Hornets hand Bobcats 17th straight defeat 75-67

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Bobcats appear to be a collision course with NBA futility.

The Bobcats lost a franchise-record 17th straight game 75-67 to New Orleans Monday night and took a step closer to finishing the season with the worst winning percentage in league history.

If the Bobcats fail to win any of their remaining games they'll finish with a .106 winning percentage, which would be worse than the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, who finished 9-73 for a winning percentage of .110.

It would seem Charlotte's best shot at a win is next Monday at Washington, the second-worst team in the league. However, that same Wizards team just throttled the Bobcats by 28 points in Charlotte last week, so the reality is Monday night might have been their best chance to win a game.

"The whole year has been frustrating but this game was more frustrating because we really got ourselves up for this one," saidGerald Henderson, who finished with a game-high 27 points. "It was a close game the whole game but we couldn't score. It was a struggle to score."

Henderson seemed to be the only one who could score for the Bobcats, who shot 30 percent from the field.

Stephen Silas, who stepped in again to coach the Bobcats for his father Paul, said he went through the entire playbook looking for something that would work.

"The only thing that seemed to work was handing the ball to Gerald Henderson to try to get in the paint," Stephen Silas said.

The loss assured the Bobcats (7-53) of the worst record in the league, giving them a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick in the NBA lottery on May 30. The Bobcats and the rest of the NBA will learn Tuesday if potential top pick Anthony Davis will enter the draft as a press conference in scheduled in Lexington, Ky.

If the Bobcats can land him it would be an immediate help to a team that has struggled both offensively and defensively this season.

The Hornets won despite playing without leading scorers Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman and shooting just 34 percent from the floor. Gordon was given the night off to rest, but no reason was given as to why Kaman was held out of action.

Greivis Vasquez picked up the slack scoring 20 points, while Carl Landry added 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for New Orleans.

It was the second-lowest scoring NBA game this season.

"It wasn't pretty," Hornets coach Monty Williams said.

For a while, the teams flirted with a different kind of NBA futility.

The league record for fewest points scored in a game was set on Feb. 27, 1955 when the Milwaukee Hawks and Boston Celtics combined for 119.

This game was tied at 47 after three quarters.

The Bobcats trailed by as many as eight in the second quarter but closed the half on an 18-6 run to take a 39-35 lead at the break as Kemba Walker provided a spark with seven points during the stretch. The teams combined to shoot 37 percent in the first half.

Things got progressively worst in the third quarter as they combined to score just 20 points — the lowest in the league in a quarter this season and the fewest since 2004— on 15 percent (6 for 40) shooting.

The Hornets put a run together to start the fourth quarter and built their lead to seven after Marco Belinelli knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key. The Bobcats would claw back to close the gap to two after Henderson got hot, but Vazquez hit a runner in the lane to make it a two-possession game.

The Bobcats couldn't get any closer after that.

Williams was not thrilled with his team's shot selection after the game.

"(We) missed some shots early but they have to keep taking them," Williams said. "Guys have to play with confidence. We don't want guys thinking about missing shots, especially when you don't have to look over your shoulder. It's not like I'm going to put somebody else in the game to take your spot."

The Hornets only played nine guys.

Henderson said the goal from here on out for the Bobcats is to get a win and avoid setting the dubious NBA record.

"Absolutely," Henderson said. "The Hornets are a good team, but we look at them as similar to us. This is a game we wanted to win. You look on the schedule and we felt like this was one we could really get. That's why it's even more frustrating."

NOTES: NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin took in the game from courtside. ... The Bobcats' 23 field goals and .303 shooting percentage was their worst this season. ...Belinelli scored in double figures for the 41st time this season.

Flyers beat Penguins 8-4, take 3-0 series lead

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Fists were flying faster than shots on goal. Sidney Crosby and Claude Giroux even became knotted in the pushing, pulling and shoving, a pair of superstars willing to mix it up to prove which team was the baddest on the ice and the scoreboard.

The Penguins and Flyers talked trash, laid the smack down, and played one wildly entertaining game. The result was still the same. The Flyers rallied from another early deficit for a decisive Game 3 victory that placed them on the brink of an improbable sweep.

Danny Briere, Matt Read and Max Talbot each scored two goals to lead Philadelphia to an 8-4 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday in a fight-filled game in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

Giroux and Wayne Simmonds also scored to help the Flyers take a 3-0 lead in the combustible best-of-seven series. Game 4 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia. The Flyers scored 20 goals in the first three games.

"Our goal is to finish it right away," Briere said.

The goals might be hard to find on a highlight reel. This one was all about the brawls more suitable for a UFC card. Three players were tossed in the first period. There was a rare fight between superstars when Crosby squared off against Giroux.

No one got the better end of that scrap. But by the end, Flyers fans serenaded the Penguins with booming chants of "You can't beat us!"

