St. Louis's Willie Reed sends a shot to Camden County.

With eight freshmen and four sophomores, the St. Louis Billikens are not tournament tested and it showed against the veteran squad from Rhode Island. The teams were locked into a defensive battle featuring a lot of sloppy play and turnovers, especially by the Billikens as they were flustered by the Rams’ full court press. St. Louis couldn’t make their shots and weren’t getting many second changes.

Meanwhile, after a cold start for Rhody, their shots started to fall and when they didn’t, they were pounding the glass for second and third opportunities.  Freshman Akeem Richmond provided the offensive spark for the Rams with four treys, leading all scorers with 12 points, helping Rhode Island take a 28-19 lead at the half.

In the second half it was more of the same as the Rams used their press to keep St. Louis from ever feeling comfortable in their offensive sets.  Rhode Island dominated the second stanza in the team’s 63-47 victory. Joining Richmond (13 points) in double figures were Lamonte Ulmer (16 points) and Orion Outerbridge (10 points). Kwamain Mitchell led St. Louis with 18 points.

With the win, Rhode Island makes it into the next round and will face top seed Temple tomorrow at 1pm.

The long-running Beatles tribute show featuring the Beatles show band Yesterday has left the Tropicana. Produced by Las Vegas-based Yesterday Productions, the show had been at the Tropicana since the summer of 2007 and as we wrote about in a 2008 cover story, at one point there was no end in sight for the band’s Atlantic City gig.

Several got to catch the show during its stay in AC, which focussed on the Fab Four’s early material. The guys will be missed.

But at least this editor can say he jammed with the Beatles!

The Bonnies Jonathan Hall blocks a shot.

It has begun. After a sloppy start, as both Temple and St. Bonaventure shook off the jitters, Temple’s sophomore guard Juan Fernandez took control of the first half, hitting two quick threes and dishing the ball beautifully to Lavoy Allen who converted the passes into easy scores inside. Temple jumped out to a 20-8 lead. Fernandez ended the half with 12 points and five assists.

The Bonnies, took the hit and bounced back, behind the fine play of their top player, forward Andrew Nicholson. After missing his shots early, he settled down to score eight points in the first half, while Bonnies guard Chris Matthews chipped in with two treys. The Bonnies managed to get back into the game at 28-21, but Temple, behind the inside play of Allen (eight points and 10 rebounds) and Micheal Eric (10 points, 4 rebounds), were up 39-27 at the half.

The Owls jumped out on a 9-2 in the opening minutes of the second half to push their lead to 19, 48-29, and never looked back., winning 69-51. Fernandez finished with 17 points and seven assists. Allen grabbed 15 rebounds to go with 14 points and Eric finished with 13 points.

The Somers Point Jazz Society, which is holding its 12th annual Jazz @ the Point festival this weekend, will hold a special movie night on Friday, March 26,  at Sandi Pointe at 908 Shore Rd. in Somers Point.

The jazz documentary Anita O’Day, The Life of a Jazz Singer will be shown at 7:30pm and admission is FREE!

This is a terrific doc about one of jazz’s greatest singers. The award-winning film tells her story as well as illustrates seven decades of jazz.

According to the SPJS, “It will be a great opportunity to mix and mingle with local like-minded jazz fans.”

For more information call 927-6677.

Here’s a nice write-up about the 2007 film from Variety magazine:

“Force of personality and terrific vintage performance clips make a keeper of Anita O’Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer, which chronicles the rocky yet royal road of the titular bebop queen. Crisply assembled docu by Robbie Cavolina and Ian McCrudden will face the same uphill battle for theatrical distribution accorded most jazz docs these days. But it’s a natural for further fest play, artscaster sales and DVD distribution wherever music aficionados recall ‘America’s No. 1 Swing Songstress.’
Many among the celebrity fans, scholars and fellow musicians interviewed here consider the late O’Day one of the ‘Three Queens’ of classic jazz — notably, the only white one next to late legends Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. She appears healthy but frail in the most recent footage (shot as she approached her 90th birthday), a salty senior who’s survived against considerable odds.These include rape, several abortions, arrests, alcoholism, four failed marriages and 15 years of heroin addiction, though only the latter is explored at length here. She shrugs off such travails as part and parcel of ‘the jazz life,’ with its taxing travel, late hours, party atmosphere and easy access to drugs.O’Day hardly views herself as a victim, however. She’s a tough broad who was long viewed as one of the boys in the overwhelmingly male jazz field. She still talks like a hard-boiled, old-school hipster.Raised in less than genteel circumstances by showbiz parents, she was discovered by Gene Krupa in 1940, scoring hits with his big band and Stan Kenton’s before playing with the smaller combos in which she could let her improv skills fly. She served four months for pot possession and emerged with her allure only enhanced as “the Jezebel of Jazz,” a reputation that was more deserved than her fans knew.Far from ruining her art, however, the drug for a time seemed to be enable it. There’s plentiful footage of O’Day’s dazzling vocal pyrotechnics in TV appearances and a memorable segment of the classic concert pic Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1959). O’Day also recorded a series of hit albums for Verve, smack (no pun intended) in the middle of her userdom. It took a near-fatal O.D. to induce her to quit.O’Day relates such true-confession stuff in frank terms. Emphasis here isn’t on lurid biographical details, however, but on the brilliance of the subject’s talent. Her supple, smoky vocals, at times exhilaratingly speedy in bebop phraseology are the heart of this admiring film.Performance clips are variable in terms of image quality, though sound is generally high-grade. Co-directors make excellent use of split-screen effects in moments that measure the wide timespan of O’Day’s career. Tech package is pro.”

