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 9 1992 Date: Mon, 9 Mar 92 05:46:24 EST Message-ID: 03-09 0000 DECISIONLINE: Sports USA TODAY Update March 9, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network SIX GAIN AUTOMATIC BERTHS: The NCAA tournament picture grew a little clearer over the weekend. Murray State, Northeast Louisiana, East Tennessee State and Southwestern Louisiana are a part of the 64-team field, after winning the Ohio Valley, Southland, Southern and Sun Belt Conference tournaments, respectively, Sunday. Campbell (Big South) and Howard (Mid-Eastern) clinched berths Saturday. MICHIGAN UPSETS INDIANA: Michigan upended then-No. 2-ranked Indiana 68-60, dropping the Hoosiers into a first-place tie in the Big Ten Conference with No. 5 Ohio State and to No. 4 in the USA TODAY:CNN coaches poll. No. 1 Duke avenged an earlier loss, beating North Carolina 89-77. The rest of the top 10: No. 2 Kansas, No. 3 Arizona, No. 6 Arkansas, No. 7 UCLA, No. 8 USC, No. 9 Missouri and No. 10 Oklahoma St. UNLV GOING TO COURT FOR BID: Nevada-Las Vegas restarted basketball practice Sunday, and a hearing is set for Wednesday in Clark County District Court on a suit by players to allow the team to play in the NCAA tournament. They are seeking a permanent restraining order against an NCAA ban on their postseason participation. The NCAA says 26-3 UNLV "will be considered" if the injunction is granted and an appeal fails. FLOYD TAKES DORAL RYDER OPEN: Ray Floyd, 49, became the fifth-oldest PGA Tour winner Sunday when he shot 2-under-par 70 to hold off Fred Couples and Keith Clearwater by two strokes in the $1.4 million Doral Ryder Open. It was Floyd's third Doral Ryder victory. "Winning at my age isn't that remarkable," Floyd said. "Age is a number. If I stay healthy, I don't think age is a factor." TALK SURROUNDING BO EXAGGERATED: Bo Jackson said Sunday that talk of his retirement and the rumor he is scheduled for hip replacement surgery have been exaggerated. "This thing's been blown way out of proportion," he said. Jackson was examined Sunday by James Andrews, his orthopedic specialist, who said surgery was the "last option." Monday, Jackson is expected to be the Chicago White Sox's designated hitter. ELLIOTT WINS NASCAR EVENT: Bill Elliott held off charging Alan Kulwicki by 18 inches Sunday for a short-track record $272,700 payday at Richmond International Raceway. Elliott, who won last week at Rockingham, N.C., earned $197,600 from UNOCAL as the winning pole-sitter, as well as $75,100 for the NASCAR Pontiac Excitement 400 win. Harry Gant (Olds), Davey Allison (Ford) and Darrell Waltrip (Chevy) completed the top five. CELTICS DOWN MAGIC: Kevin Gamble had 18 points and Boston completed a 5-0 sweep of the season series against the Orlando Magic, 111-93, Sunday. In other NBA action: Chicago 103, Philadelphia 99; Detroit 98, L.A. Lakers 93; Miami 112, Washington 98; San Antonio 93, Dallas 81; Utah 112, Denver 88; Houston 109, Sacramento 108; L.A. Clippers 97, Golden State 96; Portland 109, Seattle 97. FERRARO LEADS ISLES OVER SABRES: Ray Ferraro gave New York the lead with the first period's only two goals and the Islanders never looked back, beating the Buffalo Sabres 6-2. Ferraro also added an assist. Buffalo got goals from Pat LaFontaine and Dave Andreychuk. Also, in the NHL: Chicago 4, Boston 2; San Jose 4, Toronto 1; Montreal 4, Detroit 1; Vancouver 7, Philadelphia 3; Minnesota 4, Winnipeg 2. REPUBLICS TO BE RECOGNIZED: International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch is expected to offer the 12 former Soviet republics provisional recognition, provided they stay together as one team for the Barcelona Games. The former Soviet republics meet with the IOC Monday in Lausanne, Switzerland. CHANG BACK IN THE TOP 10: Michael Chang earned $132,000 and a return to the top 10 with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory Sunday against Russian Andrei Chesnokov in the final of the Newsweek Champions Cup. With the win, Chang will climb from No. 15 to No. 9 when the rankings are released Monday. In women's tennis, Germany's Steffi Graf beat Conchita Martinez of Spain 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 to win Virginia Slims of Florida. AMERICA 3 LEADS DEFENDERS: After two days of racing in the third round of challenger matches for the 1992 America's Cup, New Zealand and Japan's Nippon Challenge are tied for first with 42 points; Italy's Il Moro di Venezia and France are tied for third with 37 each. Defender standings after six third-round races: America 3, 32 points; Team Dennis Conner, 11 points and Defiant, 8 points. BUSER AHEAD IN IDITAROD: Martin Buser, who placed second in last year's Iditarod, was the first musher to reach the Norton Sound seacoast Sunday in the marathon sled dog race across Alaska. Buser, of Big Lake, arrived at the village of Unalakleet at 2:23 p.m., hours ahead of a group of challengers that included four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher and the race's only five-time champion, Rick Swenson. 24-HOUR TELEPHONE INFORMATION: USA TODAY Sports Hot Line. 95 cents a minute. 1-900-555-5555. Sports Editor: William Snoddy. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution purposes 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