Senior Day Game For UNLV Lady Rebels

Today, was most likely the last game for the Lady Rebels seniors on their home court within the Cox Pavilion. It was also the last regular season game.

There was a pre - game ceremony for #1 Dominique Harris, #5 Brittany Halberg, #24 Shamela Hampton, #25 Raquel Jupiter, and #33 Shannon Oberg.

""In a very hard fought defensive battle in which almost every shot was contested, San Diego State would outlast the host UNLV Lady Rebels for a 61-55 victory on Saturday afternoon in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action from the Cox Pavilion.....

The game was a tight affair for the entire 40 minutes, and the largest lead either team possessed was seven points. The Aztecs would jump out to an early 11-4 lead, as Quenese Davis scored eight of her game-high 20 points in the opening six minutes of the game. The Lady Rebels tied the contest at 12-12 off a jumper from Raquel Jupiter, but SDSU stretched the lead back to four points, 17-13 with 8:35 to play in the half. The Lady Rebels then shut the Aztecs down on defense, holding them to just two free throws over the next 7:38 of the game. UNLV posted a 13-2 run during the stretch, with points coming from four different Lady Rebels. A jumper from Jamie Smith put UNLV up 26-19 with 1:12 to play, but Jene Morris hit two straight treys, the second at the halftime buzzer, to bring the Aztecs back within a point, 26-25.

With the Lady Rebels holding a four-point lead early in the second, SDSU scored five straight, and Paris Johnson's layup gave the Aztecs a 32-31 lead with 17:34 to play. For the next nine minutes, the game would be back and forth, with three lead changes and three ties while the largest lead was just three points. A 6-0 run, capped by a layup from Smith, put UNLV up 48-44 with 8:51 on the clock. The Lady Rebels would be held scoreless for almost a five-minute span however, which allowed SDSU to grab the lead back after scoring eight unanswered points. LaSandra Dixon's layup at 6:20 gave the visitors the lead for good, 49-48, and Jennifer Layton-Bailes' layup a minute later made the score 52-48.

UNLV kept the score close, and cut the edge to one, 54-53 as India Chaney made one of two at the line. Morris answered on the other end with a three-pointer for a four-point lead. Shamela Hampton made two free throws to bring UNLV back within two, 57-55 with 52 seconds left. The Aztecs would knock in four free throws in the final 30 seconds, while UNLV missed three three-point attempts in the final minute.

Hampton and Chaney both scored 13 points to lead UNLV. Smith recorded her 11th double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Erica Helms also had 10 on the afternoon. UNLV was held to 27.1% (19-of-70) from the floor, and for the first time this year did not make a single three-point attempt, missing all 12 from downtown. The Lady Rebels were also out rebounded by four, 51-47, but did hold a 2-15 edge on second chance points. After turning the ball over 27 times in the first meeting this year, UNLV finished with 14, while forcing the Aztecs into 22. Article is from www.unlvrebels.com ""

On a sad note, Dominique Harris (pictured above) suffered a major injury to her knee. How bad it is not really known at this point. What upsets me, is she got hurt in a rough and extremely unnecessary foul. All this happened in front of her family, who had come to join in the celebration of senior day. Dominique didn't return to the game, but did make it back to the bench to support her teammates. I wish her the best and a fast recovery.

After the game, there was an autograph session with the seniors, and Hey Reb, the Rebels mascot. We also had the chance to talk with other players, and their families.

The lady Rebels finished the regular season with a record of 12 wins and 17 losses. This is an improvement over the last few seasons. This earned them the seventh spot in conference rankings

There is still more basketball to come, on Tuesday, the Mountain West Conference Championship Tournament starts. UNLV will play BYU in the first round.

After the Mountain West Conference Tournament, there a chance to get into the NCAA or NIT Tournaments. The results of conference tournament, over all record, and the strength of schedule help the committee extend an invitation, if you haven't earned a automatic bid by winning the regular season and tournament championship.

2009 World Baseball Classic

Today, is the start of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

This year's World Baseball Classic Tournament will have teams from the countries of United States of America, Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Africa, and Venezuela.

This tournament is being played for the second time. It was created after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to remove the sports of Baseball and Softball from the Summer Olympic program starting with the London games of 2012. No reason has ever been given to why the committee desided to remove these sports. Baseball and Softball were always a big draw to the olympic program.

The World Baseball Classic is run by Major League Baseball, under International Rules. Most players are a members of a MLB team, or within their farm systems.

My team, the Boston Red Sox will have players on a many different World Baseball Classic teams. David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Daisuke Matsuzka, Jason Bay, and 10 other players within there farm system with be on the rosters.

I will be cheering for my home country of the United States of America, and the following is there Roster:

Bell, Heath - San Diego Padres, Pitcher
Broxton, Jonathan - Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher
Grabow, John - Pittsburgh Pirates, Pitcher
Guthrie, Jeremy - Baltimore Orioles, Pitcher
Hanrahan, Joel - Washington Nationals, Pitcher
Hawkins, LaTroy - Houston Astros, Pitcher
Howell, J.P. - Tampa Bay Rays, Pitcher
Lilly, Ted - Chicago Cubs, Pitcher
Lindstrom, Matt - Florida Marlins, Pitcher
Oswalt, Roy - Houston Astros, Pitcher
Peavy, Jake - San Diego Padres, Pitcher
Putz, J.J. - New York Mets, Pitcher
Shields, Scot - Los Angeles Angels, Pitcher
Thornton, Matt - Chicago White Sox, Pitcher
Ziegler, Brad - Oakland Athletics, Pitcher
Iannetta, Chris - Colorado Rockies, Catcher
McCann, Brian - Atlanta Braves, Catcher
DeRosa, Mark - Cleveland Indians, Utility
Jeter, Derek - New York Yankees, Infielder
Jones, Chipper - Atlanta Braves, Infielder
Pedroia, Dustin - Boston Red Sox, Infielder
Rollins, Jimmy - Philadelphia Phillies, Infielder
Wright, David - New York Mets, Infielder
Youkilis, Kevin - Boston Red Sox, Infielder
Braun, Ryan - Milwaukee Brewers, Outfielder
Dunn, Adam - Washington Nationals, Outfielder
Granderson, Curtis -Detroit Tigers, Outfielder
Victorino, Shane - Philadelphia Phillies, Outfielder

The opening game will be played in Tokyo, Japan. As the Defending Champions from the nation of Japan vs China

The United States of America will start their World Baseball Classic Tournament in Toronto, Canada on Saturday. They will be playing Canada.

The Championship Game of this tournament will be played on March 23 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, here in America.

Las Vegas Native, Kyle Busch Wins The Shelby 427

By JEFF WOLF
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

""Kyle Busch had the car to beat in the Daytona 500 two weeks ago, but was sidelined by the race's biggest crash.

A week ago he placed third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Fontana, Calif. He could have won that won, too.

But if Busch could have chosen any race to win among the first three of the Cup season, hands down it would be the one at the speedway he watched being built in the mid-1990s.

On Sunday, the Durango High School graduate wound up performing victory burnouts and planting a sloppy kiss on the start-finish line at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The 23-year-old Busch won the Shelby 427 before an estimated crowd of 140,000, holding off Clint Bowyer of Richard Childress Racing to win by 0.411 seconds.

"We're partying it up big," Busch said. "The plane can't go home tonight (to Charlotte, N.C.), so it's going to be one heck of a party in Las Vegas."

