In Brief

BASKETBALL

Lady Rebels roughed up inside,
fall to California in Cal Classic

The UNLV women's basketball team fell behind by 20 points at halftime and suffered a 70-48 loss to California in the championship game of the Cal Classic in Berkeley, Calif., on Sunday.

The Lady Rebels could not stop the inside game of the Bears (6-2), who were led by the duo of Talia Caldwell and Reshanda Gray. The two combined for 37 points, including 27 in the first half on 10-for-13 shooting as Cal opened up a 44-24 halftime advantage.

The Lady Rebels (7-2) could get no closer than 17 points in the second half.

Kelli Thompson scored a career-high 27 points -- including an 11-for-13 performance at the free-throw line -- to pace UNLV.

Also: Anthony Bennett had 19 points and 12 rebounds Saturday night to lead Findlay Prep's basketball team to a 47-39 win over Flower Mound Marcus (Texas) in Dallas.

The Pilots (6-0) broke Marcus' 42-game winning streak by holding the Marauders to just seven fourth-quarter points after the teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 32.

Marcus made just 15 of 46 field goals for the game.

Nigel Williams-Goss added 10 points for Findlay Prep, which held Marcus star Marcus Smart to 14 points.

The victory marked the second straight year the Pilots stopped a long winning streak. Findlay Prep beat Yates (Texas) 95-69 last season to halt a 66-game victory run.

GOLF

Westwood shoots shaky 73,
still claims Nedbank Challenge

Lee Westwood finished with two bogeys and a 1-over-par 73 but it was still enough to retain his title by two strokes at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa.

The No. 3-ranked Westwood ended with a 15-under 273 total to stay clear of Robert Karlsson in second, despite a final-round charge from the Swedish player that cut Westwood's commanding seven-shot overnight lead.

Westwood made just two birdies on the final day and dropped three strokes over the back nine, but his dominant performance Saturday -- when he shot a course-record 62 -- set up the victory and only the second back-to-back wins at Sun City over the last decade.

Also: Rory McIlroy rallied to capture the Hong Kong Open, holing out from a greenside bunker on the final hole for a 5-under 65 and a two-stroke victory.

The 22-year-old U.S. Open winner from Northern Ireland, who was three strokes behind Alvaro Quiros entering the final round, finished at 12-under 268. He had five birdies in a bogey-free round.

France's Gregory Havret also closed with a 65 to finish second.

PRO FOOTBALL

Grammy winner Madonna to
star in Super Bowl halftime

Madonna will perform at halftime of the Super Bowl in Indianapolis in February.

NBC, which broadcasts football's biggest game, announced during the Detroit-New Orleans game that the Grammy Award-winning singer will take the stage at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 5.

The Super Bowl halftime show is the most-watched musical event of the year, with more than 162 million in the U.S. watching The Black Eyed Peas' performance in Dallas last February.

Madonna, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, joins such acts as Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Prince, U2, Paul McCartney, The Who and the Rolling Stones to perform during recent Super Bowls.

Also: Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis are expected to be suspended by the NFL for the rest of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

MISCELLANEOUS

Beckham uncertain of plans
after Galaxy contract expires

David Beckham said he has yet to decide where he'll play when his current contract with Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy comes to an end.

The 36-year-old's contract finishes after Tuesday's friendly between the Galaxy and Australia's Melbourne Victory, and the former England captain said he hasn't thought about his future.

However, Beckham is believed to be weighing a substantial offer to play for the French club Paris St. Germain or to remain in the United States. He told reporters today in Melbourne he wants to spend some time with family before making any decision.

Beckham said, "I haven't actually started thinking about it yet. Once I get some down time, then I'll start thinking what's going to be best."

Also: Former soccer great Socrates, the clever playmaker who captained Brazil at the 1982 World Cup, died. He was 57.

Known for his elegant style on the field and his deep involvement with Brazilian politics, Socrates died of septic shock resulting from an intestinal infection, according to a statement by Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo.

Teresa Noyola scored from close range to help top-ranked Stanford beat No. 3 Duke 1-0 in Kennesaw, Ga., and finally give the Cardinal their first NCAA women's soccer title.

Stanford seniors Noyola, Camille Levin, Kristy Zuhmehlen and Lindsay Taylor finished their college careers with a record of 95-4-4.

Marcel Hirscher of Austria turned in a blazing final run to overtake Ted Ligety and win a World Cup giant slalom in Beaver Creek, Colo.

Hirscher finished in a combined time of 2 minutes, 38.45 seconds, holding off Ligety by 0.16 seconds. Fritz Dopfer of Germany was third.

Lindsey Vonn won a super-G for her third victory in three days at the Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup in Lake Louise, Alberta.

Vonn finished in 1 minute, 20.21 seconds to beat Anna Fenninger of Austria and fellow American Julia Mancuso.

Ellafitz, a 4-year-old filly from the barn of Bob Baffert, led all the way and easily won the $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.

Coming off a three-month layoff, Ellafitz, with jockey Martin Garcia aboard, went straight to the lead in the Grade 2 stakes for fillies and mares and pulled away from the field in the homestretch for her first stakes win in 1:42.69.

Ellafitz paid $11.80, $6.60 and $5. Miss Mittagong returned $8.80 and $4.80. Bauble Queen was paid $3.20 to show.