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News Nuggets, 02.15.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Rain defers looming Pirate sweep of UNCA

East Carolina was less than four innings away from completing a weekend trifecta over UNC Asheville on Saturday afternoon when rain forced the suspension of the third and final game of the season-opening series at Harrington Field until Sunday.

In the first game of the scheduled doubleheader, junior right-hander Greg Bunn and freshmen pitchers Shane Mathews and Dustin Sasser combined for a four-hit shutout as the Pirates thumped UNCA 8-0.

ECU led game the day's second game 5-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth when the inclement weather conditions forced a halt to play. The teams agreed to finish the game on Sunday, when they will pick up where they left off at 12:30 p.m.

The Pirates defeated UNCA 4-1 on Friday in the first game of the season for both teams.

FSU revokes offer to one-time ECU verbal

TALLAHASSEE — A blue-chip prep star, who reneged on an early commitment to play football at East Carolina and ultimately signed with Florida State, may turn out to be a player without a team.

The Seminoles withdrew their scholarship offer to Jonathan Warren on Friday, one day after he and two others were charged with two counts of committing a lewd and lascivious act with a minor.

Warren, 19, was released from Madison County jail on $25,000 bond Friday, a jail official said. It was unknown if he had a lawyer. The complaint that led to his arrest was filed Jan. 12, about three weeks before the Feb. 4 signing day, the Madison sheriff's office said.

"I met with our athletic director and president, and based on the incident involving Jonathan Warren, we are withdrawing his scholarship indefinitely," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said in a statement. School officials said they had no further comment.

Also arrested on the same charges with Warren were Michael Dnarion Rowe, 19, and Antwon Darrell Fudge, 18.

The 6-1, 190-pound Warren, a track and football star at Madison County High, was among a handful of high school players who had committed to East Carolina by early December, two months before signing day.

Big East losing ground with bowl executives

Though the Big East is replacing departing members Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College with Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida, the league is apparently losing clout among postseason powerbrokers.

The San Francisco Bowl has decided to end its relationship with the Big East and establish a new partnership with the PAC-10 Conference, according to a Sports Network wire report on Sportsline.com.

Heading into its third year, the bowl has negotiated a two-year pact with the PAC-10 to pit the league's sixth choice among bowl-eligible teams against the third choice from the Mountain West Conference.

This year's San Francisco Bowl will be staged on New Year's Eve. Big East representative Boston College defeated MWC member Colorado State 35-21 in last season's game.

Billikens bring 49ers down to earth

ST. LOUIS — For the second time in three days, Chris Sloan got a chance at late-game heroics. This time, he capitalized. Sloan had 10 points and nine rebounds, and made a three-point play with 9.7 seconds to go to give Saint Louis a 46-45 upset over Charlotte on Saturday. He missed a shot at the buzzer for a tie in a two-point loss to DePaul on Wednesday.

"It's been on my mind a lot," Sloan said. "It's been a rough couple of days since that night. It was almost the same situation, and for me to come through was really good for me."

Charlotte (15-6, 7-3 Conference USA) was sluggish about 36 hours after the euphoria of beating No. 9 Louisville Thusday night — the 49ers' third victory over top 10 competition this season. Charlotte shot a season-worst 34.7 percent and scored a season low for points. It ended a four-game winning streak that began with a 68-62 victory over Saint Louis at home.

"They are all tough when you lose, but this one was particularly tough," coach Bobby Lutz said. "We didn't play our best."

Izik Ohanon had 12 points for Saint Louis (12-9, 5-5), which ended a four-game losing streak despite shooting only 37.7 percent and scoring a season low for points. The Billikens rallied from eight points down in the final two-and-a-half minutes three days after blowing a 21-point first-half lead in a two-point loss to DePaul.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007