IN BRIEF

BOXING

Marquez, Diaz to meet for lightweight titles

Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz said they've reached a pivotal moment in their boxing careers.

Two of the world's top lightweights will battle for Diaz's IBO championship and the vacant WBA and WBO titles today at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Marquez (49-4-1, 36 knockouts) is a former featherweight and super featherweight champion fighting for the second time at 135 pounds. He beat Joel Casamayor by technical knockout in September in his lightweight debut and needs a victory over Diaz to have a chance at lining up another bout with nemesis Manny Pacquiao. The two fought to a draw in May 2004, and Pacquiao won a controversial decision in the rematch last March.

But first comes Diaz.

"If I win," Marquez said, "it could mean great things for me, even more important fights."

The Houston-born Diaz (34-1, 17 KOs) is trying to win back the WBA and WBO belts he lost to Nate Campbell last March.

Also: Shane Mosley wants to face the winner of the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight before taking a rematch with Miguel Cotto.

Mosley, 37, is weighing his options after beating Antonio Margarito to win the WBA welterweight title Jan. 24 in Los Angeles. Pacquiao and Hatton will meet at the MGM Grand on May 2 for Hatton's IBO junior welterweight belt.

"The only three fights out there right now are Pacquiao, Hatton and Cotto," Mosley said. "That's what I'm looking at right now. I'd want Pacquiao or Hatton first. I feel like I have about four more years of fighting left, so I don't care how long I have to wait."

The light heavyweight rematch between Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver has a new date and a new venue.

Dawson-Tarver II will be May 9 in The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. The rematch originally was scheduled for March 14 at the Palms' Pearl Concert Theater but had to be postponed when Dawson hurt his left hand in training. Dawson won a 12-round unanimous decision over Tarver on Oct. 11.

An announcement on ticket sales is expected next week.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Sooners star Griffin gets medical clearance

Oklahoma standout Blake Griffin has been cleared to return to action after suffering a concussion.

The 6-foot-10-inch sophomore has been out since sustaining the concussion during the first half of a loss at Texas on Feb. 21. He sat out as No. 3 Oklahoma lost 87-78 at home to No. 15 Kansas on Monday.

The Sooners visit Texas Tech today. Coach Jeff Capel said team physician Brock Schnebel cleared Griffin to play against the Red Raiders.

Griffin is averaging 22.0 points and 13.8 rebounds, second best in Division I.

Also: John Wooden is recovering from pneumonia, and the 98-year-old basketball coaching great is expected to be released from the hospital soon.

UCLA, the school Wooden coached to 10 national titles, said he was admitted to a Los Angeles-area hospital Feb. 13 and is completing his recovery.

"My father is doing well," said Nan Muehlhausen, Wooden's daughter. "His lungs are clear, and he has been eating well. We expect him to be released soon."

GOLF

Na torrid on back nine, ties for Mayakoba lead

Kevin Na shot an 8-under-par 62 to zoom into a first-place tie with Mark Wilson (64) midway through the Mayakoba Classic, the PGA Tour's annual stop in Mexico.

Na had two birdies and no bogeys in his first nine holes in Playa Del Carmen, then something clicked as he made the turn. He birdied six of the next eight holes -- including two that were among the 32 toughest on the PGA Tour last season -- then stood over a 10-foot putt on the final green that would've tied the best round in the tournament's 3-year history. He barely missed to the right, forcing him to settle for a share of the best two-round score with Wilson at 10-under 130.

First-round leader Bo Van Pelt (69) and J.J. Henry (66) were two strokes back at 8 under, and Briny Baird (66) and Chris Riley (68) followed at 7 under.

Also: American Brittany Lang recorded a 3-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead over compatriots Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer after the second round of the $1.45 million LPGA Thailand in Pattaya.

Lang used long drives to produce her second straight bogey-free round, giving her a two-day total of 7-under-par 137.

LOCAL COLLEGES

UNLV baseball sweeps St. Peter's in twinbill

Andrew Beresford pitched 7 2/3 innings of two-hit ball, and Kyle Kretchmer hit his second home run of the day as the UNLV baseball team capped a sweep of St. Peter's College with a 7-3 victory at Wilson Stadium.

