Izod Center

Who: Sixers (27-27) at New Jersey Nets (24-32) When: 7:30 Where: IZOD Center, East Rutherford TV/Radio: Comcast Sportsnet/WIP (610-AM) Info: The Nets won the first two meetings this season.

Semifinals Friday at Monmouth University, West Long Branch. No. 2 St. Augustine (28-2) vs. No. 3 Plainfield (21-7), 6 p.m. No. 1 St. Anthony (32-0) vs. No. 5 Newark Central (30-4), 8 p.m. Final Monday at Izod Center, East Rutherford. Semifinals winners, 8 p.m.

All games are at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, N.J., except the final, which is at the Izod Center in East Rutherford. (Seedings in parentheses) (4) Gill St. Bernard's vs. (5) Jackson Memorial, 6 p.m. (3) Manasquan vs. (6) Cedar Creek, 8 p.m. (1) Shabazz vs. Gill St. Bernard's-Jackson winner, 6 p.m. (2) St. Rose vs. Manasquan-Cedar Creek winner, 8 p.m. Championship, 6:30 p.m.

T of C Girls' Schedule All games are at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, N.J., except the final, which is at the Izod Center in East Rutherford. (Seedings in parentheses) (4) Gill St. Bernard's vs. (5) Jackson Memorial, 6 p.m. (3) Manasquan vs. (6) Cedar Creek, 8 p.m.   (1) Shabazz vs. Gill St. Bernard's-Jackson winner, 6 p.m. (2) St. Rose vs. Manasquan-Cedar Creek winner, 8 p.m.   Championship, 6:30 p.m.  

Think you're good enough - or wacky enough - for American Idol ? Get your traveling gear ready. Signups are Sunday and Monday for next Tuesday's tryouts at the Izod Center at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. Alas, the ratings hog of a talent show won't be back in Philadelphia this year. Too bad. Last year's auditions here not only set some kind of record for wannabes getting wristbands, but produced some of last season's most memorable personalities. Like the Bucks County guy who serenaded judge Paula Abdul with his "Stalker" song.

His team MVP trophy for the game hardly served as a consolation for Gerry Wixted, but it was another indication that the 6-foot-7 senior enjoyed a truly impressive postseason. Wixted ended his season and career with last night's 53-39 loss to Trenton Catholic in the Tournament of Champions basketball final at the Izod Center. In defeat, Wixted performed as well as he had in so many of the wins this season. He had 16 points, eight rebounds, and eight blocked shots. Wixted shot 7 for 16 from the field, but the rest of the team was 8 for 29. So Wixted and his teammates, while feeling the sting of the loss, will no doubt reflect on better games during a 29-2 season that earned the Irish The Inquirer's No. 1 South Jersey ranking and a Non-Public A state title.

HERE'S A LAUGHER: Nets CEO Brett Yormark got upset at a fan who wore a paper bag on his head to Monday night's 99-89 loss to Miami. Photos all over the Internet show Yormark pointing in disgust at Chris Lisi, of Middletown, N.J., a Nets fan who actually paid money to see a team currently making a run for the distinction of being the worst in the history of the NBA. An Associated Press report said Yormark asked Lisi why he needed...

In a young season already filled with some not-so-good moments, a loss to the winless New Jersey Nets last night would have been the worst for the 76ers. It would have been bad because New Jersey's bench looked like a brokerage firm: lined with suits. The Nets were missing four key players from a team that, even with its starters, isn't all that competitive. And still, on the game's final possession, New Jersey had a chance. But on its final inbounds play, New Jersey committed a scratch-your-head turnover that secured the Sixers' 82-79 victory at the Izod Center.

Atlantic City coach Gene Allen knows that his players are looking forward to facing national power St. Anthony of Jersey City in the semifinals of the boys' basketball Tournament of Champions on Friday night at Rutgers University. "When you're 16, 17, you think like that," Allen said with a smile. Atlantic City (26-5), the Group 4 state champion, will be a decided underdog in the second game of a doubleheader that will feature Plainfield (29-3) vs. St. Joseph of Metuchen (29-1)

All games are at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, N.J., except the final, which is at the Izod Center in East Rutherford. (Seedings in parentheses) (4) Gill St. Bernard's vs. (5) Jackson Memorial, 6 p.m. (3) Manasquan vs. (6) Cedar Creek, 8 p.m. (1) Shabazz vs. Gill St. Bernard's-Jackson winner, 6 p.m. (2) St. Rose vs. Manasquan-Cedar Creek winner, 8 p.m. Championship, 6:30 p.m.

T of C Girls' Schedule All games are at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, N.J., except the final, which is at the Izod Center in East Rutherford. (Seedings in parentheses) (4) Gill St. Bernard's vs. (5) Jackson Memorial, 6 p.m. (3) Manasquan vs. (6) Cedar Creek, 8 p.m.   (1) Shabazz vs. Gill St. Bernard's-Jackson winner, 6 p.m. (2) St. Rose vs. Manasquan-Cedar Creek winner, 8 p.m.   Championship, 6:30 p.m.  

Monday at Izod Center, East Rutherford. Girls No. 4 Trenton Catholic (29-4) vs. No. 2 Neptune (30-1), 6 p.m. Boys No. 3 Plainfield (24-8) vs. No. 1 St. Anthony (33-0), 8 p.m.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - A panel of Democratic lawmakers heard from an array of speakers Friday, including local officials, labor and trades groups, heads of horsemen's associations, and even a corporate real estate broker, praising the Meadowlands complex as North Jersey's crown jewel. "This really is the economic engine of not only North Jersey but all of New Jersey," said Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney, during the second of three gaming summit hearings to help shape the future of casinos and the horse-racing industry in New Jersey.

His team MVP trophy for the game hardly served as a consolation for Gerry Wixted, but it was another indication that the 6-foot-7 senior enjoyed a truly impressive postseason. Wixted ended his season and career with last night's 53-39 loss to Trenton Catholic in the Tournament of Champions basketball final at the Izod Center. In defeat, Wixted performed as well as he had in so many of the wins this season. He had 16 points, eight rebounds, and eight blocked shots. Wixted shot 7 for 16 from the field, but the rest of the team was 8 for 29. So Wixted and his teammates, while feeling the sting of the loss, will no doubt reflect on better games during a 29-2 season that earned the Irish The Inquirer's No. 1 South Jersey ranking and a Non-Public A state title.

HERE'S A LAUGHER: Nets CEO Brett Yormark got upset at a fan who wore a paper bag on his head to Monday night's 99-89 loss to Miami. Photos all over the Internet show Yormark pointing in disgust at Chris Lisi, of Middletown, N.J., a Nets fan who actually paid money to see a team currently making a run for the distinction of being the worst in the history of the NBA. An Associated Press report said Yormark asked Lisi why he needed...

It was a sad sight in a sorry season. In front of about 1,000 fans, the host New Jersey Nets lost for the 48th time before the All-Star break, trounced by the Milwaukee Bucks last night, 97-77. Andrew Bogut scored 22 points and Ersan Ilyasova added 18 for Milwaukee. A storm that dumped more than a foot of snow on the New York region kept the crowd at the IZOD Center to a turnstile count of 1,016, most of whom moved to the courtside seats and the first few rows of the lower bowl.