Wildcats roadkill for Trojans

The USC Trojans trampled the Arizona Wildcats tonight in Los Angeles. The Trojans out shot, out rebounded, out hustled and outplayed the Wildcats from the first tick on the clock to the final buzzer. No contest. Roadkill! Final: USC 89 Arizona 78.

USC, more than likely will head for the NIT in a couple of weeks, while the Wildcats, no matter what happens against UCLA and Arizona State and in Las Vegas at the Pac-12 Tournament will slip into the NCAA Tournament with its tail between its legs.

Where has all the defense gone? Give USC credit. They shot 61 percent from the field (33 for 54) and 60 percent from the free throw line (6 for 10), but the Arizona Wildcats acted like their shoes were glued to the floor as the Trojans threw in shot after shot.

Where was Nick Johnson? The most athletic Wildcat took only six shots in 40 minutes. He made just two and went to the charity line once and missed that attempt, too. Johnson finished with just four points.

As for Mark Lyons, he wasn't exactly absent. He went to the charity line a lot, canning 12 of 16 free throws, but from the field, Lyons was a dismal 1 for 9 and finished with 14 points.

Solomon Hill led the Wildcats with 21 points, while Kevin Parrom added 16 and Grant Jerrett finished in double figures with 10 points.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, five Trojans finished in double figures with Eric Wise leading the way with 22 points.

Arizona falls to 23-5 overall and 11-5 in Pac-12 play, while USC is now 13-15 overall and 8-7 in the Pac-12 Conference. Go figure!

As for the Wildcats, UCLA awaits!

College games at Hi Corbett fun to watch

I stopped in at Hi Corbett Field this afternoon to watch the University of Arizona baseball team take on Utah Valley in the second and final game of a two-game series. Utah Valley surprised the Wildcats the day before, handing them their second loss of the season. But today it was all Wildcats as they banged out 14 hits en route to a 14-5 win.

Arizona (8-2) started a freshman on the mound and penciled in a junior college transfer at first base. Both were impressive.

Lefthander Cody Moffett, from Highland High School in Gilbert, picked up his first win for the Wildcats, while Sam Parris, a 6-5, 225 pound first-sacker from Lake Stevens, Washington, looked impressive at the plate, banging out two doubles.

Johnny Field was, well...Johnny Field. The junior center fielder from Las Vegas made two diving catches in the early innings -- one on a shallow pop-up and the other an over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track.

Brandon Dixon, a junior third baseman from Murrieta, California, was the big hitter for the Wildcats today. Dixon went 3 for 3, homered, scored three times and drove in three runs.

As for Hi Corbett Field, what a venue to watch a college baseball game.

I can't wait to see another game. The Wildcats are in the middle of an 18-game home stand and take on San Francisco in a three-game series, beginning on Friday.

Indiana, Florida falter

Down they go! Top-ranked Indiana may be the best collegiate team in basketball this year, but the Hoosiers sure don't act like it. Indiana falls to Minnesota tonight and for the third time this season fall after being ranked number one.

Eighth-ranked Florida goes down as well, losing at Tennessee tonight.

And it's only Tuesday. There could be a real shuffling in the polls come Monday morning.

You gotta love college basketball!

Arizona moves up a notch to No. 11

The Arizona Wildcats move up a notch to No. 11 in the latest AP Basketball Poll released today. Indiana remains No.1 again this week, while Gonzaga keeps on climbing and is now No. 2 in the land. Duke, Michigan and Miami are 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Rounding out the top ten are Kansas at No. 6, Georgetown at No. 7, Florida at No. 8, Michigan at No. 9 and Louisville at No. 10.

Kuchar is the new King of Dove Mountain

Matt Kucher is the last man standing -- the new King of Dove Mountain. And boy does he deserve it.

I went out to the Accenture on opening day and watched 'em all tee off at the first hole. Most of them hit the little white ball a good 300 yards-plus right down the middle of the fairway. The first 200 yards was nothing but cacti and rocks. I thought to myself, somewhere in that mess would be my ball!

