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 Fri, Mar 6 1992 Date: Fri, 6 Mar 92 05:54:04 EST Message-ID: 03-06 0000 DECISIONLINE: Sports USA TODAY Update March 6-8, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network NCAA BERTHS UP FOR GRABS: Conference tournaments will produce six automatic qualifiers this weekend for the NCAA basketball tournament, and several other teams can help their chances to get at-large bids. Teams such as Florida, Memphis State and Notre Dame will try to improve their chances of making the 64-team field with wins. Also, Duke, Kansas and Indiana will try to lock up No. 1 regional seeds. ARIZONA, MICHIGAN ST. WIN: No. 4 Arizona and No. 12 Michigan State cruised to easy league wins Thursday in men's college basketball. The Spartans (19-6) downed Northwestern 72-55 in the Big Ten and the Wildcats (23-4) beat California 100-77 in the Pac 10. In other games: No. 7 UCLA 89, Washington State 85; No. 10 USC 75, Washington 63. SABATINI WINS, COURIER LOSES: Argentina's Gabriela Sabatini defeated Chanda Rubin, 16, a high school junior from Lafayette, La., 6-2, 6-2 Thursday in the third round of the Virginia Slims of Florida. Also, in the Newsweek Champions Cup at Indian Wells, Calif., No. 1 Jim Courier was upset by unseeded Andre Chesnokov 6-4, 7-5. BASEBALL IS BACK: Exhibition baseball games got under way Thursday at spring training with the Atlanta Braves picking up where they left off last season, beating the Los Angles Dodgers 10-0. In the only other games Thursday, the Chicago White Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 and the Kansas City Royals topped Central Florida 5-0. A full slate of games is scheduled for Friday. BO TO MEET WITH MANAGEMENT: Bo Jackson, saying he's "not earning his keep," will meet with Chicago White Sox management Friday to discuss his options, which include extending his contract deadline beyond March 15. The White Sox have until then to decide whether to pick up Jackson's guaranteed $910,000 salary, plus $10,000 a game for up to 150 games. "I'm very down on myself for the way that I'm running." ESPN SAYS PEREZ TESTS POSITIVE: New York Yankees pitcher Pascual Perez, who failed to show up at training camp Thursday, has tested positive for drugs, according to a report by ESPN. A spokesman at the commissioner's office said a statement would be made Friday. NORDIQUES GET ROAD WIN: The Quebec Nordiques beat the Hartford Whalers 10-4 Thursday for their first NHL road win since last March 10, when they also beat the Whalers. Quebec was 0-28-10 since then, 0-25-8 this season. In other NHL games: Vancouver 2, Boston 2, OT; Minnesota 4, Detroit 2; N.Y. Islanders 4, Chicago 4, OT; Toronto 5, Calgary 5, OT. BULLETS GET HOME WIN: The Washington Bullets ended their five-game home losing streak and extended the Dallas Mavericks' road losing streak to 16 games with a 119-109 win Thursday. Pervis Ellison had 21 points and 10 rebounds. In other NBA games: New York 101, LA Clippers 91; Chicago 113, Minnesota 100; Houston 114, Miami 93; Phoenix 118, Seattle 105; Golden State 116, Cleveland 108. SWIMMING TEAM LOOKS FAMILIAR: Some familiar names won spots Thursday for the 1992 Summer Games during swimming's Olympic Trials. Matt Biondi, who won seven medals in 1988, won the 50-meter freestyle Thursday to clinch an Olympic berth. Tom Jager finished second and will make his third Olympic appearance. Janet Evans, who won three gold medals in 1988, clinched her second Olympic berth, winning the 800 freestyle. COUPLES STAYS HOT: Fred Couples, who won the L.A. Open Sunday, shot 6-under-par 66 Thursday to share the lead in the $1.4 million Doral-Ryder Open. Couples is tied with Steve Elkington, Loren Roberts and Mike Smith. Ray Floyd, Curtis Strange and Ben Crenshaw are among seven at 67. Also, five players shared the lead after the first round of the LPGA Inamori Classic at Poway, Calif. LEBLANC TO GET BIG WELCOME: Sunday is "Ray Day" at the Indianapolis Ice's International Hockey League game against Peoria. "Ray" is U.S. Olympic goalie Ray LeBlanc. The Ice added 1,000 extra seats for the crowd expected to see LeBlanc between the pipes. He made 49 saves in a 5-4 win over Kalamazoo Wednesday in his IHL return. The Chicago Blackhawks, who own LeBlanc's rights, say he will get at least one NHL start. SWINGLEY LEADS IDITAROD: Doug Swingley was the first musher to reach the halfway point in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Thursday, beating former champion Joe Runyan to Cripple, Alaska, by one minute to take a $3,000 prize of silver ingots. Next were DeeDee Jonrowe and Martin Buser, last year's second-place finisher. DEFIANT DROPS OUT OF RACE: Equipment problems forced Defiant to drop out of Thursday's third-round match with America's Cup syndicate stablemate America 3. America 3 meets Stars & Stripes Saturday. In other Cup news, the controversial bowsprit on New Zealand's yacht was ruled illegal by the jury overseeing racing. The ruling applies only to the Cup final match in May. 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