INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Tisdale scored 21 points and Demetri McCamey had 13 as fifth-seeded Illinois hung on for a 58-54 upset of No. 13 Wisconsin in Friday’s Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.The Fighting Illini (19-13) now face No. 5 Ohio State in Saturday’s semifinals. The Buckeyes advanced with a last-second 69-68 win over Michigan.Wisconsin (23-8) was led by Trevon Hughes and Jon Leuer, each with 14 points. Hughes led a frantic flurry in the closing minutes that got the Badgers in position to force overtime. But Jason Bohannon’s 3 with 15.9 seconds left clanked off the front of the rim, Mike Davis grabbed the rebound for Illinois and the Illini hung on.

GLENDALE—The White Sox rallied late with a group of minor leaguers in the 8th inning to take the lead,but had to settle for a 5-5 ten inning tie with the Cleveland Indians.Alejandro De Aza doubled in a run,and C.J.Retherford followed with a blast into the Cleveland bullpen off loser Jess Todd.The #5 slot in the White Sox rotation is Freddy Garcia’s to lose. On Thursday against a rather rag-tag group in Cleveland Indians uniforms at Camelback Ranch, Garia worked three frames,but the iddle one saw him tagged for three runs as eight batters cae to the plate for the Tribe. That was after red hot Carlos Quentin doubled in the Sox first and scored on a single by Paul Konerko off Mitch Talbot who is trying to make the Indians rotation. The trouble for Garcia in the  second started when one of the veterans Austin Kearns doubled and came home on a triple into the RF corner by Lonnie Chisenhall.Two outs,and a walk later, Jason Donald singled in a run,and Michael Brantley also drove a run home with a hit. Garcia settled down in the third and finished with three innings of five hit,three run ball,having fanned tree and walking one. Scott Linebrink later tossed a scoreless 5th inning,but he walked a pair.J.J.Putz escaped the Cleveland 6th by standing two runners.Ramon Castro launched a long homer to left field in the bottom of the fifth to bring the Sox to within 3-2.Cleveland added a run in their half of the 8th to take a short lived 4-2 lead.

NOTES—Attendance was announced at 4100….The Sox split their squad the next two days with half of it facing half of the Cubs in Las Vegas while half of the team plays a split Angels squad in Tempe Friday.

LES

Patrick Sharp was all alone, hanging back a bit in overtime and waiting for a chance the puck might come his way in a 4-on-4 game.And when Los Angeles’ Brad Richardson made an errant pass in the center of the rink, Dave Bolland picked it off and quickly sent it in Sharp’s direction.From just outside the blue line, Sharp took it to the net and beat Jonathan Quick 2:08 into overtime — his second goal of the game — to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 victory Wednesday.For Kings coach Terry Murray, whose team is trying to secure home ice for the first round of the playoffs, the final play was disappointing – there was no one back to check Sharp and the pass by Richardson was risky.But they weren’t and the Blackhawks got the victory, one that allowed them to tie San Jose for top spot in the West with 93 points.Sharp opened the scoring in the first period, Kris Versteeg added a goal, and Antti Niemi stopped 28 shots in his first start in four games.Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown scored for the Kings, and Quick made 40 saves.Kopitar got his 31st goal of the season when his wrist shot from the right circle on a power play eluded Niemi and gave the Kings a 2-1 lead in the second. It came less than two minutes after Brown tied it with a wraparound shot through Niemi’s legs.Versteeg’s rebound goal through traffic in front of the net — less than two minutes after Kopitar’s score — tied it at 2.Niemi stopped a breakaway attempt by Michal Handzus early in the third and seconds later snuffed an attempt from close in by Wayne Simmonds.Adam Burish wasted little time in making an impact in his first game of the season following knee surgery. He took a pass behind the net and fed Sharp who whiffed and then scored on his second try for a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. Seconds later Burish dropped the gloves with the Kings’ Rich Clune and the fight brought a rousing cheer from the crowd at the United Center.Quick held off a power play in the first — 1:41 of it with the Blackhawks holding a two-man advantage — when Duncan Keith’s shot hit the post.

