Cavaliers

Cavaliers top Hawks; Suns rout Wizards nba Any ideas the Atlanta Hawks had of extending their seven-game winning streak ended quickly yesterday. LeBron James and the host Cleveland Cavaliers took a 24-point lead early in the second quarter in winning their eighth straight game, 102-96 over the Hawks. "That's what we wanted to do," said James, who scored 22 points as the Cavaliers (56-13) improved to 32-1 at home. "We wanted to first protect home court like we've been able to do." The Hawks were hoping to prove a point against the team with the best record in the NBA. Instead, it turned into a day of frustration for Atlanta (41-29)

The Archbishop Spalding girls soccer team members affectionately call assistant coach Bob Wagner "Bob-O," but Nostradamus might have been more appropriate Friday. In the wake of last Tuesday's 1-1 double-overtime tie against St. Vincent Pallotti, the Spalding coaching staff gave the players the next day off with a practice Thursday leading into Friday's game against Severn. Wagner, who coached the team in the absence of head coach Bob Dieterle who was away tending to family matters, knew precisely what would happen Friday and said as much to the referee.

MILWAUKEE -- Things couldn't have worked out any better for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night if they would have scripted the evening themselves. In order for the Cavaliers to finish with their most advantageous playoff position, several things needed to happen. The Cavaliers needed to beat the Milwaukee Bucks and they did that. Cleveland needed the Chicago Bulls to lose in New Jersey and that also occurred. Also, the Cavaliers preferred to have Washington defeat Indiana and the Wizards won that game.

A two-game losing streak. The loss of their second-leading scorer for the season.The Liberty girls soccer team seemed to have all the elements for losing to neighborhood rival South Carroll last night, but the Lions notched the game's first four goals to surprise the visiting Cavaliers, 4-2.Liberty junior midfielder Becky Podobnik led the way with two goals, and junior defender Crystal Rivas and sophomore midfielder Meagan Voight added a goal apiece.A...

Glenelg looked as if it was on its way to a home-field blowout of South Carroll after less than two minutes of play yesterday.It was the final 26 minutes that gave the young Gladiators problems and the Cavaliers a lesson in determination.Glenelg couldn't overcome the balance of the persistent and patient Cavaliers, who pulled out a 10-9 win after trailing 5-1 very early in the game.The game was the second in a week in which Glenelg blew a lead, but coach Rick Kincaid walked away satisfied with his team of mostly sophomores and juniors.

South Carroll coach George Richardson said his team was especially hungry after playing just one scrimmage during the preseason and having its opening game postponed due to rain.Yesterday, the fourth-ranked Cavaliers feasted on Liberty.Starter Brandon Woodward dominated, allowing one hit over four innings and striking out seven, and the offense scored five runs in three different innings in a 16-3 five-inning win over the visiting Lions in a non-conference game.After barely taking the field this spring, the Cavaliers (1-0)

Looking for a boost after a slow start to yesterday's Catholic League semifinal against Institute of Notre Dame, No. 4-ranked Archbishop Spalding found some freshman energy in the fourth inning.On the mound, it came from Jessica Saunders. At the plate, Christine Sheridan was the supplier.By game's end, Saunders worked four perfect innings in relief; Sheridan had a double, single, three RBIs and a run -- and the Cavaliers had an invitation to tomorrow's Catholic League championship game with a come-from-behind 4-2 win over the Indians at Randazzo Park.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia tried to stall Maryland's surging No. 1 women's lacrosse team with a surprise slow-down offense last night, but that didn't stop the Terrapins from taking a 13-3 victory and completing a regular-season sweep of the Atlantic Coast Conference.On their first possession, the No. 3 Cavaliers spent more than four minutes working the ball around before they turned it over. Maryland's Allison Comito converted about a minute later.That would be the story of the game at University Hall Turf Field -- Virginia working diligently for the opening to go to goal and Maryland converting quickly, often off one of the Cavaliers' 16 turnovers.

Archbishop Spalding closed out a decade of excellence in the Catholic League yesterday, and Jessica Saunders appeared poised to help the No. 4-ranked Cavaliers continue the domination into the next one.Saunders, a freshman, threw a one-hit, 2-0 shutout yesterday against No. 10 Seton Keough as the Cavaliers captured their eighth Catholic League tournament championship of the 1990s to go with 10 straight regular-season crowns.The Cavaliers (21-7) scratched across single runs in the second and third innings at Towson University, more than enough support for Saunders, who struck out 10 and didn't allow a hit until Keough pitcher Kristin Dulay singled between third and short in the sixth.

First was the sluggish first half, which included 13 turnovers and translated into an eight-point deficit, that had to be dealt with.Next came the task of playing the last four minutes of a tight game without the team's top scorer, rebounder and leader.The No. 7-ranked Mercy Magic stared at a possible fourth straight Catholic League loss a number of times last night against No. 9 Archbishop Spalding but, in the end, chose to look the other way.Clutch outside shooting, buckle-down defense, and perfect work at the free-throw line made the difference in the final minutes as the Magic came away with a 53-45 win over the Cavaliers in Severn.

