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The onset of daylight-saving time resulted in lower ratings on the broadcast networks Sunday night, with ABC’s second week of “Oprah’s Big Give” declining by more than 20% but still winning its timeslot. Nielsen reports that primetime viewership among adults under 50 was down 6% vs. the previous Sunday, peaking with a 12% falloff in the 7:30 half-hour.
The Alphabet network carried the night overall among young adults, winning from start to finish with “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (1.9/6 in 18-49, 6.7 million viewers overall), “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (4.0/11 in 18-49, 12.4 million viewers overall), “Oprah’s Big Give” (projected 4.1/11 in 18-49, 11.9 million viewers overall from 9 to 10:02 p.m.) and “Here Come the Newlyweds” (projected 3.5/9 in 18-49, 8.7 million viewers overall).
“Home Edition” and “Oprah’s Big Give” were both down about 23% from the previous week, while “Newlyweds” dipped by a more modest 15%.
Fox ran second on the night, although with below-average results for “The Simpsons” at 8 o’clock (3.5/10 in 18-49, 7.3 million viewers overall). The toon vet still earned a share of the 18-49 lead, but the net’s “King of the Hill” fell off some at 8:30 (3.0/8 in 18-49, 6.2 million viewers overall). Following a repeat “Family Guy” at 9 p.m. (3.7/9 in 18-49, 7.5 million viewers overall), the second episode of laffer “Unhitched” (2.6/6 in 18-49, 5.2 million viewers overall) was in line with the previous week’s premiere score.
NBC couldn’t get a whole lot going early with its two-hour repeat spec “100 Most Outrageous Moments” (2.0/6 in 18-49, 7.8 million viewers overall), although it rose to a 2.8/7 in the demo and 10.6 million viewers overall in its final half-hour. A repeat of “Law & Order” placed third at 9 o’clock (1.8/4 in 18-49, 7.0 million viewers overall), and a rebroadcast of “Law & Order: SVU” moved up to second at 10 p.m. (2.2/6 in 18-49, 8.5 million viewers overall).

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Averaging a 6.8 rating/18 share in the 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen Media Research, Fox took an early lead in the 8 p.m.-9 p.m. hour over CBS stalwart Survivor — not with veteran heavyweight American Idol , but with rookie reality series Moment of Truth .
Without its usual Idol lead-in, Truth averaged a 4.1/12 in the demo, while Survivor — moved from its Thursday berth due to the NCAA tournament — managed a 3.6/10.
But the combination of Survivor, Big Brother at 9 p.m. and a CSI: NY repeat at 10 p.m. helped CBS to pull ahead of ABC and NBC to finish second for the night, with a 2.6/7 average in the demo.
While Idol averaged a 9.6/24 in the demo in the 9 p.m.-10 p.m. slot, ABC’s Supernanny edged out Big Brother, averaging a 2.6/6 to Big Brother’s 2.4/6.
ABC finished third with a 2.1/6 in the demo with two hours of reality — Wife Swap at 8 p.m. and Supernanny at 9 p.m. — and a new episode of Men in Trees at 10 p.m.
NBC finished fourth with three hours from the Law & Order franchise. The network lost the 8 p.m. hour with a Criminal Intent repeat that averaged only a 1.4/4 in the demo — behind America’s Next Top Model on The CW, which averaged a 1.8/5. But it managed to win the 10 p.m. hour thanks to a new episode of the original L&O, which earned a 3.0/8 in the demo.

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UTEP forward Victor Ramalho (50) blocks out Tulsa forward Calvin Walls (4) in the lane in the first half of the Conference USA men’s basketball tournament semifinal at the FedEx Forum, in Memphis, Tenn., Friday, March 14, 2008. Tulsa won 64-62 in overtime. (AP photo)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — UTEP had two problems. One, the Miners were playing uphill all evening. Two, no matter which way they went, there was a lid on their bucket.
Not really, of course. But it seemed so.
UTEP led 2-0 and then began looking uphill as Tulsa tore away to a 14-2 lead. The Miners played catchup the rest of the way, trailing 33-21 at the intermission, trailing 41-30 with 15 minutes to play, trailing 44-37 with 10 minutes to go.
But the Miners continued to chase, always chasing and climbing and despite never getting another lead, despite shooting percentages from the Arctic, they got into overtime.
In the end, though, it was too much … simply too much.
Tulsa played hard, played well, fought off last-minute nerves and survived in this month of survival, edging UTEP 64-62 in overtime Friday night in the semifinals of the Conference USA tournament at the FedExForum. Tulsa now will play Memphis this morning on CBS for the tournament championship, for the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

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The pressure of leading American to the NCAA Tournament for the first time was getting to the team’s best player, who woke up in cold sweats all week.
“I would have the same dream over and over,” Garrison Carr said. “And as much as I would try to not think about it, I would still wake up in the middle of the night sweating, with time running down and it being a close game … But we were still able to win it.”
The dream became reality Friday, when the Eagles (21-11) won the Patriot League title with a 52-46 victory over Colgate in Washington. It’s American’s first trip to the Big Dance since the school joined Division I in 1967. Said Carr: “I’m just extremely excited for the program.”
To the strains of “Don’t Stop Believin’” in an intimate and noisy Bender Arena awash with red, white and blue, Carr scored 17 points and was named tournament MVP. Brian Gilmore (11 points) wrestled away a key steal in the final 20 seconds for the Eagles, whose only previous berth in an NCAA Tournament came as a Division II school in 1960.
Since joining the Patriot League in 2001, American lost the championship games from 2002-04.

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BIG SPRING, Texas — The mayor of Big Spring, Texas, said four people were hurt in an explosion that rocked an oil refinery Monday morning.
It shook buildings miles away.
A spokesman for the refinery’s owner, Alon USA, said all of the workers have been accounted for.
He said one worker was hurt, but Mayor Russ McEwen put that number at four and said one of the workers was sent to a burn unit.
The company said the fire that was sparked by the blast is under control.
It sent black smoke billowing into the sky and shut down area schools and an interstate highway.
There was no immediate word on what caused the explosion.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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