Busch, the younger brother of fellow Sprint Cup racer Kurt Busch, became the first driver to win the pole and then the race in 12 years of Cup events in Las Vegas.

But Busch's pole start lasted only a few warmup laps. Busch qualified first Friday, but his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and four other cars were sent to the rear of the 43-car field after having to replace troublesome Toyota engines. That left Busch in the 38th starting position.

After that setback, Busch said he "could have threw my helmet down and stomped away." Instead, he calmly went to the office inside his race-car transporter.

"I just went in the hauler and let (the crew) go to work and do what they do best," he said. "I just kind of sat there and cooled off a little bit, watched the rest of practice."

During Sunday's driver introductions, Busch informed the crowd that he was motivated to quickly get to the front.

"I said, 'Know what, we're going to the back. Get ready for a show, here it comes.' ''
The storybook finish was fitting for a Strip showroom.

"We just had to battle back," he said of taking the last of his three leads with 17 laps to go.
Busch maintained his composure early in the race as he knifed through the field while crew chief Steve Addington was fine-tuning the car's handling on each pit stop.

"I have to thank that guy," Busch said of Addington. "He's the leader in this team, everybody believes in him. I believe in him."

The race, extended this year from 400 to 427 miles, was slowed by an event-record 14 caution periods that slowed a record 66 laps. The last two cautions didn't upset Busch.

"The last 25, 30 laps, I was just as nervous as could be," he said. "Fortunately we ran that many caution laps there at the end."

The weekend began with Matt Kenseth's quest to become the first Cup driver in 61 years to begin a season with three straight victories. When Kenseth's No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford blew an engine after only six laps, that quest went up in smoke.

By the end of the day, the only smoke was coming from Busch's car as he performed burnouts on the apron.""

Race Results

1. (1) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 285 laps, 107.8 rating, 190 points
2. (37) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 285, 84.8, 175
3. (14) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 285, 111, 170
4. (4) David Reutimann, Toyota, 285, 87.9, 160
5. (17) Bobby Labonte, Ford, 285, 103.7, 155
6. (28) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 285, 112.2, 155
7. (24) Greg Biffle, Ford, 285, 118.4, 151
8. (21) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 285, 85.8, 142
9. (38) Jamie McMurray, Ford, 285, 91.8, 138
10. (31) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 285, 92.9, 134
11. (7) Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 285, 68.5, 135
12. (9) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 285, 105.8, 132
13. (20) Joey Logano, Toyota, 285, 73.9, 129
14. (30) David Gilliland, Chevrolet, 285, 62.8, 121
15. (32) Robby Gordon, Toyota, 285, 58.3, 123
16. (12) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 285, 82.5, 115
17. (16) Carl Edwards, Ford, 285, 92, 117
18. (11) David Stremme, Dodge, 284, 82.7, 109
19. (18) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 284, 60.5, 106
20. (5) Marcos Ambrose, Toyota, 284, 46.4, 103
21. (42) Scott Speed, Toyota, 284, 51.1, 100
22. (34) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 284, 61.7, 97
23. (2) Kurt Busch, Dodge, 284, 78.2, 99
24. (3) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 284, 119.9, 101
25. (6) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 283, 71, 88
26. (10) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 283, 96.3, 85
27. (15) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 283, 64.4, 82
28. (29) John Andretti, Dodge, 283, 49.9, 79
29. (33) Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 283, 34, 76
30. (41) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 282, 41.7, 73
31. (23) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 281, 77.3, 70
32. (25) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 281, 52.7, 67
33. (19) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 281, 37, 64
34. (39) Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 278, 43, 61
35. (36) Paul Menard, Ford, accident, 269, 57.1, 58
36. (26) Max Papis, Toyota, 258, 33.9, 55
37. (43) Todd Bodine, Toyota, engine, 227, 33, 52
38. (13) Brad Keselowski, Chevrolet, 221, 27.5, 49
39. (27) Aric Almirola, Chevrolet, accident, 143, 47.7, 46
40. (8) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, engine, 121, 87, 43
41. (22) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, transmission, 102, 34.6, 40
42. (35) David Ragan, Ford, engine, 72, 41.1, 37
43. (40) Matt Kenseth, Ford, engine, 6, 26.8, 34

Race Statistics

Winner's Average Speed: 119.513 mph
Time of Race: 3 hours, 34 minutes, 40 seconds
Margin of Victory: 0.411 seconds
Caution Flags: 14 for 66 laps
Lead Changes: 16 among 12 drivers

Lap Leaders: J. Johnson 1-50; C. Edwards 51-52; J. Logano 53; Ky. Busch 54-55; R. Gordon 56; J. Johnson 57-75; K. Harvick 76-84; G. Biffle 85-124; K. Kahne 125; J. Johnson 126-148; J. Gordon 149-165; Ku. Busch 166; J. Burton 167-227; Ky. Busch 228-259; C. Bowyer 260-268; Ky. Busch 269-285

Leaders Summary (driver, times led, laps led): J. Johnson, 3 times for 92 laps; J. Burton, 1 time for 61 laps; Ky. Busch, 3 times for 51 laps; G. Biffle, 1 time for 40 laps; J. Gordon, 1 time for 17 laps; C. Bowyer, 1 time for 9 laps; K. Harvick, 1 time for 9 laps; C. Edwards, 1 time for 2 laps; K. Kahne,1 time for 1 lap; J. Logano, 1 time for 1 lap; R. Gordon, 1 time for 1 lap; Ku. Busch, 1 time for 1 lap.

Top 12 in Points: 1. J. Gordon 459. 2. C. Bowyer 441. 3. M. Kenseth. 419. 4. G. Biffle 419. 5. D. Reutimann 408. 6. Ky. Busch 405. 7. Ku. Busch 393. 8. T. Stewart 379. 9. C. Edwards 377. 10. B. Labonte 360. 11. K. Harvick 351. 12. M. Waltrip 346.

Weekend At Eller Media Stadium Classic Tournament

This past weekend, my family and I were at Eller Media Stadium, home to UNLV Softball.

The UNLV Rebels hosted Drake, Florida Atlantic University, Loyola Marymount, and Wright State at the Eller Media Stadium Tournament. It ran from February 26 to March 1.

The Rebels had a chance to sweep the tournament, but fell a little short in the last game on Sunday, finishing the weekend with a 5-1 record.

I didn't attend the opening game on Thursday night. My children were acting up, so we didn't go to the game.

The Rebels won 3-2 over Drake. I read about the game on unlvrebels.com. Jaci Hull broke out of her slump and hit a monster 2 run homerun. Brittany Meade added a homerun as well to seal the win. Rebels' ace, Traci Odegard came into the game in the 6th inning to get the save, her first of the year.

On Firday, The Rebels played two games.

In the first game, the Rebels rolled over Wright State, 9-0 in a 5 inning mercy rule shorted game. This was a wonderful team effort. Kendall Fern and Bri Barnardi are looking great after returning from injuries last year. Jaci continued her strong hitting, and seem to really be on track now. It wonderful that she back to fighting form.

In the second game, pitching ace, and the belle of the staff, Traci Odegard took to the circle. The Rebels won 3-1. The team was off to a slow start on this one, but recovered nicely. Marissa Nichols made a very rare error. She is only human, but it did lead to a run. The error aside its great to have Marissa back and scaring the other teams.

On Saturday, it was two more games.

In game 1, the Rebels beat Drake, 4-3. Pitcher Stephanie Bregante who been struggling hard this year, seem to get things going right, with her second straight win within the circle. Marissa and Kendall are lighting up the offence, showing real leadership. Jaci Hull and rest of the team are responding well. It great to see the team working together, everyone is stepping up.

