Samford

Samford coach Terry Bowden recognized the beating. Last time he got one like this was opening day, a 55-0 blowout by Auburn. But that was a nonleague loss in September. This was a 56-21 loss in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs to Delaware. "I wish I could say something that wouldn't make us look so bad," Bowden said. "They were just superior to us. " The eighth-ranked Blue Hens (10-2), champions of the Yankee Conference, scored their most points ever in a I-AA playoff game and gained the most yards - 586 - since 1982, when they ran up 646 against William and Mary.

Quarterback Bill Vergantino owns 21 University of Delaware football records. The senior from Neshaminy High has taken his esteemed place among the Blue Hens' best QBs, a list that includes Rich Gannon, Scott Brunner and Jeff Komlo. But Vergantino doesn't want to leave Newark, Del., without one more accomplishment: leading the Hens to the NCAA Division I-AA championship. The first step in that quest is tomorrow, when the Hens (9-2) host Samford (also 9-2) at 12:30 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.

Kris Joseph had 17 points, Scoop Jardine added 14, and No. 1 Syracuse (12-0) cruised past visiting Bucknell, 80-61, on Tuesday night. It was only the second time Bucknell (7-5) has played the No. 1 team in the nation. Mike Muscala, Patriot League player of the year last season, finished with 14 points and seven rebounds for Bucknell. Ohio State 70, Lamar 50 - Jared Sullinger bounced back from his latest injury to score 18 points and grab 11 rebounds, leading the No. 2 Buckeyes (11-1)

Harrison Barnes scored a season-high 26 points to help No. 5 North Carolina beat Texas, 82-63, on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill, N.C. John Henson added 14 points for the Tar Heels (11-2), who won their fifth straight and avenged last season's last-second loss to the Longhorns (9-3). North Carolina went on a 13-1 run to build a double-digit lead midway through the first half and never looked back. Penn State 74, Cornell 67 - The Nittany Lions overcame a cold night of shooting with some clutch three-pointers to hold off host Cornell.

Wendell Magee Jr. realizes that he isn't supposed to be with the Phillies just yet, that the drain of big-league talent here is the only reason he is in the major leagues. By his own timetable, Magee figured he would be ready to come up maybe a year from now, or at least by the spring of '98. But it doesn't sound as if the outfielder's premature appearance should stunt his development. The way Magee tells it, he is getting some serious hitting instruction for the first time in his life.

James Augustine had 16 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high seven assists to lead No. 10 Illinois over Minnesota, 71-65, last night as the Illini stayed in the race for the Big Ten title. Dee Brown scored 14 points for Illinois (24-5, 10-5), which trails Ohio State by just a half-game for the conference lead. Vincent Grier scored 19 points and Moe Hargrow added 17 in their final home game for the Golden Gophers (14-12, 5-10), who have lost 15 straight to Illinois dating to 1999.

Delaware quarterback Bill Vergantino was so eager to call the play, he could barely contain his emotions on the football field. "Couple times, I got so excited, I chucked the ball over the receivers' heads - and they were wide open," he said. "I was just thrilled at the way we played. " The senior from Neshaminy High had a marvelous afternoon Saturday, completing 10 of 15 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns in the Blue Hens' 56-21 rout of Samford in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Casey Jacobsen scored 22 points, including three crucial ones in the final 90 seconds, as top-ranked Stanford (26-1, 14-1) blew most of a 16-point lead before beating Southern California, 70-68, in Los Angeles. The game went down to the final second, with USC's Brandon Granville futilely throwing up an air ball as the clock ran out for the Trojans, who haven't beaten a No. 1 team in 31 years and who have lost five of their last games. The Trojans (18-9, 8-7) trailed, 41-34, at halftime and were behind by as much as 53-37 early in the second half before rallying to close to 65-62 with 1:52 remaining.

Tyler Holloway scored 11 of his 13 points in a key second half run to help Murray State clinch the Racers' 13th berth in the NCAA tournament by beating Samford, 74-57, in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship game yesterday in Nashville. The Racers (24-6), who have won this title two of the last three seasons, celebrated by linking together like a chorus line and dancing at midcourt. Samford (20-11) was trying to earn its third NCAA berth in eight seasons by winning the OVC tournament only three seasons after joining the league.

When Villanova coach Andy Talley found out his Wildcats had earned an invitation to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs two years ago, he did not get to share the moment with any of his players. Talley was in his office with a few assistants when he decided to tune in on the NCAA teleconference, just to see how close his ambitious, but young, 8-3 team had come to joining the elite field of 16. "All of a sudden, the guy comes on and says we'd been bracketed against Georgia Southern in the first round," Talley said.

Harrison Barnes scored a season-high 26 points to help No. 5 North Carolina beat Texas, 82-63, on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill, N.C. John Henson added 14 points for the Tar Heels (11-2), who won their fifth straight and avenged last season's last-second loss to the Longhorns (9-3). North Carolina went on a 13-1 run to build a double-digit lead midway through the first half and never looked back. Penn State 74, Cornell 67 - The Nittany Lions overcame a cold night of shooting with some clutch three-pointers to hold off host Cornell.

Kris Joseph had 17 points, Scoop Jardine added 14, and No. 1 Syracuse (12-0) cruised past visiting Bucknell, 80-61, on Tuesday night. It was only the second time Bucknell (7-5) has played the No. 1 team in the nation. Mike Muscala, Patriot League player of the year last season, finished with 14 points and seven rebounds for Bucknell. Ohio State 70, Lamar 50 - Jared Sullinger bounced back from his latest injury to score 18 points and grab 11 rebounds, leading the No. 2 Buckeyes (11-1)

Tyler Holloway scored 11 of his 13 points in a key second half run to help Murray State clinch the Racers' 13th berth in the NCAA tournament by beating Samford, 74-57, in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship game yesterday in Nashville. The Racers (24-6), who have won this title two of the last three seasons, celebrated by linking together like a chorus line and dancing at midcourt. Samford (20-11) was trying to earn its third NCAA berth in eight seasons by winning the OVC tournament only three seasons after joining the league.

James Augustine had 16 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high seven assists to lead No. 10 Illinois over Minnesota, 71-65, last night as the Illini stayed in the race for the Big Ten title. Dee Brown scored 14 points for Illinois (24-5, 10-5), which trails Ohio State by just a half-game for the conference lead. Vincent Grier scored 19 points and Moe Hargrow added 17 in their final home game for the Golden Gophers (14-12, 5-10), who have lost 15 straight to Illinois dating to 1999.

Hawaii made a short side trip a long day for fourth-ranked Michigan State. Matt Lojeski and Julian Sensley each scored 20 points for the Rainbow Warriors in an 84-62 victory in Honolulu that ended the Spartans' streak of season-opening wins at 28. Michigan State was hampered by poor shooting and leg cramps. The Spartans stopped off on Oahu on the way to the Maui Invitational that starts tomorrow, in which they will play three games in as many days. The Rainbow Warriors are 1-0. UC Irvine 79, Stanford 63 - Ross Schraeder scored 19 points and University of California-Irvine (2-1)

Casey Jacobsen scored 22 points, including three crucial ones in the final 90 seconds, as top-ranked Stanford (26-1, 14-1) blew most of a 16-point lead before beating Southern California, 70-68, in Los Angeles. The game went down to the final second, with USC's Brandon Granville futilely throwing up an air ball as the clock ran out for the Trojans, who haven't beaten a No. 1 team in 31 years and who have lost five of their last games. The Trojans (18-9, 8-7) trailed, 41-34, at halftime and were behind by as much as 53-37 early in the second half before rallying to close to 65-62 with 1:52 remaining.

Wendell Magee Jr. realizes that he isn't supposed to be with the Phillies just yet, that the drain of big-league talent here is the only reason he is in the major leagues. By his own timetable, Magee figured he would be ready to come up maybe a year from now, or at least by the spring of '98. But it doesn't sound as if the outfielder's premature appearance should stunt his development. The way Magee tells it, he is getting some serious hitting instruction for the first time in his life.

Delaware quarterback Bill Vergantino was so eager to call the play, he could barely contain his emotions on the football field. "Couple times, I got so excited, I chucked the ball over the receivers' heads - and they were wide open," he said. "I was just thrilled at the way we played. " The senior from Neshaminy High had a marvelous afternoon Saturday, completing 10 of 15 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns in the Blue Hens' 56-21 rout of Samford in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Samford coach Terry Bowden recognized the beating. Last time he got one like this was opening day, a 55-0 blowout by Auburn. But that was a nonleague loss in September. This was a 56-21 loss in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs to Delaware. "I wish I could say something that wouldn't make us look so bad," Bowden said. "They were just superior to us. " The eighth-ranked Blue Hens (10-2), champions of the Yankee Conference, scored their most points ever in a I-AA playoff game and gained the most yards - 586 - since 1982, when they ran up 646 against William and Mary.

Quarterback Bill Vergantino owns 21 University of Delaware football records. The senior from Neshaminy High has taken his esteemed place among the Blue Hens' best QBs, a list that includes Rich Gannon, Scott Brunner and Jeff Komlo. But Vergantino doesn't want to leave Newark, Del., without one more accomplishment: leading the Hens to the NCAA Division I-AA championship. The first step in that quest is tomorrow, when the Hens (9-2) host Samford (also 9-2) at 12:30 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.