SANDWICH, England (AP) — No matter how long it grows or even how quickly, the list of major champions from the tiny country of Northern Ireland just wouldn't feel complete without Darren Clarke.

He doesn't have the majestic swing of Rory McIlroy or the putting prowess of Graeme McDowell, the last two U.S. Open champions. He hasn't contended in a major for the last 10 years, wasn't even eligible for the last three majors and was no longer among the top 100 in the world.

No matter.

Clarke's three-shot victory in the British Open was met with unending applause Sunday, the loudest saved for the closing ceremony when he was introduced as the champion golfer of the year.

WASHINGTON (AP) — If the Washington Capitals keep blocking shots the way they did in Game 1, the New York Rangers are going to find it very tough to score.

The Capitals blocked 32 shots in their 2-1 overtime victory Wednesday night, the most they've had in 29 playoff games under coach Bruce Boudreau. Karl Alzner had eight by himself.

Rangers coach John Tortorella says his team needs to figure out a way to create more scoring chances. He says players need to think about shooting more often and more quickly.

Game 2 is Friday in Washington.

Lee strikes out 12, Phillies beat Nationals 4-0

WASHINGTON (AP) — Back at his best after an unusually brief outing, Cliff Lee struck out 12 in a three-hit shutout Thursday night, allowing the Philadelphia Phillies to overcome their own problems at the plate in a 4-0 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Lee (2-1) fooled hitters with darting fastballs across the black of the plate, sweeping changeups in the dirt, and plenty of other right-where-he-wanted-them pitches. Quite a turnaround from his previous game, at Atlanta last Friday, when Lee allowed six runs and 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings — his shortest start since Sept. 4, 2009.

It's rare that a guy can be perfect through five innings and not come close to being the evening's best pitcher — yet that's exactly what happened to Jordan Zimmermann (1-2).

WASHINGTON (AP) — At his dominant best until a shaky ninth inning, Roy Halladay held on to throw his first complete game of 2011, leading the Philadelphia Phillies past the Washington Nationals 3-2 Wednesday night.

Through eight shutout innings, Halladay (2-0) allowed only a pair of singles by Adam LaRoche, who talked his way back into Washington's lineup despite a hurt groin. In the ninth, Halladay allowed four hits, including RBI singles by Laynce Nix and Danny Espinosa.

With two on, the two-time Cy Young Award winner ended the game by throwing six strikes in a row to fan pinch-hitter Matt Stairs and Ivan Rodriguez, who argued the game-ending call at length.

Halladay had nine strikeouts and two walks.

John Lannan (1-1) is 0-9 against Philadelphia.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Capitals have changed quite a bit since they were routed 7-0 by the New York Rangers in December.

It was that loss that spurred Washington coach Bruce Boudreau into changing the team's scheme in midseason.

The Capitals became more defensive-minded, and they mastered the new style enough to finish first again in the Eastern Conference.

Now they're ready to face the Rangers again in Wednesday night's Game 1 of their Eastern Conference series.

New York barely made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. However, it was another eighth-seeded team — Montreal — that eliminated the Capitals a year ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jayson Werth homered and doubled to lead the Washington Nationals to a 7-4 win Tuesday night in his first appearance against Philadelphia since leaving the Phillies as a free agent this winter.

Werth doubled to lead off the fourth inning and later scored, starting a three-run inning that gave the Nationals the lead for good. His solo home run in the fifth gave Washington a 5-1 lead.

Werth signed a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Nationals this offseason. Phillies fans made up a large percentage of the sparse crowd at Nationals Park, and they booed him each time he came to bat — or fielded a fly ball in right field.

Livan Hernandez (1-1) allowed one run on seven hits, struck out six and didn't walk a batter in 6 2-3 innings.

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Every year, the Washington Capitals enter the playoffs saying they've learned their lessons from the previous year's debacle. This year is no exception.

The top-seeded Capitals open the postseason Wednesday against the eighth-seeded New York Rangers.

Last year, Washington became first the No. 1 seed to be eliminated by a No. 8 after holding a 3-1 series lead. Several players afterward said the team was guilty of relying on regular season intensity instead of turning things up a notch for the playoffs.

Veteran Mike Knuble says last year's experience makes "you realize you're not as good as you think you are." He says the Capitals had the "whole summer to digest the fact that you've got to come up with more" at playoff time.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Capitals will open their exhibition schedule in Baltimore next season.

The Capitals will host the Nashville Predators in the Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena on Sept. 20.

Team president Dick Patrick said Monday the team scheduled the game to reward the strong support the franchise receives from fans in the Charm City.

Baltimore was home to the Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate — the Skipjacks — from 1988 to 1993.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Joanne Boyle says she is ready to lead Virginia women's basketball back to prominence.

Boyle was introduced Monday as the fourth coach in the team's 38-year history. She replaces Hall of Famer Debbie Ryan, whom she calls a mentor, inspiration and friend.

Boyle has spent the last six seasons at California, and the move East is a homecoming of sorts. She played at Duke in the 1980s and spent nine years as an assistant with the Blue Devils. Her first three seasons as a head coach were with Richmond from 2002 to 2004.

The 47-year-old Boyle says her players must push the pace in transition, play tough defense and rebound if Virginia is to succeed in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Matt Kenseth is finally feeling like a contender again. A trip to Victory Lane will do that for you.

The 2003 Sprint Cup champion snapped a two-year, 76-race winless streak with a dominating run at Texas on Saturday night. It was his first win since opening 2009 with consecutive victories at Daytona and California.

Kenseth led 169 of 334 laps at the 1½-mile, high-banked Texas Motor Speedway. His three Roush Fenway teammates also finished high. Carl Edwards was third, Greg Biffle fourth and polesitter David Ragan seventh.

