Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE - The Maryland Terrapins are looking to rebound from a 1-2 start tonight against No. 23 Wisconsin in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup at the Bradley Center. The No. 13 Terps could start by rebounding much better than they did at last week's Maui Invitational and by responding in kind to a Wisconsin team that promises to incorporate a few pushes and shoves into its half-court games at both ends of the floor. The Terps need to get physical, and their schedule has led them to one of the nation's masters at that brand of basketball.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Pretty, it won't be. Those interested in high-flying dunks and other dazzling displays of basketball artistry should not tune into today's NCAA tournament West Regional final between sixth-seeded Purdue and eighth-seeded Wisconsin. It seems appropriate for these Big Ten rivals to be playing in a throwback arena called The Pit, with the winner advancing to next week's Final Four at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. These are, for the most part, a couple of old school teams coached by dinosaurs named Gene Keady and Dick Bennett.

LA CROSSE, Wis. - Addressing a jubilant rally one day after his final debate with Al Gore, George W. Bush implored Republican supporters yesterday to spread his message to independents and Democrats, saying he needs every vote in an election that remains exceedingly close. "This race is going to come down to the wire," Bush told a cheering crowd of several thousand at a confetti-festooned rally on the banks of the Mississippi here. "It's a little under three weeks to go, and I hope you will join me in helping to turn out the vote.

The Ravens will officially break camp at Western Maryland College today. After a 1 p.m. team meeting to review last night's pre-season home opener against the Carolina Panthers, the Ravens will shift operations to their Owings Mills complex. The routine will become more private - no fans allowed - and less physical than it has been the last four weeks, but even NFL "two a days" pale in comparison to what most rookies endured in college. Just ask Casey Rabach, the third-round draft choice out of Wisconsin who will back up Mike Flynn at center.

WASHINGTON - They're cheesed off in Wisconsin over a European scheme to ban foreigners from using popular cheese names such as feta, Parmesan and Gorgonzola. Europeans claim that certain products are part of their heritage, and they are preparing to ask world trade officials this week for exclusive rights to 13 cheese names. Wisconsin, America's No. 1 cheese-making state, has come out swinging against the idea, however. "We see it as a serious threat to our ability to market cheeses that we've been making for decades," said John Umhoefer with the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association.

MADISON, Wis. -- Coppin State coach Fang Mitchell tried to warn his players about what to expect against Wisconsin yesterday.But his message didn't quite get through. And by the time the Eagles finally caught on, it was too late as their second-half rally fell short, 71-63.Wisconsin (5-5) went on a 14-0 run early in the game to blast into an 18-4 lead. That proved too much for the Eagles (3-4) to overcome, despite a spectacular 22-point performance in the second half by Antoine Brockington, the nation's ninth-leading scorer (24.2 average)

MILWAUKEE -- In building a bridge from welfare to work, Wisconsin, perhaps more than any other state, has prided itself on doing things right.It has spent heavily and pledged lavishly to give poor families the tools they need, from baby sitters and bus passes to case managers and community service jobs.On paper, no state has done more to replace welfare checks with workers' support.But a year after moving to the streets, Wisconsin's celebrated effort bears only an intermittent likeness to the program of customized employment services outlined in planning documents and praised from the Oval Office down.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Wisconsin isn't pretty, but it is patient. Down by 10 points to North Carolina State twice in the first half off a woeful performance at the offensive end, the sixth-seeded Badgers steadied themselves and followed sophomore forward Alando Tucker to a 65-56 victory in the Syracuse Regional semifinals that has them a win away from their second Final Four in six years. Coach Bo Ryan's team took care of its end of Round 2 of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, as its win and Michigan State's defeat of Duke give their league three teams in the Elite Eight.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Charlie Bell is the least known of Michigan State's "Flintstones" gang, but he became the bedrock of the defense last night. Although his fellow Flint, Mich., natives Morris Peterson and Mateen Cleaves may have accounted more offensively, Bell helped the Spartans move on to their first national championship game in 21 years by shadowing Wisconsin's Jon Bryant. Bryant, the West Regional Most Valuable Player, was held to 1-for-5 shooting and didn't make his first basket until 5: 40 left in the game.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The last time it had taken the court, Wisconsin made a terrible mess of the statistics sheet, shooting 25.9 percent in losing to Illinois on Sunday in the Big Ten Conference tournament final. That had some observers predicting a rapid exit from the NCAA tournament, but the Badgers responded with a dramatically different performance last night in their first-round Syracuse Regional game against Northern Iowa at the Ford Center. No. 6 seed Wisconsin made plenty of shots, several of the biggest ones from beyond the three-point arc, in surviving a stiff challenge from the No. 11 seed to win, 57-52.