Kucher breezed through five days and close to six rounds of golf at Dove Mountain, fought off not only the likes of Sergio Garcia and Hunter Mahan (just to name two of his six opponents), but rain, snow and winds in excess of 25 miles per hour.

I went out to get the Sunday morning paper out of the driveway somewhere around eight o'clock. It was COLD OUT! 31 degrees! Kucher and the other three semifinalist were just teeing off at Dove Mountain -- 30 miles away.

The thought occurred to me: Will these guys be back?

I hope so.

Just watching those PGA professionals tee off is mind-boggling. It makes me want to dust off my clubs and head for the driving range.

Hats off to you, Matt Kucher. Well done!

10th-ranked Arizona baseball team off and running

The 10th-ranked Arizona baseball team is off and running. The Wildcats are 6-1 and will finish up a three-game series today at Hi Corbett Field against San Jose State. Arizona owns a three-game sweep in its season opener over Coppin State, split a two-game series last week at Long Beach State and have won the first two games over the Spartans.

Arizona has scored 73 runs in seven games, while allowing its opponents a total of 27 runs.

Brandon Dixon and Johnny Field are the top two hitters thus far. Both players have 10 hits. Dixon is 10 for 23 for a .423 batting average, while Field has been up 31 times and sports a .323 average -- including the team's only home run. Dixon has 11 RBI and Field has 10. Trent Gilbert is also off to a good start with nine hits in 27 trips to the plate for a .333 average.

Starting pitcher James Farris leads the pitching staff with a 2.93 ERA and a 2-0 record -- including a win yesterday over the Spartans. Farris has struck out 15 batters in his two outings.

Wildcats Update: (2-24-13) Arizona (7-1) sweeps series with a 9-4 win today over San Jose State. Riley Moore and Trent Gilbert collect two hits apiece and starting pitcher Stephen Manthei gets his first win of the year. Held scoreless for six innings, the Wildcats push across five runs in the seventh inning and four more in the eighth for the win.

Wildcats feast on Cougars

The 12th-ranked Wildcats used a suffocating defense in the first half and Kevin Parrom led the way offensively with a 19-point effort -- included five three-pointers, as Arizona rolled to a 73-56 win over Washington State today at McKale Center. The Wildcats allowed the Cougars just six field goals in the first 20 minutes and Washington State shot just 35 percent from the field, while making only 5 of 11 foul shots.

Parrom went 6 for 7 from the field and made 2 of 3 free throws for his 19 points, while Mark Lyons chipped in 14 and Kaleb Tarczewski netted a season-high 12 points.

Arizona shot 55 percent from the field, while the Cougars finished with a 45 percent shooting percentage with most of their points coming in the second half. Washington State was a dismal 14 of 28 from the foul line, while the Wildcats were a bit better in that category, hitting 12 of 18.

The Wildcats improve to 23-4 and are now 11-4 in conference play.

It's gonna come down to the wire!

With California's upset of Oregon last night, the Arizona Wildcats are now at the top of the Pac-12 Conference standings with the Ducks and the UCLA Bruins are 1/2 a game back. The Bruins tangle with USC on Sunday. Here's hoping the Trojans can pull off the upset.

On the other side of the coin, the Wildcats MUST win on Saturday over the last-place Cougars from Washington State.

It's gonna go down to the wire.

Arizona's final four games: home vs. Washington State, at USC, at UCLA and home against Arizona State.

UCLA's final four games: at USC, home vs. Arizona State and Arizona, at Washington State and Washington.

Oregon's final four games: home vs Stanford and Oregon State, at Colorado, at Utah.

I'd just as soon see our Wildcats (22-4, 10-4) win all four. It would make things a lot easier, especially if  the Ducks drop another one.

Go get 'em, 'Cats!

Arizona crushes Huskies

The Arizona Wildcats received double figure scoring from five players, blocked eight shots, won the  rebound battle 39-30 and held the Huskies to 30 percent shooting at McKale Center tonight en route to a 70-52 Pac-12 win over Washington.