Kenseth says the win is a big relief and gives him a lot of confidence.

The victory pushed Kenseth up six spots to third in season points behind Edwards and Kyle Busch.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Charl Schwartzel has won the Masters by two strokes over Adam Scott and Jason Day after a wild final day at Augusta National.

The 26-year-old South African closed with four straight birdies, making a 20-footer at the final hole to wrap up a 6-under 66. He finished 14-under 274, enough to deny Australia its first green jacket.

Scott shot a 67 and Day finished with two straight birdies for a 68, leaving both Aussies at 276. It wasn't enough to hold off Schwartzel, who gives South Africa another major champion.

Tiger Woods was in a group at 278, failing to capitalize after shooting 31 on the front side. The 54-hole leader, Rory McIlroy, fell apart on the final day.

NEW YORK (AP) — Ivan Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the 11th inning and the Washington Nationals came back to beat the New York Mets 7-3 Sunday.

Laynce Nix followed with a three-run homer off Blaine Boyer (0-2), the Mets' fifth reliever.

Rodriguez's hit got past second baseman Daniel Murphy, who pinch hit for Brad Emaus in the ninth after the Mets' bullpen blew a 3-1 lead in the eighth. Right fielder Lucas Duda, whose misplay of a flyball in the eighth led to the tying runs, scooped up the ball, but his throw to the plate was inaccurate and pinch-runner Wilson Ramos scored easily.

Drew Storen (1-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for Washington, which salvaged a 3-3 road trip and took two of three from the Mets, who wasted another fine start by Chris Young.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Kimi Raikkonen (KIM-ee RYE-kuh-nen) is testing well in NASCAR as the former Formula One world champion prepares for his debut in a truck owned by Kyle Busch.

After testing for two days at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia this week, Raikkonen was at Rockingham, N.C., on Thursday for more laps in the truck.

Busch says the test went well in Georgia, and that Raikkonen was good again at Rockingham.

The Finn will make his NASCAR debut on May 20 driving a Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra in the Trucks Series race at Charlotte, N.C.

Busch says the former Formula One champion is also interested in running Sprint Cup and Nationwide races, which is something that will be re-evaluated after his truck debut.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Golf has revised one of its rules so that players who are made aware of a violation after they have signed their scorecard can still get penalized without being disqualified.

The Royal & Ancient and USGA announced the new interpretation on Thursday.

Padraig Harrington was disqualified at the Abu Dhabi Championship earlier this year when slow-motion replays on television revealed that his ball had moved on the green ever so slightly after he replaced his marker. Because it was discovered after his round of 65, he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

The revision says that if a player was not aware of the rule, he still can get disqualified.

The change, announced an hour before the start of the Masters, is effective immediately.

MIAMI (AP) — Adam LaRoche snapped a slump with a two-run homer in the 11th inning Thursday, and the Washington Nationals salvaged the final game of their series at Florida with a 5-3 win over the Marlins.

LaRoche was 3 for 23 before he hit his first homer of the year off Edward Mujica (1-1). That ended a streak of 12 2-3 scoreless innings for Florida's bullpen in the series.

The Marlins gave up two unearned runs, struck out 12 times and went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Jayson Werth hit his first home run since signing a $126 million, seven-year contract to join the Nationals.

Todd Coffey (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th. Sean Burnett pitched the 11th for his second save in as many chances.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Two University of Virginia football players have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an altercation at a party in Harrisonburg.

Media outlets report that 20-year-old cornerback Devon Wallace and 20-year-old backup center Mike Price entered their pleas Tuesday in Rockingham General District Court.

Wallace and Price each received a year's probation.

Charges against a third player, 21-year-old linebacker Ausar Walcott, were dismissed.

The players were accused of assaulting two brothers on Jan. 30.

Virginia coach Mike London says all three players remain suspended from the football team.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Capitals' power play is hitting its stride just in time for the playoffs, with Mike Knuble and Jason Chimera both scoring with the man advantage Wednesday night in a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.

The win was the Capitals' fourth straight and put them on the brink of clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row. Washington can drop out of first place only if it loses in regulation to Florida on Saturday and if the Philadelphia Flyers win their last two games.

Playing their regular-season home finale, the Capitals found the conference's worst team to be good fodder for working on a power play that has been mysteriously mediocre for much of the season. But the first-period goals by Knuble and Chimera gave Washington five man-advantage goals in three games, its most prolific stretch since the calendar flipped from October to November.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The injury-depleted Washington Wizards have signed forward Larry Owens from the NBA Development League's Tulsa 66ers and re-signed guard-forward Othyus Jeffers for the season's last five games.

Washington also waived guard-forward Cartier Martin on Wednesday. Martin has a stress fracture in his left foot and is one of a half-dozen Wizards ruled out for the season.

Jeffers is averaging 4.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 11 games with Washington. He was called up from the NBADL's Iowa Energy on March 17, then signed a second 10-day contract on March 27.

Owens signed consecutive 10-day contracts with the San Antonio Spurs earlier this season and averaged 1.3 points in seven games.

Martin averaged four points and 1.4 rebounds in 52 games this season.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Everybody's out for the season for the Washington Wizards. At least it seems like it.

Coach Flip Saunders said Tuesday that the six injured players on his roster will not return for the final half-dozen games.

Several of the six have been out for a while already. Nick Young has a bone bruise in his left knee. Josh Howard has nagging tendinitis in his left knee. Rashard Lewis has nagging soreness in his right knee. Trevor Booker has a broken bone in his right foot.

The newer additions include Hamady Ndiaye, who strained a tendon in his left knee during warmups on Sunday at Charlotte. Also, Cartier Martin has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot and might require surgery.

