Augusta Chronicle, The

Grissom Retires After 17 Seasons

MESA, Ariz. - Marquis Grissom, a non-roster invitee to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, announced his retirement Tuesday after a 17-year major league career. Grissom, 38, signed a minor league contract in January and had hoped to make the team as a backup outfielder. But he batted .200 in 17 spring training games.

First Freshman Earns Top Honor

In her first college game, Courtney Paris broke loose for 24 points and 10 rebounds - in only 20 minutes. As it turned out, she was just getting warmed up.

Sophomore Continues to Deliver for Wolfpack

It was the kind of game that belongs in Metro Atlanta at this time of year. Not Metro Augusta. Two Augusta teams squared off Tuesday at Aquinas. The home- standing Irish came in at 13-0 as the defending state champions in their classification and ranked No. 1 in the Class A/AA by the leading state poll. Greenbrier visited Aquinas with an 11-0 record and rated the top team in Class AAAA.

Career High From Wallace Lifts Bobcats Over Hawks

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Gerald Wallace scored 18 of his career-high 41 points in the fourth quarter as the Charlotte Bobcats pulled away to beat the Atlanta Hawks, 125-117, on Tuesday night. Raymond Felton added 28 points and 10 assists and hit the clinching 3-pointer with 31 seconds left. Charlotte shot 57 percent, snapped a three-game losing streak and scored the most points in its two-year history.

Jackets Tie Mark for Wins in Season

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rick Nash scored two goals and the Columbus Blue Jackets tied the franchise record for wins by beating the San Jose Sharks, 4-1, on Tuesday night. Columbus won its third in a row, and at 29-40-3 matched the 2002- 2003 team's victory total (29-42-8-3).

Look Ahead

NASCAR 2006 Keep up with the latest NASCAR news with our weekly page that includes profiles and features.

Gamecocks Scorch Nets

NEW YORK - Renaldo Balkman scored 23 points and South Carolina earned a chance to defend its National Invitation Tournament championship with a 78-63 win over Louisville in the semifinals Tuesday night. The Gamecocks, who beat St. Joseph's in the final last year, can become the second team to win consecutive NIT crowns with a win over Michigan on Thursday night. The Wolverines beat Old Dominion, 66- 43, in the other semifinal Tuesday night.

Blue Devils Fill Out Final Four

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Alison Bales and Duke survived the NCAA Tournament's toughest stop along the road to the Final Four. Bales dominated inside with 15 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks to lead the top-seeded Blue Devils to their fourth Final Four with a 63-61 overtime win over Connecticut Tuesday night in the final of the Bridgeport Regional.

Career High From Wallace Lifts Bobcats Over Hawks

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Gerald Wallace scored 18 of his career-high 41 points in the fourth quarter, and the Charlotte Bobcats pulled away to beat the Atlanta Hawks 125-117 on Tuesday night. Raymond Felton added 28 points and 10 assists, and hit the clinching 3-pointer with 31 seconds left. Charlotte shot 57 percent, snapped a three-game losing streak and scored the most points in its two-year history.

High Schools

Baseball Augusta Christian 10,

Nebraska Man Flounders to Final Four Perfection

Russell Pleasant has some explaining to do. Such is life when you're one of four out of 3 million contest entrants to pick all the teams in this year's Final Four: Louisiana State, Florida, UCLA and ... George Mason?

Jackets Tie Mark for Wins in Season

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rick Nash scored two goals and the Columbus Blue Jackets tied the franchise record for wins by beating the San Jose Sharks, 4-1, on Tuesday night. Columbus won its third in a row, and at 29-40-3 matched the 2002- 2003 team's victory total (29-42-8-3).

Thomson Held Out Because of Injury

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Quirky as the timing seems because of his name's involvement in trade rumors, the Braves' John Thomson was scratched Tuesday from his final Grapefruit League start because of a sore elbow, not an imminent deal. "Yeah, I guess it's kind of weird timing with all the trade rumors and all that," Thomson said. "It's not that serious, but it's something I don't want to deal with for the next month."

Area Players in the Pros

NAME LOCAL AFFILIATION TOUR LAST WEEK VAUGHN TAYLOR FROM AUGUSTA PGA TIED FOR 8TH AT THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Sampson Will Coach Hoosiers

INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana will hire Kelvin Sampson as its next basketball coach, delivering him from an Oklahoma team under investigation for possible recruiting violations to lead one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Sampson broke the news to his Sooners team Tuesday. Indiana players also were informed, one of the Hoosier players' relatives told The Associated Press.

Close-Knit Tigers Get Opportunity to Live Out Their Dream

BATON ROUGE, La. - These guys act like brothers - teasing each other, snickering at inside jokes, deriding any sign of pretension. After all, they grew up together, competed with and against each other for years. Along the way they learned a lot about basketball and about themselves. Now Louisiana State's Tiger cubs consider themselves a family - brothers with different mothers but one goal.

Alphonso Will Follow in Her Dad's Footsteps at Clemson

COLUMBIA - Mia Alphonso, like many teenagers, would mentally tune out her father, Gordon, when he went on and on about his pioneering, early 1970s days building Clemson's soccer team from a curiosity into a national power. Something, though, must have sunk in. On a recent visit to campus, the younger Alphonso saw the banners celebrating Clemson's soccer history and she thought of her dad's accomplishments.

Latta's 20 Lift Heels to Win

CLEVELAND - The littlest Tar Heel put North Carolina back on the biggest stage in women's hoops. Ivory Latta ran things at both ends of the floor and sent top- seeded North Carolina to its first Final Four since its 1994 title season with a 75-63 win over Tennessee in the Cleveland Regional final on Tuesday night.

Louisiana State Women Have Been Here Before

SAN ANTONIO - Stanford's best player had the ball with time running out and her team down by one point. Then Louisiana State's top player, the one voted the nation's best, got in the way.

Overtime

Colleges Jaguars golfer wins Hootie at Bulls Bay