"All three games were kind of weird games," Giroux said. "I guess I like weird games because we always finish by winning."

Jordan Staal and James Neal scored twice for a Penguins team pushed to the limit by its hated, intrastate rival. Marc-Andre Fleury was benched after allowing six goals in two periods. He has allowed a whopping 17 goals in the first three games.

Coach Dan Bylsma said Fleury would start, "the next four games."

Hard to imagine at this rate, especially with NHL scoring leader Evgeni Malkin (109 points) yet to score a goal for the Penguins.

The Flyers played a postseason video that billed their run as the "Fight to the Cup." They never expected a first period that would have left those old Broad Street Bullies smiling.

Each team had their top defenseman — Pittsburgh's Kris Letang and Philadelphia's Kimmo Timonen — tossed. So was Penguins forward Arron Asham.

But the scene ripped straight out of the pages of Ripley's came when Giroux and Crosby went at it against the backboard.

"In the end, that's really playoff hockey," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "A couple of the best players in the world dropping the gloves going at it. Would I rather have G keep his gloves on? Sure. But when he's fighting Sidney Crosby, that's playoff hockey. That's this series."

Crosby ignited the scrum when he twice jabbed goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's glove against the ice. Giroux, third in the NHL in points this season, shoved Crosby from behind. Crosby, clearly not caring about his history of concussions, retaliated by shoving Giroux's head against the glass.

While the 20,092 fans dressed in their matching Hulk Hogan-inspired orange T-shirts roared, Timonen and Letang exchanged shots, and Voracek and Pittsburgh's Steve Sullivan each were penalized for roughing.

Timonen and Letang were both hit with 5 minutes for fighting and were ejected because they were assessed a major penalty after the original fight had started.

Crosby insisted the Penguins weren't getting rattled.

"There's more than one team getting in those things," he said. "You can make a story all you want about us getting frustrated. They're doing the same things we are. It's intense."

The on-ice violence was just warming up.

Flyers forward Brayden Schenn rammed Paul Martin into the boards, turned around and was crosschecked in the upper body by Asham. Asham jumped a defenseless Schenn and connected with a vicious right to earn the match penalty — a penalty imposed on a player who deliberately attempts to injure or who deliberately injures an opponent in any manner. Asham could get suspended for the punch.

As the game wound down, Crosby yanked the back of Scott Hartnell's jersey and the fireworks went off again. Simmonds, Neal and Pittsburgh's Craig Adams also were socked with penalties.

The slugfest on the ice overshadowed the one on the scoreboard.

Staal scored only 3:52 into the game to give the Penguins the first goal for the third straight game. It marked the 13th time out of the last 15 games the Flyers have trailed 1-0. At that point, the Flyers had been outscored 7-1 in the first period in this series.

The Flyers rallied from a 3-0 hole in Game 1, and deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 in Game 2.

They did it again. Talbot tapped a rebound toward Fleury that the Penguins goalie tried to stab at with his glove. The puck trickled by for the tying goal.

Briere scored consecutive goals off a 5-on-3 power play and a one-timer to leave Fleury reeling.

"I thought the first two games in Pittsburgh were crazy," he said. "This one was even wilder."

Neal scored the first of his two goals to make it 3-2. Read ended the period when he snagged the puck behind the net, skated around and buried it for a 4-2 lead.

Crosby and Bryzgalov jawed at each other as the teams skated toward the locker room.

Philadelphia's lead stood even as the 108-point Penguins attacked with their offense instead of their fists in the second period.

Neal and Read swapped goals to open the second. Staal knocked in a rebound to help the Penguins close to 5-4.

Simmonds, though, took a perfect entry pass from Braydon Coburn and backhanded in the fast-break attempt for the insurance goal. That was their third power-play goal and the Flyers also had a short-handed score.

The Penguins were assessed 46 penalty minutes, and the Flyers 34, through the first two periods.

"I don't like them, because I don't like any guy on their team," Crosby said.

Fleury, having a series to forget, was replaced by Brent Johnson to open the third. New goalie, same result. Giroux scored 27 seconds into the third on Philadelphia's first shot of the period.

The scoring continued and so did the hard hits. Neal flattened Game 2 star Sean Couturier in the waning minutes and sent the Flyers rookie center to the locker room. Players from both teams — including Schenn and Crosby — had to be separated during a melee along the boards. Neal appeared to target Giroux's head in the third, though the Flyers star ducked and landed softly on the ice.

"We saw Neal going after Sean's head and Claude's head," Briere said. "Obviously, he had a plan in mind."

It's a plan Bylsma wants to avoid.

"The way the game was called, there was a lot of extracurricular activity during and after the plays," he said. "That's an area of the game we want to stay away from. We don't want to be involved in those situations against this team."

