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GREENSBORO, N. Air Max 97 Nz Cheap .C. -- Talib Zanna had 19 points and a career-high 21 rebounds to help Pittsburgh beat No. 15 North Carolina 80-75 in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals Friday. James Robinson also scored a career-best 19 points for the fifth-seeded Panthers (25-8), who used a dominating start to build a huge lead before having to hold off a late rally by the fourth-seeded Tar Heels (23-9). Pittsburgh led by 20 points with 7:22 left before UNCs frantic comeback behind Marcus Paige, who scored 20 of his 27 points after halftime before fouling out with 25.4 seconds left. UNC got it to 78-75 on Nate Britts jumper with 11.4 seconds left but couldnt complete the comeback. James Robinson knocked down two free throws to make it a two-possession game again right after Britts score, then Lamar Patterson rebounded a hurried 3-pointer by James Michael McAdoo with 4.3 seconds left to essentially seal it. Now, after a dominating performance in Thursdays second round and a bumbling-but-successful finish Friday, the Panthers will face sixth-ranked and top-seeded Virginia in Saturdays semifinals. Zanna, a 6-foot-9 fifth-year senior, came within two rebounds of tying the single-game tournament rebounding record that had stood since 1959. He fouled out with 1:03 left. Zanna had 10 offensive rebounds -- one shy of UNCs team total -- and helped Pitt control the boards while taking a 21-6 edge in second-chance points against a team that was third in the league in rebounding margin for the regular season. With all those point-blank extra looks off offensive rebounds, Pitt shot 52 per cent for the game. North Carolina spent all day trying to recover from a terrible start. It missed 16 of 19 shots and fell behind 25-8, though its late comeback at least gave them some hope of sticking around Greensboro a little longer. North Carolina shot 42 per cent, though much of that production came after Pitt had built a 61-41 lead on Josh Newkirks three-point play midway through the second half. The Panthers have won five of six to pull out of a three-game losing streak that started to threaten their NCAA tournament chances, with this ranking as probably their best of the year. Now the Tar Heels are suddenly struggling. The Tar Heels started 0-3 in the ACC and stood at 1-4 before running off 12 straight wins, including a home win against Pittsburgh, to earn a top-four seed and double-round bye that came with it. But UNC didnt play well in the final two games of the streak and lost at Duke to close the regular season last weekend, sending them into Greensboro coming off their first loss since Jan. 20. The rebounding trouble was particularly alarming for UNC considering it managed just 20 rebounds in last weekends loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium. During one demoralizing second-half stretch, Zanna tipped in offensive rebounds on consecutive possessions and had 17 rebounds to UNCs 16 with nearly 14 minutes still left. Cheap Nike Air Max NZ . -- The Grand Rapids Griffins scored three goals in 33 seconds of the second period en route to defeating the Hamilton Bulldogs 6-1 in American Hockey League action on Friday. Nike Air Max NZ . Though the 26-year-old said he was able to participate, coach Dwane Casey kept Johnson out as a precaution. http://www.airmaxnzwholeale.com/ . The Spanish champions decision not to sign a defender during the January transfer window may have backfired after Valencia took advantage of a lethargic, uninspired effort by its hosts at the Camp Nou, where former Spain coach Luis Aragones -- who previously coached the Catalan side -- was honoured after his death on Saturday.Were less than six weeks from the Mar. 2 trade deadline, which means all the basic chatter and tire kicking will take on a more serious tone as early as next week. Theres no promise that deals will be made immediately following the All-Star break, but a number of team executives do sense that the urgency to make a move is starting to grow. On Thursday nights Tim Hortons Thats Hockey, we addressed the wants and needs of the seven Canadian NHL teams. Granted, every team is looking for upgrades and Im certain many NHL general managers take some pleasure in playing the media game by declaring a wish list that often includes a top six forward or a top four defenceman. And its hard to imagine any of the 30 teams arent in the market for that. With that in mind, lets first take a look at the list we unveiled in Tuesdays edition of Insider Trading disclosing the initial list of players considered as trade bait with the deadline looming: Trade Bait Player NHL Team Position Antoine Vermette Arizona Coyotes Centre Tyler Myers Buffalo Sabres Defence Joffrey Lupul Toronto Maple Leafs Left Wing Jake Gardiner Toronto Maple Leafs Defence Keith Yandle Arizona Coyotes Defence Ryan OReilly Colorado Avalanche Centre Jaromir Jagr New Jersey Devils Right Wing Curtis Glencross Calgary Flames Left Wing Zbynek Michalek Arizona Coyotes Defence Erik Cole Dallas Stars Left Wing Chris Neil Ottawa Senators Right Wing Cody Franson Toronto Maple Leafs Defence Marc Methot Ottawa Senators Defence Jiri Tlusty Carolina Hurricanes Left Wing Jeff Petry Edmonton Oilers Defence Tyler Kennedy San Jose Sharks Right Wing Zack Kassian Vancouver Canucks Right Wing Matt Hendricks Edmonton Oilers Left Wing Drew Stafford Buffalo Sabres Right Wing Brad Boyes Florida Panthers Right Wing Matt Irwin San Jose Sharks Defence Michael Ryder New Jersey Devils Right Wing Kyle Brodziak Minnesota Wild Centre Ryan Carter Minnesota Wild Centre Chris Phillips Ottawa Senators Defence Paul Martin Pittsburgh Penguins Defence Tomas Fleischmann Florida Panthers Left Wing Canadian NHL Team Game Plans Toronto Maple Leafs Veteran defenceman Cody Franson is a late addition to the Trade Bait list in the likelihood he embraces unrestricted free agency. The Leafs arent willing to pay him what he will lure on the open market and based on the demand for blueliners with a right-handed shot, Franson will fetch a decent trade return once its been determined he intends to walk. And that decision should be soon. Forwards Daniel Winnik and Mike Santorelli (also pending UFAs) are drawing interest from trade circles as well and given Torontos play of late, the list of available Leaf