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TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018
SECTION B College Hoops
INSIDE
Notre Dame women bring home title
Scoreboard, 2B Local Roundup, 3B
Page 4B
Prep Baseball
McKinnon, Lester spark Dillon to win over H-P BY SCOTT CHANCEY
Morning News schancey@florencenews.com
PAMPLICO — Dillon baseball got the most-needed spark from its least-expected hitters. Shamareon McKinnon, the Wildcats’ No. 8 batter, broke a 1-1 score in the top of the sixth with an RBI double. No. 9 hit-
a 7-1 win Monday at HannahPamplico. Those two hits and three runs were part of a five-run sixth that eased Dozier’s worries about his dillon 7 team’s ability to score with runhannah-pamplico 1 ners in scoring position. Dillon left six in scoring positer Jay Lester followed with a two-run triple, and that pushed tion Monday before that outcoach Gregg Dozier’s team to burst.
“That had kind of been the story the last three games,” Dozier said. “We started the season really hot, scoring a good number Dozier of runs, averaging like six or eight runs a game,
and then we all of the sudden dropped off.” Just knowing those two clutch hits were delivered from the bottom of the Wildcats’ order is something Dozier hopes his team can build upon. “That was really big coming
See DILLON, Page 3B
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SUPER NOVA
Season of strife An uncertain future looms for college hoops The Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO — For the past three weeks, it’s been all about buzzer-beaters, bracket-busters and basketball — a muchneeded reminder about just how beautiful this game can be. For the next six months, it will be all about ugliness and uncertainty, while college basketball wrestles with the changes it must make to keep the sport alive. The 2017-18 campaign could very well be remembered as the season that ridded the upper echelon of college hoops of any last whiffs of the notion that it is all about amateurs, “studentathletes” and playing for nothing more than a scholarship and pride. An FBI investigation that resulted in the September arrests of 10 agents, coaches and businessmen with basketball ties did what the NCAA never really could — laid bare the inner-workings of a shady, money-grubbing business that’s been teetering on the edge of the rulebook, and the law, for decades. “The state of the game, there’s no doubt, there’s some question marks now,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. Between the FBI probe and other media reports, violations have been alleged at 28 schools, ranging from businessmen taking recruits’ parents out to lunch to $100,000 payoffs to get them to sign with certain programs; 17 of those teams were in the March Madness bracket. A panel led by Condoleezza Rice is examining
Villanova takes title, 79-62, over Michigan behind DiVincenzo The Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO — They chanted his name from the cheap seats: “DiVincenzo, DiVincenzo.” By the time Donte DiVincenzo was done doing his damage, Villanova had another title and college basketball had its newest star.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo, center, celebrates with teammates at the end of the national championship game against Michigan on Monday.
The redhead kid with the nickname Big Ragu scored 31 points Monday to lift ‘Nova to another blowout tournament victory — this time 79-62 over Michigan for its second title in three seasons. Villanova won all six games by double digits over this tournament run.
See STRIFE, Page 3B
MLB
Golf
Harper goes yard, Nationals Tiger’s presence felt instantly in Augusta stay hot in rout of Braves The Associated Press
ATLANTA — Bryce Harper hit a three-run homer and the quickscoring Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 8-1 on Monday night for the first 4-0 start to a season in their Washington history. Harper’s second-inning shot off Sean Newcomb (0-1) to center field gave the Nationals a 5-0 lead. He also drew four walks
fore his first pitch. This time, the beneficiary was Tanner Roark (1-0), who allowed one run in seven innings. Roark gave up four hits with one walk nationals 8 and six strikeouts. braves 1 Howie Kendrick’s double to right field drove in Harper, who and scored three runs. For the fourth straight game walked, in Washington’s two-run as the road team, the Nationals first inning. scored in the first inning to give their starting pitcher a lead beSee BRAVES, Page 3B
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The roar sounded like Sunday at Augusta National. This was Monday afternoon, and it was so sudden and thunderous that it reached the clubhouse. It was loud enough to startle spectators who wondered what they had missed. They had a pretty good idea
INSIDE » More Masters coverage. 5B
who it was. Tiger Woods is back at the Masters. Woods teed off with Justin Thomas and Fred Couples shortly before 3 p.m. when
See MASTERS, Page 3B