1.   But Ms. Cohen notes that five of the last eight times dividends have slipped below the magic number, stock prices have risen the next six months.

2.   But the Yankees have won the last four times Martinez has started against them.

3.   Lemieux sat out a game the last three times the Penguins played on consecutive nights.

4.   Meggett has thrown a touchdown pass from the halfback option the last three times the Giants and Redskins have met.

5.   More important, Maddux followed Tom Glavine with a consecutive victory for the third time in the last four times through the rotation.

6.   Ohio and Illinois have each finished last seven times.

7.   Since winning the race a year ago, Weekend Madness had raced strongly except for the last two times, when she ran seventh and fourth.

8.   The fifth-seeded team has won the first-round series the last six times in both conferences over the last three years.

9.   The last two times we passed through such a flurry of activity, comets struck the Earth to produce the three biggest craters ever found on the planet.

10.   The last two times around vs. Miami, the Patriots have not scored a touchdown.