WOODLAWN, Md. (AP) — Commissioner Roger Goodell says the NFL will insist that its next labor deal with players includes testing for human growth hormone.

After appearing Monday with U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings at a high school to speak about the dangers of steroid use, Goodell said the NFL needs to do more to keep banned substances out of the sport.

HGH use is prohibited by the NFL, but the league currently does not test for it. Goodell said he thinks players "recognize the importance of" adding HGH tests.

When one student asked why there is more substance abuse in baseball than in football, Goodell replied: "I'm not sure that's true."

Cummings said he talked briefly to Goodell about the NFL lockout. Cummings hopes Congress won't need to get involved.

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The Washington Capitals have decided it would be nice to finish first, after all.

The Capitals are tied with Philadelphia atop the Eastern Conference with three games to play. Not long ago, coach Bruce Boudreau and his players weren't putting a high priority on repeating as the conference regular season champs, but the competitive juices are kicking in now that there's a realistic chance.

The Capitals lost in the first round of the playoffs as the No. 1 seed a year ago. Hockey players are known to be superstitious, but right wing Matt Bradley put things in context Monday: "What are you going to do? Are you going to try to finish second?"

Washington's next game is Tuesday at Toronto.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — VCU coach Shaka Smart is staying with the Rams after leading them on a surprising Final Four run.

Team spokesman Scott Day said Monday that Smart has agreed to terms for a new contract at VCU.

The second-year coach led VCU from one of the "First Four" games in the NCAA tournament to upsets of prominent programs including Purdue and Kansas to reach the Final Four. VCU lost to Butler in Saturday's national semifinals.

That run had Smart frequently mentioned for other coaching vacancies. Day said North Carolina State had recently offered Smart the job to replace Sidney Lowe, who resigned in March.

HOUSTON (AP) — A captivating trip to the Final Four guaranteed this season will go down as perhaps the most memorable in the 42-year history of Virginia Commonwealth University.

The question on the minds of Rams fans in the days and maybe weeks ahead is whether it was a performance that propels coach Shaka Smart to a bigger job after just two years.

After Butler beat VCU 70-62 in a national semifinal Saturday night, the 33-year-old Smart spoke like a man making plans to prove the Rams' performance wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but rather the start of a burgeoning program.

Athletic director Norwood Teague says he will make an aggressive offer to keep Smart.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Kevin Harvick overcame an ill-handling car to charge to the front, pass Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead and hold on to win at Martinsville Speedway.

Earnhardt had taken over the lead with 20 laps to go in Sunday's race with a pass of Kyle Busch that brought everyone in the grandstands to their feet.

But Harvick was closing quickly, and pulled onto Earnhardt's bumper with four laps to go. He made his pass in the second turn, Earnhardt tried to get the lead back, but conceded as they rounded the fourth turn.

Harvick sailed away for his second consecutive victory, and Earnhardt had to fight hard to hold off Busch for second.

Harvick's victory snapped the dominating run of Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson, who had combined to win the last nine races at Martinsville.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There will be no three-peat for Connecticut's women's basketball team.

Notre Dame stunned UConn 72-63 on a night of surprises at the NCAA's women's Final Four. Skylar Diggins poured in a career-high 28 points and dished out six assists, ending the top-seeded Huskies' quest for a third straight national title.

Notre Dame was 0-3 against its Big East rival this season but they had all the answers this time for the Huskies, who lost for just the second time in three seasons. Notre Dame had already beaten Tennessee in the NCAA tournament, ending a 20-game skid against the Volunteers. Now they have knocked out the two-time defending champions.

UConn's Maya Moore, the national player of the year, finished with 36 points, including 12 straight as she tried to rally the Huskies from a 12-point deficit in the final six minutes.

Texas A&M upset its second straight top-seeded team in the NCAA tournament and is heading to its first national championship game. The Aggies are in Tuesday night's championship because of their tenacious defense.

The Aggies rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes and won it when Tyra White drove the length of the court to give Texas A&M the go-ahead layup and a 63-62 victory over Stanford. The Cardinal are the first team in this year's NCAA tournament to top 50 points against Texas A&M, but still lost.

HOUSTON (AP) — The players at Virginia Commonwealth University and coach Shaka Smart insist nothing will change at the Final Four: It's still just basketball.

After a day that welcomed them to the top of the sport, they still feel that way.

Players went through rapid-fire interview sessions, filmed video profiles in a room filled with fake smoke and wandered the cavernous halls of Reliant Stadium where they will play eighth-seeded Butler on Saturday.

Guard Joey Rodriguez says it has been crazy and fun: "Coach kind of warned us how crazy it would be. I just kinda shot a music video. That was nuts, but it's been fun."

Now, he's ready to play the game.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Welcome back, Chipper. Nice way to start, Fredi.

Returning from major knee surgery, Chipper Jones doubled before scoring the 2011 season's first run on a chilly, damp opening day, and Derek Lowe allowed three singles in 5 2-3 innings, helping the Braves beat the Washington Nationals 2-0 Thursday to make Fredi Gonzalez a winner in his debut as Atlanta's manager.

The Braves played their first regular-season game since Bobby Cox retired at the end of 2010 after two decades — and 15 playoff appearances — as their skipper. With his sinker in fine, darting form, Lowe (1-0) struck out six and walked two.

Brian McCann drove in Jones with a single off Livan Hernandez (0-1) in the first, and Jason Heyward led off the second with a homer.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jason Chimera tipped in a rebound 2:30 into overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

The Capitals had a 3-on-2 rush, resulting in Brooks Laich's shot that goalie Steve Mason couldn't handle. The rebound went to Chimera and he tapped the puck in to give Washington its 12th victory in March.

The Capitals reached 101 points, crossing the 100-point plateau for the third straight season, to move within a point of Philadelphia — a 1-0 loser to Atlanta — for the Eastern Conference lead.