After dropping of my children off for a night with grandpa, I returned to watch game 2. the always lovely Traci again got the start and win from the circle. It was Odegard's fifth win, and third shoutout. This was in a 8-0 win over Layola Marymount in a 5 inning shortened mercy rule game. Marissa Nichols got things started early, as she hit her second home run of the day. This shot came in the first inning and landed beyond the fence in left field. Laura Briones got hot driving in a few RBIs in this game. Elena Fata and Brittany Bolinger are getting very hot as well.

On Sunday, we had a chance to sweep the tournament. We had already won it, by having the best record of the weekend. The sweep would have been the icing on the tournament.

Freshman, Jessica O'Connor got the start within the circle. I understand that the coaching staff want to have your new players learn how to get themselves out of trouble. To me, it was very clear she didn't have it on this day, and they stayed with her to long into the game. This choise may have cost the win and sweep. With that said, Jessica is a sold player. She will do great things for the Rebels, but on this day, she was getting lit up.

Fellow freshman, Amber Petersen came in relief, and with her five strikeouts, she gave the Rebels a chance to come back and win this game. Amber really impressed me, showing toughness, and a super skill level.

Kendall Fearn, Jaci Hull, Laura Briones, and Elena Fata really got the offence fired up, but it fell just a little short.

As Florida Atlantic University beat us, 5-4.

One area of concern is that Marissa Nichols was taken out of the game. After the game, I talk with her about it. Marissa told me she had sore knees, and they were playing it safe. She said, she getting used to playing every game again. Nichols feels she back. This can only be great for the Rebels as they head into Mountain West Conference play, and a run for the championship.

At this tournament, I handed out the web address to my blog. I'm hoping to get more readers, and publicity. I gave the address to some parents, coaching staff members, and players. I was surprised to find out one player had stumbled unto my blog, and was a regular reader.

Undergraduate Assistant Coach, Stephanie Bean, is helping me to get my media guide signed by players and the coaching staff. This means so much to me. Stephanie is a former player, who my family and I enjoyed watching.

Head coach, Pete Manarino and his staff of assistant coaches, Panita Thanatharn, and Maggie Lavreri, along with Stephanie, are a giant breath of fresh air for the program.

The UNLV Rebels have a real chance to win the Mountain West Conference, go to regionals, and the NCAA Women's World Series this season.

The team members are great role models to my children. It shows my daughter that she can be anything she wants, if she puts in the needed work. They also show my son just how strong a woman can be as well as being very femine.

I enjoy my time at the Eller Media Stadium. I know its pretty special to my children as well. We cheer loud, and long for the Rebels. My families loyalty to the team is without question. They know that I'm there for them, and no other teams. My family and I buy the tickets, food, shirts, and media guides. I try my best to support the team, and program in any way that I can. I would never do anything to hurt or embarrass the program.

The Rebels will be back in action this coming weekend. They will host the UNLV Invitational Tournament. This will be the last home tournament before the start of play within the Mountain West Conference in early April.

Nascar Weekend in Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway (pictured) will become the 3rd largest city in Nevada, as it will host 2 series within Nascar, this weekend.

Nascar weekend is the biggest single sporting event in Nevada, and brings in millions for the state, and Las Vegas.

The speedway with host the Sam's Town 300, Nationwide Series race on Saturday. Also on Sunday, Sprint Cup Series' Shelby 427.

Nascar's Camping World Truck Series will be make its stop here in Las Vegas, later this year on September 26.

My condo complex is close to the speedway. I'm a couple miles away from the track. The Speedway has it own exit off I-15, but it is officially located on Las Vegas Blvd, across from Nellis Air Force Base.

I'm a fan of Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson. I'm warming up to Mark Martin who is a class act and man on and off the tracks of Nascar. I will never sell out and support a corporate tool, like Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Jimmie Johnson has won the race here in Vegas twice, and both Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon have won it once. All are among the top picks for this race.

Many events are planned around the valley leading up to the race. For examples - the Hauler Parade, Race Jam at the Fremont Street Experance, Driver Apperances, a Speedway Children's Charities Track Walk, and many more.

UNLV Lady Rebels Shock Conference Leader Utah Utes

The Cox Pavilion was rocking in this one as the Rebels just simple out played the Utah Utes in a shocking 68-55 win.

Coming in to this game, The Lady Rebels where very fired up because on Saturday, they lost a game in Provo, Utah in the last 1.7 seconds of the game against BYU, 53-52.

In better news, Jamie Smith (pictured) is ranked fourth in the nation among freshman with 8.9 rebounds per game.

Before the game tonight, as the Rebels headed to warms- ups, Zac and Jenna went to the edge of the court and gave / got high fives from most of the players as they past by. The children were very excited to have been a part of this. To them it a extremely big deal.

The following is the article about the game that was posted on www.unlvrebels.com.

""Trailing by eight points with nine minutes to play, UNLV blew past Utah with a 20-2 run, and broke an 11-game losing streak to the Utes with a 68-55 victory on Wednesday night in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action from the Cox Pavilion. With the win over the first-place Utes, UNLV improved to 11-16 on the year, 4-10 in the league, and posted a victory over Utah for the first time since March 4, 2004. The Utes meanwhile dropped to 18-8, and 11-2 in the MWC.

UNLV also set a school record on the night, connecting on 23-of-24 at the free throw line for 95.8%, topping the previous mark of 95.5% (21-of-22), which came against Pacific on March 2, 1991, and it was the third best performance ever in a MWC game. The Lady Rebels would make all 14 of their attempts in the second half, including 10 in the in the last 1:32 of the game.

The game was tied at 27 at halftime, and then again at 29-29 before Utah reeled off a 9-0 run. A jumper from Halie Sawyer ended the run, making the score 38-29 with 14:48 to play. Twice UNLV closed to within three, and a pair of free throws from India Chaney made the score 41-38, but five straight points from the Utes stretched the lead back to 46-38 with 9:03 on the clock. After five unanswered points from UNLV cut the lead to 46-43, Kalee Whipple made two free throws to push the lead back to five with 7:38 to play. That would be the final points for the visitors for the next six minutes.

Dominique Harris, turning in her best game of the season, started the game-winning rally for UNLV by knocking in a pair of free throws, and after Jamie Smith's trey tied the game at 5:27, 48-48, Harris hit back-to-back jumpers for a 52-48 lead. Brittany Halberg then hit back-to-back three-pointers, putting UNLV ahead by 10, 58-48 with 1:50 to play. A short jumper from Katie King broke the run for UNLV, but the Lady Rebels would hit 10 straight at the line in the final 1:32 for the 13-point victory.

The first half was a back and forth affair, with six ties and 14 lead changes. Neither team would lead by more then four points in the opening 20 minutes.

For the first time since the season opener, UNLV would place five in double figures, as the entire starting lineup finished with 10 or more points. Halberg scored all of her team-high 15 points in the second half, while Harris finished with 13. Smith posted her ninth double-double of the year with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Shamela Hampton and Erica Helms also recorded 10 points each. UNLV shot 38.5% (20-of-52) for the game, was 5-of-17 (29.4%) from three-point range. The Lady Rebels held a 38-32 edge on the boards, and turned the ball over just 11 times.

