Show Section a Monday March 3 2004 —— Page 1 The Herald Journal Late bricks bury Jazz Inside LOS ANGELES (AP) — Karl Malone playing against his former team for the first time had 19 points and 13 rebounds Sunday night to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 4 for their eighth straight victory 91-8- Playing his ninth game since being sidelined nearly three months with a tom knee ligament — die first serious injury of his NBA career — Malone shot from the foul line and Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 34 points in the last two minutes Gary Payton added 17 points and Shaquille O’Neill had 1 1 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers (5023) 19-- 4 record who have an NBA-be- st break and trail since the All-StSacraWestern Conference-leadin- g mento by two games with nine 19-ye- ar Young Aussie holds on to win B2 Players Championship Sports briefs Busch claims third straight at Bristol — ar Kurt BRISTOL Tenn (AP) Busch turned a bad decision and an car into underpowered another victory Good thing Busch was racing at Bristol Motor Speedway a place where he can seemingly do no wrong these days Busch worked his magic again Sunday at the Food City 500 winning his third straight NASCAR Nex-tCup race and fourth in the last five Oval tries on the concrete driver angered The fourth-yecre w chief Jimmy Fennig when he decision to pass made a with the other leadtire a change up ers under caution 1 19 laps from the end of the 500-la- p race That put him in the lead for the first time in the race and Busch somehow made his worn tires last holding off frus- traited Rusty Wallace to the end “This one by far has got to be the sweetest because of what we had to overcome” Busch said of his victories here nearly half pf his career total of nine “Our engine had about 1000 RPM less all day today and I just couldn't get the car to handle right It’s just unreal" jljlh fvv y remaining The Lakers readied 50 wins for the eighth straight season not counting 1998-9- 9 campaign shortened to 50 games because of labor problems Raja Bell scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth career-hig- h who for the Jazz (38-3- 6) quarter lost for just the third time in 10 gamps and fell into a virtual tie with Portland for the eighth and final playoff both in the West — e a ahead of Denver Raul Lopez was the only other Utah player in double figures ' with 12 points The Jazz outscored the Lakers 26-- 8 to finish the third quarter and start the fourth to take a 79- half-gam- 77 lead with 4:29 remaining The Lakers responded by going on a 14-- 5 nin to finish the game Payton made four free throws to put Los Angeles ahead for good before Bryant scored his team's final 10 points — eight from the foul line Malone the NBA’s second-leadin- g career scorer missed the Lakers’ first game against Utah because of suspension and the last two due to a knee injury that caused him to miss 39 games The Lakers are 27-- 6 when he’s played Malone who signed a free agent contract with the Lakers last summer sat out only 10 games during his 18 seasons with the Jazz — six because of injury and four due to suspension AP photo See JAZZ bn B2 Utah Jazz center Jarron Collins (31) drives past Los Angeles Lakers forward Karl Malone Regional Finals el half-mi- le ar m last-seco- nd - Jack leads Georgia - Tech in overtime win " UTEP names coach EL PASO Texas (APj — Texas-E- l Paso chose fromits own ranks Sunday promoting assistant coach Doc Sadler to head basketball coach Sadler replaces Billy Gillispie who accepted the head coadiing position at Texas A&M on Wednesday “As an assistant coach it is always a dream to have the opportu- nity to run your own program” Sadler said “Never did I dream that opportunity would come at the only school in the state of Texas to have won a national championship this is a great honor but also aresponsi- bility 1 look forward to” ' ' - ' NCAA AP photo Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack reacts after hitting a shot late in the game: Memphis 94 Toronto 88 Dallas 118 Orlando 88: Houston 111 Milwaukee 107 OT ' Indiana 67 Miami 80 Boston 89 Philadelphia 65 Sacramento 100 Washington 92 77 Golden State 105 LA Clippers ' LA Lakers 91 Utah 84 NHL - t ll third-seed- ed : ’ 9) See TECH on B4 ' I ATLANTA ( AP) — Chris Duhon sat at his locker wearing a champi- onship cap and a net around his neck Now that’s more like it for Duke With histtxy on their sidethe Blue Devils ended Xavier’s remarkable run in the NCAA tournament arid headed to their 14th Final Four holding off the Musketeers 3 St Louis 3 Chicago 1 ' Minnesota 2 Anaheim 1 New Jersey 3 NY Islanders 2 ' Edmonton 4 Phoenix 2 San Jose 2 Dallas OT ' ' Yellow Jackets Their first three games in the St Louis Regional were decided by a total of 13 points has But Georgia Tech (27-been unflappable all season the NBA