Local Sports 3/18/11

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

FIRST ROUND PLAY CONCLUDED AT THE BOYS SWEET 16 IN LEXINGTON THURSDAY.

1ST REGION REPRESENTATIVE MARSHALL COUNTY DEFEATED BELL COUNTY 55-33, 3RD REGION WINNER DAVIESS COUNTY FELL TO ROWAN COUNTY 45-32, BULLITT EAST BEAT BARDSTOWN 53-44, AND WAYNE COUNTY OVER PERRY COUNTY CENTRAL 68-58.

QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS TODAY INCLUDE CLARK COUNTY AND LOUISVILLE EASTERN AT 11 AM HOPKINSVILLE TIME, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIAN COUNTY MEETING LEXINGTON CATHOLIC, WITH COVERAGE OF BOTH GAMES TO BEGIN AT 10:45 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

TONIGHT'S GAMES HAVE ROWAN COUNTY MEETING PERRY COUNTY CENTRAL AND BULLITT EAST MEETING MARSHALL COUNTY.  COVERAGE OF THOSE GAMES BEGIN AT 5:15 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

IT WAS A WILD OPENING DAY OF THE NCAA TOURNAMENT, WITH KENTUCKY AND MOREHEAD STATE BOTH ADVANCING.

THE WILDCATS GOT A SHOT FROM BRANDON KNIGHT WITH TWO SECONDS LEFT FOR HIS ONLY POINTS OF THE DAY TO PULL OUT A WIN OVER PRINCETON 59-57.  THE WILDCATS FACE WEST VIRGINIA SATURDAY WITH TIP OFF SET FOR 11:15  IN TAMPA.  YOU CAN HEAR THE GAME ON LITE 98.7 WITH PRE GAME COVERAGE AT 9:30.

MOREHEAD STATE UPSET LOUISVILLE 62-61 ON A THREE POINT SHOT BY DEMONTE HARPER WITH FOUR POINT TWO SECONDS TO GO.  FOLLOWING THE GAME, LOUISVILLE COACH RICK PITINO SAID IN A STORY IN THE LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER IT WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST LOSSES HE HAS HAD IN COACHING AND EVEN HINTED THAT HE MAY HAVE COACHED TOO LONG.  HOWEVER, PITINO LATER DISPELLED ANY RUMORS HE WAS PLANNING TO RETIRE.

FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR, VANDERBILT HAS LOST ITS OPENING GAME IN THE NC-AA TOURNAMENT, LOSING TO RICHMOND 69-66. RICHMOND WILL FACE MOREHEAD STATE SATURDAY IN DENVER. 

BELMONT LOST TO WISCONSIN 72-58.  THE BRUINS FINISH THE SEASON 30-5, DESPITE GOING TO 0-4 IN NCAA TOURNAMENT PLAY.

THE TENNESEE VOLS ARE IN ACTION TODAY IN CHARLOTTE AGAINST MICHIGAN IN AN OPENING ROUND WEST REGION GAME.  THE TENNESSEAN REPORTS TODAY COACH BRUCE PEARL SAID A NEWS CONFERENCE THURSDAY HE TAKES FULL BLAME FOR THE DISTRACTIONS FOR THE TEAM THIS SEASON.  EARLIER THIS WEEK, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MIKE HAMILTON SAID THE SCHOOL WOULD EVALUATE PEARL'S STATUS AFTER THE SEASON CONCLUDES.

AUSTIN PEAY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH CARRIE DANIELS ANNOUNCED THURSDAY THE CONTRACT OF ASSISTANT COACH LAPHELIA DOSS WILL NOT BE RENEWED.  IN A NEWS RELEASE, DANIELS ANNOUNCED THE SCHOOL WANTED TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND THE SEARCH FOR A NEW ASSISTANT WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

AUSTIN PEAY HAS NAMED A NEW OFFENSIVE LINE COACH.  COACH RICK CHRISTOPHEL ANNOUNCED THURSDAY TYLER TRENT WILL REPLACE STEVE HAYWOOD WHO RESIGNED LAST WEEK.  TRENT SERVED AS A DEFENSIVE GRADUATE ASSISTANT LAST SEASON.

NHL

THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS WIN IN OVERTIME FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON IN DEFEATING THE BOSTON BRUINS 4-3 THURSDAY EVENING AT BRIDGESTONE ARENA. SHEA WEBER GOT THE GAME WINNING GOAL IN THE EXTRA FRAME.