Morgan Warburton led Utah with 21 points, while King added 12. Whipple, a native of nearby Hiko, Nev., shot just 2-of-13 from the floor and scored 10 points before fouling out, one of three Utes to foul out of the contest. Utah was held to 32.7% (18-of-55) for the game, was 6-of-25 (24%) from downtown, and made 13-of-15 at the line for 86.7%.

UNLV will have the weekend off before playing its final road game of the regular season, as it will take on Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Wednesday, March 4 at 6 pm.""

During the game, my son was thrown a UNLV t-shirt by a cheerleader at a time out. he put it on right away.

After the game, We waited a bit and talk with a few players, before leaving the arena. My voice was a little horse at the end.

The emotions are running high as on Saturday, March 7th will be the end of regular season, and the last game for the seniors on the court of the Cox Pavilion. We will miss them very much. This part of the cycle of the being a fan of college sport players. After 4 or 5 years they move on to a new chapter in there life.

Red Sox Start Spring Training Games In Grapefruit League

Today, one of the best signs that spring is here showed up. The Red Sox played the first spring training game within Florida's Grapefruit League.

Fort Myers is the home to the spring training and player development for the Red Sox. They play at City of Palms Park (pictured) for their "home" games during spring training. The Park holds 7,800 people, many who are the core of Red Sox Nation.

It was at this park that Josh Beckett and the Red Sox beat the team from Boston College, 7-1. Playing Boston College in first game of spring training is long standing tradition.

In the second game, Tim Wakefield didn't do as well; as he recorded a loss vs Minnesota Twins. The twins beat the Red Sox 5-2.

Thanks to the new MLB Network, who tag line is; America's past time, all the time. I was able to watch this first game of spring.

I was alerted to the fact that the Red Sox were on MLB Network by an e-mail from a member of the Las Vegas chapter of Red Sox Nation, and meetup.com group.

I hope that that I'll have a chance to watch a game or two with them during this up coming season. As a practicing Witch, I have been given the joke title of VP of cursing the Yankees.

This year, early spring games are very important. Six regular everyday players, and 14 players over all from the organization will be leaving spring training to represent their countries in the World Baseball Classic.

Baseball is a family thing. My children love to watch, and have their favorite players. My Aunt Wendy loves the Red Sox, and we often talk during the games on the cell phone. I also talk about the Red Sox with my parents, as well as other family, and friends.

The Red Sox will host the Pirates on Thursday in a 1:05 p.m. ET start. Left-hander Jon Lester will start for Boston against the Pirates' Ian Snell.

Rebels Fall To Cowgirls During Pink Zone 2009 Game

The following is from http://www.unlvrebels.com/ : ""The UNLV athletic department is asking all women's basketball fans to Put on Pink and Pack the Pavilion.

Join the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's "Rebel Rally for a Cause" and the Lady Rebels for "Pink Zone UNLV 2009", in support of breast cancer awareness. Fans will receive breast cancer awareness information compliments of the UNLV Jean Nidetch Women's Center, and there will be breast cancer awareness giveaways throughout the game.

The Lady Rebels also will be honoring breast cancer survivors during pregame and halftime activities. Each fan will receive a raffle ticket for their chance to win free golf or a gift certificate to Blue Martini at Town Square during halftime. Also, don't forget your camera to take pictures with Hey Reb aboard the Komen Cart.""

During the pre-game warm ups on the court for the Rebels, player Erica Helms came over near our front row seats. She tossed a white wristband with a pink breast cancer ribbon on it, with her name and number written on the back, to my son. Both my children took turns wearing it during the game. I was wearing my pink shirt that the team gave out at last years event. We also had pink glow sticks necklaces, and rubber bracelets that were being handed out.

My children and I have been season tickets for awhile now. This year the children are old enough now that we moved to the first row from the second row seats we have had from the beginning.

The team, coaching staff, cheerleaders, band, and other fans know us. I'm a very vocal and blunt person, more so when I'm at a sporting event. On a recent trip to the UNLV Bookstore, I pick mini bullhorns, so now the Cox Pavilion can hear us.

The game was an exciting one to watch. For awhile it was back and forth. The outcome was not the one I had in mine. The UNLV Rebels lost to the Cowgirls, 50-44. I don't want to sound like sour grapes, but I strongly feel the level of officiating played a part in the final outcome.

Again from unlvrebels.com: ""UNLV was held to a season-low 17 points in the second half and shot under 30% from the floor for the second straight game as Wyoming claimed a 50-44 victory on Wednesday night in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action from the Cox Pavilion. The loss dropped UNLV to 10-15 on the year, 3-9 in league play, while the Cowgirls won for the second straight year in Las Vegas to improve to 13-11, 5-6 in the MWC.

Wyoming led for almost the entire first half, holding UNLV to just six points over the first eight minutes while opening up a 16-6 lead. The lead was at seven points, 23-16, before UNLV used its quickness to spark an 11-0 run over the final five minutes of the half. Erica Helms started the run with a layup and a three-pointer, and following a free throw from India Chaney, Helms' trey at the 1:40 mark gave UNLV the lead at 25-23. Shamela Hampton would add a layup with just over a minute to play, and the Lady Rebels would take a 27-23 lead into the break.

After finding its touch on offense to end the first stanza, the Lady Rebels opened the second 20 minutes missing six straight shots. The key stretch of the game came after Chaney banked in a jumper to put UNLV up 31-26. Megan McGuffey's layup on the other end started a 13-1 run for the Cowgirls, and the Lady Rebels never recovered. Kristen Scheffler's layup at 9:51 ended the run, giving Wyoming a 39-32 lead. Three times UNLV cut the deficit to five points, the last on a layup from Hampton with 5:49 to play. The Lady Rebel would make just one more field goal over the final five minutes while missing 11 shots, and also missed four of seven at the free throw line as the Cowgirls finished with the six-point victory.

Hampton led UNLV with her 12th double-double of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds, but was 5-of-14 from the floor and 2-of-7 at the line. Helms scored a team-high 14 points, while Dominique Harris added eight points, but did not score in the final 29 minutes. The Lady Rebels finished shooting 29.8% (17-of-57) from the floor, 5-of-21 for 23.8% on three-pointers, and made a season-low 38.5% of its shots at the line (5-of-13). UNLV was out rebounded by three, 42-39, and turned the ball over 17 times.

Hillary Carlson paced the Cowgirls with 18 points and eight rebounds, and was followed by McGuffey with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Wyoming shot 37.3% (19-of-51) from the field, 3-of-17 from three-point range (17.6%), and posted eight blocks.""

After the game, my children and I played some basketball on the court with other fans, while we waited to talk with the players and staff on the way out of the arena from the lockeroom, and media commitments.

I also talked with a staff member about a request for passes to the Mountain West Conference Championships that will be held here in Las Vegas. I can't afford the prices of the tickets. I'm hoping like last year that I have a chance to go.

It's hard to believe that one of my family's favorite players, Brittany Halberg (pictured above) only has a few more regular season games left. My children were very sad to hear the news on the ride home. Jenna, my daughter was so very cute, saying, she can't go daddy, we love her so very much! My son, Zac was upset and saying we really going to miss her. Both always have to get a hug from Brittany before we can leave the arena.

I thought it be best to prepare my children for this, it will be a loss for them. I try my best to explain the Brittany is moving on to a new chapter in her life, and she'll back on alumni night, and for visits I'm sure. I also said you never know, maybe she'll be a coach one day. This seemed to bring some level of comfort to them.

The Lady Rebels are on the road this weekend to face BYU. They will return to action here in Las Vegas next Wednesday.