Notes: The Flyers hold a 3-0 lead in a playoff series for the 11th time. ... Johnson made his third career postseason relief appearance for the Penguins. ... The Penguins have lost six straight playoff games.

Brees: Saints will thrive in wake of bounty system

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Drew Brees is sticking up for the Saints and said they'll continue to thrive despite coach Sean Payton's season-long suspension for his role in New Orleans' bounty system.

Speaking at a news conference to promote his charity golf tournament, the 2010 Super Bowl MVP said there's a difference between pay-for-performance and pay-for-injury.

Brees also declined to say whether he'd show up for offseason workouts that begin Monday. He'd much rather have a long-term extension than the franchise tag he's been slapped with.

Brees was asked if he felt he had been a target of a bounty program during his career.

"I know this, that when a guy has an opportunity to take a shot at the quarterback, he's going to take it," Brees said. "I'm not saying that he's trying to end your career, that he's trying give you a concussion or what have you, but between the knees and the neck, they're trying to take you out every time. I know that for a fact, every defensive player that's trying to hit you. That's just football. We play a violent game."

Then, he added: "I am not condoning by any means any kind of a bounty structure, and I will clarify that there is a difference between pay-for-performance and pay-for-injury, and I'd say what we've been accused of in regards to pay-for-injury is not the case."

Brees was asked his reaction to hearing a recording that purports to capture disgraced former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams telling players to "put a lick" on 49ers receiver Kyle Williams to see if he had lingering effects from a concussion.

"I think that was hard for everybody to hear," said Brees, who tried to shift the talk back to his golf tournament.

Brees said the Saints are disappointed that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell rejected on Monday an appeal of Payton's season-long suspension for his role in the bounty program.

"You talk about not having your head coach for an entire season, that's a big hit," said Brees, who declined to say who'd he like to see hired as interim coach.

But Brees said he believes the Saints will remain strong. He pointed to last year, when Payton was injured in a sideline collision and had to coach several games from the press box. While he was used to having Payton call in the plays, all of a sudden he had to get used to offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. calling them in.

"It was almost as if our head coach had been taken away for a four-to-six week period," Brees said.

"It seems like our organization, whenever we're hit with something, any kind of adversity, we have guys that step up and fill the void and take on more responsibility and really thrive in it," he said. "We did it last year and whatever is thrown at us this year we'll continue to thrive."

As for his contract and whether he'd show up Monday, Brees said: "We're continuing to work on a long-term deal and we're very hopeful that we can accomplish that sooner than later."

Brees spoke at La Costa Resort & Spa while promoting his Drew Brees Celebrity Championship, which will be played in May.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo won the tournament last year.

Brees said he'd like to beat Romo but, "I think he's been playing more golf than me." In past years, Romo has attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open.

Heat win 17th straight at home, top Thunder, 98-93

MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James had 34 points and 10 assists, Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and the Miami Heat avenged a loss atOklahoma City last week, rallying to beat the Thunder 98-93 on Wednesday night for their 17th straight home victory.

Mario Chalmers scored 13 points, and Chris Bosh had 12 for Miami, which trailed by 11 in the first half before a comeback fueled in part by Russell Westbrook pulling James down from behind on a fast break in the second quarter.

Kevin Durant scored 30 points for Oklahoma City, and Westbrook added 28, but shot 9 for 26. James Harden had 12 for the Thunder, who lost despite holding Miami to 37 percent shooting.

The win moved Miami (39-14) within two games of Chicago (42-13) in the race for the NBA's best record. Oklahoma City fell to 40-14.

Durant could have given Oklahoma City the lead with 1:30 left, backing down James and then trying a turnaround from the left side. His shot was way off, hitting the top of the backboard.

Bosh, who had been 3 for 13 to that point, made a jumper on the next Miami possession to make it 96-93. Kendrick Perkins then missed two free throws with 43.6 seconds left, the first Thunder misses from the line all night after starting 18 of 18.

And after James couldn't connect on the ensuing Miami trip, it was still a one-possession game. The Thunder called a timeout with 19.5 seconds left and went for the quick 3, Durant's try hitting the front of the rim and going out of bounds. Wade made a pair of foul shots, stretching the lead to five, and it was soon over.

Oklahoma City's win at home over Miami last week was largely one-sided.

For a while, this one looked as if it would go the same way.

There were some incidents that had big-deal potential in the opening minutes. Wade and James failed to score on a pair of early 2-on-1s, first against Westbrook, then against Durant. James tweaked his left ankle after falling over a courtside videographer, then grabbed at his back and winced after some unintentional and unexpected contact with referee Zach Zarba.

By night's end, all that was forgotten.

Westbrook's three-point play with 7:27 left in the second quarter gave Oklahoma City a 36-25 lead, and that sort of margin typically means a Thunder win — they came into Wednesday 32-2 when they held a double-digit lead.