The Wildcats led at the end of the first half 33-25 and led by as many as 22 points in the second half. Solomon Hill led the way with 19, Mark Lyons scored 14 before fouling out, Nick Johnson chipped in 12,  Kaleb Tarczewski grabbed eight boards and scored 10 points, while Brandon Ashley netted 10 and hauled down five rebounds.

Arizona shoots 47 percent from the field, nailing 24 of 51 shots -- including six of 15 three-pointers and for the first time in a long time put the hammer down on an opponent.

The Wildcats move to 22-4 on the season and 10-4 in the Pac-12 Conference.

Way to go, Wildcats!

Arizona falls to No. 12 in AP Basketball Poll

The Arizona Wildcats are ranked 12th this week in the Associated Press poll released today. Indiana remains on top with two teams the Wildcats have beaten -- Miami and Florida,  ranked No. 2 and No. 5, respectively. Gonzaga is the No. 3 team in the country this week, while Michigan State moves into the fourth spot.

Duke, Michigan, Syracuse, Kansas and Louisville round out the top ten. Georgetown sneaks into the 11th spot, just ahead of the Wildcats.

Oregon at No. 23 is the only other Pac-12 team in the top-25.

Retired Judge making a different call with the TOTS

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


Chuck Sabalos has made a career out of making decisions. Sabalos, 62, a long-time Pima County  Superior Court Judge in the State of Arizona, retired last year and turned in his gavel. He's still making decisions, but now he's an umpire, behind the plate, working games for the oldest organized baseball team in the country, the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS).

Sabalos joined the TOTS in 2010 and split his time as an infielder and a catcher for the senior baseball club, which plays three days a week at Udall Park, but continued with his duties in the courtroom, banging out case after case.

He decided to hang up his robe in 2011, retire, and become an everyday player with the TOTS.

Early last year, Sabalos sustained a foot injury which required surgery and six months of downtime. Chuck is back at Udall Park, but is unable to leg out an infield hit or turn a gapper into a stand-up double. Instead, he's putting on the umpire gear and settling in behind the plate, calling balls and strikes.

Sabalos (above photo) hopes to be off of the TOTS' disabled list soon. But for now, he's enjoying his role as an umpire. "It's a lot of fun," Sabalos said. "I call 'em as I see 'em."

It hasn't been easy shaking off the injury.

"It was quite an ordeal, but I'm on the mend and itching to play again," said Sabalos, who turns 63 on March 5.

Sabalos, who was born in New York, NY., played some high school ball at Tucson Rincon High School and caught, behind the plate, for former major-leaguer Pat Darcy.

"I think I like umpiring," said Sabalos, after a recently-completed game. "I kind of miss the courtroom. That's serious business, but umpiring is fun, even though some of my teammates might not like some of my calls."

One thing is for sure, whatever call Sabalos makes is final. If he calls you out on strikes, you head for the dugout. There's no jury in baseball.

Wildcats snap two-game skid

The Arizona Wildcats received an 18-point effort from Mark Lyons and broke a two-game losing streak with a 68-64 win today over Utah in Salt Lake City. Solomon Hill and reserve forward Brandon Ashley pumped in 10 points apiece as Arizona improved its overall record to 21-4 and its Pac-12 record to 9-4.

Arizona led at the half 33-25 and were up by as many as 13 in the second half, but couldn't put Utah away. Jarred DuBois led Utah with 16 points, but it wasn't enough to overtake the Wildcats. Arizona shot 47 percent from the field, hitting 25 or 53 shots, but knocked down just six of 22 shots from beyond the three-point arc. Kaleb Tarczewski and Kevin Parrom contributed to the Wildcats' scoring with nine points apiece.

Not the greatest offensive display, but certainly a step in the right direction. The Wildcats head home with five games left in the regular season -- three at home and just two more on the road. The Wildcats tangle with the Washington schools next week before heading out on a road trip to USC and UCLA. Arizona will close out its season at home against in-state rival Arizona State.