A Weekend At The Louisville Slugger Desert Classic

UNLV Rebels hosted the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic this weekend at Eller Media Stadium and the Fields at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park.

College Teams from Cal State Fullerton, DePaul, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Nevada - Reno, Northwestern, Oregon, Oregon State, Portland State, Saint Louis, South Dakota State, Southern Miss, Southern Utah, UC Davis, UCLA, Virginia, Mountain West Conference rivals Utah, and BYU were all participants.

UNLV played 5 games over the three day tournament. They had a record of 2 -3 for the weekend, and a record of 5 wins and 4 losses over all.

My children and I attended the first game on Friday, before going to the Dollhouse Meetup. On Saturday, I attended the game alone, as the children were with their grandpa Johnson. My children and I watch both games, today.

On Sunday, I was able to buy a UNLV Softball Media Guide. After the games, I gave it to couch Bean, to get the team and staff to autograph it. You never know if it will be a collector item in the years to come. It's also fun to look back and have the memories of years and teams past.

UNLV's ace pitcher, Traci Odegard had 2 starts, and freshman, Jessica O'Connor (pictured above) had 3 starts, and it seems that are these women they look to started them off inside the circle. The rest of the staff seem to come in for relief. Pitcher Stephanie Bregante has had great control problems this year, and only comes into the game when the outcome of game is well known.

One area for concern is Jaci Hull. Last year, at her first at bat she hit a home run over both fences at Eller Media Stadium. But this year I don't think she gotten a hit yet, and only on base from a walk. It seems something is distracting Jaci off the field. Her defence is only 50-50 according to the other season ticket holders who sit around me. Coach Manarino will face a tough decision if Jaci continues not to deliver at the plate and in the field.

With a little tweaking here and there the Rebels will be ready for a championship run in the Mountain West Conference, and the College Softball World Series.

The Rebels are back in action next weekend, as they hit the road for the Cathedral City Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. UNLV will open up the Classic with a 3:30 pm, game vs. Nebraska on Feb. 26. The team will play a total of five games at Big League Dreams Complex.

Looking at Nascar's 2009 Season

Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating it 25th season in Nascar. What a lineup they have with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and even the very overrated Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Nascar's 2009 season will start with the Daytona 500 on Febuary 15 at the world famous Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Nascar season is very long, it runs from now to the weekend before Thanksgiving on November, so I'll only cover when my favorite drivers Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson win, the Las Vegas race the first weekend in March, special events like the all-star race, and any breaking news or scandals.

Today, Jeff Gordon who was winless all last season, made it to victory lane in his running of the Gatoraid dual 125's. This a great way to start the drive for his 5th championship.

""That's what happens when you have four championships, 81 career race wins and are coming off your first winless season in a Hall of Fame-worthy, 17-year career.

"I'm headed straight in to victory lane, VIC-TOR-Y lane," Gordon shouted to his crew seconds after taking the checkered flag in the first of Thursday's two Daytona 500 qualifying races, the Gatorade Duel.

This was his first trophy drive-in since October of 2007, 41 races ago -- and site of the first win of his career 16 years ago.

While the 150-mile qualifying race doesn't pay points toward the Sprint Cup championship, it's still typically one of the most competitive races of the season -- a sprint race with the Daytona 500 starting grid on the line.

Drivers have especially been proud of the tight-quarter racing this week -- cars easily going three and four-wide and passing at will, not like the monotonous freight-train style that sometimes prevails here.

And the outcome was the perfect antidote for Gordon's No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet team. Some questioned whether it had lost its incredible edge."It doesn't matter if it's a qualifying race or the Daytona 500, you know, any confidence builder and momentum that we can get is a positive," Gordon said, adding this win meant more to him because of the struggles last year.

"Heck yeah," Gordon said. "Any win's exciting and meaningful to us right now. I think what makes this special is, these races aren't easy to win. ... But right now I think that because of the pressure that we felt from being winless last year, it's important for us to gain some momentum and confidence.""" The following was quoted from a AOL fanhouse blog.

I'm looking forword to this season, and the sucess of Hendrick Motorsports. I hope that jr doesn't drag Hendricks down like he did last season, he is a cancer, and his own family doesn't want to work with him.

Lady Rebels Hunt Down The Lobos

The UNLV Lady Rebels over came a 10 point hole, and horrible calls by the officials to stun and upset the New Mexico Lady Lobos, 57-51.

The same Lobos back on Jan 7th, blew out the Rebels, 75-49 in New Mexico.

Coach Olivier and her staff had the Rebels well prepared for the re-match at the Cox Pavilion. The plan and modification were well executed. The players and fans for both sides were into this game.

This is the new era! In that coaches and players working together in harmony to perfect a game plan, make need adjustments, and carry them out on the court.

The standard at UNLV is very clear: Go, Fight, Win !!! Being nationally ranked, Mountain West Championships, and even runs for the National Championship are all earthier expected or in the stated goals.

Shamela Hampton and Jamie Smith teamed up for other set of double -doubles. Brittany Halberg hit 3-pointers during key moments in the game. Starter and bench player worked in many different combinations, that in the end the Lobes didn't have an answer for.

Another key was the much improved free throw shooting. I don't have the exact stats, but can tell you that the rebels missed very few. This closed the gap, and also added points without losing time on the game clock.

The Cox Pavilion had a prize fight like feel to it. New Mexico had some loud fans that made the trip to support them. Rebel Nation was there as well, but it Being National Girls and Women in Sports Day , the numbers were greater. We had a close to the full squad of Cheerleader with Hey Reb as well, and the Band. My family and I did our part, dressed in Rebel gear, and have megaphones we got at the UNLV Bookstore.

After the game we wait for player and coaches to come back up as they left the area for their lives as college students.

Zac and Jenna got a "Kids grow up to be Rebels" poster, and at first had the players sign it, but by the end they had family, event staff, and just about anyone sign it. It was cute, and got a few laughs

I got to talk with Ms. Halberg, and meet Brittany's twin sister. I gave them the web address to this blog, so hopeful they will take a look or comment. Brittany is a favorite of Zac and Jenna. We will miss her as she graduates this year, and start a new chapter in her life.

I also got to talk with Head Coach, Kathy Olivier. I ask her about passes for the upcoming Mountain West Conference Tournament that is again being hosted at the Thomas and Mack Center on the UNLV campus.

We also congratulated other players and coaching staff members as they came through the arena on the way out or to offices.

It was an exciting game, and wonderful event. Just a super way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

The Lady Rebel's are now on the road for the next two games, but will be back in Las Vegas very soon.

The Manarino Era Begins at UNLV Softball

Today, was opening day for UNLV Softball. We, as a family were so fired up. Jenna had her cheerleader dress on, and a special nail polish design of a softball on both ring finger nail, and sparkling red polish on others. Both children had big red wigs on. They along with myself were in full Rebel gear.

When you walk into Eller Media Stadium, you could see and feel the changes right away. The scoreboard had a fresh coat of paint, and the snack bar was up and running with wonderful smells.

On the outfield fence was two new banners. One with a list of NCAA Regional appearances, and the other a list of College World Series appearances. It is a clear message their is a new era for this program.

In UNLV's first game, which was the second game of the Sportco Kick-Off Classic Tournament, they played Marshall.

It was great to see one of my favorite players, Traci Odegard gets the honor of pitching the first game of the season. This couldn't of happened to a sweeter woman. She pitched a two hit, mercy rule shorten game. The Rebels won, 8-0, in five innings.