Then the game's complexion changed.

The first salvo came with 5:45 left in the half, when Perkins struck Wade in the head while trying to block a shot and both got called for a technical and personal fouls, much to the ire of both sides — coach Scott Brooks couldn't understand why Perkins merited both, while Heat coach Erik Spoelstra asked why contact to the head wasn't worth a flagrant foul.

The flagrant came 12 seconds later.

Wade stole the ball from Westbrook, flipped it ahead to James, who leaped for a dunk. Westbrook came from behind James, wrapping his left hand over the Heat star's left shoulder and using his right hand to grab him around the waist.

James fell to the court, and emotions started boiling over.

Referees Bill Kennedy and Olandis Poole jumped into the fray, making sure players didn't go at one another. Heat President Pat Riley got out of his seat three rows from the court and took a long look at the scene, while normally mild-mannered Miami assistant coach Bob McAdoo had some choice words for anyone who would listen. The end result was a flagrant-1 for Westbrook. James swished a jumper as time in the half expired, and Miami led 50-49.

The Heat closed the half on a 23-11 run.

"Playoff basketball," James said at halftime in a TV interview. "I know Russ. I don't think he's a dirty player."

He's right — it certainly did have a playoff feel.

Even new Jets quarterback Tim Tebow — who James raves about — was taking notice of the level of play.

"Don't know who's gonna win," Tebow tweeted in the third quarter, "but KingJames isn't playing around."

Neither were the Thunder.

As soon as the Heat went up by nine late in the third, their biggest lead to that point, the Thunder came back with a 10-0 run to reclaim the lead. Durant started the burst with a 12-footer with 3 seconds left in the quarter, then Oklahoma City scored the first eight of the fourth to go back on top 81-80.

By that point, it was clear this one was going to the wire.

NOTES: Word that Wade would play — he missed Tuesday's game against Philadelphia with a bruised left knee — came down about 45 minutes before tip-off. ... NFL stars Julius Peppers and Jeremy Shockey were part of the sold-out crowd, as was actor Michael Douglas for the second straight night. ... About 57,000 people went to a pair of sold-out sports events three miles apart in Miami on Wednesday night, with Heat-Thunder going on not far from the first official baseball game in the history of Marlins Park. ... Thunder guard Derek Fisher and Heat guard James Jones — both NBPA officers who spent much of the offseason dealing with the lockout — exchanged greetings at halftime.

Two stars, and a wide-open field at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods couldn't see the green through the trees, though that was only a minor obstacle. He choked up on a 5-wood and played a sweeping draw around the pines, over the water and onto the back of the green.

As he approached the Sarazen Bridge to the 15th green Wednesday, the grandstand rumbled when fans suddenly rose in unison to see him walk by. Some of them held cameras as high as they could, clicked and hoped for the best.

Woods is worth watching at the Masters for all the right reasons.

All it took was one win at Bay Hill two weeks ago for Woods to even remotely resemble the guy who once dominated golf. He won by five shots, and, just like that, was elevated to the favorite atAugusta National.

"Everything is headed in the right direction at the right time," Woods said.

But he's not the only star of this Masters.

Rory McIlroy has all the traits of the heir apparent — an easy swing that produces enormous power, a U.S. Open title at age 22, a tennis star for a girlfriend, and an engaging personality - something that Woods is not. In his last 12 tournaments, McIlroy finished third or better eight times, including two wins and a brief stay at No. 1 in the world.

"I'm in a great place," McIlroy said. "I feel like my golf game is in great shape."

There is so much anticipation about this clash of generations it's as if they were the only two players competing for a green jacket, much like the days of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

Far from it.

"There probably hasn't been a Masters with more legitimate chances," Geoff Ogilvy said before heading out for a final practice round. "I can understand people seeing this as a two-man race, but it's never been further from the truth. There are more horses in this race than ever before."

Luke Donald returned to No. 1 in the world three weeks ago by winning at Innisbrook. He is one of eight players among the top 20 in the world who have won this year, a list that includes Woods and McIlroy, along with Hunter Mahan (twice), Steve Stricker, Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson, a threat at Augusta even when he's not playing well.

"And you've got a guy like Keegan Bradley," Ogilvy said, referring to the PGA champion who won the first major he ever played. "Nobody ever talked about a Masters rookie with a chance. There's more people in the conversation, isn't there?"

One conversation that was kept short Wednesday was Masters chairman Billy Payne refusing to discuss the all-male membership at Augusta National. The topic returned this year because IBM appointed Virginia Rometty its CEO, and the last four chief executives of Big Blue were invited to be members.

"All issues of membership are now and have been historically subject to the private deliberations of the members, and that statement remains accurate, and remains my statement," Payne said.

Despite a few more attempts — including a tense moment when Payne cut off a series of questions by saying, "Thank you" — the focus at Augusta quickly shifted back to golf.

