streak at Barber Motorsports Park. Hunter-Reay proved to be a credible threat for the victory when he beat both Will Power and Helio Castroneves for the pole. The Penske drivers had swept every pole and all three races in IndyCar’s previous vis- its to the Alabama road course. Hunter-Reay then ran a steady race, and held strong in one intense battle for posi- tion with both Penske drivers, to claim his first win of the sea- son. Then he had to hold off Scott Dixon, who finished sec- ond for the fourth consecutive year. “I was dragging my tail off try- ing to hold off Dixon,” Hunter- Reay said. Castroneves was third to take over the IndyCar points lead, and Charlie Kimball, Dixon’s teammate at Chip Ganassi Rac- ing, was a career-best fourth. Power was fifth. AJ Allmendinger ran seventh for most of his IndyCar debut but finished 20th after stalling his car during his final pit stop. But he was praised repeatedly by team owner Roger Penske, even after the mistake in the pits. “Finish this and just learn, learn, learn. You are doing fine,” Penske radioed Allmendinger. It was a huge turnaround for Hunter-Reay, whose previous best finish at Barber was 12th and he opened the season with an 18th-place finish at St. Pete in a race plagued by mechani- cal problems. But he left with his 10th career victory, and put the No. 1 car into Victory Lane at an IndyCar race for the first time since Sebastien Bourdais won at Mexico City in 2007. See INDY, Page 5B ESCAPING SHADOWS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell answers questions in the locker room before practice last weekend in Atlanta. Louisville plays Michigan in the championship game today. The Associated Press ATLANTA — The hoops teams at Louisville and Michigan are used to being overlooked. The Cardinals may be a na- tional powerhouse, but they’re still considered second fiddle in their own state. The Kentucky Wildcats are the blue bloods of the bluegrass, while Louisville settles for being viewed as more of a blue-collar school. The Michigan basketball team knows what that’s like. Football rules on the Wolverines’ campus — rightly so, said Tim Hardaway Jr., given that program’s long, storied history. “We still have a ways to go,” said Hardaway, Michigan’s junior guard. “Football has a lot more national championships than we do.” Well, it’s kind of hard to over- look either team now. Louisville and Michigan will meet Monday night in the NCAA championship game. The Cardinals (34-5) have lived up to their billing as the tournament’s top overall seed, blowing through their first four opponents before rallying from a dozen points down in the sec- ond half to beat surprising Wich- ita State 72-68 in the national semifinals. It’s been quite a run for the Louisville athletic program, in general. The women’s basketball team also reached the Final Four, while the football team won a Big East title and stunned Florida in the Sugar Bowl. All the while, they’re battling with Kentucky for the state’s affections. “We’re not a who’s who like Harvard and Yale in the alumni world,” coach Rick Pitino said Sunday. “We’re a blue-collar school that supports each other. One of the coolest places I’ve ever worked.” Pitino should know. He also worked at Kentucky, leading the Wildcats to a national title in 1996. Now, he’s got a chance to be- come the first coach to win championships at two schools. See SHADOWS, Page 4B Louisville, Michigan shine in Final Four The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — Make that three straight up- sets for Louisville, who used the latest thriller to head back to the women’s national championship game for the first time since 2009. Antonita Slaughter scored 18 points on six 3-pointers and Louisville clawed back from a 10- point halftime deficit to defeat California 64-57 in the national semifi- nals Sunday. Bria Smith scored 17 on 6 of 7 shoot- ing for the Cardinals (29- 8), who were a No. 5 seed and became the first team seeded worse than fourth to win a Final Four game. The result ensures an all-Big East Conference final in the league’s last season in its current form, with Louisville meeting Connecticut on Tuesday night — one night after the Louisville men’s team plays Michigan for the championship. “Right now anything can happen,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “Why not us?” Layshia Clarendon scored 17 for Cal (32-4), which had won the Spo- kane Region as a second seed. Gennifer Brandon added 12 for the Golden Bears and Brittany Boyd added 10 points. Cards notch another upset against Cal THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Louisville guard Bria Smith (21) shoots against California guard Brittany Boyd (right) in the second half of Sunday’s Final Four game in New Orleans. The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — Bre- anna Stewart put on quite a show to help UConn finally vanquish Notre Dame. The stellar freshman scored a career-high 29 points to go with four blocks, leading the Hus- kies to the national championship game with an 83-65 win over Notre Dame on Sunday night. The Huskies will face Louisville in the cham- pionship game Tuesday night in an all-Big East final after the Cardinals rallied to beat California 64-57 in the other NCAA semifinal. UConn will be going for its eighth na- tional championship to match Tennessee for the most in women’s basket- ball history. No team has dominated Geno Auriemma’s Huskies the way that the Irish had over the past few seasons. UConn (34-4) had lost the previous two national semifinals to the Irish and dropped three thrilling games this season to their rival. Stewart and her team- mates wouldn’t let it hap- pen again, ending the brilliant career of Notre Dame guard Skylar Dig- gins. She finished her last college game with 10 points, going a dis- mal 3 for 15 from the field. Stewart and UConn beat Notre Dame
Transcript of Dothan Eagle 1B
SportsMonday, April 8, 2013
BPGA Tour
Laird ties course record
4B
u CollegeBaseball....2B uMLB....3B uTennis....4B u
NASCAR....5B u Classifieds....6B
Indy Car In Alabama
NCAA ChAmpIoNshIp
TheASSoCiATedPReSS
Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay poses by his car before before qualifying for Sunday’s IndCay Grand Prix of Alabama, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham.