In this game, both Marissa Nichols and Kendall Fearn serve up notice to the softball world that they were back from injury, and health as they hit back to back home runs. This can only be great news for UNLV as we move on throughout the season.

In UNLV's second game, they faced Illinois - Chicago.

This game was a bit of a surprise challenge for UNLV, it was tied twice at 2-2, and 5-5. But in the end the Rebels win 7-5.

The winning 2 - run home run came from the bat of Kendall Fearn in the bottom of the 7th inning.

It took 3 pitchers to get through this game. Freshman, Amber Petersen struggles in her first start as a Rebel. Also Stephanie Bregante has some issues in relief. Freshman, Jessica O' Connor came into the game, and got the win.

This was a team effort to get this two wins. The stars, starter and bench players came together.

I'm looking forward to and very excited about this season of UNLV Rebel Softball.

The Sportco Kick-off Classic will continue tomorrow and on Sunday.

Play Ball: Looking Forward to UNLV Rebel Softball

This Friday, UNLV will open it 2009 Softball Season. The Rebel's are playing in and hosting the Sportco Kick-Off Classic. I, as I have been for last four season will be there as a season ticket holder.

Many questions seem to be around the team. It clear they have the talent, with All-American, Marrissa Nichols, returning from injury, along with two other teammates. They have the pitching lead by Traci Odegard.

Another question is how the Rebels will respond to new Head Coach, and the new staff. I didn't have a chance to see the fall games, so I don't know. I do know there is always a period of adjustment to learn the new style and ways.

We have a lot of seniors on the team, so this the chance to win a Mountain West Championship, a NCAA National Championship, and / or impress scouts for overseas softball leagues.

The following is a review/ preview of up coming season. it is from http://www.unlvrebels.com/

""The Rebels begin their season on Feb. 6, as they host the Sportco Kick-Off Classic (Feb. 6-8) at Eller Media Stadium. UNLV will welcome Marshall, Illinois-Chicago and Seton Hall to Las Vegas for the weekend.

The Sportco will be played in a true tournament format. The teams will play a total of three games, once against each other. Following the set schedule, the squads will be seeded and will play in a #1 vs. #4, #2 vs. #3 format on Saturday afternoon.

The tournament will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 8, when the two winners from Saturday's games play at 9:00 am, while a consolation game will be played at 11:15 am, between the remaining two teams.

The Rebels will stay home for the second weekend of the season and host the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic (Feb. 12-15). The LSDC is one of the premier collegiate softball tournaments in the country, as well as, one of the largest boasting 21 teams this season. The games are split between two complexes: UNLV's Eller Media Stadium and Stephanie Lynn Craig Park.

The UNLV Rebels were selected to finish third in the 2009 Mountain West Conference Preseason Softball Poll, according to a vote of the league's six coaches. The Rebels tallied 15 points, while 2008 NCAA Tournament participants BYU and San Diego State tied atop the standings with both garnering three first-place votes and a total of 23 points.

UNLV, who will be led by first-year head coach Pete Manarino, welcomes back 13 letterwinners from the 2008 squad that went 25-40-1 overall and 5-15 in conference play. The Rebels return all three of their all-conference performers (Brittany Bolinger, Ashli Holland and Jaci Hull), while two former All-MWC honorees (Kendall Fearn and Marissa Nichols) jump back into the lineup after missing last year.

San Diego State notched its fourth MWC regular-season title last year with a 15-5 league mark, en route to a 44-17 season. The Aztecs return 12 letterwinners, including Erin Floros, Brittany Knudson and Lindsey Marquez. The trio earned All-MWC recognition last season.

BYU picked up its fourth straight 40-win season in 2008 with its 44-20 showing. The Cougars finished one game behind SDSU in the final 2008 MWC standings with a 14-6 tally. Last season's freshman of the year, Kristin Delahoussaye, returns to the Cougar roster and will be joined by fellow All-MWC members Angeline Quiocho and Amanda Vance.

The Utah Utes, Colorado State Rams and New Mexico Lobos round out the six-team poll. The Utes were tabbed to finish fourth with its 14 points, while the Rams notched 10 to the Lobos' five.

The 2009 Rebels will have a new look this season in more ways than one. There is a new coaching staff, some returning faces are back in the lineup and a plethora of newcomers dot the roster.

The biggest change is the introduction of Pete Manarino to the Rebel family. Manarino comes to UNLV after spending 23 years as the skipper of the Long Beach State program, where he won over 800 games and made 17 NCAA postseason appearances with the 49ers.

Manarino replaces Lonni Alameda, who spent the previous five seasons as the Rebel head coach. Alameda left UNLV to become only the second softball head coach in Florida State's history. She replaces Dr. JoAnne Graf, who won over 1,400 career games as the Seminoles head coach.

Manarino filled out his staff with Panita Thanatharn and Maggie Livreri. Thanatharn and Maggie Livreri. Thanatharn spent the past seven years at LBSU as either a student-athlete (2002-05) or coach. Liveri begins her first year as a full-time assistant coach after spending the past two as a volunteer assistant coach under Alameda at UNLV. Liveri played for the Rebels her final two years of collegiate softball (2005-06).

Besides the coaching change, the Rebel program will welcome back three familiar faces (Marissa Nichols, Kendall Fearn and Bri Bernardi) to the diamond.

Nichols was an all-everything performer for UNLV in 2005. She was instrumental in snapping a nine-year drought in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman. She was tabbed an NFCA All-America and All-West Region selection, while being named to the MWC All-Conference Team and the league's Freshman of the Year.

Unfortunately, she has been absent from the Rebel lineup since midway through the 2006 season. She sat out the last two years, due to injuries.

Fearn and Bernardi joined Nichols on the "Disabled List" last year with injuries of their own. Fearn, a 2008 all-conference representative, will return to her first base position, while Bernardi looks to jump back behind the plate.""

I have felling this is going to be a very exciting season UNLV Softball and Thier fans. UNLV, GO, Fight , Win !!!!!

UNLV Lady Rebels Down Air Force

The New Era for the UNLV Lady Rebels finally was able to match last years record. With about a month left in the season, there is some room for improvement heading into the Tournament.

As a season ticket holder, I try to make every game to support my team. At times, my children's behavior or other events get in the way. We always make as many games as can. My family is full of Rebel pride.

We had forgotten that the Air Force game had been moved up to 1pm from the 3pm start time on the tickets. So we watched most of the game on my laptop, on gametracker at www.unlvrebels.com

The first half was back and forth, neither team could really get the advantage. Air Force had a one point lead at half time, 29-28.

The Rebels woke up or had a fire lit under them to start the second half, going on a 20 - 5 run. This open the game up, and UNLV never looked back, even as thing got closer in final minutes.

The Lady Rebels beat Air Force, 78-64. This gave them their second win within the Mountain West Conference, and an overall record of 9 wins and 11 losses.

Senior Shamela Hampton had her 10th double -double, with 17 points and 16 rebounds. She became the 18th Lady Rebel to reach the 1,000 career point mark as she now has 1,001 points in her four years in Las Vegas.

Jamie Smith also posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, marking the third time this year the two teammates have finished with double-doubles in the same game.

UNLV ends the first half of the conference schedule on Wednesday, Feb. 4, when it takes on San Diego State in San Diego, Calif., in a 7 pm contest.