NOTES—It was the third meeting of the season between the teams and first since November. The Hawks lead 2-1. Los Angeles won the previous meeting in a shootout. The teams face off again in eight days….Burish tore the ACL in his right knee during a preseason game at Minnesota on Sept. 20 and underwent surgery five days later. He was activated from the injured reserve list last weekend…..The Blackhawks honored former star and Hall of Famer Denis Savard. Savard also coached the team for 147 games before he was fired four games into last season.

MESA—On a cool,partly cloudy day,the San Francisco Giants remained one of the hottest teams in Spring Training by beating the Cubs 5-1.Carlos Zambrano had an easy 1-2-3 first inning,got out of trouble in the top of the second after Aubrey Huff led off with a double, but the “Bad Z” showed up in the Giants third when John Bowker,Kevin Frandsen and Aaron Rowand each singled to fill the bases. Zambrano then plunked Eugenio Velez to force in Bowker, and switch hitting Pablo Sandoval hit one hard into the jet stream which helped take it into the Cub bullpen in right field for a grand slam to cap a five run inning.That was all the Giants needed.
The Cubs got their run in the bottom of the fourth off San Francisco’s second pitcher Brandon Medders when Derrek Lee walked, Michah Hoffpauir ran for him, took second on a wild pitch,and scored on a double over CF Velez’s head. Zambrano(0-1) left after three innings,giving up the five runs on six hits,walking one and fanning one.

NOTES—The weather has been wierd to say the least. At game time here in Mesa it was 55* but in Chicago it was 58*! Some Spring Training Desert weather….The cool weather his holding attendance down as just 9,381 saw this game at Ho Ho Ka,which usualy leads all of baseball in Spring crowds……The Giants improved to 7-1 while the Cubs dropped to 3-3….The Cubs play the San Diego Padres in Peoria Az Thursday with Carlos Silva(0-1)opposing Jon Garland(0-0).

LES

PHOENIX—Ben Sheets still looks like a pitcher who hasn’t worked in nearly a year and a half.His command isn’t quite there and his fastball velocity is slightly down. Oakland’s new $10 million ace still considered his short outing in a 9-5 loss Wednesday over the White Sox a step in the right directionSheets, who missed all of 2009 recovering from elbow surgery, allowed six runs – five earned – on five hits with a walk in 2 2-3 innings of his second spring start.The Athletics got a big lift from Eric Chavez, who hit his first two home runs of the spring – including a two-run shot in the first off winning pitcher Daniel Hudson.

His right wrist wrapped in ice, Deron Williams insisted he feels no pain when he soars for dunks. It hurts when he shoots, though. The way he played Tuesday, it was hard to tell.Williams got the better of Derrick Rose, finishing with 28 points and a season-high 17 assists, while CJ Miles scored a season-best 26 points to lead the Utah Jazz to a 132-108 victory against the Bulls.It’s even more fun on nights like this.He hit three of five 3-pointers and threw down a vicious transition dunk on Rose that was more painful for the Bulls than it was for Williams.It came during a 13-1 run late in the third quarter that broke a 77-77 tie and sent Utah to its 22nd victory in 27 games.Miles scored 16 in the fourth, hitting four of his six 3-pointers, as the Jazz outscored the Bulls 40-27 and secured at least a .500 record for the 26th time in 27 years.With 25 points and a career high-tying 13 assists, Rose didn’t exactly get dominated in a matchup of All-Star point guards. But the Bulls tied a season high with their fifth consecutive loss even though Brad Miller scored 20.Luol Deng added 14 points after missing practice the previous day with flu symptoms, but sat out the fourth quarter because of a strained right calf. He’s scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday, another blow for a team in the middle of a brutal nine-game stretch against contenders.Neither team played much defense, with Utah shooting 54.2 percent and Chicago 53.9, but the Jazz came away with their ninth road victory in 11 games and pulled within one of Northwest Division leader Denver.Besides the big games from Williams and Miles, Utah got 16 points and 10 rebounds from Carlos Boozer. Paul Millsap added 16 points and nine rebounds, and Mehmet Okur scored 14.The Jazz simply did whatever they wanted, whether it was driving for a layup or dunk or burying jumpers. They shot 12 for 20 on 3-pointers, with Miles going 6 for 7. The highlight, though, was Williams’ big dunk on Rose. It came with about four minutes left in the third, when Williams took a feed from Wesley Matthews on a 2-on-1, and threw down a one-hander that drew oohs and ahs from the crowd, making it 83-77.Miles finished the run with a 3-pointer that made it 90-78 with 1:27 left in the quarter and did his part to bury the Bulls in the fourth, but the point guards stole the show.So did coach and original Bull Jerry Sloan.Williams (16 points, 10 assists) and Rose (10 points, 11 assists) each had double-doubles in a blistering first half that saw neither team really bother to defend and Utah walk off with a 63-61 lead.