Still fresh are memories from last year, when eight players had at least a share of the lead in the final round — McIlroy early, Woods in the middle, Adam Scott late — until Charl Schwartzel finished with four straight birdies for a two-shot win.

It could be anyone this year — not just Woods and McIlroy.

"Rory has never won here," Lee Westwood said. "Tiger has not won here since 2005. So I think everybody in this room would have to be naive to think it was a two-horse race, wouldn't they? There's more. I think Phil might have a little bit of something to say about that. Luke might. I might."

Adding to the wide-open feel is the weather.

An unseasonably warm spring, which caused the azaleas and dogwoods to already lose their blooms, gave way to storms that dumped 1½ inches of rain on the course before dawn Wednesday and toppled a few trees, including one that crashed onto a restroom.

Another storm arrived in the afternoon and cut short the Par 3 Contest, along with making Augusta National even softer. Mickelson said to brace for birdies in such soft conditions. His fear was that players could fire at pins, instead of thinking their way around a course that can require so much strategy.

The forecast was for occasional storms the opening two rounds, followed by sunshine on the weekend. That's all it takes to change the dynamics of this major. The greens are more receptive, yet a soft course also becomes a longer course.

Soft conditions might favor McIlroy. Remember, Congressional also received plenty of rain at the U.S. Open last summer when Boy Wonder set the championship record at 16-under 268.

"He plays without fear, which is a great way to play," Mickelson said. "When you get soft conditions like at the U.S. Open, he's going to light it up. And I think that he's going to continue his great play. If he ends up learning this golf course, I think he's going to win here a number of times."

Then again, that's what Nicklaus and Palmer said about Woods when they first saw him at Augusta as an amateur and predicted he would win as many green jackets as they had combined — 10. Instead, he is stuck on four Masters.

McIlroy will be playing with Angel Cabrera the first two rounds, a replay from last year. They were in the final group, when McIlroy shot 80 on the final day to go from a four-shot lead to a 10-shot deficit.

Asked if he felt sorry for McIlroy going through such a meltdown, Cabrera said:

"No, because when I play bad, nobody feels sorry for me. It was a shame, but I didn't feel bad for him. I knew it was going to be hard for him. When we got done, I told him, 'This is a tournament you can win many times.' "

Perfect! Baylor beats Notre Dame 80-61 for title

DENVER (AP) — Brittney Griner and Baylor left no doubt they're head and shoulders above any team in the country. In fact, they're perfect.

Griner had 26 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks to lead Baylor to a dominating 80-61 victory over Notre Dame in the NCAA women's basketball championship on Tuesday night, capping a 40-0 season for the Lady Bears.

They became the seventh women's team to run through a season unbeaten and the first in NCAA history to win 40 games. It was the second national championship for Baylor, which also won a title in 2005.

Baylor did it in a nearly wire-to-wire victory, finishing a season in which anything less than bringing a title back to Waco would have been a huge disappointment.

And as she so often does, the 6-foot-8 Griner helped the Lady Bears take control. Every time Notre Dame made a run in the second half to cut into the deficit, Griner had an answer. She showed a wide array of post moves hitting turnaround jumpers and hooks that the Irish had no way to stop — even when they collapsed around her.

"Brittany Griner comes to work every day," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. "A lot of great players think they're all that and they half go through drills and they come to practice and they dog it. That child comes to work and brings her work pail every day."

Notre Dame fell short in the title game for the second straight season. The Irish lost to Texas A&M by six points last season. Notre Dame was trying to do something that no other team had done in the NCAA era by knocking off an unbeaten squad in the title game.

Instead, the Irish became the third team to lose in back-to-back championship games, joining Tennessee (2003 and 2004) and Auburn, which dropped three straight (1988, '89 and '90).

Coach Muffet McGraw's senior-heavy crew finished the season having gotten the best of rival Connecticut — the Irish won the Big East regular season title and defeated the Huskies in three-of-four meetings, including the national semifinal.

But like every team this year, Notre Dame couldn't solve Baylor and the most dominant player in women's basketball.

Griner, selected The Associated Press player of the year, also was named most outstanding player of the tournament.

"We wouldn't be here without my team," the junior said. "All the awards — none of that means anything. If I don't have my team here, we can't get this."

Skylar Diggins did all she could to keep the Irish (36-4) in the game, scoring 20 points. But she got little help. Senior Natalie Novosel had five points, going 0-for-11 from the field. Devereaux Peters, also playing in her final game, was saddled with foul trouble because of Griner. She only had seven points.

Like Griner, Diggins has pledged to return for her senior year — both could join the WNBA — and will try to make a third run at the title.