players is starting to grow. While never impossible, any trade involving a key player is unlikely until the off-season, when other cap teams have more flexibility to take on bigger contracts. Again - anything is possible. However, Torontos expected return seems fairly specific as the Leafs are looking for good young roster players in their early twenties. Montreal Canadiens The Habs have faced adversity this season, but keep on finding ways to win and remain a top team in the Eastern Conference. A sagging power play has regained some spark and when healthy, Carey Price has performed at his usual elite standard. Trying to nail general manager Marc Bergevin down on divulging internal secrets is a near futile exercise, but he talks to enough people around the league to surmise hes not satisfied with how his team looks. And if he can add a forward to strengthen his top two lines, he will. Bergevin is also believed to be looking for a defenceman - perhaps an upgrade to whats already considered a decent top five. Ottawa Senators Wayne Scanlan of The Ottawa Citizen wrote an excellent piece this week on Senators GM Bryan Murray and by Murrays own admission, this will very likely be his last season at the helm. Murray likes what he sees on this years roster and still believes Ottawa has a chance, though the standings are continuing to paint a different picture. Its believed Murray would also like to add a top six forward - an established player with some term remaining to give the Senators some stability. Nike Air Max 180 Nz. Acquiring such a player is hard to do, though Murray found a way when winger Bobby Ryan was brought into town. While some believe it might be better for the Sens to wait and allow the younger players to develop, Murrays more immediate concern is his lack of roster space. Mark Borowiecki is very close to returning, which will force Ottawa to make a tough decision. Its likely that Colin Greening will be placed on waivers to open a spot. Meanwhile, the uncertainty of Marc Methots future continues to hang over the club as well. A pending UFA, Methot complements captain Erik Karlsson and is playing well. If a contract extension cant be worked out, Methot will likely be traded - which would create a large hole on Ottawas blue line. Given the spot duty assigned to veteran defenceman Chris Phillips (who has been a healthy scratch eight times this season), perhaps Murray finds a new home for a proud man who cant be happy with his limited role. All of this makes for difficult decisions for Bryan Murray and his management team to ponder. Winnipeg Jets The Jets appear to be a throwback example of hard work and chemistry paying off. Head coach Paul Maurice says he never goes to the rink concerned about how hard his team is willing to work. And it shows, as the Jets are highly regarded as one of the most difficult teams to play against. Comfortably in a playoff spot, no one in this organization is taking anything for granted. And this Jets team knows that the post All-Star grind will demand a high level of intestinal fortitude to secure that spot. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has assets he can dangle in a trade - particularly from his defence corps. The Jets would like to add a third line right winger, but given the play of this team, Cheveldayoff might consider something more significant to bolster his chances against the Western Conferences big boys. The Jets wont mortgage their future, but if they continue to string wins together and find a way to creep into the Top 10, there will be some interesting boardroom conversations leading up to the deadline. Vancouver Canucks The Canucks continue to quietly go about their business and with far less drama than weve seen in recent years. The team is where they thought they would be at the beginning of the season - in the playoff mix, but fighting to distance themselves from the Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings. Now Vancouver needs scoring and the team is hopeful that the right deal will materialize to add a second line forward. Dont expect GM Jim Benning to dive into the rental pool, as the Canucks have no intention of blowing out the young talent theyve accumulated over the last couple of seasons to acquire a player destined for free agency. And the rumour mill keeps linking the Canucks to Boston, given the obvious history Benning has as the Bruins former assistant GM. Calgary Flames Remarkably, the Flames remain one of the NHLs pleasant surprises this season. Approaching the 50-game mark, they are a playoff team, while the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings are not. Yes, its hard to believe. Head coach Bob Hartley has developed a winning culture in Calgary and similar to the job Maurice has done in Winnipeg, the buy-in from the players is impressive. But Flames GM Brad Treliving knows where his team is on the rebuilding road and while it might be enticing to fast-track the plan, he continues to evaluate his group to make sure he has the long-term pieces in the right fit. The team would like to add a defenceman and will remain open to all trade possibilities. But young key players wont be sacrificed based on where the Flames are positioned in the standings on Mar. 2. Edmonton Oilers General manager Craig MacTavish has faced enough challenges to last 10 lifetimes, but his to-do list is as long as ever as the club braces for another offseason of selling hope. Its hard to imagine the Oilers being quiet in the weeks leading up to deadline, but with three picks in the Top 35 in this Junes draft, MacTavish may wait to do the heavy lifting until the summer. If Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle or another member of the Oilers core is to be included in a game-changing swap, then this type of auction will clearly draw the most action in the off-season. Goaltending and defence are a top priority for the Oilers and another quality centre would help as well. Defenceman Jeff Petry will attract interest on the trade front and could be used in a package to satisfy one of the teams needs, or for another draft pick that the Oilers can use to load up for June. Enjoy the All-Star break and make sure you check out SportsCentre and TSN.ca on Tuesday for the latest edition of Insider Trading. ' ' ' |
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