Way to go, Wildcats. Let's take 'em one at a time, finish strong and head into the Pac-12 Conference Tournament in Las Vegas with some momentum.

Easy for me to say, I'm tired after watching today's game. Every game seems to be a pressure-cooker. I think I'll take a Sunday afternoon nap and regroup.

Big week ahead in the Old Pueblo

The Old Pueblo will be active this week. Tiger Woods will be in town and will be one of 64 golfers vying for the first-place trophy at the WGC-Accenture at Dove Mountain. The Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team will return home for a two-game series against the Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars. The Arizona baseball team will return home from a two-game series with Long Beach State and take on San Jose State next weekend. And to top it all off, of course, the cowboys and the cowgirls are in town doing their thing at the La Fiesta de los Vaqueros.

Gusty winds, low temperatures and a mixture of rain and even snow could dampen all the activities. Except inside McKale Center, of course. We all hope it'll be raining buckets (as in field goals) for our Wildcats this week.

Coppin State takes a beating in Wildcats' opener

Coppin State is a small university in Baltimore, Maryland. The Bald Eagle baseball team suffered through a season last year with just one win and more than 50 losses. Coppin State was gracious enough to come to Hi Corbett Field for a three-game series this weekend and face the defending national champions -- the Arizona Wildcats.

Last night's opener wasn't pretty. The visitors were trounced 16-0 and will more than likely face a similar score in the final two games of the series. But, Arizona coach Andy Lopez and the Wildcats are glad to have the opener behind them.

The Wildcats will certainly face stiffer competition in the weeks to come, but the blowout last night, if nothing else, gave them a chance to accept the accolades from the hometown crowd (see photo below) and for one more time, at least, take a bow for their successful run in 2012 to a national title.

Go get 'em, 'Cats.

Arizona Baseball Update: (2-17-13) Arizona goes on to sweep series with a 14-1 win on Saturday and 13-9 win on Sunday at Hi Corbett Field. Johnny Field led the Wildcats in hitting with six hits in 13 at bats in the series for a .462 batting average. Field drove in a team-high six runs.

The Arizona Wildcats' shooting woes continue

The Arizona Wildcats' shooting woes continue. Arizona loses to the Colorado Buffaloes 71-58, and unfortunately, the current road trip is not over.  It's on to Salt Lake and another "tough one" as the Wildcats face Utah on Sunday.

I'm a Wildcat fan and always will be. Every loss hurts. I hate to see my Wildcats struggle. It ruins my day and my week. I try to look on the bright side. Arizona does have 20 wins and is currently in a second-place tie in the Pac-12. Arizona has been in the national spotlight for most of the season, keeping pace in the Top 10 polls with the best teams in the country.

As for last night's game, teams like Duke, Michigan, Florida are okay with the fact that Colorado is not on their schedule. Would Duke even attempt to play a non-conference game at Colorado? I'd venture to say, there aren't too many teams in the country that would have beaten the Buffaloes last night.

On the flip side, our freshmen are just getting hammered. Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley are struggling and the upperclassmen, Solomon Hill, Mark Lyons and Nick Johnson, can't get in the flow, and, I hate to say it, disappear at times.

Arizona coach Sean Miller must be ready to explode. The good news: The season is not over. Arizona could still get a favorable seeding in the NCAA Tournament and could face the Buffaloes, not only in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament in Las Vegas, but could see them again at a neutral site at the "big dance."

I'll go out on a limb and say Arizona is still capable of beating the Buffaloes, the Duke Blue Devils, the Florida Gators (we already have), the Miami Hurricanes (we already have), Michigan, Ohio State... you name it...the Wildcats aren't DONE! Just frustrated.

Right now the 'Cats can't shoot straight. If, and when, they decide to outdraw an opponent, hit from downtown, hold on to a rebound and defend the ball, things will be different. Remember, it's still the middle of February. There's still time. March Madness awaits.  

