In Brief

COLLEGES

UNLV's Koelbaek takes third in
Golfweek Conference tourney

The UNLV women's golf team, paced by senior Therese Koelbaek, finished sixth at the 18-team Golfweek Conference Challenge in Wolcott, Colo.

In the Rebels' second event of the year, Koelbaek posted her second straight third-place finish. She held a three-shot lead entering the final round but shot 3-over-par 75 Tuesday to drop two spots with a 2-under 214 total.

Virginia's Brittany Altomare (70) won at 212, followed by Tulane's Janine Fellows at 213.

UNLV shot 15-over 303 to finish at 32-over 896. Virginia took the team title at 13-over 877.

Also: The UNLV men's golf team shot 16-over 304 to post a 64-over 928 total, taking 12th at the 15-team Ping/Golfweek Preview in Stillwater, Okla.

Host Oklahoma State won at 14-over 878.

Kevin Penner led UNLV, shooting 1-over 73 to tie for 21st at 8-over 224. UCLA's Pontus Widegren (69) took the individual title at 2-under 214.

In its latest move to cut costs, California is eliminating five intercollegiate sports programs, including its championship men's rugby team, school officials said.

Cal's baseball, men's and women's gymnastics, and women's lacrosse teams will also no longer represent the university in intercollegiate competition after this academic year, officials said.

The men's rugby team, which has won 25 national championships since 1980, will move into a new category called "varsity club sport," which officials said will allow the team to continue playing and competing on campus but become financially self-sustaining.

Reducing intercollegiate teams from 29 to 24 will save an estimated $4 million a year and affect 163 of the more than 800 student-athletes at the school, as well as 13 full-time coaches.

Michigan State basketball guard Korie Lucious is expected to be out two to six weeks after having arthroscopic surgery for a small meniscus tear in his left knee.

BASKETBALL

U.S. women batter Belarus,
remain unbeaten at worlds

Sylvia Fowles scored 15 points and Diana Taurasi added 14 to help the unbeaten United States team rout Belarus 107-61 at the women's basketball world championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

The Americans will play rival Australia tonight in the final game of the second round. The unbeaten Aussies have already qualified for the quarterfinals that begin Friday. The two teams could meet again Sunday in the gold medal game.

Also: Former Michigan State star Jay Vincent pleaded guilty to two crimes linked to a $2 million Internet scam, a stunning fall for a homegrown sports hero who also played in the NBA.

Vincent, 51, pleaded guilty to a fraud charge and a tax charge in federal court in Grand Rapids, Mich., six weeks after he was indicted.

Vincent will be sentenced Feb 7. Defense lawyer Charles Ford said some prison time is likely, although he will contest the number of victims and the value of the fraud.

MISCELLANEOUS

Member of Armstrong's staff
to testify in doping probe

A staff member of Lance Armstrong's Team RadioShack who also has a connection to Floyd Landis is expected to testify today before a grand jury investigating allegations of doping in professional cycling, a person with knowledge of the probe said.

Allen Lim, an exercise physiologist who Landis said helped him cheat with doping during his career, was called to appear before the panel in Los Angeles, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

Lim would be the latest witness in a probe that has featured some of cycling's biggest names, including Armstrong, Landis and Tour de France winner Greg LeMond.

Lim, who joined Team RadioShack for the 2010 season, has denied the allegations by Landis, who also accused seven-time Tour winner Armstrong of doping.

Also: Kelly Kulick and Shannon Pluhowsky won the doubles title for Team USA in the Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships at Sunset Station. Kulick and Pluhowsky totaled an event-record 2,780 pins (231 average).

The tournament, featuring 60 competitors from 13 countries, continues today at 9 a.m. with the trio competition.

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Michael Leighton, who led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, has a bulging disk in his back and will miss a month, and forward Ian Laperriere is out indefinitely with post-concussion syndrome.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said English soccer star Wayne Rooney is likely to be sidelined for two to three weeks because of an ankle injury.