Notre Dame took an early 9-8 lead before Baylor took over with a 12-2 run. The Irish were down by 14 in the first half before cutting their deficit to 34-28 at the break. They got as close as 42-39 and had the ball, but Griner asserted herself, scoring nine of the next 19 points for Baylor to seal the victory.

Odyssey Sims added 19 points and Destiny Williams had 12 for the Lady Bears, who outrebounded Notre Dame 46-27 and now have the third unbeaten season in women's basketball in the last four years. UConn, which has gone undefeated four times, did it in back-to-back years in 2009 and 2010. Texas and Tennessee also have unbeaten seasons.

The victory also gave President Barack Obama some bragging rights. He correctly picked Baylor to beat Notre Dame in the title game.

With 1:04 left and the game well in hand, Mulkey took out Griner and the two shared a long hug. Mulkey was able to crack a bright smile despite battling Bell's palsy.

Mulkey has now won a title as a player (at Louisiana Tech), an Olympic gold medal (in 1984) two titles as a coach. Only five women's coaches have more than one championship at the top level of NCAA competition.

Mulkey has downplayed the 40 wins, noting that her former coach and mentor at Louisiana Tech Leon Barmore won 40 games in 1980. That was before women's basketball was governed by the NCAA, which didn't begin keeping records until the 1982 season.

It was the second meeting between the teams this season. Baylor also won the first one, by 13 in Waco on Nov. 17. That one gave the Lady Bears the preseason WNIT title.

As usual, Griner put on a show in warmups, thrilling the crowd with a series of impressive dunks — including a one-handed throw down, a double-pump slam and another in which she hung on rim. She has already dunked twice in the tournament, matching Candace Parker for most dunks by a woman in NCAA tournament play and during a college career (seven).

She couldn't catch one against the Irish.

The Lady Bears had a strong cheering section that included Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III — dancing in his seat at the end of the game — and country music star Trace Adkins. He was a freshman walk-on football player at Louisiana Tech in the early 1980s when Mulkey was a senior there.

Adkins missed the Lady Bears 2005 title, but started following Mulkey and the Lady Bears when they played in the 2010 Final Four in San Antonio. He gave her a pair of custom-made boots before the game.

Notre Dame had its own star fan in former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who earned a graduate degree at the school. The Irish were wearing their green uniforms for the first time since last season's title loss.

Big comeback leads KU to 64-62 win over Ohio St

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The tightrope walk rocks on for the Jayhawks.

Kansas, the underrated, undervalued team that's been teetering on the edge of the tournament since before it even began, is now one of the last two left.

Tyshawn Taylor made two big free throws late, and All-American Thomas Robinson finished with 19 points and eight rebounds Saturday night to lift the Jayhawks to a come-from-behind 64-62 win over Ohio State in the Final Four — a game Kansas led for a grand total of 3 minutes, 48 seconds.

After scoring the game's first bucket, Kansas didn't lead again untilTravis Releford made two free throws with 2:48 left. That lasted for 11 seconds, but the Jayhawks (32-6), who trailed by as many as 13, overcame another deficit and finally held on against theBuckeyes (31-8).

"It's just been our thing all year, coming back," Robinson said. "I don't like doing it, but for some reason my team is pretty good when we're down."

More than pretty good. Kansas is one more magic act from bringing its second title in five years back to Allen Fieldhouse. It might take exactly that. The opponent is Kentucky, the big-time favorite to win it all, and a 69-61 winner over Louisville in the evening's first semifinal. The Wildcats are an early 6.5-point favorite.

"It's a dream to play the best team in the country, up 'til now, hands down, the most consistent," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "It's a thrill. And I think it's even more of a thrill for us, because I don't think anybody thought we could get here."

Taylor's two free throws with 8.3 seconds left gave Kansas a 64-61 lead, matching its biggest of the game. The Jayhawks intentionally fouled Aaron Craft with 2.9 seconds left. Craft made the first, then quickly clanked the second one off the front of the rim but was called for a lane violation.

Kansas dribbled out the clock and celebrated a win that played out sort of the way the whole season has in Lawrence.

With most of the experienced players from last year gone, Self at times wondered if this team was even tournament material. The Jayhawks still won the Big 12 title — for the eighth straight time — but came into the tournament as what some felt was an underrated No. 2 seed.

They played down to their billing in their second game, against Purdue, barely escaping with a 63-60 win that looked a lot like this game in the Superdome.

"It was two different games," Self said of the latest escape act. "They dominated us the first half. We were playing in quicksand it looked like. And the light came on. We were able to play through our bigs; we were able to get out and run, but the biggest thing is we got stops."

Kansas' next test will feature a coaching rematch between Self and John Calipari, who was with Memphis in 2008 when the Tigers missed four free throws down the stretch and blew a nine-point lead in an overtime loss to Mario Chalmers and the Jayhawks.