TOTS' right-hander takes two-hitter into 7th inning and loses

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


Arnie White,  a 71-year-old right-hander, took a two-hit shutout into the seventh and final inning at Udall Park today in a 60-and-over senior league baseball game. White struck out eight and walked three, but didn't get the win or loss as the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) game ended in a 3-3 tie.

As the old saying goes, "It's like kissing your sister." Both Team Blue and Team White packed up their gear after a two-hour plus game and headed home.

"We have a club rule to play just seven innings," said the TOTS Blue first-sacker Floyd Lance. "We don't play it out. So, it is like kissing your sister, but there's plenty of games down the road."

The members of the TOTS get together three days a week and play all 12 months of the year. And once in a while a game ends up in a tie. "It kinda sucks, but that's the rules," said Lloyd Barzell, the opposing pitcher in today's game.

Barzell, playing for Team White, provided an RBI-double in the top of the seventh inning to help break up White's shutout. Teammates Chico Bigham and Ted Davis also provided extra base hits as Team White turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.

But in the bottom of the seventh, Barzell ran into trouble and Team Blue scored a run to tie the game. With two outs, Barzell elected to walk Team Blue's hot-hitting Tim Tolson, creating a force play at second and third. The strategy worked as right fielder Denny Leonard grounded out to end the game.

As for White (photo below), it wasn't the outcome he was looking for. "I felt good out there today," said White, a professor at the University of Arizona who spends most of his summers at his ranch in Montana.

The Tucson Old Timers will be at it again on Friday. The temperature is expected to reach the mid-60s and the two teams will be looking for a win and not a tie. Enough of this kissing your sister stuff.

Arizona stays in AP Top 10

The Arizona Wildcats remain in the Associated Press top 10, despite their loss to California on Sunday at McKale Center. The Wildcats fall just two spots to No. 9. Indiana gets a reprieve and remains No. 1, despite its loss to Illinois last week. The remaining top 10 in the latest poll released today includes Duke at No. 2, Miami at No. 3, Michigan at No. 4, Gonzaga at No. 5, Syracuse at No. 6, Florida at No. 7, Michigan State at No. 8 and Kansas State at No. 10.

No magic at McKale

The Arizona Wildcats, despite their No. 7 ranking, have been flirting with defeat the past few weeks, but somehow managed to pull the rabbit out of the hat before the final buzzer -- escaping with a victory and avoiding the agony of defeat. At McKale Center tonight, the Wildcats ran out of magic and let the visiting California Golden Bears steal a Pac-12 win. The "bad guys" beat Arizona 77-69 as the Wildcats lose for the second time this year at McKale.

This time there were no last-second heroics by Mark Lyons to save them. This time the Wildcats couldn't overcome another night in which they shot just 39 percent from the field. This time they allowed an opponent to go on a 17-2 run to start the second half and found themselves down by 10 points --  a deficit too hard, at least on this night, to overcome.

Blame it on the California zone defense the Bears went to early in the second half. Blame it on the Golden Bears' coach Mike Montgomery, who has a habit of giving the Wildcats fits. Blame it on California's Allen Crabbe who missed just three shots from the field and scored a game-high 31 points.

There's plenty of blame to go around and the fact Arizona played poorly should be at the top of the: "What just happened?" list.

Lyons scored 16 points for the Wildcats, while Solomon Hill finished with 13 and Brandon Ashley had  12, but the trio missed a combined 23 shots as Arizona made just 22 of 56 from the field.

The loss didn't kill the season for the Wildcats, in fact,  maybe being on the short end of the stick for just the third time this season will give them a wake up call as they hit the road next week for games against Colorado and Utah.

It's too cold for rabbits in the North Country this time of year, so the Wildcats (20-3, 8-3) may have to resort to some different "magic" in Boulder and Salt Lake. Forget pulling the rabbit out of the hat, the Wildcats need to grab the basketball and put it through the hoop.

That's no trick! Just sound basketball.

Go get 'em, 'Cats!