Kretchmer, a junior, hit his first collegiate home run, a solo shot in the eighth inning, to snap a 4-all tie and give the Rebels a 5-4 victory in the opener.

UNLV improved to 5-3.

Also: The UNLV softball team swept two games in the Eller Media Stadium Classic on campus, beating Wright State 9-0 in five innings and Florida Atlantic, 3-1.

Stephanie Bregante pitched a four-hitter for the first-game shutout, and Laura Briones delivered a tie-breaking single in the fourth inning of the second game for the Rebels (10-7).

The UNLV men's swim team set three league records in increasing its lead over Air Force at the Mountain West Conference championships in Oklahoma City.

David Seiler (46.88 seconds) broke the league mark in the 100-meter butterfly, Akos Molnar (53.28) set a record in the 100 breaststroke, and Jeff Ellingsen, Molnar, Seiler and Charlie Tapp teamed to win the 400 medley relay in record time (3:12.91) as the 24th-ranked Rebels moved closer to capturing their sixth straight league title.

The UNLV women, sparked by a MWC record time by Zsuszanna Jakabos in the 400 individual medley (4:06.70), remained second behind Brigham Young.

The College of Southern Nevada baseball team opened Scenic West Athletic Conference play by splitting with the College of Southern Idaho at Morse Stadium, losing 9-6 and winning, 6-4.

Gabe Weidenaar took a one-hit shuout into the ninth inning of the second game for the Coyotes (9-9).

The CSN softball team improved to 13-6 overall and 10-4 in the SWAC with a 17-1, 17-7 sweep of Western Nevada College in Carson City.

MISCELLANEOUS

This Ones for Phil has Dutrow eyeing Derby

Rick Dutrow, who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness last year with Big Brown, is set for another Triple Crown trek.

He'll send This Ones for Phil to the post today in the Fountain of Youth, a $250,000 Grade 2 race at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., where the winner almost certainly will be considered a serious Derby contender.

"It's an exciting time of year," Dutrow said, "if you've got a horse that can run."

Dutrow should know if This Ones for Phil fits that billing by sundown today.

This Ones for Phil, who comes in off a win in the Sunshine Millions Dash at six furlongs, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite.

He has won only three of his nine career starts but is 1-for-1 when going a mile, the Fountain of Youth's distance. Maybe most important, he's also 1-for-1 since being added to Dutrow's barn.

Also: Novak Djokovic reached the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates, rallying to beat third-seeded Gilles Simon of France, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5.

The third-ranked and top-seeded Serb reached his first final of the season and will play Spain's David Ferrer, who beat France's Richard Gasquet, 6-2, 6-2.

Top-seeded Venus Williams beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-0, 6-3 to reach the Mexican Open final in Acapulco.

Williams, who won her 40th career singles title in Dubai last week, will face defending champion Flavia Pennetta for the title.

Pennetta reached her sixth consecutive final at the Mexican Open with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over 2004 champion Iveta Benesova.

NHL executive Jim Gregory had a heart attack in the league's Toronto office and is listed in critical condition.

The 73-year-old Gregory, a Hockey Hall of Fame member and the league's senior vice president of hockey operations, was stricken Thursday, according to the NHL's Web site. He is in intensive care at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

New York Islanders defenseman Brendan Witt was suspended five games by the NHL for elbowing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Niklas Hagman in the head.

Witt will begin serving his ban today against Buffalo and will lose more than $74,000 in salary. He can return March 10 at Toronto.

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter was charged with drunken driving and marijuana possession following a police stop in Mission, Texas.

Carter's blood-alcohol level tested at 0.14, said Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Johnny Hernandez. The state's legal limit is 0.08.

Carter was charged with misdemeanor possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana after the drug was found in his car.

Fabienne Suter of Switzerland won a World Cup downhill in Bansko, Bulgaria, and overall leader Lindsey Vonn of the United States tied for third.

Suter won the race in 1 minute, 45.68 seconds. Andrea Fischbacher of Austria was 1.15 seconds behind, and Vonn tied with Nadia Fanchini of Italy, 1.24 back.