A big comeback. Sound familiar? This year's Jayhawks also overcame a 19-point deficit to win their final regular-season meeting against Missouri — their long-time, SEC-bound archrival.

"It's a 40-minute game," Self said. "There's no 13-point plays. You have to grind it and get one stop at a time."

This was a heartbreaker for the Buckeyes, who came in as co-Big Ten champions and a slight favorite in a game — a rematch of a 78-67 Kansas win back in December when Ohio State's All-American,Jared Sullinger, was not available.

Sullinger was there a-plenty Saturday night, but he struggled. He finished with 11 points on 5-for-19 shooting, no fewer than three of them blocked by Jeff Withey, the Kansas center who finished with seven swats. Sullinger also had 11 rebounds and 3 blocks, but the sophomore who gave up NBA lottery money to return and win a championship will go without for at least another year.

When the buzzer sounded, he plopped at midcourt, clearly pooped — and maybe wondering how his team let this game slip away.

"These guys got tears in their eyes, blank stares on their faces," Sullinger said. "It's tough on me."

Ohio State-Kansas was billed as "The Other Game" of this Final Four — garnering much less ink than the Kentucky-Louisville blood feud that preceded it — and started off looking like every bit the undercard.

The Buckeyes built an early 13-point lead on the strength of the shooting of William Buford, who came out of a 13-for-44 tournament slump to lead the Buckeyes with 19 points on 6 for 10 from the floor. Kansas trailed 34-25 at the half and only a steal and layup before the buzzer prevented the Jayhawks from a season-low.

Things changed when Ohio State came out and promptly missed its first 10 shots from the field, while Deshaun Thomas — the Ohio State big man in charge of shutting down Robinson — headed to the bench with his third foul.

That opened things up for KU: A couple easy layups for Robinson and a kick-out to Elijah Johnson for a 3-pointer were part of a 13-4 run to open the half. It tied the game at 38 and set up for a nip-and-tuck finish between these No. 2 seeds, each of which were in the hunt for top seeding all the way up to Selection Sunday.

Releford finished with 15 points and six rebounds for the Jayhawks. Johnson had 13 points and 10 boards. Taylor finished with 10 points and nine assists — not bad considering the time Craft spent glued to him much of the night.

Craft said he thought a quick brick and a rebound on the final free throw was his best chance to save the game. There wasn't much of an argument after he got called for the lane violation, however.

"There is no explanation," Craft said. "Apparently I crossed before it hit the rim. I just knew I had to miss it. I thought that would be the best way for us to get the ball back."

That end-game was set up when Releford made two free throws with 1:37 left to put KU ahead 60-59. Buford tried to take the ball to the basket on the next possession, but Withey swatted it away. Johnson followed with a layup — hardly as dramatic as his game-winner against Purdue, but enough for a three-point lead, which seemed like a million for the Jayhawks in this one.

Not that the Jayhawks need a big lead — or any lead.

"I think we're trying to make it fun for y'all," Robinson said. "Seriously, I wish it would stop. I mean, I'd feel better at the end."

Tiger Woods a winner on tour again after 30 months

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — His ball safely over the water, Tiger Woods walked toward the 18th green Sunday as he had done over the last 30 months on the PGA Tour, with one big difference.

There was no mistaking that smile.

"Pure joy," he said.

Woods finally brought the buzz back to the very thing that made him famous — winning.

Two weeks after another injury scare, Woods looked dominant as ever in that bright red shirt to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. It was his first PGA Tour victory since a sex scandal at the end of 2009 led to one of the greatest downfalls in sports.

And with the Masters only two weeks away, Woods looks more capable than ever of resuming his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus in the majors.

Woods closed with a 2-under 70 and won by five shots over Graeme McDowell.

"I think he really just kind of nailed home his comeback," McDowell said. "Great to have a front-row seat watching maybe the greatest of all time doing what he does best — winning golf tournaments."

Woods had gone 923 days and 27 tour events since he last posed with a trophy, and it showed.

Kneeling to look at his line as he waited his turn to putt on the 18th, Woods tapped his putter on the ground and could barely contain a grin, knowing that the longest PGA Tour drought of his career was about to end. When he tapped in for par, he clenched his fist, screamed out, "Yeah!" and hugged his caddie, Joe LaCava.

Walking off the green, Woods extended his black cap for a sweeping wave toward the gallery.

"It's not like winning a major championship or anything," Woods said. "But it certainly feels really good."

The question two weeks ago was when he could play again. Now, it's whether he can get back to being the player who once ruled golf. It was the 16th time in his career that Woods has won by at least five shots, and it was the largest margin of victory on the PGA Tour since Rory McIlroy won the U.S. Open by eight.

Woods downplayed the significance of Sunday, pointing out on more than one occasion that he considers it his second win since the scandal. He counts the Chevron World Challenge last December, when he went birdie-birdie to beat an 18-man field of top-50 players.