Inside-the-park homers highlight TOTS' game

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over-baseball


Ted Davis and Bob Daliege hit inside-the-park home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning today at the spacious Jesse Owens Park as Team Blue went on to beat Team White 9-3 in a Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game.

Daliege pitched all seven inning for Team Blue, allowing just three runs -- all coming in the top of the fourth inning, while Dennis Crowley went the distance for Team White and absorbed the loss.

The TOTS return home to the friendly confines of Udall Park next week where the power alley to left center and right center aren't quite as long as the alleys at Jesse Owens. The TOTS' home field has been under repair for a couple of weeks, but the work is done and the old timers are ready to return to Udall, a field which very seldom gives up inside-the-park homers.

Photos below: Ted Davis (top) and Bob Daliege (bottom) smack inside-the-park homers.

Wildcats on top in Pac 12

The Colorado Buffaloes pulled the upset at Oregon tonight. The 19th-ranked Ducks fall to Colorado 48-47 and in doing so allow the seventh-ranked Arizona Wildcats to take over sole possession of first place in in the Pac-12 Conference. The Wildcats, 20-2 overall, enjoy a one-game lead at 8-2, while Oregon (18-5), Arizona State (18-5) and UCLA (17-6) are all in a second-place deadlock at 7-3.

Needless to say, if Arizona wins at McKale on Sunday over the California Golden Bears, they will be in good shape in the Pac-12 Conference race and nationally as well. It has been a good night for the Wildcats as top-ranked Indiana (20-3) loses to Illinois, 74-72. Add to that, fifth-ranked Kansas lost to TCU on Wednesday, which means if the Wildcats take care of business on Sunday, chances are they would move up two more notches in the Associated Press Poll.

Of course, there are a lot of games to be played this weekend. But, for now, our Wildcats are the TOP DOG!

Arizona 73 Stanford 66

It took a while, but seventh-ranked Arizona made all the fans of the Wildcats at McKale Center happy tonight with a come-from-behind 73-66 win over the Stanford Cardinal. The Wildcats, down 27-26 at the end of the first half, used a late spurt in the second half, outscoring Stanford 24-12 down the stretch,  to notch their 20th win of the season and eighth win in the Pac-12 Conference race.

With Brandon Ashley on the bench with five fouls and Grant Jerrett out of action due to an injury, the Wildcats went to Mark Lyons and Solomon Hill to get the job done. Lyons scored 25 points, grabbed two rebounds and picked up six assists, while Hill finished with 23 points and six boards. Kevin Parrom and Angelo Chol  came off the bench to give Hill and Lyons some support. Parrom grabs nine rebounds, adds three assists and finishes with eight points, while Chol, in his best effort of the season, chips in six points and hauls down eight rebounds.

Arizona shot 46 percent (25 of 54) from the field, while limiting the Cardinal to just 38 percent (22 for 58). The Wildcats out rebounded Stanford, 33-29.

The Arizona fans can take a collective breath and have an extra day to rekindle their energy as the California Bears come to town on Sunday. The 'Cats will be looking for a sweep.

Sittin' with Lute

Saddled with jury duty and a three-week plus virus, I've been away from the ball field since the first week of January. Thank goodness my service in the jury box is over as a decision and a verdict was reached on Tuesday. Now it's back to the real world.

I've been overdue for a haircut. I was beginning to look like Don King connected to an electrical outlet, so this morning I headed for my favorite barbershop, the El Continental. The shop has been around for close to 50 years. I remember as a teenager, I'd walk the mile or so from my house to the El Con Shopping Center to get my sideburns raised and my hair trimmed.

It's hard to believe, but the same barbers are still around and are still getting the job done. The shop has moved and is now near the intersection of Speedway and Country Club, but it's not uncommon to run into the mayor, a city councilman or even someone you went to high school with at the shop -- all getting what hair they have left cut and trimmed.

Sitting in the barber chair next to me today was the man himself, Coach Lute Olson. We have a few things in common with our hairdos, although my hair may have a slight salt and pepper look to it. Coach Olson's hair looked as good as ever when he left his chair and I have to admit my "do" looked pretty good as well.

