DAILY NEWS, BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY Sports THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012 - PAGE 3C NBA Briefly — From staff and wire reports Louisville blanks WKU softball team, 6-0 Howard still on trade block The Western Kentucky softball team fell behind 4-0 to No. 14 Louisville before even getting a chance to bat Wednesday, eventu- D’Antoni stuns Knicks ally falling 6-0 to the Cardinals at the WKU Softball Field. Junior outfielder Katrina Metoyer had two of the Lady Toppers’ with sudden resignation three hits on the day. By The Associated Press Louisville (21-0) got back-to-back singles from Jennifer Esteban SAN ANTONIO — The and Kristin Austin to lead off the game, and Alicja Wolny later sin- Orlando Magic are out of time gled up the middle to bring in two runs. waiting for Superman. With two outs, Hannah Kiyohara then hit a two-RBI single to put Louisville up 4-0. The trade deadline is here. And The Cardinals added two more runs in the top of the third inning. unless Dwight Howard changes With runners at second and third with two outs, Katelyn Mann hit his mind by this afternoon, the a double to clear the bases and put Louisville up 6-0. franchise that lost Shaquille The Louisville pitching duo of Tori Collins and Chelsea Leonard O’Neal could very well send shut down the Lady Toppers (18-8) over the next four innings. packing another once-in-a-gener- Laura Smith drew a walk in the fourth and was hit by a pitch in the ation big man by the end of the seventh, but no WKU batter got a hit in the last four innings. day. Emily Rousseau went six innings in the circle for WKU, allow- Howard lost Wednesday night ing eight hits and striking out four batters. Collins earned her 10th what might have been his last win of the season for Louisville. game with Orlando. He told the WKU hosts South Alabama this weekend for a Sun Belt Confer- front office before tipoff that he ence series, beginning with a doubleheader Saturday. Game one is wants the right to be a free agent set to start at 1 p.m., with the second contest scheduled for 3 p.m. this summer, a decision that may weaken Orlando’s hesitation to Reinfelde named SBC player of the week trade their superstar. After going a combined 10-0 in doubles and singles play last Howard wants the Magic to week, WKU tennis sophomore Monta Reinfelde has been named gamble that he’ll stay, and not the Sun Belt Conference women’s tennis player of the week, the trade him by the 3 p.m. deadline. league announced Wednesday. “They took a chance on me at The honor is the second of the year for Reinfelde, who also 18, when everybody else said, picked up the award Feb. 15. That previous honor was WKU’s first ‘No, don’t do it,’ ” said Howard, SBC player of the week since 1999. whom the Magic drafted with the Reinfelde has started the season with an unblemished record of top pick out of high school in 20-0 in both doubles and singles from the No. 1 position in the 2004. “They look stupid at first, Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Lady Topper lineup. but look now. It’s the same situa- Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard told the team’s front office Wednesday that he wants the right to Nine of Reinfelde’s 10 singles wins this season have been in tion. That’s it. I understand their be a free agent at the end of the season. straight sets, including her first shutout of the season against situation. I understand mine, too.” Nathalie Lorenco of Alabama State last week. Neither general manager Otis nant big man. If the Magic don’t before he could re-create the high- anyone. The undrafted Harvard Reinfelde helped the Lady Toppers to a 4-1 mark during their Smith nor team president Alex trade Howard, they risk the 26- octane success he had in Phoenix, point guard outplayed Kobe annual road swing, going 5-0 in singles play and 5-0 in doubles Martins made the trip to Texas. year-old signing elsewhere and get- and for three exhilarating weeks Bryant one night, toppled the play with teammate Maddie Phillips. Reinfelde and Phillips Coach Stan Van Gundy, hound- ting nothing in return for a perenni- in February, the New York Knicks champion Dallas Mavericks improved to 9-0 as a duo this season. ed by questions all season