But this was significant — a PGA Tour event with a full field, and a strong field at that. And with a performance so clean that he was never seriously challenged on the back nine.

"I've gotten better, and that's the main thing," Woods said. "I've been close for a number of tournaments now. And it was just a matter of staying the course and staying patient, keeping working on fine-tuning what we're doing. And here we are."

The only thing missing was the host himself.

Palmer's blood pressure increased during the final round from new medications, and he was taken to the hospital about 15 minutes before the tournament ended as a precaution. Alaistair Johnston, vice chairman at IMG and his longtime business manager, said Palmer would be kept overnight. "Nobody is overly concerned," he said.

Woods goes to No. 6 in the world, returning to the top 10 for the first time since May 22.

"Heading home now and I can't stop smiling. Thanks to Otown fans and everyone watching for all the love. Get well soon, Arnie," Woods tweeted about three hours after his win.

He finished at 13-under 275 for his 72nd PGA Tour win, one short of Nicklaus for second place on the career list. But that's not the record Woods wants. He has 14 majors, four short of the Nicklaus standard, and he tries to end a four-year drought at the Masters, which starts April 5.

"I am excited, no doubt," Woods said. "I'm looking forward to the momentum I've built here."

It was the first time Woods had all four rounds under par since he returned from his personal crisis at the 2010 Masters.

McDowell made a 45-foot birdie putt and a 50-foot eagle putt early in the round to try to stay close, though he was never closer than two shots after starting with a double bogey. He closed with a 74.

Ernie Els failed in his bid to get into the Masters. The three-time major champion started the final round three shots behind, but twice missed par putts inside 3 feet and shot 75. He would have needed a two-way tie for second to crack the top 50 in the world. Instead, he tied for fourth and moved up only four spots to No. 58. He will have to win the Houston Open next week to avoid missing the Masters for the first time since 1993.

This day belonged to Woods, as it used to at Arnie's place.

Only two weeks ago, Woods was taken off the course at Doral in the middle of the final round with tightness in his left Achilles tendon, the same injury that caused him to miss three months last year, including two majors. It turned out to be a mild strain, and Sunday was the eighth straight day that Woods played golf — starting with a practice round last Sunday at Augusta.

LaCava called him that Sunday night at Doral, after Woods had spoken to doctors, and said "you could hear the relief."

His injuries have received more attention in the last year than the personal life crisis that cost him his marriage and corporate support. But in the last week, former coach Hank Haney's book — "The Big Miss" — was mailed out to various media outlets, another distraction for Woods. The book goes on sale Tuesday.

While it deals mainly with Haney's six years teaching Woods, it raises questions about Woods' fascination with the Navy SEALs and whether that contributed to his injuries. It also portrays Woods as self-centered and rarely satisfied, a side of him that Woods has sought to keep private for so many years.

The win at Bay Hill, his record seventh in the event, puts the chatter back on golf.

"He was a man on a mission today," LaCava said. "He was pretty jacked up. He was out there to prove himself."

Woods won against a full field for the first time since the Australian Masters on Nov. 15, 2009. Twelve days later, Woods ran his car into a fire hydrant, and revelations poured on about his extramarital affairs. He has not been the same since then, and players began to wonder if his mystique could ever return.

This was a step. A big step.

Woods renewed his reputation as golf's greatest closer, winning for the 38th time in 40 attempts when he had the lead going into the final round.

It was McDowell who took down Woods in a shocker at the end of 2010 by rallying from four shots down to beat him at the Chevron World Challenge, something long considered unthinkable. And it was McDowell, speaking for so many others on tour, who suggested last August that the red shirt on Sunday was not as intimidating as once was.

McDowell was as formidable as ever. He couldn't keep up.

The former U.S. Open champion gave Woods a big cushion on the opening hole when his approach buried so badly in the bunker that only the top half of the ball could be seen. He blasted out through the green into another bunker and made double bogey. That gave Woods a three-shot lead, and McDowell never got closer than two the rest of the way.

But he put up a good fight. McDowell took a free drop from a sprinkler head, going from the rough to the fringe, and holed a 45-foot birdie putt after Woods was already in tight for birdie.

Woods hit a towering 3-iron from 267 yards over the water on the par-5 sixth, and before he could attempt his eagle putt from just outside 15 feet, McDowell made his from 50 feet.

Woods was in total control of all aspects of his game, the final two holes of the front nine showed it. Woods hit an 8-iron from 182 yards that cleared the bank by a few yards and rolled within 4 feet for birdie on No. 8. And on the next hole, McDowell missed a 4-foot par putt to fall four shots behind.

McDowell missed three putts inside 10 feet early on the back nine — one of them for par — and then was merely along for the ride.

"He's going to be a force at Augusta," said Ian Poulter, who shot 74 and finished third.