Scoring a dramatic goal to help her team is a rare and special feat for a soccer player. Archbishop Spalding forward Courtney Hoyes had twice the thrill. With the No. 1 Cavaliers on the verge of elimination against a determined John Carroll team in Thursday's Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference semifinals, Hoyes provided new life with a game-tying goal with six seconds left in regulation. Then, in the closing minutes of the second overtime period, Hoyes finished off a cross sent in by junior Maggie Morrison to give the defending league champs a 2-1 win that sends them back to the title game.

Patrick Steele scored all three touchdowns in Boys' Latin's 20-0 upset of No. 9 Archbishop Spalding on Friday, but he gave credit where it was due - to his line. "Amazing, that's all I can say," Steele said. Dominating line play along with Steele's running game and big defensive plays, including three interceptions, highlighted an all-around exceptional effort by the host Lakers, who improve to 8-0 and take over sole possession of first place in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference standings at 7-0. Steele finished with 148 yards on 25 carries.

Archbishop Spalding senior sweeper Kirsten Frank left the field at McDonogh on Friday more tired than usual. It turned out to be worthwhile exhaustion for the All-Metro standout. After Frank and the Cavaliers' defense continually shut down the Eagles' persistent attack, the visitors got an offensive spark from an unlikely source. Midfielder Francesca Springer scored with five minutes left to give No. 1 Spalding a 1-0 win over No. 2 McDonogh in a rematch of last year's Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship game.

Hogan took a short pass from Stephanie Smith on the right side and neatly found the lower near post from 14 yards. Morrison provided the rest of the offense, scoring in the 54th minute and again in the 60th on a strong run and finish from 10 yards. Senior sweeper Kirsten Frank was dominant in back, with junior goalie Jocelyn McCoy turning back three shots for the shutout. "At halftime, we just said, 'Let's pick it up, let's pick it up,' and it was a good team effort," said Morrison. "We know we have targets on our backs, and that's why we're working ... even harder than last year, because we want to take care of the No. 1 spot."

CLEVELAND - - The Cleveland Cavaliers had the best record in the NBA this season. They also swept through the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs. So did anyone really expect them to fold like origami in Thursday's must-win game against the Orlando Magic? Of course not. The Cavaliers, now trailing three games to two after a 112-102 victory over the Magic, must travel to Orlando for another must-win game Saturday. If they win that, it's back to Cleveland for Game 7 on Monday. If they complete this best-of-seven hat trick after trailing three games to one, they will be only the ninth team of out of 188 to accomplish this feat since the mid-1940s.

ORLANDO, Fla. - -The Orlando Magic is one win away from reaching the NBA Finals, and the Cleveland Cavaliers and their superstar, LeBron James, are one loss from having their dream season end in nightmarish fashion. Dwight Howard scored 27 points - including 10 in the game's extra period - and Rafer Alston added a career playoff-high 26 points Tuesday night as the Magic beat the Cavaliers, 116-114, in overtime to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. "This thing is a long, long, long way from over," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - -If you learned that the NCAA tournament semifinal between top seed Virginia and No. 5 seed Cornell wasn't even close, you probably wouldn't be surprised. The shocker is that it was the Big Red that enjoyed the result. Cornell scored the game's first three goals and six of the first seven to stun the heavily favored Cavaliers, 15-6, before an announced 36,594 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday. The Big Red (13-3) will meet No. 2 seed and reigning national champion Syracuse in the championship final at 1 p.m. Monday.

King's response 8:30 p.m. [TNT] Now that the Orlando Magic has humbled LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, what will King James' response be in Game 2? Apparently 49 points weren't enough in Game 1.

The unofficial beginning of Johns Hopkins' surrender started with about seven minutes left in the game. That's when Virginia coach Dom Starsia pulled his starting goalie and defensemen. The rest was just a formality. The Blue Jays' often inconsistent attempt to run through the 2009 Division I lacrosse tournament ended with an embarrassing 19-8 quarterfinal loss to the top-seeded Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon before an announced 12,142 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Johns Hopkins trailed 12-4 at the half, and once the Cavaliers scored the first three goals of the third quarter in the opening four minutes of the period, the game was a blowout.

On their way to the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers gave the Washington Wizards something to savor for summer. LeBron James scored 21 points before spending the fourth quarter playing air guitar on the bench as the Cavaliers avenged an embarrassing loss to one of the league's weakest teams by thumping the Wizards, 98-86, on Wednesday night to improve to 38-1 at home. The win lowered Cleveland's magic number for locking up home-court advantage for the Eastern Conference playoffs to one. None of that matters to James right now. "We're just trying to get better," he said.