Here’s the IMDB listing with sample vid clips.

The Associated Press reports today that “MGM Mirage will stop doing business as a gaming licensee in New Jersey, and sell its 50 percent interest in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.”

The settlement by the Las Vegas based company is “is subject to approval by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.”

We’ve had the first official shock of the American Idol season. Lilly Scott, the waitress with the jazzy vibe, was sent home along with the more expected selections of Todrick Hall, Alex Lambert and Katelyn Epperly. While I was not happy with her version of Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces,” I didn’t think it would be enough to send her home.

Once Paige Miles was safe, a bit of a shock considering how she was lambasted by the judges for her take on “Smile,” Katie Stevens started bawling and never stopped for the rest of the night. It was not because she was sad about Alex and Katlyn leaving. She was sure she was next, and when it was down to Lilly and Katie, most of America agreed with her. So when Lilly’s name was called, a tearful Crystal Bowersox was really sad that Lilly was leaving, as were a lot of  surprised Idol fans at home.

Conan O’Brien has announced the dates for his Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour and Atlantic City has made the cut.

O’Brien will be at The Borgata Event Center on May 30. Tickets are priced at $155, $125 and $95 according to The Borgata’s Website, though tickets in other cities start at $39.50.

Other stops are at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby Pa. on June 7 and Radio City Music Hall in New York June 1 and 2.

O’Brien, who of course was controversially bounced from his Tonight Show gig earlier this year, bills the 30-city tour as “a night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence.”

He also tweeted “Hey Internet: I’m headed to your town on a half-assed comedy & music tour. Go to www.teamcoco.com for tix. I repeat: It’s half-assed.”

The tour begins April 12 in Eugene Ore.

Temple fans celebrate last year's victory.

I am so excited about the return of A-10 basketball to Boardwalk Hall starting tomorrow.
I’ll be blogging all weekend from my perch on press row to let fellow hoop heads know what is happening as Temple goes for the three-peat against a strong field of A-10 teams including Xavier, Richmond and Dayton. Go here to check out my preview of the tournament.

Katelyn Epperly

Tim Urban (‘’Hallelujah”) and Alex Lambert (“Trouble”) didn’t make it as easy as I expected with their performances last night on Idol. They still aren’t great but I think one of them is safe. I fear that singer/dancer Todrick Hall was given the kiss of death when Simon suggested that Broadway material was his best choice. I don’t disagree, and unlike the judges, I thought his take on Queen’s “Somebody to Love” was weird. And, though teen angel Aaron Kelly was pitchy as hell on Lonestar’s “I’m Already There,” I think he holds on for another week.
The no doubters for survival remain Casey James, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia and “Big Mike” Lynche who brought Kara to tears.
So who goes for the guys? Todrick Hall and Tim Urban.
As for the ladies, Paige Miles just had a horribly off night with “Smile” and I fear she will be smiling through her tears when she is eliminated tonight. And, as much as I love Lilly Scott, she frankly butchered a song by one of my all time singers, Patsy Cline. “I Fall To Pieces” describes her pitchy presentation. Still, I think she is safe.
Didi Benami bounced back nicely with her impressive rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘’Rhiannon.” I wouldn’t be shocked if she was sent home for her body of work, but she did make it tough.
Katie Stevens might be in trouble since she did what the judges asked, did a “young song,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway,” and made it forgettable. However, I think the lady joining Paige will be Katelyn Epperly, whose version of Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move” was exactly the type of karaoke performance that Idol haters insist is the norm and the not the exception.

A pair of eights was all it took to decide one of the biggest tournaments yet at Caesars World Series of Poker circuit event as that hand was enough for a $61,599 cash out of a $190,120 prize pool. Amateur player Paul Vogel, 42, of Merrick N.Y. won a $1,000 + $80 No Limit Hold’em tournament, Event 7 on the schedule, after nearly 100 hands of heads-up action with the No. 2 finisher, Keith Crowder, 39 of Philadelphia. Crowder took home $32,320.

Paul Vogel

Vogel entered the final table as the chip leader, but Crowder nearly drew even with him at one point. The final hand had Crowder drawing on and Ace, Queen after the flop with Vogel holding his pair. The eights held up and Vogel won the WSOP ring at stake.
Vogel plays mostly online, he told the WSOP blog, but has competed twice in the WSOP Main Event.
The tournament was the third largest buy-in of the event, but several of the event’s tournaments have approached $60,000 for the top cash. A $1,500 + $100 deep-stack tournament began Wednesday and the circuit event’s main tournament, a $4,900 + $250 event starts Friday (March 12). The winner of that tournament gets a $10,000 seat at the WSOP Main event in July at the Rio in Las Vegas. Go here to follow the circuit event and here for a schedule of tournaments.