BASEBALL

KIRBY PUCKETT SUFFERS STROKE Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett had a stroke at his Arizona home yesterday and was taken to a hospital for surgery, the Minnesota Twins announced from their spring training camp.

The 44-year-old Puckett, who led the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, was taken to a Scottsdale hospital.

“The Minnesota Twins and major league baseball ask fans to keep Kirby and his family in their thoughts and prayers,” the team said in a statement.

Ron Shapiro, who was Puckett’s agent, said he had been in contact with Puckett’s family Sunday but would not confirm his whereabouts.

“We’re all praying for his recovery,” Mr. Shapiro said.

Twins center fielder Torii Hunter sat out Minnesota’s exhibition game against the Red Sox after learning of Puckett’s stroke.

After the game, team officials said they didn’t immediately have any further information on Puckett’s condition.

“The doctors said that if he has good luck, he’ll be all right. You have to keep the faith,” former manager Tom Kelly said.

Said manager Ron Gardenhire: “Our hearts and our prayers are all with Puck. We know it’s a tough situation out there.”

GOLF

WOODS HANGS ON TO WIN DORAL MIAMI – Tiger Woods knew he had to keep making birdies to stay ahead of the pack, and he delivered the kind of shots that make him so difficult to beat.

Everything changed on the 18th hole Sunday in the Ford Championship.

All he needed was a bogey.

He did that, too.

With a one-shot lead, his ball in the rough and a 9-iron in his hand, Woods watched from 170 yards away as David Toms ran his 60-foot putt to the bottom of the green, then missed the next one to fall two shots behind.

“I just said, ‘Anything in the back bleachers, right bleachers, just anything over there to the right and over the water was all I had to do,'” Woods said. “I was just trying to play for 5. I wasn’t even trying to make par.”

Despite a bogey-bogey finish on the Blue Monster, Woods closed with a 3-under 69 for a one-shot victory over Toms and Colombian rookie Camilo Villegas. It was the 13th time he has successfully defended a title on the PGA Tour, and he became the first player in 25 years to win back-to-back at Doral.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

VILLANOVA EARNS TIE FOR BIG EAST TITLE SYRACUSE, N.Y. – At least Gerry McNamara went out on his own terms.

With a record Carrier Dome crowd cheering his every move, McNamara scored a game-high 29 points for Syracuse in his final regular-season home game but Allan Ray had 28 points to lead No. 4Villanova to a 92-82 win Sunday.

Randy Foye added 21 points for the Wildcats (24-3, 14-2), who earned a tie for the conference title with Connecticut and a second seed in the Big East tournament. It was the 10th loss in 13 games for the sinking Orange (19-11, 7-9).

OHIO STATE CLINCHES BIG TEN TITLE No one can overlook Ohio State now. Terence Dials scored 20 points and the ninth-ranked Buckeyes broke the game open with a 14-2 blitz to start the second half to beat Purdue 76-57 yesterday, clinching their first outright Big Ten title in 14 years.

Dogged by a lingering NCAA investigation involving people no longer with the program, and coming the year before a banner recruiting class, Ohio State never was mentioned when the talk turned to preseason favorites in the Big Ten.

TEXAS EARNS TOP SEED IN BIG 12 TOURNEY AUSTIN, Texas – It’s been seven years since Texas won a basketball title. Even the 2003 team that made it to the Final Four didn’t win the Big 12.

That drought ended yesterday with a 72-48 win over no. 19 Oklahoma, a victory that earned no. 6 Texas a share of the conference championship and the no. 1 seed in the league tournament.

– Associated Press