Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.sports From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: sports Mon, Mar 2 1992 Date: Mon, 2 Mar 92 05:57:42 EST Message-ID: 03-02 0000 DECISIONLINE: Sports USA TODAY Update March 2, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network DUKE TOPS UCLA: No. 1 Duke went on a 16-4 run in the final three minutes Sunday to score an impressive 75-65 road win over UCLA. In other games: No. 2 Indiana 76, Illinois 70; Maryland 82, No. 13 North Carolina 80; No. 9 Kentucky 80, Vanderbilt 56; No. 22 Seton Hall 77, Connecticut 64. Also, Princeton and Mississippi Valley State secured the first NCAA tournament berths over the weekend. BLUE DEVILS REMAIN NO. 1: Duke (23-2) strengthened its hold on the No. 1 ranking in this week's USA TODAY:CNN Top 25 Coaches' Poll with wins over Virginia and UCLA last week. The rest of the top 10: No. 2, Indiana (21-4); No. 3, Kansas (21-3); No. 4, Arizona (22-4); No. 5, Ohio St. (19-5); No. 6, Arkansas (22-6); No. 7, UCLA (21-4); No. 8, Missouri (20-5); No. 9, Kentucky (22-5); No. 10, USC (20-4). BIRD SPARKS CELTICS: Larry Bird had 26 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in his first game back from a back injury as the Boston Celtics downed the Dallas Mavericks 101-91 Sunday. In other NBA games: Chicago 111, Portland 91; Milwaukee 109, Atlanta 106, OT; Phoenix 114, Utah 109; New Jersey 90, New York 75; LA Clippers 101, Orlando 96; Seattle 113, Cleveland 107; Houston 105, LA Lakers 97. RANGERS DOWN WHALERS: Paul Broten recorded his first career hat trick and Roger Neilson notched his 300th win as an NHL coach Sunday as the New York Rangers beat the Hartford Whalers 9-4. In other NHL games: Boston 4, Washington 1; Edmonton 4, Winnipeg 2; Philadelphia 1, San Jose 0; Vancouver 11, Calgary 0; Chicago 3, Buffalo 1; Toronto 6, Minnesota 2. SELES, BECKER TAKE TITLES: Monica Seles defeated Conchita Martinez 6-3, 6-1 Sunday in the final of the Matrix Essentials Evert Cup at Indian Wells, Calif. Also, Germany's Boris Becker beat Aleksandr Volkov of the Commonwealth of Independent States 7-6 (11-9), 4-6, 6-2 to win the ABN-AMRO tennis tournament at Rotterdam, Netherlands, his second title in three weeks. MANSELL, ELLIOTT WIN RACES: Britain's Nigel Mansell won Sunday's South African Grand Prix. Mansell's Italian teammate Riccardo Patrese gave Williams-Renault a sweep of the top two spots in the opener of the Formula One season. Also, on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, Bill Elliott held off Daytona 500 winner Davey Allison to win the Goodwrench 500 at Rockingham, N.C. SANDERBG NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE: Negotiations continued Sunday between Ryne Sandberg and the Chicago Cubs in an attempt to beat the second baseman's 12:01 a.m. MST Monday deadline for a contract extension to keep him from filing postseason free agency. Sandberg said, "My season starts March 1. I don't need the distractions." Sandberg declared he would refuse to be traded if a deal was not struck. COUPLES WINS L.A. OPEN: Fred Couples sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole Sunday to win the Nissan Los Angeles Open. Couples, who has won the tournament two of the past three years, and Davis Love III tied at 15-under-par 269, then birdied the 311-yard 10th hole with short putts. Jay Haas and Japan's Yoshinori Kaneko shot 65s to tie for third at 270. FIRST MARATHON WIN FOR TREACY: John Treacy won his first 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 18 seconds, Sunday at the Los Angeles Marathon. Treacy, who finished second at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, made up for a series of disappointments in previous races. Madina Biktajirova of the Commonwealth of Independent States set a women's course record (2:26:22). REDINGTON LEADS IDITAROD: Raymie Redington was first to reach the Skwentna checkpoint in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Sunday in Alaska, winning a $25,000 diesel pickup. Redington, son of Joe Redington, "Father of the Iditarod," reached the checkpoint, 149 miles into the 1,163-mile sled dog marathon from Anchorage to Nome, 14 minutes before 10-time Iditarod veteran Lavon Barve. WAGNER CARD STOLEN: A 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card worth approximately $250,000 was stolen Friday evening from an unlocked display case at the Super Stars sports memorabilia store in Aspen, Colo., the Aspen Daily News reported. Police have no leads or suspects. Officer Ron Ryan said the only way the police can hope to break the case is if someone tries to sell the card. PATS TO SEE CHANGES: The New England Patriots are expected to have a new owner before the NFL owners meetings March 15-20 and a new stadium within five years, probably in Boston. Under a proposal, owner Victor Kiam would sell VKK Corp., the entity that represents his 51% interest, to entrepreneur Malcom Glazer. 24-HOUR TELEPHONE INFORMATION: USA TODAY Sports Hot Line. 95 cents a minute. 1-900-555-5555. Sports Editor: Jason P. Smith. (919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM