Saint Louis

Most of the time Saint Louis University plays over its head. The opposition is up there on an extension ladder, physically speaking, but the fury with which it plays defense is why it has survived to play another day in the NCAA basketball championship. Overmatched in ability but not outplayed. That's a compliment; not an indictment.The story of the team nicknamed the Billikens has to do with resolve, determination and inspiration. They have the tenacity of a pack of wildcats that haven't been fed since the last full moon.

SATURDAY'S NCAA BASKETBALL TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS MEN Third round: VCU vs. Michigan (L) 13, 9Noon Third round: Memphis vs. Mich. St. (L) 13, 92:30 Third round: Colo. State vs. Louisville (L) 13, 95 Third round: Harvard vs. Arizona (L) TNT6 Third round: Oregon vs. Saint Louis (L) TBS7 Third round: Butler vs. Marquette (L) 13, 97:30 Third round: Wichita St. vs. Gonzaga (L) TNT8:30 Third round: California vs. Syracuse (L)

The Maryland men's soccer team will be up against a familiar opponent when it plays Saint Louis in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament today at 1 p.m. in College Park. Last year, the Billikens came to Ludwig Field and were turned away by the Terrapins, who won that match, 1-0, in overtime on their way to the College Cup - a trip that would be repeated with a win today. Its name might be one of the few things that hasn't changed about Saint Louis (15-3-3), the tournament's seventh seed.

Midwest is toughest Dom Amore Hartford Courant The toughest? Louisville's Midwest. The Cardinals have Duke at No. 2, Michigan State at No. 3, Missouri at No. 9. Memphis, which tore through Conference USA, is a No. 6. Next, I'd go with the East because Miami, the first team to win the ACC regular-season and tournament titles and not get a No. 1, is the No. 2 behind Indiana here. Big East team Marquette is at No. 3, and Syracuse is at No. 4. Kansas may be starting in Kansas City in the South, but it has Georgetown in its bracket at No. 2. Florida and Michigan, another former No. 1, are behind them.

Charlie Spoonhour's friends didn't tell him he was crazy when he left a secure little coaching job at Southwest Missouri State two years ago for a more recognizable, but certainly more stressful, position at Saint Louis University."

What: Second round, NCAA East Regional.Where: Baltimore Arena.When: Today, approximately 2:40 p.m.TV: Channel 13.First-round results: Wake Forest routed North Carolina A&T, 79-47. Saint Louis defeated Minnesota, 64-61, in overtime.Outlook: North Carolina's loss to Boston College last year was the only time since 1990 a No. 1 seed didn't get to the Sweet 16, but Demon Deacons center Tim Duncan said that reminder was irrelevant to Wake Forest's focus. The Demon Deacons have won 11 in a row, are playing together and have a considerable size advantage on the Billikens.

ST. LOUIS -- The keystone of Loyola's 19-game unbeaten streak was a tough defense that came into its NCAA third-round game having allowed just five goals in its past 18 games. Not since Sept. 2 had a team scored more than one goal against the Greyhounds. Last night, however, Loyola ran into a Saint Louis University team that features the nation's leading goal scorer, Dipsy Selolwane, whohad scored at least two goals in all but two games this season. The 11th-ranked Greyhounds were able to hold off the Billikens, but only for a while.

A year ago, it was as if Saint Louis arrived in the NCAA tournament in Cinderella's pumpkin. The Billikens were one of the season's most provocative rags-to-riches stories.This year, though, the element of surprise was absent when Saint Louis was seeded ninth in the East.This is a team that has won 45 of 58 games over the past two seasons, that almost toppled Cincinnati in the Great Midwest tournament last week, that has had three lineup changes in coach Charlie Spoonhour's three seasons.

The Loyola men's soccer team will visit Saint Louis University at 7 p.m. Saturday in a round-of-16 NCAA Division I playoff. The Greyhounds (17-1-2) extended their unbeaten streak to 19 games with a 1-0 double-overtime win against Maryland on Sunday afternoon. Junior forward Juliano Adriano de Oliveira provided the game-winner in the 116th minute. The Conference USA champion Billikens, seeded sixth with a 17-1-0 mark, rallied in the second half for a 2-1 victory over Missouri-Kansas City in their second-round game on Sunday.