NOTES—When asked about his Alma Matar,the struggling University of Illinois, Williams gave a rather snippy answer: “Do you have a QUESTION?”…..Utah’s 132 points, 34 assists and 3-point percentage (.600) were season highs for a Bulls opponent….Sloan didn’t realize there was a life-sized action shot of him in the hallway near the Bulls’ locker. “Is that right?” he said. Sloan didn’t pass by his picture when the Jazz entered the arena. His is one of 10 former Bulls, including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Norm Van Lier, Artis Gilmore and Chet Walker installed this season. There are also photos of Blackhawks legends.

PHOENIX—Ryan Dempster tossed two perfect innings in his spring debut and the Cubs beat the Oakland Athletics 10-3 on Monday.Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez each drove in a run for the Cubs. Ryan Theriot had two hits, walked once and scored twice.Brett Anderson pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings and Kurt Suzuki homered for the A’s. Anderson allowed one hit, walked two and struck out three.The Cubs scored seven runs in the seventh, sending 11 hitters to the plate. Mike Fontenot drove in two and Chad Tracy and Bobby Scales also drove in runs in the inning.Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the A’s. Oakland and the Cubs are scheduled for an interleague series in June, so perhaps the game meant a little extra.Anderson’s start was delayed a day because of Sunday’s rainout and the extra 24 hours can have an effect on his preparation.A’s pitcher Fautino De Los Santos did not retire any of the six hitters he faced, allowing three hits and walking two. Another batter reached on an error and he allowed six runs, three earned.Gio Gonzalez, a candidate for the fifth starting spot, took the loss. He allowed two runs and three hits in two innings.

NOTES—The Cubs were the last team to play a road game in the spring. … Cubs’ RHP Esmaiilin Caridad has faced the minimum six hitters over his first two outings. … A’s RHP Trevor Cahill will pitch against former A’s RHP Rich Harden on Tuesday. … A’s RHPs Justin Duchscherer and Joey Devine could throw off a mound on Tuesday.

GLENDALE—A pair of center fielders made their spring training debuts on the field Monday, but it was Alex Rios who had the better day.Rios, who has been in the White Sox lineup only once this spring because of a sore right shoulder, went 2 for 2 with a mammoth home run to deep center field in the Sox 5-4 loss to a Seattle Mariners split squad.Rios said his shoulder injury has not affected his swing.Franklin Gutierrez, the Mariners’ everyday center fielder in 2009 who signed a $20.5 million contract extension with this offseason, appeared in his first game after sitting out the first four with his own bum right shoulder. Gutierrez struck out and hit into a double play but drove in a run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.The White Sox starting lineup offered a glimpse at what could be their Opening Day group: outfielders Juan Pierre, Carlos Quentin and Rios; infielders Gordon Beckham, Paul Konerko, Mark Teahen and Alexei Ramirez; catcher A.J. Pierzynski; and designated hitter Mark Kotsay.Matt Tuiasosopo went 3 for 4 with two RBI for Seattle.

NOTES—The White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers played an 8 1/2-inning “B” game Monday morning that ended in a 3-3 tie. … White Sox OF prospect Stefan Gartrell was hit in the left knee with a pitch during the morning’s game and was lifted for a pinch runner. INF Brent Lillibridge was also hit later in the game and was taken out. Both were available to play against Seattle. … LHP John Danks, RHP Daniel Hudson, RHP Freddy Garcia and LHP Jake Peavy are the next four starting pitchers for the White Sox on the spring training schedule. … LHP Cliff Lee is scheduled to make his first spring training start for Seattle on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers.

