Bill Lyon | Freshman feeds off foes, on fun
There is the smile. Always, there is the smile. Bright as sunrise. Bright enough to light up a Syracuse winter. It is both genuine and a sham. He smiles because, yes, he really is happy, and with all that talent and all that youth, why shouldn't he be deliriously, colt-on-a-spring-morning happy?
( By Bill Lyon, Inquirer Columnist, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

UConn rally sets up final with Vols
A record 70-game winning streak had ended almost a month ago. The loss to Villanova that broke the string also ruined a run of nine straight Big East championships.
( By Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Staff Writer, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Stephen A. Smith | What we have here is a failure to contend
Let's not waste too much time denying that the Sacramento Kings are everything the Sixers want to be. Shooters. Passers. Ballhandlers.
( By Stephen A. Smith, Inquirer Columnist, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Old boss becomes new rival for Hitchcock
They have been together before. Very recently, in fact. You might say Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock and Toronto coach Pat Quinn probably have good insight into each other.
( By Tim Panaccio, Inquirer Staff Writer, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Hoping for chance to play for home team
Jesse Levis has something in common with Dick Vermeil and Andy Reid. He, too, has slept at Veterans Stadium. All right, so Levis didn't actually sleep inside the concrete confines of the bowl-shaped stadium down at Broad and Pattison.
( 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Earnhardt wins fourth in a row at Talladega
Dale Earnhardt Jr. narrowly avoided an early crash and charged from behind yesterday to win the Aaron's 499, becoming the first driver to win four consecutive races at Talladega Superspeedway.
( Associated Press, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Sorenstam toughs out first win
Annika Sorenstam struggled with her game all tournament and still played well enough to gain her first victory of the year. Sorenstam shot a 1-under-par 71 in her final round yesterday and won the Office Depot Championship by 4 strokes.
( Associated Press, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Byrne team wins in opener
Defending champion John F. Byrne Golf Club defeated Franklin D. Roosevelt, 116.5-99.5, yesterday in the opening round of the Philadelphia Publinks' team matches.
( 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Sports in Brief | Swiss win, advance to Davis Cup semis
Switzerland reached the Davis Cup semifinals yesterday for just the second time, eliminating France behind Roger Federer's 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 victory over substitute Fabrice Santoro.
( Compiled By The Inquirer Staff, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Sixers Notes | Coach lauds players' grit, but says some should sit
Larry Brown is both pleased and annoyed with the warrior mentality of so many of his players. With six games remaining in the regular season, the 76ers appear to be limping into the playoffs.
( By Marc Narducci, Inquirer Staff Writer, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

NBA | Wizards beat Celts in OT, keep playoff hopes alive
Michael Jordan had 25 points and 13 rebounds as he said goodbye to Boston, and Washington kept its playoff hopes alive with a 99-98 overtime victory over the Celtics yesterday.
( Associated Press, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Freshmen grow up fast in tournament
In tonight's national championship basketball game between Kansas and Syracuse at the Louisiana Superdome, either youth will be served or a couple of seniors will be rewarded for four years of hard work.
( By Ray Parrillo and Mike Jensen, Inquirer Staff Writers, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Kansas-Syracuse Matchup
KU   SU Record30-7   29-5    Avg. Points82.8   79.5   
( 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Happily, this link must break
Two coaches are chained by having never won the big one. Tonight, one of them will.
Tanned and spry, polished and proper as always, Kansas coach Roy Williams promised in his best Carolina drawl that no one would have to talk him off the ledge of a high-rise building if he came one game short of winning the national championship for the second year in a row.
( By Ray Parrillo, Inquirer Staff Writer, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Flyers Notes | Flyers lower curtain with victory
Ken Hitchcock was smiling. His Flyers had just trampled the hapless Florida Panthers, 6-2, at the Office Depot Center to close out the regular season with a 6-0-2 run, and with a club record of 24 road victories.
( By Tim Panaccio, Inquirer Staff Writer, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

NHL | Colorado completes climb to division title
Colorado's ninth division title was easily its most difficult. Milan Hejduk scored his 50th goal of the season, and Peter Forsberg had a goal and two assists as the Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues, 5-2, yesterday for a record ninth consecutive division title.
( Associated Press, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

OT loss keeps Phantoms out of the playoffs
Toby Petersen scored his second goal of the game 56 seconds into overtime to lead the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Phantoms yesterday in the American Hockey League regular-season finale for both teams at the First Union Spectrum.
( Associated Press, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Phillies Notes | Millwood feels better; Bell ailing
Kevin Millwood, the Phillies' ace, was feeling better yesterday. David Bell, another of the club's key off-season additions, wasn't.
( By Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

NL | Reds finally stop Cubs; Braves win
Sean Casey's tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning sent the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory yesterday over the Chicago Cubs, completing a discouraging first homestand in their new park.
( Associated Press, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

AL | Clemens moves closer to 300 wins
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Roger Clemens won his 295th game and Alfonso Soriano and Nick Johnson opened the game with consecutive homer as the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 10-5, yesterday.
( Associated Press, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Baseball Notes | Griffey out for at least six weeks
Ken Griffey Jr. will be out for at least six weeks as he recovers from a dislocated right shoulder. Griffey landed on the shoulder while diving for a fly ball on Saturday, the third consecutive season that the Cincinnati Reds outfielder has suffered a major injury in March or April.
( From Inquirer Wire Services, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)

Minor Leagues | Altoona's 4-run ninth too much for Reading
Chan Perry's two-run single in the eighth inning snapped a tie game and sent the Altoona Curve to a 7-2 victory over the Reading Phillies in an Eastern League game yesterday.
( COMPILED BY THE INQUIRER, 04/07/2003 03:01 AM EDT)