Olson's white locks always seem to stay in place, mine on the other hand, will be messed up by the next gust of wind.

Our commonality ends there. Once in the parking lot, I got into my four-year old Mitsubishi Galant, while Coach Olson slid into his new Lexus.

Wildcats No. 7 this week in AP Poll

The Arizona Wildcats moved up a notch in the AP Poll this week. The 'Cats are at No. 7, while Indiana is back in the top spot, followed by Florida, Michigan, Duke, Kansas and Gonzaga.  Miami, Syracuse and Ohio State round out the top ten. Oregon with its two losses last week fall all the way to No. 19.

The seventh-ranked Wildcats take on Stanford Wednesday at McKale and close out the two-game home stand against California on Sunday.

Go get 'em, 'Cats!

Hill hits six 3-pointers as Wildcats blow by Cougars

Solomon Hill hit six 3-pointers in the first half and the Arizona Wildcats held on to beat Washington State 79-65 in Pullman tonight to move into a first-place tie in the Pac-12 with Oregon. Hill was on fire and closed out the first half with a heave from just outside the free throw line (of the Ducks, no less!) which bounced off the backboard and wiggled through the net, giving the Wildcats a 40-26 lead at intermission.

Hill went scoreless in the second half, but Mark Lyons picked up the slack and finished with 20 points. Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski added 10 points apiece as all ten Wildcats scored. The win improved the Wildcats overall record to 19-2 and their Pac-12 Conference record to 7-2.

Way to go, Wildcats!

On the Eve of the Super Bowl

Well, it's the day before Super Bowl XLVII, so I guess it's time to offer my prediction. I didn't expect the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers to be the two teams battling for the top prize in the NFL this year and I certainly didn't expect Joe Flacco, my backup quarterback on my fantasy football team this season, to be a key player on Super Bowl Sunday. But, that's the way the cookie crumbled.

So, I look for Flacco and the Ravens to get it done. My prediction: Baltimore 35, San Francisco 28.

Super Bowl XLVII Update: (2-3-13) Baltimore wins it! Ravens 34 San Francisco 31

10th-ranked Oregon loses both games in Bay Area

The 8th-ranked Arizona Wildcats would by deadlocked with Oregon (18-4, 7-2) in the Pac-12 race with a win tonight at Washington State. The Ducks fall this afternoon to California, 58-54, after losing last Thursday at Stanford. Back-to-back losses in the Bay Area for 10th-ranked Oregon! Wow!

Arizona (18-2, 6-2) would move to 7-2 in conference play with a win over the Cougars tonight. Go get 'em, 'Cats!

What a day in college basketball!  No. 2 Kansas loses to Oklahoma State. No. 6 Syracuse loses to Pitt. No. 10 Oregon loses to California. No 22 San Diego State falls to Air Force. Northern Iowa beats No. 15 Wichita State. No. 19 North Carolina State falls to No. 14 Miami. No. 1 Michigan loses to No. 3 Indiana.

Mickelson on fire at Phoenix Open

Phil Mickelson is on fire at the Phoenix Open. Mickelson needs a 64 on Sunday to break the all-time 72-hole PGA record, currently held by Tommy Armour III, who shot a four-day total of 254 at the Valero Texas Open in 2003.  Mickelson opened with a 60 last Thursday at the Scottsdale tournament and followed up on Friday with a 65 and then birdied five of the last six holes today for a 64 and a three-day total of 189, tying for the second-best 54-hole total in PGA history.

The former Arizona State University golfer is feeling right at home at the TPC course in Scottsdale. The hometown crowd will be cheering on the former Sun Devil star tomorrow. It could be a record-breaking Sunday afternoon for Mickelson.

Phoenix Open Update: (2-4-13) Mickelson missed the record by three strokes, but still carded a final day 67 to win the Phoenix Open. Lefty goes wire to wire and finished with a four-day total of 256.