NCAA - West

California guard in stitches after game-winner

OKLAHOMA CITY -- California's Richard Midgley got a little souvenir to go with his game-winning shot: three stitches to close a small cut over his left temple.

The freshman guard was mobbed by his teammates after his 3-pointer beat North Carolina State 76-74 in overtime Thursday.

That's when he bumped heads with Conor Famulener. Midgley didn't even know he was cut.

"I just remember jumping around," Midgley said. "A.J. (Diggs) was hugging me. Then when he got off me, I saw blood on his face."

SPRAINED ANKLE I: Wisconsin guard Freddie Owens is questionable for today's game against Tulsa because of a sprained right ankle.

Owens hurt it late in the first half Thursday against Weber State when he went up for a shot and landed on Patrick Danley's leg. He returned and played nine minutes in the second half.

Badgers coach Bo Ryan wouldn't say how much Owens would be able to play, but his teammates expect him to be ready.

SPRAINED ANKLE II: Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said Matt Carroll would try to play today against Illinois despite spraining his left ankle in the first round.

Carroll, averaging 20.1 points and 5.1 rebounds, missed the second half of Thursday night's 70-69 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"We've got another 24 hours, so I think we'll tape him up and send him out there," Brey said.

DUKE'S REDDICK SICK: Blue Devils guard J.J. Redick sat out practice because of an illness, but he will play today against Central Michigan.

RATINGS DOWN: With the nation's attention on the war in Iraq, TV ratings for the first day of tournament coverage dropped more than 20 percent from last year.

CBS Sports' broadcast at 7:15 p.m. Thursday drew a 5.2 overnight rating, down 29 percent from 2002. The 9:45 p.m. game's overnight was 4.7, a 15 percent decrease.

First-round games Thursday afternoon were carried by ESPN because CBS was airing war coverage. The opening game had a 1.2 national rating, down 62 percent from the 3.2 on CBS last year. The second afternoon game had a 2.1 national rating, down 38 percent from 2002.

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