BALTIMORE, Maryland April 7 and April 8, 2014 - Connecticut has just beaten back Kentucky, 60-54, to win the National Basketball Championship. Shabazz Napier, a 6' 1" senior guard was named the tournament MVP and in saying that, it is immediately an understatement. Kentucky, the prima donnas of the college game, a team that starts five of the elite freshmen in the country, a team with far superior height, athleticism, and physical ability, was no match for the quick and cool Napier, his junior backcourt mate, 6'0" Ryan Boatright, and 6'7" senior forward Niels Giffey from Berlin, Germany came up with one big play after another in the final ten minutes, never letting the Wildcats get the lead, despite several chances. Giffey hit two huge three point shots and grabbed two unlikely rebounds amongst Kentucky's swarming group of taller, higher jumping frontline. Boatright turned an ankle that went into spasms almost immediately, but he gritted his teeth and played on, making a number of huge plays and scoring 14 points. But the star was Napier, who finished with a game high 22 points. Though he won, he collapsed to the floor in tears when the game ended, so overcome with the emotion of winning the title with the team and the school riding his diminutive shoulders. Huskie Coach Kevin Ollie was in his first year at the head of the perennial power that could not play in last year's tournament because of a one year suspension for academic deficiencies on the team. Ollie convinced Napier to return for his senior year, and that, in and of itself, went a long way to winning the title.
One day after getting an outstanding pitching performance and a number of clutch hits to beat the Tigers in Detroit, the Orioles fell back into the loss column Monday, losing to the Yankees, 4-2. Ubaldo Jimenez was the loser again in his second Oriole start. He gave up eight hits in four and two-thirds innings, and was charged with all four Yankee runs. His ERA after two starts is 6.42. The Birds scored single runs in the fourth and seventh innings. In the fourth, Adam Jones reached on a single and later in the inning scored on a hit by Matt Wieters. In the seventh, the Orioles looked for all the world like they would charge at the Yank's lead. Chris Davis led off with a long ground rule double. Next up, Wieters came through again, lining a single to center. With nobody out and down three runs, Davis stopped at third. Nelson Cruz then singled to left, scoring Davis. But Wieters stopped at second. One run in, nobody out after three straight hits. But the injuries that have struck the Orioles really hurt now. No Manny Machado and no J.J. Hardy, out for another game back spasms. Instead, Steve Lombardozzi lines out to left fielder Brett Gardner for the first out with nobody advancing. Then Ryan Flaherty grounded out, with both runners moving up, but now two were out. When Johnathan Schoop grounded back to the pitcher, the inning was over and the Orioles were done. They fell to 2-5.
Over in England, the regular soccer season is winding up. The English Championship teams have six matches left. Leicester has clinched a promotion and has a nine point lead on second-place Burnley. The Claret are ten points up on Queens Park and eleven points up on Derby County. But, Burnley has been devastated by injuries. Against Watford on Saturday, neither Sam Vokes, Danny Ings, Kieran Tripier, Dean Marney or Junior Stanislaus suited up. Vokes is out for the season after injuring his knee against Leicester. Tuesday, Burnley travels to Barnsley. The home team is in dire danger of being relegated and they will be desperate to hit the Claret when they're down. One bit of good news is that Marney will play, now having served his suspension. There is some hope Stanislaus will play. Ings is set to return on the weekend, when Burnley returns home to take on Middlesboro. There is hope that Tripier, too, will play on Saturday. The other good news is that Scott Arfield has stepped up in the absence of Vokes and Ings. The team was counting on him against Watford, and darn if he didn't come through when they needed him the most.
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