GOLF-:- f- No team had more tight games Tournament On television Jack who Kored eight of his career-hig- h 29 points in over- -' time “B J being out we all knew we had to step up I just really got it going and kept attacking until the game was beating Connecticut when the Huskies were ranked No 1 and winning at Duke and Wake Forest So facing the favored Jayhawks even without Elder was no big deal Even when the game went to overtime After little Will Bynum hit a to break a 7 j all big tie Jack went from the line in the last 47 seconds to seal the win ' l 2 from Jack finished the floor and had nine rebounds and six assists Luke Schenscher added 15 points and Clarence Moore matched his season high with 14 for the Yellow Jackets As the final seconds ticked off the dock coach Paul Hewitt threw his hands in the air in triumph and a widegrin spread across his face: The Yellow Jackets poured onto the court and into a pile when the buzzer sounded Elder's teammates tried to lift him up -- on its road to the Final Four than Georgia Tech 79 Kansas 71 OT Duke 66 Xavier 63 : With top scorer BJ Elder hobbled by a badly sprained ankle someone else had to step up Jar: rett Jack and the rest of the Yel-- : low Jackets did better than that beating Kansas 79-- 7 tin overtime Sunday to advance to their first Final Rxirsince 1990 “A lot was bn the line” said ' Sunday's scores ' ST LOUIS (AP)— When the final buzzer sounded the entire Georgia Tech team rushed together to pile into a group hiig on the floor’ How fitting ' 66-6- Sunday to win the Atlanta Regional Xavier had already cut down the second- - arid teams in the make it couldn’t At but region the end it was the Blue Devils cutting down the nets at the Georgia Dome “This is probably my favorite team since I’ve been aC Duke” said Duhon : third-seed- ed f the senior point guard who was part of the 2001 national championship team as a freshman “It's an amazing feeling to go out and battle with these guys I hope they enjoy it as much as I have” had been The Blue Devils (31-' eliminated the last two years in the ’ this time round of 16 No slip-up- s V-- the Blue Devils are the only No 1 seed io reach San Aritonia and 5) ’ will play Connecticut next Saturday in the national semifinals ' ?‘This is something I've been : dreaming about''' Duke 'so'phombrc Shelden Williams said “When you go tQ bed at nighL you have the same dream over and over till it happens" SebDUKEonB4 i'- rim -- JGC t Tavistock Cup first round at Lake Nona Fla MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL RANCHO MIRAGE Calif (AP) — Grace Park could only watch as the eagle putt rolled into the center of the cup on the 18th green fist sending Aree Song into a Tiger Woods-lik- e pumping ' Park’s owri putt was only 6 feet but now it seemed longer' Much longer Sink it and Park would win her first major : chanqrionship Miss it and she would have to take her chances in a playoff with the teen phenom - The putt was simple enough but the moment tpm ESPN2 — Prdseason - Chicago Cubs vs Anaheirfi at Tempo Ariz - 5 pm r NHL-- : mini-fren- ESPN2 — Minnesota at Detroit : : v-’7pm FSN- - Los Angeles at Colorado TENNIS V 11 am ' Tour NASDAQ-10- 0 ESPN —ATP-WTOpen early round at Key Fla 7:30 pm -- SPN2 ATP-WTTour 100 Open early round af Key tape) Biscayne Fla (same-daWOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 4 A Bis-cay- ne - wasbig 5PJH ESPN— NCAA tournament East Regional final Prim State vs Connecticut 7 p-- NCAA tournament West ESPN Regional final LSU vs Georgia AP photo Michefle Wiei left and Grace Park pose for a photo an the 18th greea Wie hotels the trophy awarded to the best amateur and Park won the LPGA 2004 Kraft Nabisco Championship: : - - “If you want it realjy really badly you can Park was feeling the pressure “My knees my arms my whole body was shaking” Park said “I didn't know if I coyld start the dub back” There was never a doubt Park struck the putt with a smooth stroke and it fell gently in the cup givjng her the Kraft Nabisco Champi-onshi- p in perhaps the most dramatic finish in' eventthe history of the On a day when two teenagers showed they ) v ' do it” Park said “I guess 1 was the one who it wanted the most’’ Park's putt came just moments after Song rolled in a eagle putt to tie her for thelead pumping her fist in the air and shouted “Yes! Yes! YesL’V Park had vowed that this would be her day and she would finally win a major championship She just didn’t realize how tough ir would be “I did iL l'rrt shaking likea baby" Park said : theatrics came on a hole Song’s final-ho'shortened to 485 yards on Sunday so players could take a chance and go for the green in two : 30-fo- ot : : r A might be the future of wbmeri's golf the Park was the present Michelle Wie arid the Song will have their time but this day: 69 belonged to Park who finished with a zy I : LPGA le - See PARK on B4 - |