At a little past five o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, darkness began to interrupt practice when Loyola men's soccer coach Mark Mettrick announced the next goal would be the winner. A couple of shots were sprayed wide and another was stopped when it was halfway across the goal line. Sometime later, when it was much darker, Niall Lepper cleanly struck a half volley to finally end the session. It was obvious just how much the Greyhounds were treasuring the fact that, here it is after Thanksgiving, and they're still playing ball.

Derrick Brown scored 20 points, and C.J. Anderson added 13 as No. 16 Xavier (12-2, 1-0) rolled to a 70-44 victory over visiting Saint Louis (9-6, 0-1) last night in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams. No. 20 Arizona State 69, Oregon State 38: : James Harden scored 22 points and the host Sun Devils (13-2, 2-1) won their ninth in the past 10. The Beavers fell to 6-7, 1-2. No. 21 Butler 64, Wright State 48: : Matt Howard scored 14 to lead the host Bulldogs (13-1, 4-0 Horizon League) to their fifth straight victory.

Kaleo Kina hit a pair of free throws with 7.3 seconds to play to give Navy an 81-80 victory over Longwood last night. The Lancers (6-8) had gone ahead 80-79 on a basket by Kevin Swecker with 11 seconds to play, wiping out a seven-point Navy (9-4) lead with 2:41 to play. After Swecker's basket, Kina drove the lane and was fouled by Billy Robinson. Saint Louis 81, UMBC 60:: Tommie Liddell III had 19 points and six assists, helping the Billikens beat the Retrivers for their sixth straight victory at home.

Moves Auto racing DALE EARNHARDT INC. -- Announced that driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will leave team at end of season. Baseball CUBS -- Recalled OF Angel Pagan from Triple-A Iowa. Optioned OF Felix Pie to Iowa. GIANTS -- Placed OF Dave Roberts on 15-day DL. Designated OF Todd Linden for assignment. Recalled OF Fred Lewis and OF Daniel Ortmeier from Triple-A Fresno. NATIONALS -- Announced that IF Josh Wilson was claimed off waivers by Devil Rays. REDS -- Optioned 3B Edwin Encarnacion to Triple-A Louisville.

On December 10, 2006, ROBERT CHARLES WELLEN of Columbia; beloved husband of Lenora K. Wellen; devoted father of Gregory, Jeffrey and the late Keith Wellen; dear grandfather of Jeffrey, Scott, Michael, Bethany and Stephanie Wellen; loving brother of Marilyn Bennett and the late John "Jack" Wellen; cherished son of the late Charles and Rose Wellen. Family will receive friends Thursday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. at HARRY H. WITZKE'S FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, INC., 4112 Old Columbia Pike Ellicott City.

COLLEGE PARK - Ever since a stinging loss to UCLA in the national semifinals last year, the Maryland's men's soccer team has been focused on returning to the College Cup, soccer's final four. It took a day longer than the Terps would have liked, but they punched their ticket to this year's semifinals with a 4-2 win over Saint Louis yesterday before 1,507 shivering fans at Ludwig Field. In a game that was postponed from Saturday by weather, the second-seeded Terps (20-2-1) overcame an early 2-0 deficit and a failed penalty kick to record what Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski called "the greatest comeback in my history here."

The Maryland men's soccer team will be up against a familiar opponent when it plays Saint Louis in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament today at 1 p.m. in College Park. Last year, the Billikens came to Ludwig Field and were turned away by the Terrapins, who won that match, 1-0, in overtime on their way to the College Cup - a trip that would be repeated with a win today. Its name might be one of the few things that hasn't changed about Saint Louis (15-3-3), the tournament's seventh seed.

COLLEGE PARK -- At Saint Louis University, Debbie Yow wanted a men's basketball team that would make the NCAA tournament more often than not, and one that lived up to its billing as a revenue producer.At Maryland, Yow wants a football team that can provide a sturdier financial base for the Terps' nonrevenue teams, "win seven, eight games consistently, and be a bowl contender on a (( regular basis."Yow, the athletic director, fired Mark Duffner, the Terps' football coach, Monday after five seasons and a 20-35 record.

The Saint Louis Billikens endured 34 percent shooting, a second-half disappearing act by their big scorer and five torturous minutes of overtime yesterday.But their survival test was not complete until Minnesota launched four potential game-tying, three-point shots in the final 13 seconds.Only then were the Billikens able to escape the Baltimore Arena with a frenetic 64-61 victory in the first round of the East Regional, their first victory in the NCAA tournament in 43 years.In a game of bizarre twists and long scoring droughts, Saint Louis (23-7)