***Don’t look now,but the hated Detroit Red Wings have gotten healthy and not only look like they will make the playoffs after a mediocre first 4 1/2 months of the season,but against the Blackhawks Sunday,they looked like their ‘old’ selves. After the Hawks look a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, the Wings dropped the big one on Cristobal Huet and the Hawks–five goals in the second period. Heut left after giving up four, then Antti Niemi yielded Pavel Datsuyk’s break away goal which proved to be the game winner. Datsuyk stripped the puck from Patrick Kane and beat Antti Niemi.

***So now many long time Blackhawk Fans are on the “ledge” waiting for bad things to happen.

***Now that the Bears gone out of character by spending money to bring in three free agents, how much have they gained(if at all)on the Vikings and Packers? The signings of Julius Peppers,Chester Taylor and Brandon Manumaleuna should be commended. There is no way in the past that moves like this would have been made by the Bears.

***The crap left over by Milton Bradley on the Cubs showed up on Saturday when a sign of things to come appeared at Ho Ho Kam Park in Mesa. Carlos Silva,easily the worst starting pitcher in the Big Leagues,was shelled for six runs in two innings by the White Sox. Carlos Quentin hit two very long homers,both off Silva for five RBI’s. With Ted Lilly on the DL until likely early May,and now Angel Guzman out for a while(or even ending his career), the Northsiders are in for a possible slow start-barring some unexpected changes.

LES

The Blackhawks golie controversary continues. Not even a hat trick by Andrew Ladd could sidetrack the Detroit Red Wings.Pavel Datsyuk capped a five-goal second period and Detroit rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Blackhawks on Sunday.Ladd’s first goal of the game gave the Hawks a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Detroit took charge in the second before Ladd added two more goals in the final period.Brian Rafalski started the surge with a power play goal 4:12 into the second to cut the lead to 2-1. Nicklas Lidstrom, Jason Williams, Valtteri Filppula and Datsyuk followed with goals as the Red Wings won for the fourth time in five games.Henrik Zetterberg and Todd Bertuzzi added two assists apiece.The Red Wings, hampered by injuries early in the season, strengthened their grip on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Detroit has won eight straight Central Division titles, and just might be finding their winning touch again.Defenseman Duncan Keith scored the first goal, and after Ladd’s two third-period goals the Blackhawks missed on several opportunities to tie the score in the final seven minutes. Keith opened the scoring at 4:24 with his career-high 13th goal before Ladd made it 2-0, firing in a one-timer from the right circle off Filppula’s turnover.The Blackhawks’ meltdown began after an apparent goal by Patrick Kane early in the second period was disallowed because Dustin Byfuglien bumped into Jimmy Howard.Lidstrom got Detroit on the board from the high slot during a 4-on-3 power play, then Rafalski added a tying goal 28 seconds later. Despite a timeout by Joel Quenneville, the Red Wings were just getting started.Williams and Filppula scored 42 seconds apart midway through the second period to give Detroit a 4-2 lead, and Datsyuk stole the puck from Kane at the blue line and added a breakaway goal with three seconds left in the period to make it 5-2. Datsyuk has eight goals and 10 assists in his last 14 games.Ladd added his second goal at 1:59 of the third, scoring from the right circle, and recorded his first hat trick on a deflection of Keith’s shot from the point with 7:54 remaining.Cristobal Huet allowed four goals on 17 shots before being replaced by Antti Niemi at 10:27 of the second period. Huet was making his third straight start after Niemi had been between the pipes the previous five games.Niemi allowed one goal on eight shots.The Hawks had to call on Antti since Huet appeared to say “Uncle”.

NOTES—Bertuzzi suffered a lower-body injury late in the second period and didn’t return….Keith extended his points streak to six games for a career high. His career-high 59 points is second among NHL defensemen to Washington’s Mike Green….Kane had an assist to extend his point streak to eight games. He has four goals and nine assists in the span….The Blackhawks’ season-high crowd of 22,309 was their 84th straight sellout.