Scottie Upshaw forced overtime for Columbus, fighting off two Washington defenders to score his 22nd goal of the season with 5:37 remaining in the third period.

NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Stu Jackson announced the penalties Thursday.

In addition to Wall's suspension, Heat forward Juwan Howard was handed a $35,000 fine and teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas was fined $25,000 following a scuffle in the second quarter of Miami's 123-107 win over Washington.

Wall was playing tight defense on Ilgauskas, who while protecting the ball appeared to elbow Wall in the face at least once. Wall then swung his right hand at Ilgauskas. Both were ejected.

Howard was called for a technical and ejected for escalation.

Wall will serve his suspension Friday when the Wizards host Cleveland.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — With chants and cheers, more than a thousand fans gave VCU a spirited send-off to college basketball's Final Four.

Fans waved black-and-gold bandannas and held up "Go Rams" signs as the players and then coach Shaka Smart filed into buses Wednesday on campus for the trip to Houston. Their quixotic season continues Saturday when they play Butler.

VCU President Michael Rao greeted each player as he entered the bus and embraced Smart, who is leading the Rams to their first trip to the Final Four.

Asked what he told the players, Rao said he asked them how their classes went this week.

Eleven police motorcycles led the team buses from the campus to the Richmond airport for the flight to Texas.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Joey Rodriguez had just finished saying that he believes VCU has a great chance to win the national championship when someone challenged him.

Undaunted, Rodriguez didn't back down. That's just not his way.

Looking at the four teams heading for the Final Four, Rodriguez figures the Rams have been the most dominant so far — and he has a point. They've won five games by an average of 12.2 points.

All of them were against teams from every power conference except the SEC.

The Rams (28-11) face another mid-major in Butler (27-9) on Saturday, with Kentucky or Connecticut meeting in the other national semifinal game.

VCU coach Shaka Smart says Rodriguez is at the center of everything for his team. He not only provides leadership but embodies the little man complex the whole team has adopted.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg is thinking ahead to a year from now — when he wants to start the Washington Nationals' first game of 2012.

The right-hander is recovering from September's reconstructive surgery on his elbow, and will not be at Nationals Park for Thursday's season opener against the Atlanta Braves.

He says Wednesday he knows the work he's "putting in right now is going to let me be there next opening day — hopefully pitching it, too."

Strasburg is throwing on flat ground from up to 105 feet and aims to throw off a mound in about a month. He's expected to miss most or all of 2011.

He says the Nationals are watching him "like hawks" to make sure he doesn't overdo his rehab work.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Commonwealth University forward Jamie Skeen is making the most of his final season in college.

The transfer from Wake Forest is coming off his best performance of the NCAA tournament. He had 26 points and 10 rebounds as the surprising Rams stunned Kansas 71-61 last weekend.

Skeen says he was always taught that patience is a virtue. He's shown it while sitting out one season and part of another after transferring, and then playing behind Larry Sanders.

VCU coach Shaka Smart says Skeen was a big benefactor when Sanders left early for the NBA because that opened things up to make the 6-foot-9 Skeen the Rams' main option in the low post.

He leads the team with averages of 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.

VCU plays Butler Saturday in Houston.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Walter King, the grandfather of Virginia Commonwealth University men's basketball coach Shaka Smart, has died.

Scott Day, VCU's basketball sports information director, says King died early Tuesday. He was 90.

Smart, who still plans to travel with the Rams to the Final Four on Wednesday, says his grandfather was the "second biggest influence in my life" and helped develop his appreciation for basketball. From the time Smart was about 10, he says he would receive packages from King containing basketball-related articles clipped from Chicago newspapers.

Smart told the Richmond Times-Dispatch last week that his grandfather was in a Chicago hospital with failing kidneys.

Day says funeral services for King will take place after the Final Four.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Our time. Right now.

That is the rallying cry Virginia Commonwealth University has adopted during its basketball team's improbable and historic nothing-to-lose, everything-to-gain run to the Final Four.

The Rams (28-11) will play Butler (27-9) in one of two semifinals on Saturday in Houston.

Forward Bradford Burgess says the key has been that the team is having a blast. He says coach Shaka Smart wants them to play loosely, confidently and aggressively, and they are.

Any question about VCU's confidence was surely answered Sunday when they fell behind 6-0 to Kansas, rallied to lead by 18 and then pulled away again after the Jayhawks closed to within two.

The Rams won 71-61, earning their first-ever berth in the Final Four.

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Virginia Commonwealth's run to the Final Four has George Mason coach Jim Larranaga sounding like a proud big brother.

It was Larranaga who took the Patriots to the NCAA tournament's biggest show in 2006, a triumph for mid-major schools across the country.

This year's Final Four has two mid-majors — VCU and Butler — and VCU plays in the same conference as George Mason.

Larranaga's son is comparing his dad to Roger Bannister, who made everyone realize it was possible to run a mile in under 4 minutes.

Larranaga is also making the case that the Colonial Athletic Association should no longer be considered a mid-major conference. The CAA is 7-2 against the Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference in NCAA play since 2006.

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin is practicing again with the Washington Capitals after taking a week off to recover from an undisclosed injury.

Ovechkin was back on the ice Monday and said he was "ready to go" for Tuesday night's game against Carolina.

Coach Bruce Boudreau is more cautious, saying Ovechkin skated well and may be back by the end of the week.

Ovechkin has missed three games with the injury, which Boudreau has described as a "nagging ailment." The Capitals decided to sit him so he could be healthy for the playoffs.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas casinos have tabbed Kentucky the latest favorite in an NCAA tournament full of upsets, and are hoping that Virginia Commonwealth ends its improbable run without a title.

Executive Director Jay Kornegay of the Las Vegas Hilton race and sports book said Sunday night that Kentucky was a 2-point favorite to win its semifinal game against Connecticut, while Butler was a 2½-point favorite over Virginia Commonwealth.

Race and Sports Director Mike Colbert of Cantor Gaming says his books made Kentucky an 8-5 favorite to win the title. Connecticut is the next favorite at 11-5, while Cantor is giving Butler 4-1 odds and VCU 7-1 odds to win it all.

Colbert and Kornegay say a VCU title would be troubling for their casinos given some big bets on the long shots.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Richmond men's basketball coach Chris Mooney has signed a 10-year contract extension with the Spiders after leading them to this year's Sweet 16.

The school says Mooney signed the deal Sunday night.

It is the third straight year that Mooney, 38, has received an extension. This one comes after the Spiders set a school record with 29 victories, eclipsing the previous record of 26 set last season. Richmond also won the Atlantic 10 tournament for the first time in 10 years.

The school says terms of the deal beyond the length with not be released.

Richmond has a 112-87 record for his six years at Richmond, and the team has accumulated 91 victories over the past four seasons, the most of any team in the Spiders' 99-year history.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Top-seeded Kansas is again riding a path to the Final Four that rarely looks this easy on paper.

The Jayhawks play 12th-seeded Richmond on Friday night. A Kansas win would put the Jayhawks against the winner of 10th-seeded Florida State and 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth for a spot in the Final Four.

Only two schools have reached the semifinals without having to beat a seed higher than nine. That's Michigan State in 2001 and North Carolina in 1991.

It's not the first time Kansas (34-2) has dodged higher seeds. The Jayhawks won their last championship in 2008 after playing no seed higher than eight before making the Final Four.

Richmond (29-7) is making just its second round of 16 appearance in school history.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Florida State has all the pieces to be a second-weekend darling in the NCAA tournament: a double-digit seed, a star player working his way back from foot surgery last month and a 26-year-old big man who served three tours of duty in the Middle East for the Air Force.

Yet the Seminoles aren't even the most compelling team in their Southwest Region semifinal.

That would be Virginia Commonwealth, a team whose tournament credentials were so shaky that the coach didn't hold a selection-watching party for fear they wouldn't be invited.

Coach Shaka Smart has used the motivation of proving doubters wrong to get this far, and he's sticking with it. That means ignoring all the praise coming from Florida State players and coaches.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Ariana Moorer scored 15 points and Virginia kept Hall of Famer Debbie Ryan's career going Thursday night with a 53-48 victory over Boston College in the WNIT.

The Cavaliers (19-15), who lost 73-50 to the Eagles here last month, won their third straight since Ryan announced she would step down at the end of her 34th season at Virginia.

The Cavaliers used a 15-4 second-half run to open a 43-33 lead, then held on after the Eagles (20-13) closed to within 50-48 with 32 seconds to go. China Crosby hit two free throws with 26.9 seconds left and Ataira Franklin hit one with 9 seconds left to clinch it.

Carolyn Swords had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Eagles.

Crosby and Franklin each scored nine for the Cavaliers, and Franklin had 10 rebounds,

Virginia will host Charlotte in the quarterfinals Saturday night.

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Blacksburg police say a Virginia Tech football player is facing child abuse charges in connection with injuries to his infant child.

The Roanoke Times reports that 20-year-old Xavier Boyce and girlfriend Olivia Hutchins were arrested Wednesday on charges related to cruelty and injuries to the girl. Boyce is a redshirt sophomore split end.

Police say they believe the child was injured Jan. 31 at the couple's home, but didn't say in what way the child was hurt.

Boyce and Hutchins were released on bond.

Under the school's athletic department policy, any athlete charged with a felony is automatically suspended from all athletic-related activities. That means Boyce won't be able to participate in spring practice.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Richmond coach Chris Mooney has nothing but praise for point guard Kevin Anderson, who could be on the brink to show how good he is.

The senior has always been at his best in the biggest games.

He's averaged more than 26 points in the Spiders' last five victories against ranked teams, and the 25 he scored against Vanderbilt included the game-winning floater with 18.7 seconds to play. He followed that up with 14 points as Richmond sailed past Morehead State, 65-49.

Next up for Richmond (29-7) is Kansas (34-2) on Friday night in San Antonio.

Anderson says he has no idea why his numbers go up in big games. He also says he and his teammates aren't amused that most people seem to think the Jayhawks will advance.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Rally over here, rally over there, rallies planned all around Richmond as the city embraces having two teams advance to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.

Take a bow Richmond and VCU.

The Spiders and Rams have made Richmond the first city since Los Angeles in 2007 to send two teams to the round of 16 in the same year. And Richmond also boosts the same number of teams left in the tournament as the Big East.

Both teams depart Wednesday to San Antonio and Richmond's own canal walk will be the site of a community pep rally. The celebration will be highlighted by the unfurling a banner showing basketball analyst Dick Vitale preparing to eat crow.

Jack Berry, executive director of Venture Richmond, says people wanted to poke fun at Vitale "because he was so wrong about our city."

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — VCU has sent a string of major programs home from the NCAA tournament when there was some feeling the Rams had no business even being invited.

The Rams have beaten Southern Cal, Georgetown and Purdue, which VCU ousted in a stunningly lopsided 94-76 runaway.

Rams forward Bradford Burgess says the stinging words of TV commentators when they were selected still reverberate in the Rams' heads, and motivate them to show who they are in the games.

In a tournament that has been chock full of games that went down to the wire, the Rams three victories are one more than anyone else. And they are doing it in impressive fashion.

Their average margin of victory is more than 16 points.

Next up is Florida State Friday night in San Antonio.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Washington manager Jim Riggleman says third baseman Ryan Zimmerman could be back in the lineup Thursday.

Zimmerman hasn't played in a game since March 14 because of a sore groin. He has been taking batting practice.

The groin injury is unrelated to an abdominal strain that forced Zimmerman to miss three games earlier this spring. He's 6 for 22 (.273) with two home runs in eight spring games.

Riggleman says a Thursday return would give Zimmerman enough time to be ready for the start of the season.

Zimmerman hit .307 with 25 home runs for Washington in 2010.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says Dennis Wolff has agreed to become the women's basketball coach at Virginia Tech.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the school has not announced the hiring.

Wolff, who turned 56 earlier this month, spent 18 years as a men's head coach — the first three at Connecticut College from 1980-82 and 15 at Boston University from 1994-2009.

He was fired following the 2008-09 season with a record of 247-197.

Wolff spent the past season as director of basketball operations for the men's team at Virginia Tech.

He replaces Beth Dunkenberger, who resigned after compiling a 110-104 record in seven seasons with the Hokies. Her teams reached the NCAA tournamwnt twice — in her first two seasons.

CHICAGO (AP) — Bradford Burgess scored 23 points and 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth made it three victories in five days Sunday night, routing third-seeded Purdue 94-76 to earn a trip to the Southwest regional semifinals.

VCU's remarkable run sends the Rams to the round of 16 for the first time in school history.

With their fans chanting "VCU, VCU" as the final seconds ticked off the clock, the question is no longer whether the Rams belong. Instead, it's: Who can stop them?

They've ousted Southern Cal, Georgetown and now Purdue since Wednesday night.

Deep, fast and talented, VCU (26-11) will now play Florida State on Friday in San Antonio.

CLEVELAND (AP) — David Lighty made all seven of his 3-pointers and scored 25 points, freshman Jared Sullinger added 18 after informing one of George Mason's players "it's over" and top-seeded Ohio State made 16 3s to advance in the NCAA tournament with a jaw-dropping 98-66 win Sunday.

With thousands of fans chanting "O-H-I-O" at every opportunity, the Buckeyes (34-2) took apart the Patriots (27-7), who created some March mayhem a few years ago and hoped to follow Butler's lead by taking out a No. 1 seed in this tourney.

Ohio State wrecked any upset plans and moved closer to its first national title since 1960. The Buckeyes will meet Kentucky (27-8) in the East regional semifinals Friday in Newark, N.J.

After falling behind 11-2, the Big Ten champions used their devastating inside-outside attack to post the most lopsided tournament victory in school history.

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Joe Ragland's lay-up with 2.6 seconds left in overtime lifted Wichita State to a 79-76 victory over Virginia Tech in the second round of the NIT on Sunday.

The Shockers (26-8) advanced to play College of Charleston on Tuesday night.

Virginia Tech (22-12) called a timeout after Ragland's shot, but Malcolm Delaney stepped out of bounds with a second left and never had a chance to tie the game. The Hokies fouled Toure Murry with 0.9 seconds remaining, and he made one of two free throws before rebounding his own miss.

The Shockers had a chance to win in regulation.

Wichita State's J.T. Turley hit a 3-pointer with 47 seconds left that tied the game at 69. Virginia Tech's Terrell Bell then missed a 3-pointer with 22 seconds remaining, giving the Shockers one last opportunity. But Ragland's off-balance shot at the buzzer was too strong.

Murry led a balanced Wichita State (26-8) attack with 15 points. Graham Hatch added 14 as five Shockers finished in double figures.

Delaney paced the Hokies with a game-high 30 points.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Whitney Hand scored 24 points and Oklahoma squandered much of a 19-point second-half lead before holding on to beat James Madison 86-72 in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament Sunday.

Danielle Robinson added 19 points for the Sooners (22-11), who are trying to make their third consecutive run to the Final Four. Oklahoma will play Miami in the second round Tuesday.

Dawn Evans, the nation's No. 3 scorer with a 23.2 average, led the Dukes with 20 points, but hit just 7 of 27 shots. James Madison (26-8) fell short in its bid for its first NCAA tournament victory since the 1991 team beat top-ranked Penn State in the second round in State College, Pa.

The Dukes had no answer for the speed, quickness and size of the Sooners until late.

All Wright: Georgetown gets leader back for NCAAs

CHICAGO (AP) — After four days of practice, Georgetown point guard Chris Wright is ready for a game.

Wright hasn't played since breaking his left hand Feb. 23 against Cincinnati, and the sixth-seeded Hoyas lost four straight without him. But he was cleared to play and said Thursday he'd gone through full-contact practices all week to get ready for Friday night's game against 11th-seeded VCU, winner of one of the "First Four" games.

Georgetown's offense came to a screeching halt without Wright, and his teammates are eager to have the multifaceted point guard back on the floor. Wright leads the Hoyas (21-10) in assists and is their second-leading scorer at 13.1 points per game.

But the Wildcats (21-11) hope a little March magic can rub off on them. Former coach Rollie Massimino was a guest after practice on Thursday. He led the Wildcats to their only national championship in 1985.

Of course, Villanova isn't the only team that knows about improbable runs to the Final Four. George Mason (26-6) made the field this year as an at-large team for the first time since it reached the Final Four in 2006.

Coach Jim Larranaga says he never tires of talking about that team. He wants the eighth-seeded Patriots to believe they can duplicate that feat.

DENVER (AP) — Kevin Anderson scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half, including a floater with 18.7 seconds remaining that helped seal 12th-seeded Richmond's 69-66 win over No. 5 seed Vanderbilt on Thursday in the Southwest regional.

The Spiders (28-7) sprang the second upset of the day at Pepsi Center after tiny Morehead State, the 13th seed, used a 3-pointer by Demonte Harper in the waning seconds to upset fourth-seeded Louisville, 62-61, in the early game.

Vanderbilt had a chance to tie the game with 2.5 seconds left, but Rod Odom's desperation heave was nowhere near the hoop as time expired.

So much for the Commodores (23-11) vanquishing their tournament demons. They have now stumbled in their last three appearances in the NCAA, also losing to No. 13 seed Murray State on a last-second shot last season and falling to Siena, another 13th seed, in 2008.

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Jeff Allen scored 19 points to help Virginia Tech overcome the sting of not making the NCAA tournament with a 79-54 win over Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday night in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

Virginia Tech (22-11), making its 12th appearance in the NIT and fifth in eight seasons under head coach Seth Greenberg, will meet Wichita State in the second round on Sunday after the Shockers beat Nebraska 76-49.

Tech connected on 10 of its first 11 shots and took a 23-9 lead after Allen's basket with 13:01 left in the half. The Hokies led by as many as 23 in the first half and shot 61.3 percent (19 of 31).

Bethune-Cookman (21-13), the regular-season champion in the MEAC, was making its first appearance in postseason play since 1980 as a Division II program.

Malcolm Delaney scored 13 points for the Hokies, while Manny Atkins added 12.

Garrius Holloman led the Wildcats with 20 points.

DENVER (AP) — No matter how hard they resist, how much they oppose, the Richmond Spiders can't seem to distance themselves from the label of "giant killer."

An upset of Charles Barkley-led Auburn in the 1984 NCAA tournament and then another of second-seeded Syracuse in 1991 has cemented a lifetime legacy.

And while it's nice to be known as a scary Cinderella squad, the Spiders wouldn't mind a little more validity, either. To be taken just a little more seriously.

The 12th-seeded Spiders (27-7) take on fifth-seeded Vanderbilt (23-10) on Thursday in the opening round of the Southwest region. It's a Commodores team that's struggled this season to finish off close games.

So, again, Richmond becomes a trendy pick to spring an upset.

When Butler reached the round of 16 in 2007, its first victim was ODU. Monarchs coach Blaine Taylor had his team watch film of that game on the bus ride to Washington, where Old Dominion and Butler will begin tournament play Thursday in the Southeast Regional.

Butler made it all the way to the NCAA championship game last year, and Old Dominion has designs of making a similar run this season.

Senior Frank Hassell says the Monarchs plan to build on their first-round win over Notre Dame last year.

Ninth-seed Old Dominion (27-6) enters as Colonial Athletic Association champions. Butler (23-9), the Horizon League winners, is the eighth seed.

Both teams have won nine straight.

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Jamie Skeen scored 16 points and Virginia Commonwealth more than held its own inside against bigger and stronger Southern California to beat the Trojans 59-46 Wednesday night in the finale of the NCAA's inaugural "First Four" tournament games at the University of Dayton Arena.

The 11th-seeded teams traded elbows and punishing defense all night, with the Rams (24-11) pulling away down the stretch to earn the chance to face sixth-seeded Georgetown (21-10) on Friday in Chicago.

Joey Rodriguez had eight points and five assists for VCU.

Jio Fontan had 14 points and Nikola Vucevic 11 for USC (19-15), which had just one field goal over the final 9 minutes.

Even though the Trojans started two 6-foot-10 wide-bodies inside, the Rams held a 40-31 edge in rebounding.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen says the NFL's decision to lock out its players was "difficult but necessary."

Allen posted a letter to Redskins fans on the team's website on Tuesday. He says he shares the fans' disappointment over the failure of the labor talks, but he contends "the offer that the union walked away from was fair."

Allen also says he feels a deal will be reached at the negotiating table.

He was a regular participant in the mediation sessions held in Washington, D.C., before the talks broke down last Friday.

Allen says the lockout will not disrupt the Redskins' preparation for the 2011 season or deter his focus "from the Redskins' objective — WINNING."

Coach Larranaga still opens practice with a thought for the day and posts his "Ten Commitments" to good basketball on placards next to the court.

The only thing missing from Tuesday's session was a wrap-up game of baseball — the coach didn't want to take any chances after two of his starters had to leave early with what appeared to be minor injuries.

Larranaga took George Mason to the Final Four in 2006, but this is the school's first NCAA appearance since 2008.

The Patriots earned an at-large bid and are seeded No. 8 in their regional. They open Friday against ninth-seeded Villanova.

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An apologetic Southern California coach Kevin O'Neill is eager to get back to basketball.

O'Neill, suspended for the Pac-10 semifinal after a verbal confrontation with a fan, began his remarks Tuesday by apologizing for his behavior. He says he was concerned he might get fired and is happy to be on the sidelines for the Trojans' first-round NCAA tournament game against Virginia Commonwealth on Wednesday night.

It has been an up-and-down season for USC (19-14) and VCU (23-11). Most bracketologists had both teams on the outside looking into the tournament. Now, each hopes to advance to take on sixth-seeded Georgetown on Friday in Chicago.

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Beth Dunkenberger has resigned as the women's basketball coach at Virginia Tech after seven seasons, the last four of which ended with no postseason play.

Dunkenberger, in the final year of her contract, submitted her letter of resignation and it was accepted Monday, athletic director Jim Weaver said in a statement released by the school.

The Hokies finished 11-19 this season, leaving Dunkenberger with a 110-104 record with the Hokies. In conference play, they were 1-13 this season, and 27-71 over the past seven seasons.

Their final game was an 81-58 loss to Georgia Tech in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. The Hokies trailed 40-14 at halftime and had committed 22 turnovers.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Virginia coach Debbie Ryan says when she told her team she was resigning after 34 years, they were "all in" to keep playing in the WNIT.

Ryan met with reporters Monday, two days after she announced she was stepping down.

