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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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The Spokesman-Review

College basketball

Coach caught double-bubbling

Thad Matta will never have to buy another piece of chewing gum.

The Ohio State coach thought no one noticed when he accidentally spit out his gum and then picked it up off the court and popped it back in his mouth in the hectic final minutes of last Sunday’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown against Wisconsin.

But then ESPN started showing replays again and again and again. Thousands of people have watched it on YouTube.com.

“Driving home after the game I call my mom and she’s like, ‘Oh my God! You spit your gum out!’ ” a sheepish Matta said Thursday. “Like I told her, when I go to court for littering, I’m going to claim insanity. And I’ll get off on that one, I’ll guarantee you.”

There was just over a minute remaining when Matta stood near the bench and his gum went flying as he yelled instructions to his team out on the floor. He hesitated for a second, then bent over, picked it up off the court and put it back into his mouth.

Fans took notice.

“I’ve received more gum than I could chew in a lifetime,” Matta said. “I’ve taken a little bit of abuse for it.”

Lacrosse

Twinbill draws record crowd

Four elite college lacrosse teams drew the largest crowd to watch a regular-season match Saturday, when 20,180 attended a season-opening doubleheader at the home of the Baltimore Ravens.

Johns Hopkins defeated Princeton 7-6 in double overtime in the first game at M&T Bank Stadium. Virginia beat Syracuse 11-8 in the second game.

All four teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally, and they have won every NCAA Division I title since 1992.

Calling all camps

Summer is coming up fast, and we’re getting ready to publish our annual summer camp guide. If you have a camp that you would like included in this publication, send the information to summercamps@ spokesman.com; fax to (509) 459-5098; or mail to Summer Camp Guide, The Spokesman-Review, 999 W. Riverside Ave., Spokane WA 99201. Please include a description of the camp, location, dates, times, recommended ages, cost, and contact information. Submissions must be received by the end of business on March 23. If you have any questions, call (509) 459-5485.