IN BRIEF

COLLEGES

Missouri players hit with assault charges

Missouri basketball guard Jason Horton and former teammate Stefhon Hannah were charged with third-degree assault Friday in connection with a Jan. 27 fight at a Columbia, Mo., restaurant.

Boone County prosecutors charged each with third-degree misdemeanor assault for allegedly scuffling with two employees of the Nikai Mediterranean Grill. The fight left Hannah -- who was kicked off the team Tuesday for missing two weeks of classes following the incident -- with a broken jaw.

The incident led to a two-game suspension for Horton and forward Darryl Butterfield, and one-game suspensions for forwards Leo Lyons and Marshall Brown.

Also: The fifth-ranked North Carolina basketball team could be without three of its top five scorers today when it hosts Virginia Tech.

Team spokesman Steve Kirschner said forwards Deon Thompson (knee) and Danny Green (flu) are questionable.

Point guard Ty Lawson will miss his third straight game with a sprained left ankle.

The 40th-ranked UNLV women's tennis team defeated Illinois State 7-0 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

The Lady Rebels (5-1) got singles victories from Elena Gantcheva, Kristina Nedeltcheva, Katy Williams, Nikol Dimitrova, Anna Maskaljun and Adrienn Hidvegi.

The College of Southern Nevada baseball team (8-4) beat El Paso (Texas) Community College 6-2 in the Coyote Slugout at Morse Stadium.

Drew Leary picked up his first win, allowing seven hits, striking out two and walking two in 7 2/3 innings.

Coyotes shortstop Easton Gust went 2-for-2 with two doubles and two stolen bases.

Ramonce Taylor, the former Texas running back who had 15 touchdowns in the Longhorns' 2005 national championship season, is serving five months in jail in Belton, Texas, for violating probation.

MOTOR SPORTS

Bodine finally gets win at Daytona Speedway

Todd Bodine held off a late push from Kyle Busch and Johnny Benson to win the season-opening NASCAR truck race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Bodine needed 34 tries at NASCAR's most famous track to get to Victory Lane, winning the Chevy Silverado 250.

The 2006 Craftsman Truck Series champion passed Erik Darnell with about 13 laps to go, then stayed out front the rest of the way.

Busch was second, followed by Benson, David Starr and Rick Crawford -- giving Toyota the top four spots.

TENNIS

Blake reaches semifinals of Florida tournament

Top-seeded James Blake advanced to the semifinals in the International Tennis Championships in Delray Beach, Fla., for the second straight year, beating Russia's Igor Kunitsyn, 6-2, 6-4.

Blake will face Robby Ginepri today. Sam Querrey will play 18-year-old qualifier Kei Nishikori, the first Japanese player to reach an ATP semifinal since Shuzo Matsuoka in October 1995.

Also: Top-ranked Justine Henin beat Russian qualifier Alisa Kleybanova 6-4, 6-3 to reach the Diamond Games semifinals in Antwerp, Belgium.

Henin will face Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky, who advanced when third-seeded Daniela Hantuchova retired during their match because of a respiratory illness.

Fourth-seeded Andy Murray beat Nicolas Mahut of France 7-5, 7-6 (5) to advance to the semifinals of the Open 13 in Marseille, France.

Murray will face Paul-Henri Mathieu, who beat defending champion Gilles Simon, 6-3, 6-4.