Earlier in the week, an article came out on page 18 in the January 29th edition of the weekly Rebel Nation magazine. In the article, Coach Kathy Olivier gushed over India Chaney, and how she was building the team around her for next season. India is a great player and well deserving of the praise, but to some fans it also seem like a sign that Coach Olivier and her staff are giving up on the season now in progress.

I can only imagine that was seen as a slap in the face to Shamela Hampton, and Brittany Halberg who have given it their all and carried the team these last year under former coach, Regina Miller.

You can visit the web site above, and www.rebelnation.net for more information.

Oh Captain, Jason Varitek Re- Signs With Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox and their fans are very happy that team captain and catcher, Jason Varitek, has re- signed. This means that he'll be guiding our super pitching staff, and be behind the plate at the historic Fenway Park.

Varitek gets $5 million in 2009 and has a $3 million player option for 2010. The Red Sox have a $5 million team option for 2010. If Varitek is playing under the player option, could earn an additional $2 million in 2010 based on games started: $400,000 each for 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120.

Jason is coming off the worst of his 14 seasons in Major League Baseball. Some reports earlier this week, had said, he was thinking about sitting out this season or retiring.

I feel management was a little heavy handed in negotiations with Jason, and his agent. That said, it did get a contract signed.

In the beginning of the off- season the Red Sox offered Arbitration to Varitek. This move in effect killed any interests for the 3 or 4 other teams rumored to be wanting his services. It did so because if any other team signed him, they would need to give the Red Sox a draft pick.

The Red Sox also have catcher Josh Bard, signed as a free agent after the San Diego Padres declined to keep him. Boston also have two catching prospects at Triple-A Pawtucket: George Kottaras and Dusty Brown.

With spring training starting on February 12, this deal got done just in time.

With Jason signed, the core of the Red Sox are once again set. He will be key in another run for a World Series Championship.

Varitek was obtained on July 31, 1997, in one of the most lopsided trades in Red Sox history. They obtained him and pitcher Derek Lowe from the Seattle Mariners for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb.

#1 UConn Lady Huskies Prey On Cardinals

Tonight, it was great to see the #1 Women's Basketball Team in the country, The UConn Lady Huskies!! They were playing a big game so it was on ESPN2 Network. I don't get to see many games living out west, so I value everyone I can see. This is the team I followed growing up as a child and even today. I have added UNLV as well after moving to Las Vegas

The following is the article about the game was posted on http://www.uconnhuskies.com/ :

""STORRS Conn. -- The No. 1/1 University of Connecticut women's basketball team used a 30-4 run in a span of six minutes to put away the No. 6/10 Louisville Cardinals 93-65 in BIG EAST play on Monday night in front of a crowd of 9,428 in Gampel Pavilion.

The Huskies improve to 6-0 in the conference and move to an unblemished 20-0 overall. It was just the second loss of the season for the Cardinals and the first in conference play as they move to 19-2 on the year and 6-1 in the BIG EAST. UConn continues its dominance against top-ten opponents this season and has defeated each of its ranked foes by an average of 28.7 points.

With the victory, the Huskies move to a perfect 20-0 for the second consecutive year and the sixth time since 1994-95, while extending their winning streak in the regular season to 28 games.

The Huskies traded baskets with the Cardinals for the first 11 minutes of the game before UConn took a nine-point lead at the 8:13 mark on two Tina Charles’ (Jamaica, N.Y.) free throws. But the Cardinals were able to battle back with a 9-0 run of their own to take a 32-31 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the frame.

The one-point lead was the last of the night for the Cardinals as the Huskies used a 14-0 run in the last 4:59 of the half to head into the break with a 45-32 lead. In that time span, the Huskies connected on three of their six three-pointers of the half to stretch their advantage to 13.

The Huskies’ run continued into the second half and expanded to as much as 30-4 between the two frames.

Turnovers troubled both teams in the first half as they combined for 23, while UConn netted 11 points off Louisville’s 13 mistakes. At the break, Maya Moore (Lawrenceville, Ga.) led the Huskies with 12 points and eight rebounds, while UConn shot .485 (16-of-33) from the floor, including .429 (6-of-14) from behind the arc. The Cardinals shot .400 (12-of-30) from the field and hit just 1-of-9 from three point range.

UConn controlled the second frame, shooting .588 (20-of-34), to finish the game with a .537 (36-of-67) shooting percentage as the Huskies drained 12 three-pointers on the night for a .462 percentage.

Freshman Tiffany Hayes (Lakeland, Fla.) netted a career-high 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor as she recorded her eighth game in double-figure points this season. Charles’ also picked up a double-double on the night with 18 points and 10 rebounds, for her sixth of the season and 31st of her career.

Moore’s 27 points and 11 rebounds marked her 10th double-double of the season, while five Huskies scored in double-digits. Her tally also moved her into 30th on UConn’s all-time scoring list. Her current total of 1,075 moves her past Ashley Battle and Battle’s career total of 1,054.

Renee Montgomery (St. Albans, W. Va.) added 11 points, six assists and three steals for the Huskies as she picked up her 18th game this season with double-figure points and the 91st of her career. Her six assists in tonight’s contest moved her into fifth on the Huskies’ all-time assists list with a current total of 542, which surpasses Jill Brumbaugh’s career total of 541.

Kalana Greene (Saint Stephen, S.C.) also scored in double-figures with 12 points, while adding six rebounds and four assists. Her 12 points marked her seventh game with double-figure points this season and the 37th of her career.

Louisville’s Angel McCoughtry scored 24 points to lead the Cardinals, while she pulled down 13 rebounds in 37 minutes played. The Huskies held the Cardinals’ leading scorer to a 0-of-4 showing from three-point land.

After today’s win, UConn has won each of its last 24 games played at Gampel Pavilion and extends its regular-season home winning streak to 34 games – the longest nationally.

UConn will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 31 as the Huskies travel to Georgetown for a BIG EAST Conference battle in the nation’s capital. Tip is set for 3:00 p.m. (EST) against the Hoyas who post a 13-6 overall record this season.""

A Few Amazing Days of Sports

The past few days have been great for sports fans. For me and the teams I follow it was a mixture of good and bad.

Fellow Mountain West Conference member, The University of Utah Utes, shocked the world on Friday. They upset #4 Alabama 31 -17 to win the 2009 Sugar Bowl. The Sugar Bowl is part of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The win gave the Utes a perfect season 13-0.

Why would a UNLV fan care? Well, I'm glad you asked. This was the first team from the Mountain West Conference to make it into a BSC bowl. This conference doesn't have an automatic bid, like some bigger and more well known ones. Also when a team win a BCS game, there is lots of money involved for the champions. Some of that money will be spit among all the member of the sports conference they are a membership in. So UNLV sports programs will benefit from Utah's historic win in The Sugar Bowl.

Meanwhile, at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, the UNLV Lady Rebels were in action. This years theme for the team is A New Era, but I have to say the way they played it looked like the same old era. The Rebels were embarrassed by The Fresno State Lady Bulldogs, 65-42. When the team gets in a whole, they tend to stand and watch, waiting for someone else to step up. This has to stop! I hope they got this out of their system as we head into the conference play part of the season. If the Rebels really want to make a run for the Conference and / or Tournament Championship, they must work hard in practice, and on the basketball court.

On Saturday, in the Big East Conference, the #1 Women's Basketball Team in the country, the UConn Lady Huskies were in action. This was first game this season that the Huskies were on National TV. I was excited to see them. They overcame a very feisty LSU team, that for awhile gave UConn a good run. The Lady Huskies have a strong chance to win their 6th National Championship. The team has some tough games ahead, and as number one team in the country you have a target on your back.

