Sports Shorts
The Big East filed a lawsuit yesterday against member-school West Virginia in an attempt to halt the university’s planned move to the Big 12 next fall.
The conference filed the breach of contract suit in Rhode Island Superior Court just days after West Virginia filed a lawsuit in its home state seeking immediate departure from the conference.
The Big East — which is also set to lose Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC — has maintained it will not allow any schools to leave without abiding by the 27-month notification window, meaning the schools would have to stay in the Big East until June 1, 2014.
“[Friday’s] legal action underscores The Big East Conference’s stated position that it will vigorously pursue the enforcement of its rights and West Virginia University’s obligations under the conference’s Bylaws which West Virginia formally agreed to and helped construct,” Big East commissioner john Marinatto said in a statement.
In Boulder, Colo., Matt Barkley threw a school-record six touchdowns and saved another with a tackle following his sole interception as No. 21 Southern California bounced back from its heartbreaking triple-overtime loss to Stanford with a 42-17 win over Colorado. Robert Woods and Marqise Lee each caught two of Barkley’s TD passes.
Curtis McNeal, an undersized junior tailback whose fumble ended USC’s loss to the Cardinal, rushed for 87 yards on 10 carries in his first career start for the Trojans (7-2, 4-2 Pac-12).
Michael Allen shot a 2-under 69 for a share of the second-round lead with Fred Couples and David Frost in the Champions Tour’s season-ending Charles Schwab Championship.
Couples, tied for the first-round lead with Jay Haas after a 68, rallied for a 70 after a double bogey on the opening hole. Frost had a 69 to match Couples and Allen at 4 under at TPC Harding Park.
Mark Calcavecchia, Jay Don Blake, Bernhard Langer and Kenny Perry were a stroke back.
In Shanghai, Fredrik Jacobson played bogey-free on an overcast day at the HSBC Champions for a 6-under 66. He had a one-shot lead as several players began to take aim on a soft Sheshan International.
In Shima, Japan, Japan’s Akane Iijima made five birdies on the back nine in a 6-under 66 that gave her a share of the Mizuno Classic first-round lead with South Korea’s Ah Reum-hwang and Taiwan’s Teresa Lu.
In Port St. Lucie, Fla., Timothy Puetz shot a 1-under 71 in windy conditions for a share of the second-round lead with Scott Berliner in the Callaway Golf PGA Assistant Championship.
Puetz, a PGA assistant professional at Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack, N.Y., matched Berliner at 6-under 138. Berliner, a PGA assistant pro at Normanside Country Club in Delmar, N.Y., had a 72.
Defending champion Frank Bensel of Century Country Club in Purchase N.Y., was 1 over after a 73.
In Moscow, James Toney, a former champion fighting at 43, lost a unanimous decision to Denis Lebedev of Russia for the interim WBA cruiserweight title.
Former longtime Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is facing charges stemming from an investigation that he indecently assaulted a teenage boy, the Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa. reported.’
In Basel Switzerland, Novak Djokovic fought back from losing the first set to beat Marcos Baghdatis 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the Swiss Indoors quarterfinals.
The top-ranked Serb stayed on course to meet hometown favorite Roger Federer in the final for a third straight year, after the defending champion beat American Andy Roddick 6-3, 6-2.