about al All-Star hitting his prime. were the NBA’s team to watch. another, and D’Antoni had that Howard’s future, refused to enter- It’s a scenario the franchise is They played fast and fun, shar- feeling again that his team could Rowan Co. tops N. Laurel in state tourney tain any more on the eve of the loath to repeat after O’Neal did ing the ball and sharing laughs, outscore anyone. LEXINGTON — Tyler Thacker scored 16 of his career-high 25 trade deadline. the same in 1996. and their coach enjoyed the ride “You know what, I think at that points in the first half Wednesday to lead Rowan County past North “I don’t even want to talk about Howard asked the Magic to as much as anyone. point in time we started to play Laurel 64-46 in the first round of Kentucky’s Sweet Sixteen basket- it. It’s so tiresome,” Van Gundy trade him before the season, but Just as quickly, it was gone well and he started to build on that ball tournament. said. “I’ve been dealing with this has since rescinded that request. again. And now, so too is D’An- offense,” forward Amare Thacker connected on 9 of 13 shot attempts, including a 4 of 6 for three months. Nothing’s fresh He said after Tuesday’s night toni, a casualty of the forces gen- Stoudemire said. from 3-point range, as Rowan County (26-7) advanced to the state to me. Talk to somebody else overtime win against Miami that erated by a mercurial owner per- The Knicks won seven tournament quarterfinals for the second straight season. about it.” his change of heart wasn’t new. petually rebuilding the roster, the straight, leading newscasts on a Before losing 122-111 to the The Magic are 28-16 and 7 caprice of a star player and the nightly basis for the first time in Southwestern downs Hoptown 52-41 San Antonio Spurs, Howard games behind first-place Chicago. heightened expectations of a fan memory. called a players-only meeting. His Howard is averaging 21.2 points base desperate for a winner. But D’Antoni also had the LEXINGTON — Justin Epperson scored 18 points for South- teammates divulged few details and a career-best 15.2 rebounds. He resigned Wednesday, a same fear as many fans. He western as the Warriors used a 26-3 run to defeat Hopkinsville 52- about what was discussed, only “They know how I feel about stunning finish for a coach who knew Anthony would soon be 41 on Wednesday in the first round of the Kentucky Sweet Sixteen that Howard reiterated his belief the city. I’ve sat down with them only a month earlier seemed reju- back from injury, and his vision basketball tournament. that the Magic are poised to con- on numerous occasions and venated by Jeremy Lin. of beautiful basketball would Hopkinsville (32-3) jumped out to a 17-8 lead, but turned the tend for their first title this season. talked about what we can do “Nobody saw it coming,” said stop. ball over nine times during the second quarter as the Warriors (28- Yet Howard is making no firm together, but I can’t do it all by Carmelo Anthony, the star who And when that happened, fol- 8) closed the first half with a 12-0 run. commitment to the Magic beyond myself,” Howard said about his was sidelined when Lin emerged lowed by reports of the friction it that. teammates. “You know, I want and seemed unlikely to ever mesh created between the coach and Trinity runs past Bullitt East 52-32 Magic spokesman George them to help. I want them to be with him the way D’Antoni want- star, D’Antoni decided it was time LEXINGTON — Nathan Dieudonne led Trinity with 22 points Galante confirmed that Howard involved with changing Orlando. ed after he returned. to walk away. as the game-high scorer as the tournament favorite beat Bullitt informed the team before That’s always been my goal.” That meant Linsanity couldn’t “He had a certain ideal of a East 52-32 on Wednesday in a first-round game at the KHSAA Wednesday night’s game against Provisions in the league’s new last, and D’Antoni may have real- system we were supposed to Boys’ Sweet Sixteen. the Spurs that he will not waive collective bargaining agreement ized it first. implement,” said Stoudemire, the early termination clause in his give the Magic the ability to offer Lin had come from the end of who also played for D’Antoni in George Rogers Clark, Fatkin beat Apollo contact, which would have guar- Howard $30 million more than the bench to play so well that Phoenix. “We all didn’t quite buy LEXINGTON — Adam Fatkin scored 21 points and George anteed Howard sticking around at any other team if he becomes a D’Antoni would compare him to into it, and he got frustrated and I Rogers Clark cruised in its opener of the Kentucky Sweet Sixteen least one more season. free agent. Orlando can offer him Suns star Steve Nash, who ran his think that’s why he took his way basketball tournament with a 56-36 win over Apollo on Wednesday. Howard, who had 22 points a five-year contract extension wide-open offense better than out.” and 12 rebounds, said he didn’t with 7.5 percent annual raises, know if he played his last game while other teams are tapped out with the Magic. at offering a four-year pact with “They know how I feel. I’ve only 4.5 percent raises. expressed that to my teammates. I “They took a chance on me at expressed that to the ownership. 18. And what did I do? I gave them It’s on them now,” Howard said. everything I had for eight years,” “I’ve done my job. I haven’t Howard said. “Take a chance changed and despite whatever is again. I go out every night and play being said, I’m still that same per- hard. If I didn’t want to win, I son. So, if you want to scrutinize would have dogged it. But that’s me for taking care of Dwight, not who I am. And look where we that’s fine.” are. We’re in a great position.” As the hours leading up to the trade deadline tick down, the D’Antoni, Knicks won Magic are looking for stronger seven straight before recent skid assurances they can realistically NEW YORK — Mike D’An- hang onto the NBA’s most domi- toni waited nearly four years GOLF Lewis welcoming challenges of tour By DOUG FERGUSON McIlroy two weeks ago rose to The Associated Press No. 1 in the world at 22, the sec- PALM HARBOR, Fla. — His ond-youngest player behind achievements alone would sug- Woods to be atop the world rank- gest Tom Lewis is racing toward ing. Harris English last year won a stardom. Nationwide Tour event while still The 21-year-old from England an amateur. Bud Cauley became burst onto the world scene last only the sixth player to go straight summer at Royal St. George’s from college to the PGA Tour when he ran off four straight without a trip to Q-school. birdies late in the opening round The tee times for Innisbrook for a 65. It was the lowest score offer a bizarre indicator of youth: ever by an amateur in the British Cauley is about to turn 22, and Open, and he was the first ama- he’ll be the oldest player in his teur in 43 years to be atop the group. leaderboard in golf’s oldest cham- “That’s kind of funny,” Cauley pionship. said. “I never thought that would If that wasn’t enough, he won happen.” in his third tournament as a pro He’ll play with Lewis and Ryo with a 65 on the last day at the Ishikawa, the 20-year-old from Portugal Masters. Tiger Woods Japan who is coming off a runner- didn’t win until his fifth tourna- up finish last week in the Puerto ment. Rory McIlroy waited until Rico Open. Lewis already is a his 38th start to win. European Tour winner. Ishikawa But for a kid with no other aspi- already has won 10 times in Japan rations but to play golf for a liv- and played on two Presidents Cup ing, Lewis sees himself as some- teams. one with much to learn. Another “Golf is getting so competitive step comes this week at the Tran- at an earlier age,” Cauley said. sitions Championship, where Justin Rose was one of those Lewis makes his PGA Tour debut, guys. He tied for fourth in the his first time playing in America 1998 British Open as a 17-year- as a pro. old at Royal Birkdale, turned pro “I know I’ve got two years in the following week and spent the Europe. That helps,” Lewis said, next year missing cuts. He finally referring to the two-year exemp- figured it out and won a World tion on the European Tour for Golf Championship last week at winning. “It gives me the opportu- Doral, his 10th win worldwide. nity to come here and see what Rose spent some time with standard I need to get to.” Lewis last fall in Asia, and he was There are so many examples of impressed with what he saw. players wasting little time to get to “He seems to be in no hurry,” where they want to be. Rose said.