The Men's Basketball Team is in the top 25 in the nation. They where #2 in the country before losing to Georgetown.

UConn's Football Team was invited to the International Bowl. The game was played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. The University of Connecticut defeated Buffalo, 38-20. Donald Brown was named the Most Valuable Player. The team finished the season 8 -5.

In pro sports, the Boston Bruins are shocking everyone. They are one of the most improved teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Bruins just lost, but did have record setting 10 game winning streak. They also have the best record this season in the NHL. Could a Stanley Cup Championship be in the future? Only time will tell. It would be great to the this team get back to the top of the NHL ranks.

The Boston Celtics are doing well, and have the best record within the NBA. I hope back to back Championships are in our future.

In a few months, spring training will start and Red Sox nation will be in full swing. It always anyone guess how that season will play out.

Patriots Win in Buffalo, But Fails to Make Playoffs

2008 has been a rough year for the much beloved New England Patriots of The National Football League (NFL).

It started in February, when after a perfect regular season and playoffs, they suffered a heartbreaking loss in Super Bowl XLII. A very rare mistake in clock management gave the other team enough time to score and win the championship.

The Patriots were the first and only to team to win 18 games in a single season. That is impressive in and of itself.

Much of the 2007 -08 season was caught up in a media driven witch hunt over violation of a little known league rule. They lead to other false charges of cheating, by people who were extremely jealous of the success of couching genius, Bill Belichick, and this storied and noble football team.

At the same time, the league had a new commissioner. He wanted to appear tough, not like the paper tiger he was known to be. The commissioner issued unfair and unwarranted fines against the Patriots and its couching staff. The only upside was that it put all the issues to rest. I can't help but think this was a major distraction for everyone; the players, staff, and the loyal fans of Patriot Nation.

Things didn't get much better in the 2008-09 season. During the first game, the Patriots lost the current league most valuable player (MVP), and quarterback, Tom Brady to injury. A few days later, after lots of tests, it was clear he would be out for the rest of the season.

As the season progress, the team was hit with more injuries to key players. No matter the lineup that was on the field, Belichick and his staff tried it hardest to continue to be competitive each week.

Patriots.com said, "In order to secure a spot in the playoffs, the Pats needed not only to win, but to have either or both the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens to lose their respective games, which kicked off at 4:15 Eastern Time."

The Patriots had to deal with high winds and other winter elements as they played in Buffalo, New York. In fact, the goal posts were swaying side to side for most of the game.

The team got the job done, and was in control quickly and throughout the game. The Patriots beat the Bills, 13-0. It was great showing and a shutout as well.

A chance to get into the playoffs slipped away as both the Dolphins and Ravens won their own games. This meant that for the New England Patriots the season was over.

According again to Patriots.com, ""Despite an 11-5 record, they’d be home for New Year’s and watching the playoffs.

The team talked of the sense of pride they felt despite missing the playoffs.

“In some ways, it's been a very rewarding year because of all the stuff we've had to fight through,” said defensive coordinator Dean Pees, alluding to the Pats’ astronomical number of injuries to key players like reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady.

“When you start the season off losing the MVP, and what our offense was able to accomplish this year, that's pretty remarkable,” Pees added.

“We had a hell of a season,” Wilfork observed.

“A lot of people doubted us. A lot of people counted us out. A lot of people thought we wouldn't finish the way we finished. A lot of people said our season was over after Tom went down. As a team, we rose to the challenge way back then. It just goes to show you what kind of team we have.”

For the Patriots and their legions of fans, this year has been one wild ride indeed!""

One of the great things about sports is no matter the outcome, there is always next year and season. If the New England Patriots can stay healthy, they are sure to bring home another NFL Super Bowl Championship.

Go Pats !!

Desert Draw at UNLV

This weekend, UNLV's Lady Rebels returned to Las Vegas and the Cox Pavilion. The Desert Draw at UNLV Women's Basketball Tournament was held on Friday and Saturday.

After a rough road trip where Coach Oliver's Rebels drop all 3 games. Oliver was hired to turn the program into a contender for Mountain West and National Championships.

To play on that level you need to win no matter were you are playing. Most final four teams are perfect, have one loss, and a rare few have a second loss.

In the second game of the tournament, The Lady Rebels beat Cal State Northridge 88-69.

Shamela Hampton and Jamie Smith (picture above left) both posted double-doubles, and Brittany Halberg scored 12 points.

The win means that UNLV will face #22 Oklahoma State in Saturday's Championship game.

The Lady Rebels were looking for an upset, but feel short. That said, they played a tough and honorable game. They lost 88-73.

During the first half the Lady Rebels had as much as a 10 point lead. But they let the Cowgirls get a 12-0 run in second half that was just to much for them to over come.

Smith scored a career-high 27 points and earned her second-straight double-double. India Chaney scored 14 points, and Brittany Halberg had 10 points.

Desert Draw at UNLV Standings:

Oklahoma State Cowgirls, Champions
UNLV Rebels, 2cd
Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 3rd
Cal State Northridge, 4th

Andrea Riley of OSU Cowgirls was the Tournament MVP .

The UNLV Lady Rebels are off for Christmas before returning to the court on Sunday, Dec. 28 at 2 pm vs. UC Riverside in the Cox Pavilion.

Lady Rebel Round - Up Tournament

UNLV and The Cox Pavilion this weekend play host to the Lady Rebel Round -Up Basketball Tournament. The other teams invited were Eastern Washington Eagles, Cal State - Fullerton Titans, and Georgia Lady Bulldogs.

Friday's game was exciting, and action packed, but in overtime the Lady Rebels fell just short, 70 - 69. This was the first loss of the season, and for Coach Olivier. This also meant the Rebels wouldn't advance to the Championship Game.

As a fan I never want to see my team lose, but that feeling is made worse when you honestly think the quality of the officiating effected the outcome of the game.

Brittany Halberg's was in my mind, clearly fouled as she attempted her last second shot to win the game in overtime. There was no call after the missed shot, so time expired.

There was some good news, the Rebels came back form being down as much as 11 points to force an overtime period. Shamela Hampton scored 31 points, a personal best. Shamela, along with Dominique Harris had double -doubles.

After the game, my children and I got a picture with former Lady Rebel, WNBA Houston Comets and' European League player, Sequoia Homes.

My children and I were at the arena as the doors opened at 10:30am on Saturday for the consolation game.

The big question now was how would the Lady Rebels' respond to their first lost, less then 24 hours ago.

The team had a very slow start, and found themselves in a 6 point hole at end for the first half, but it could have been so much worse.

The Rebels started very hot in second half, coach must have lit a fire. They went on a 11- 2 run start with a Hampton 3- pointer. The lead would change hands 5 more times. After the 10 minutes to go mark, UNLV never looked back, opening up a 12 point lead until the final seconds to take a 76 -65 win.

Shamela had her 4th double - double, and India Chaney (pictured above right) added 10 points from the bench.

Georgia won the tournament, Eastern Washington 2cd, UNLV 3rd, and Cal State Fullerton was in last or 4th place. Ashley Houts of Georgia was the tournament MVP.

After a 5 game homestead, the UNLV Lady Rebels will hit the road for 3 games vs Texas Tech, Loyola Marymount, and Oregon State.

The next time the Rebels will be in Las Vegas will be Dec 19 for The Desert Draw at UNLV Tournament with Cal State -Northridge, Oklahoma State, and Southern Miss.