Monday FanFare 10/20/03

Briefly

Basketball

Kobe Bryant may find out this week whether he will stand trial for rape, a case that could send the NBA superstar to prison for life if he is convicted.

Judge Frederick Gannett was expected to release his ruling as early as today, and many legal experts believed he would order a trial.

"If the woman's story indicates that she was sexually assaulted, that is enough to bring the case forward absent some conclusive proof that she is lying," said Christopher Mueller, a University of Colorado law school professor.

The 19-year-old woman told sheriff's investigators Bryant raped her. Bryant has said the sex was consensual.

College

Samford wide receiver Efrem Hill was named Ohio Valley Conference offensive player of the week Sunday after he grabbed 11 passes for 223 yards, both career highs, in Samford's 57-22 victory at UT-Martin. Two of Hill's receptions went for touchdowns, including one for 81 yards in the first quarter. Hill also threw a 79-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

Defensive back Ben Brown of Eastern Illinois was named defensive player of the week after turning in four tackles, two fumble recoveries, one pass interception returned for 13 yards and knocking down two passes in Eastern Illinois' 27-17 win at Murray State.

Charles Owens of Eastern Illinois won special teams honors after he returned two punts for 53 yards in the same game. He took one punt to Murray State's 19 to set up the winning score on the next play.

Duke fired coach Carl Franks on Sunday and appointed defensive coordinator Ted Roof as his replacement for the rest of the season. The firing comes a day after the Blue Devils (2-5) fell behind Wake Forest 42-0 at halftime, and lost 42-13 for their 29th-straight Atlantic Coast Conference loss.

Franks, a former Duke tight end, was 7-45 in 4 1/2 seasons.

Football

With their losing streak at six, the Atlanta Falcons sure could use Michael Vick. But it appears unlikely the Pro Bowl quarterback will return from a broken leg in time to play in the Falcons' next game, Nov. 2 against Philadelphia.

"The chances are slim," coach Dan Reeves said after the Falcons were routed 45-17 by New Orleans on Sunday. "He's not even really running yet."

Kurt Kittner, who began the season as the third-string quarterback, made his first NFL start against the Saints. He was 9-of-29 for 115 yards -- good enough to likely keep the No. 1 job for the next game.

Doug Johnson, who started the first six games for the Falcons (1-6), would remain the backup.

Golf

Ernie Els won a record-tying fifth World Match Play title Sunday, defeating Thomas Bjorn 4 and 3 in Virginia Water, England.

The South African was three holes ahead after the first 18 and held on during the second 18 on the West Course at Wentworth despite a late hole in one by Bjorn. Els won $1.67 million and joined Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros as five-time winners. Els, the European money title winner with two events left, also won the event from 1994-96 and last season.

Shigeki Maruyama won his third PGA Tour event in as many years, shooting a final-round 67 at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro to beat Brad Faxon by five shots.

The 5-foot-7 Japanese golfer started the day at 17 under and leading Faxon by three. Maruyama closed out playing partner Faxon with an up-and-down birdie from the sand on the par-5, 15th hole, grabbing a four-stroke lead with four holes left at Forest Oaks Country Club.

Maruyama, who was 5 under Sunday, also had rounds of 65, 64 and 70 for a 22 under total, coming within one shot of the tournament record of 265, set by Jesper Parnevik in 1999.

Faxon shot a 69 and has gone 73 tournaments since winning the 2001 Sony Open. This was his fifth runner-up finish in that time frame.

Craig Stadler won his third Champions Tour event of the year, shooting a 4-under 67 for a four-stroke victory over Bob Gilder at the $1.5 million SBC Championship.

Stadler finished at 15-under 198, and his four-stroke margin was the largest in tournament history. He also won the Ford Senior Players Championship and the Greater Hickory Classic. In July, Stadler won the B.C. Open on the PGA Tour.

Gilder, runner-up for the third year in a row, shot a 2-under 69 in the final round to finish at 11 under.

Area digest

Murray State soccer defeats Southeast in OT

Murray State junior forward Kristin Robertson headed in an overtime goal as the Racers ended a 12-game winless streak with a 1-0 soccer victory over Southeast Missouri State University Sunday in Murray, Ky.

Robertson's shot, from 10 yards out, beat Otahkian goalkeeper Amanda Wrzos in the 98th minute to give Murray State (4-9-3, 1-4-0 OVC) its first OVC victory.

Southeast (8-4-4, 3-2-1) held a 17-9 advantage in shots but failed to get one past Racers goalkeeper Karen Fitzharris, who made six saves. Wrzos had three saves for Southeast.