The Record, Bergen County, NJ

Knights Refuse to Allow Pep Rally

PISCATAWAY - When the Rutgers' backcourt decimated Temple in a victory Sunday afternoon, Owls coach Dawn Staley described sophomore guard Epiphanny Prince as a "silent assassin." She easily could have been talking about fellow Rutgers guard Matee Ajavon. Ajavon, the Scarlet Knights' senior point guard, much prefers to talk with her game than with her mouth, quietly killing teams with slick passes and deep jumpers. But after getting knocked to the ground late in the second half of a much-too-c...

Roundup

CELTICS 97, ROCKETS 93

'D' Makes Bucs Tough ; Giants' Offense Knows It Faces a Struggle

EAST RUTHERFORD Statistically, this will be the best defense the Giants have faced this season. Only Pittsburgh allowed fewer yards than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the regular season. "They are?" a surprised wide receiver Plaxico Burress said when told the Bucs were No. 2 in the league in defense.

Tuna Adds Gm in Miami

DAVIE, Fla. Jeff Ireland has rejoined Bill Parcells to help revive the Miami Dolphins. Ireland, who spent the past seven years in player personnel with the Dallas Cowboys, was hired Wednesday as Dolphins general manager. He replaces Randy Mueller, who was fired Monday after three seasons with Miami.

Giants Notes

Unwanted attention Grey Ruegamer often delights in chiding his fellow offensive linemen for speaking with the media. But Wednesday the tables were turned.

Tearful Ending for Hawaii's Brennan

NEW ORLEANS In his three years at Hawaii, Colt Brennan set 31 NCAA records. Chances are, the one people will remember most will be his 131 career touchdowns passing. In his final and most defining game, however, Brennan was shut out and unable to throw a single touchdown pass.

Kansas Out to Silence Doubters

MIAMI When Mark Mangino went to Kansas, he knew changing a woebegone program into a winner would be a major challenge. He also knew similar turnarounds had been accomplished before.

Rutgers' Brothers Enjoy Homecoming ; Only Problem Is Scraping Up Tickets

Tuesday they came with their teammates. But last week, for Christmas, Jamaal and Jawann Westerman did this trip across the border, up to Ontario, themselves. "He got us lost," Jamaal said, shooting a look down at Jawann.

West Virginia Runs Wild Vs. Oklahoma

GLENDALE, Ariz. Rich who? The West Virginia Mountaineers didn't need coach Rich Rodriguez. They had Pat White, and their elusive quarterback led them to a surprising 48-28 romp over No. 3 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday night.

Leaning On the Horn

N.J. Show Is Terrific for Entire Family

The holiday season is history. Opening day of trout season is still four months off, and it's nowhere near cold enough in these parts for ice fishing. So how do you feed that hunger for a little angling action? Well, my friends, don't fret because the season of outdoor shows and expositions is upon us.

Sports Ticker

BASEBALL Joe Torre won't pick sides between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee, the former Yankees' strength coach who accused the Rocket of using performance-enhancing drugs. "You're not going to get me in that jackpot," the former Yankees' manager said Wednesday. "I'd rather just stay away from making any in-depth comment about the whole steroid-HGH thing." *

Resolutions Gone Adrift in the Nba

After Dick Clark did the countdown and the ball dropped on Times Square a couple of days ago to signal the start of 2008, I couldn't help but wonder how many people dropped the ball on their 2007 resolutions. Or, I should say, how many people were like me and didn't meet everything on their list. I'll try harder in '08, but you know how tough it is to reach all of them. Consider some of the possible '07 resolutions that seem to have gone awry in the NBA:

Knicks Begin '08 with a Dud

NEW YORK Logic says that at 8-22 after Wednesday's 107-97 loss to a Kings team playing without its three best players, the Knicks are dead in the water, with Isiah Thomas' master plan an abject failure. Not, though, in the World According to Isiah, who spoke Wednesday as if his team is on the cusp of something special.

Nets Flaunting Their 'New' Look

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Nets weren't looking to make a statement by beating an Eastern power on their court, but they made one anyway. They're not the same team they were a few weeks ago. On a night when their top three players combined to shoot 12-of- 37 and the Nets trailed by double-digits in each quarter, their bench came through in a big way.

Devils Notes

Clarke capitalizes A rash of injuries gave left wing Noah Clarke the opportunity to play in his first game as a Devil and he made the most of it by scoring a goal in the first period. Clarke, who was called up Tuesday along with right wing Barry Tallackson, beat goaltender Tomas Vokoun low to the stick side with a quick shot from the high slot 13:35 into the game.

Hit the Slopes, Jack ; Resorts Offer Discounts, Special Events

The new year has begun with plentiful snow and, along with it, a variety of discounts and programs designed to entice us to Northeastern slopes during early 2008. For example? The Ski The Catskills "Lift-Off Card" affords half- priced adult, midweek, non-holiday lift tickets at New York's Belleayre Mountain and Mt. Peter; at Holiday Mountain, it also includes $5 off on non-holiday weekends; and at Ski Plattekill, it offers 50 percent savings on non-holiday Fridays-Sundays. Lift-Off Cards cost...

Roundup

FLAMES 4, RANGERS 3

Game of the Week

Coyote Coyotes are another animal that can provide a challenging hunt. They are a wild member of the dog family, and they've expanded their range significantly in recent years, adapting and establishing themselves in New Jersey. A coyote moved into our neighborhood a few months ago, taking up residence in the woods. It makes an appearance in the evening every so often, and we keep finding its tracks in the snow and mud on our lawn.

Bosco Bops Bergen Tech ; Three Ironmen Top 600

HACKENSACK Herb Allen, John Mayer and Andrew Dillon-Ziarkowski each broke 600 for a three-game series to lead Don Bosco to a 5-2 victory over Bergen Tech in NNJIL boys bowling Wednesday at Bowler City. Allen shot 662, Dillon-Ziarkowski 609 and Mayer 606 to help Don Bosco pull into a tie for first place with Bergen Catholic in Division C at 26-9.