The Cavaliers (16-15) received an invitation to the WNIT Monday night, and they resumed practicing on Sunday, a day after Ryan's resignation was announced.

Virginia did not get into the NCAA tournament, a reality made worse with the university hosting first- and second-round games.

Ryan says she has been overwhelmed by phone calls and e-mail. Though she declined to say whether the resignation was her idea, Ryan says she still considers herself a basketball coach and didn't rule out coaching again elsewhere.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Commonwealth University is going to the NCAA tournament, giving the Colonial Athletic Association three teams in the field for the first time in history.

The Rams (23-11) will play Southern Cal (19-14) in the first round on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio. The winner will be a Number 11 seed and face Georgetown in the Southwest Region on Friday.

VCU, three-and-five in February, reached the finals of the CAA conference tournament. The Rams beat top-seeded George Mason in the semifinals, and made a dramatic second-half comeback against Old Dominion before losing 70-to-65 in the championship game.

Old Dominion won the league's automatic bid and George Mason also received an at-large bid.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Atlantic 10 champion Richmond is heading west as a Number 12 seed to play fifth-seeded Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The Spiders (27-7), winners of seven straight, clinched an automatic berth on Sunday when they beat Dayton to claim the conference tournament title. The victory guaranteed Richmond back-to-back bids in the tournament for the first time in school history.

Vanderbilt (23-10) lost to Florida in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

NEW YORK (AP) — Colorado and Virginia Tech will have to get over their NCAA snubs quickly.

The two teams were selected as Number One seeds for the NIT and will play Wednesday night in the opening round of the tournament. The other top seeds are Boston College and Alabama.

The Buffaloes and Hokies — and the Eagles and Crimson Tide, too — were hopeful their names would be called Sunday night to fill out the expanded 68-team NCAA tournament. Instead, Colorado will have to prepare for Texas Southern and Virginia Tech for Bethune-Cookman in the consolation tournament.

Among the other bubble teams who dropped into the NIT were Missouri Valley regular-season champion Missouri State, Atlantic-10 tournament runner-up Dayton, and West Coast Conference regular-season champion St. Mary's.

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Malcolm Delaney scored 15 points and Virginia Tech beat Georgia Tech 59-to-43 on Thursday night in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Jeff Allen added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the sixth-seeded Hokies (20-10), who never trailed.

They shot nearly 47 percent on 22-of-47 shooting, raced out to an early 19-point lead and made it stand, snapping the irksome two-game losing streak that brought their NCAA tournament candidacy into question.

Virginia Tech gets another chance to make a case for a spot in the field of 68 on Friday night against third-seeded Florida State in the quarterfinals.

Glen Rice Junior scored 14 points to lead 11th-seeded Georgia Tech (13-18). The Yellow Jackets hit a few late shots to avoid their season-low shooting percentage — they finished 17 of 53 (32 percent) — but their two-game winning streak was halted.

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Malcolm Grant scored 16 points as Miami rallied from 10 down in the final minute of regulation to force overtime and beat Virginia 69-to-62 in Thursday's first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Garrius Adams added 10 points for the ninth-seeded Hurricanes (19-13), who spent most of the second half struggling to make a shot before their frantic comeback forced the extra period. Once there, Grant hit three free throws while Adams had a crucial 3-pointer and Reggie Johnson added a pair of baskets to put Miami in control.

The Hurricanes advanced to Friday's quarterfinals to play sixth-ranked and top-seeded North Carolina as they try to repeat last year's surprising semifinal run as a No. 12 seed.

Mustapha Farrakhan had 14 points to lead the eighth-seeded Cavaliers (16-15), whose 20-to-two run gave them a 50-to-39 lead with 2:12 left.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rhetoric rose while the clock ticked down in the NFL's labor talks Thursday, with the league and players' union trading back-and-forth barbs a day before the twice-extended collective bargaining agreement expires.

With the two sides far apart on key economic issues, nine of the 10 members of the owners' labor committee joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the office of the federal mediator overseeing the negotiations -- but, the union complained, none of the owners met with any of the players on hand.

Even though there were small-group talks between NFL and union representatives on the 15th day of mediation, no one gave any indication that progress was made. Indeed, the loudest words came in the evening, sparked by comments from league general counsel and lead negotiator Jeff Pash.

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — The bracket is set for the Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball tournament.

North Carolina is the top-seed, which the Tar Heels clinched with Saturday's 81-67 over Duke. The Blue Devils are the No. 2 seed, while Florida State and Clemson are seeded third and fourth. The top four seeds won't play until Friday's quarterfinal round.

On Thursday in Greensboro, N.C., eighth-seeded Virginia will open play against No. 9 Miami. That game will be followed by No. 5 Boston College and No. 12 Wake Forest. The Eagles secured fifth spot Sunday with an 84-68 win over the Demon Deacons.

On Thursday night, seventh-seeded Maryland will face No. 10 N.C. State and No. 6 Virginia Tech will take on 11th-seeded Georgia Tech.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Jamie Skeen scored 21 points and Virginia Commonwealth University continued its mastery of George Mason in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament Sunday, ending the Patriots' 16-game winning streak with a 79-63 victory in the semifinals.

The Rams (23-10), blown out 71-51 by the Patriots in mid-February, took command with a 21-3 first-half run and knocked them out of the tournament for the third year in a row.

Bradford Burgess added 16 points and Joey Rodriguez 13 for the Rams, who made 11 3-pointers, one shy of the tourney record. Richmond did it twice, both against the Patriots.

Cam Long scored 20 points to lead George Mason (26-6), which lost for the first time since Jan. 8 and fell to 0-5 in its history against VCU in CAA tournament play. The Patriots are still expected to be invited to the NCAA tournament as an at-large entry with a high RPI.