Hunter-Reay holds off Dixon
Women’s Final Four
TheAssociatedPress
BIRMINGHAM — Andretti Autosport remained perfect on the year Sunday when defend-ing IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay snapped Penske Racing’s winning streak at Barber Motorsports Park.
Hunter-Reay proved to be a credible threat for the victory when he beat both Will Power and Helio Castroneves for the pole. The Penske drivers had swept every pole and all three races in IndyCar’s previous vis-its to the Alabama road course.
Hunter-Reay then ran a steady race, and held strong in one intense battle for posi-
tion with both Penske drivers, to claim his first win of the sea-son. Then he had to hold off Scott Dixon, who finished sec-ond for the fourth consecutive year.
“I was dragging my tail off try-ing to hold off Dixon,” Hunter-Reay said.
Castroneves was third to take over the IndyCar points lead, and Charlie Kimball, Dixon’s teammate at Chip Ganassi Rac-ing, was a career-best fourth. Power was fifth.
AJ Allmendinger ran seventh for most of his IndyCar debut but finished 20th after stalling his car during his final pit stop. But he was praised repeatedly
by team owner Roger Penske, even after the mistake in the pits.
“Finish this and just learn, learn, learn. You are doing fine,” Penske radioed Allmendinger.
It was a huge turnaround for Hunter-Reay, whose previous best finish at Barber was 12th and he opened the season with an 18th-place finish at St. Pete in a race plagued by mechani-cal problems. But he left with his 10th career victory, and put the No. 1 car into Victory Lane at an IndyCar race for the first time since Sebastien Bourdais won at Mexico City in 2007.
SeeINDY,Page5B
ESCAPING SHADOWS
TheASSoCiATedPReSS
Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell answers questions in the locker room before practice last weekend in Atlanta. Louisville plays Michigan in the championship game today.
TheAssociatedPress
ATLANTA — The hoops teams at Louisville and Michigan are used to being overlooked.
The Cardinals may be a na-tional powerhouse, but they’re still considered second fiddle in their own state. The Kentucky Wildcats are the blue bloods of the bluegrass, while Louisville settles for being viewed as more of a blue-collar school.
The Michigan basketball team knows what that’s like. Football rules on the Wolverines’ campus — rightly so, said Tim Hardaway Jr., given that program’s long, storied history.
“We still have a ways to go,” said Hardaway, Michigan’s junior guard. “Football has a lot more national championships than we do.”
Well, it’s kind of hard to over-look either team now.
Louisville and Michigan will meet Monday night in the NCAA championship game.
The Cardinals (34-5) have lived up to their billing as the tournament’s top overall seed,
blowing through their first four opponents before rallying from a dozen points down in the sec-ond half to beat surprising Wich-ita State 72-68 in the national semifinals.
It’s been quite a run for the Louisville athletic program, in general. The women’s basketball team also reached the Final Four, while the football team won a Big East title and stunned Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
All the while, they’re battling with Kentucky for the state’s affections.
“We’re not a who’s who like Harvard and Yale in the alumni world,” coach Rick Pitino said Sunday. “We’re a blue-collar school that supports each other. One of the coolest places I’ve ever worked.”
Pitino should know. He also worked at Kentucky, leading the Wildcats to a national title in 1996.
Now, he’s got a chance to be-come the first coach to win championships at two schools.
SeeSHADOWS,Page4B
Louisville,MichiganshineinFinalFour
TheAssociatedPress
NEW ORLEANS — Make that three straight up-sets for Louisville, who used the latest thriller to head back to the women’s national championship game for the first time since 2009.
Antonita Slaughter scored 18 points on six 3-pointers and Louisville clawed back from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat California 64-57 in the national semifi-nals Sunday. Bria Smith scored 17 on 6 of 7 shoot-ing for the Cardinals (29-8), who were a No. 5 seed and became the first team seeded worse than fourth
to win a Final Four game.The result ensures an
all-Big East Conference final in the league’s last season in its current form, with Louisville meeting Connecticut on Tuesday night — one night after the Louisville men’s team plays Michigan for the championship.
“Right now anything can happen,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “Why not us?”
Layshia Clarendon scored 17 for Cal (32-4), which had won the Spo-kane Region as a second seed. Gennifer Brandon added 12 for the Golden Bears and Brittany Boyd added 10 points.
Cards notch another upset against Cal
TheASSoCiATedPReSS
Louisville guard Bria Smith (21) shoots against California guard Brittany Boyd (right) in the second half of Sunday’s Final Four game in New Orleans.
TheAssociatedPress
NEW ORLEANS — Bre-anna Stewart put on quite a show to help UConn finally vanquish Notre Dame.
The stellar freshman scored a career-high 29 points to go with four blocks, leading the Hus-kies to the national championship game with an 83-65 win over Notre Dame on Sunday night.
The Huskies will face Louisville in the cham-pionship game Tuesday night in an all-Big East final after the Cardinals rallied to beat California 64-57 in the other NCAA semifinal. UConn will be going for its eighth na-
tional championship to match Tennessee for the most in women’s basket-ball history.
No team has dominated Geno Auriemma’s Huskies the way that the Irish had over the past few seasons.
UConn (34-4) had lost the previous two national semifinals to the Irish and dropped three thrilling games this season to their rival.
Stewart and her team-mates wouldn’t let it hap-pen again, ending the brilliant career of Notre Dame guard Skylar Dig-gins. She finished her last college game with 10 points, going a dis-mal 3 for 15 from the field.
Stewart and UConn beat Notre Dame
