IN BRIEF

NBA

Senators ask for delay on vote for Sonics sale

Washington's two U.S. senators are asking the NBA to delay its scheduled vote on whether the Seattle SuperSonics can move to Oklahoma City.

In a letter sent Wednesday to NBA commissioner David Stern, Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell say the Sonics' Oklahoma City owners apparently weren't acting in good faith while trying to get a deal for a new arena in Seattle.

Washington leaders are angry about news reports disclosing e-mails that showed team owners discussing whether they could leave Seattle, even before a good-faith deadline for pursuing a Seattle arena.

Also: A former high school classmate of Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty in New York to charges he paid the disgraced referee thousands of dollars for inside betting tips on NBA games.

Thomas Martino, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the NBA. He faces 12 to 18 months in prison when he is sentenced July 11.

Donaghy, 41, pleaded guilty last year to charges he conspired to engage in wire fraud and transmitted betting information through interstate commerce. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 30.

Milwaukee's Royal Ivey was suspended three games by the NBA for punching Chicago's Aaron Gray in the groin.

The altercation happened with 10:48 left in the second quarter of the Bucks' 151-135 loss to the Bulls on Monday.

Ivey missed the Bucks' season finale and will miss the first two regular-season games he is eligible for next season.

Indiana Pacers co-owner Herb Simon announced that he is moving into day-to-day operations as chairman and CEO of Pacers Sports and Entertainment after years of mostly hands-off ownership.

Donnie Walsh resigned last month after leading the Pacers for more than two decades, then accepted a job as president of the New York Knicks.

OLYMPICS

USADA launches project to improve doping tests

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has launched the opening phase of a voluntary pilot program it hopes will improve the accuracy of doping tests.

The anti-doping agency will profile the body chemistry of 12 participating athletes using a series of blood and urine tests, and those measurements will be used as a baseline for subsequent tests.

At a news conference in Chicago, track athletes Brian Clay and Allyson Felix each announced they were part of the project.

MISCELLANEOUS

Brengle, Huber named to U.S. Fed Cup team

Teenager Madison Brengle and former South African player Liezel Huber could appear for the star-deprived U.S. team in the Fed Cup semifinals against Russia.

Brengle, an 18-year-old from Dover, Del., was one of the four players chosen to represent the Americans next weekend in the best-of-5 series.

Huber, Vania King and Ahsha Rolle also were chosen to face Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anna Chakvetadze, Dinara Safina and Elena Vesnina on indoor clay in Moscow.

Also: The UNLV baseball team got 16 hits in a 15-8 victory over Texas Tech at Wilson Stadium.

J.J. Sferra and Braden Walker each had three RBIs for the Rebels (16-19).

Marc Baca (1-2) got the win, allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge, a series of qualifying races for the Breeders' Cup, will expand to Europe this year for the first time as part of an expansion of the series to 53 races from 24 races last year.

Three qualifying races will take place at Ascot race course in England on Sept. 27, with the winners advancing to the Breeders' Cup.

The University of Hawaii will receive nearly $4.4 million for playing in the Sugar Bowl, a record payout to a non-Bowl Championship Series school.

Boise State was paid about $4.3 million for its 2007 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma.