IN BRIEF

UNLV

Women's tennis sends trio to Fall Invite finals

The UNLV women's tennis team went 5-5 in semifinal matches and 2-0 in consolation play Saturday in its Fall Invitational at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

Kristina Nedeltcheva beat New Mexico State's Sophia Marks 6-3, 6-2 to reach the top-flight final. Jana Albers advanced to the second-flight final with a 7-6, 6-2 win over Texas' Caroline Larsson, and Adrienn Hidvegi beat Texas' Sara Lancaster 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to reach the third-flight final.

Also: The UNLV women's soccer team beat Southern Utah 2-0 at Johann Memorial Field.

Dani Morin scored 92 seconds in for the only goal the Rebels (3-3-4) would need. Jenna Larkin scored in the 41st minute.

The UNLV volleyball team stretched host San Diego State to five games before falling short, 27-29, 25-14, 25-16, 20-25, 15-11.

Sara Nehf had 19 kills for the Rebels (3-8, 2-2 Mountain West Conference).

The UNLV cross country team took 21st in the 22-team Stanford Invitational in Stanford, Calif.

Shannon Simpson was 98th with a time of 23 minutes, 29 seconds on the 6-kilometer course to lead the Rebels, who finished with 572 points. The host Cardinal won the team title with 24 points.

GOLF

Ochoa tied for lead in LPGA tournament

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa birdied five of her last seven holes for a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with Sophie Gustafson after the third round of the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge in Danville, Calif.

Ochoa, winless in 10 starts since taking the Corona Championship in her native Mexico in late April, was four shots back after 10 holes, then used her strong finish to match Gustafson (66) at 16-under 200.

Also: Tom Pernice Jr. shot his second bogey-free 5-under 67 to take a one-shot lead in the Champions Tour's SAS Championship in Cary, N.C.

Dan Forsman and first-round co-leaders Denis Watson and Russ Cochran were tied for second at Prestonwood Country Club. Forsman shot 68, and Watson and Cochran had 69s.

MISCELLANEOUS

Mercury, Fever win to reach WNBA Finals

Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury are heading to the WNBA Finals, sending longtime Los Angeles Sparks star Lisa Leslie off to retirement.

Taurasi scored 15 of her 21 points in the second half and added seven rebounds and three assists to lead the host Mercury past the Sparks 85-74 in Game 3 of the best-of-3 Western Conference finals.

Leslie had 22 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 1:39 left.

The Mercury will open the best-of-5 finals at home Tuesday against Indiana, a 72-67 home winner over Detroit in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Also: Furthest Land carried jockey Garrett Gomez to his third straight stakes victory of the day with a victory by a neck over Dubious Miss in the $200,000, Grade II Kentucky Classic at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Sligovitz finished third, and 4-5 favorite Hold Me Back finished sixth out of nine.

Sumacha'hot rallied late to win the $200,000 Maryland Million Classic on the Jim McKay Maryland Million card in Laurel, Md.

The son of Mojave Moon has won six out of 10 races this year and was victorious in the 1 3/16-mile Classic with a time of 1:50.26, ahead of defending champion Cuba.

Former lightweight champion David Diaz returned from a 15-month absence to earn a majority decision victory over Jesus Chavez on Saturday.