APPLICATION » re youve got to look up at the sky and try to think,

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw learned something about her team Monday night. The top-ranked Irish can win ugly.The Irish struggled at times on offense, but Arike Ogunbowale scored 13 points to help them beat a pesky Fordham squad, 67-36 in a preseason WNIT quarterfinal game.Ogunbowale, who earned ACC player of the week honors earlier in the day, had a steal and layup to put the Irish up by 20 points early in the fourth quarter, just four minutes after Fordham had cut the lead to eight.Its a great thing to learn about this team, that we can win ugly, McGraw said. We missed a lot of shots and we were frustrated early, but we kept our composure.After shooting over 52 percent in a 60-point win over Central Michigan to open the season, Notre Dame shot 42 percent against Fordham, including making just one of eight 3-pointers.The offense the other night, we couldnt miss, McGraw said. Tonight, we couldnt make a shot, but we kept working on defense and never let it get to us.The Rams werent any better, shooting just 23 percent, including 2 of 19 from 3.Lindsay Allen finished with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Irish (2-0).Gmrice Davis led Fordham (1-1) with nine points and 15 rebounds.PLAYER OF THE GAMEThe Irish hit just one of their first 12 shots to open the second half after ending the first half by going scoreless for nearly three minutes before Allens leaner in the paint gave them a 14-point halftime advantage.Anna Kellys jumper from the left corner with three minutes left in the third quarter cut Notre Dames lead to 36-28, but the Irish got a spark from an unlikely source. Reserve center Kristina Nelson scored the next six points while grabbing a pair of offensive rebounds.I thought Kristina Nelson was player of the game, she made some huge plays for us, McGraw said.Notre Dame loosened up from there and turned it into a rout in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Rams 20-4 in the final 10 minutes.When (Nelson) made that mini run and got those hustle plays, that revved us up a little bit, Allen said. It gave us that energy that we needed.SURPRISE VISITORFormer Notre Dame mens coach Digger Phelps stopped by the Fordham shoot around at Purcell Pavilion earlier in the day and stayed long enough to give the undersized Rams some inspiration.He just walked in out of nowhere and made a great speech to the kids, said Fordham coach Stephanie Gaitley. He talked to them about one of his teams that was small and had injuries, and they left it all out there. As you can see, we go four guards out, but I was really proud of our effort, I thought we gave a great defensive effort. Their size and talent just over-powered us at the end.BIG PICTUREFordham: Gaitley remains stuck at 99 wins in her sixth year at Fordham, which is making its first appearance in the preseason WNIT. This game also marked the first time Fordham has faced the nations top-ranked team.Notre Dame: Jackie Young, last years Naismith National High School Player of the Year, sat out a second game with a thumb injury, but could be back on Thursday as the Irish continue working toward their second ever preseason WNIT championship (2004).UP NEXTFordham: The Rams play a consolation game on either Friday or Saturday against an opponent yet to be determined.Notre Dame: The Irish host Green Bay in the WNIT semifinal round on Thursday Authentic Custom Wild Jersey .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. Custom Wild Jerseys . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend. http://www.customwildjersey.com/ . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. Wild Jerseys China . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. Custom Eric Staal Jersey . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. ST. LOUIS -- Atlanta Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur is known for his strong throwing arm, but it let him down Friday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.Francoeur came up throwing as Matt Holliday tried to score on a two-out single by Jaime Garcia in the bottom of the second. The throw was offline and Holliday scored what turned the only run in the Cardinals 1-0 win.It was just a bad throw, kind of straight in the ground, which I dont usually do, Francoeur said. So that was a frustrating one.Right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-4), still vying for his first major league win, gave up the run and two hits with five walks in 5 1/3 innings.To be honest feel like I didnt really pitch my best tonight, De La Cruz said through an interpreter. I know Ive got more in the tank and I can do a little bit better next time.Garcia (8-8) frustrated the Braves lineup, pitching eight scoreless innings, striking out 11. He became the first Cardinals pitcher with the lone RBI in a 1-0 win since Harvey Haddix did it against Pittsburgh on July 17, 1955.I think the only thing that would have made it better would be to hit a home run for the only run, Garcia said.He pitched out of a two-on, no out jam in the fourth, striking out Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp before getting Adonis Garcia to ground out. Freeman and Kemp, the Braves Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, were a combined 0 for 6 against Jaime Garcia with five strikeouts.Especially in the 4th inning, we had first and third and nobody out and we had the right guys up too, Braves manager Brian Snitker said. He did a great job. He kept the ball off speed enough; he had a couple different breaking balls and keeping the ball off the fat part of the bat.The Cardinals have won six of their last eight games at home to improve to 26-30 at Busch Stadium. St. Louis has won all four games this season against the Braves.Atlantas Ender Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 16 games by leadiing the game off with a single.dddddddddddd.Atlanta has lost eight of its last 11 games at St. Louis.Francoeur tipped his cap to Garcia.Ive faced him many times obviously all through the years and he had all three pitches working tonight, Francoeur said. He had his changeup, his fastball/2-seamer and the curveball and he was doing what he wanted whenever he wanted.Seung Hwan Oh got the last three outs for his ninth save.Snitker thought De La Cruz pitched well.He battled his tail off out there and the movement was good in his cutter and slider, Snitker said. That kid he gives you everything he has every time he goes out there.HEAD OVER HEELSBraves 3B Adonis Garcia tumbled into the camera well next to the Atlanta dugout to make an acrobatic catch on Brandon Moss pop foul in bottom of the third inning.It was awesome, Francoeur said. I actually saw him from right field disappear and the next thing I saw was a baseball coming over the thing. It was a great play.WELCOME BACKCardinals All-Star INF Matt Carpenter returned from the disabled list after missing 24 games with a right oblique strain. LHP Dean Kiekhefer was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.TRAINERS ROOMBraves: RHP Julio Teheran (right lat strain) will play catch on Saturday, but there is no timetable for his return.Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons (knee) will miss at least a month, general manager John Mozeliak said.UP NEXTBraves: Roberto Hernandez will make his Braves debut after being called up from Triple-A Gwinett Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona, has pitched for Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston.Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (10-6, 2.99 ERA) leads all N.L. pitchers with a career-high 24 double plays induced. He is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 career innings against the Braves. ' ' '