Sports digest 10/9/01

Tewis cards first career hole in one

Linda Tewis recently recorded her first career hole in one at Cape Girardeau Country Club.

Tewis used an 8-iron to ace No. 8, a par 3 playing 95 yards.

Witnessing the shot were Tewis' husband, Hugh, and Blake Driskell.

SEMO volleyball team faces big OVC matchSoutheast Missouri State University's volleyball team, which had its 36-match home winning streak ended by non-league foe Southwest Missouri State Sunday, faces a key Ohio Valley Conference contest Wednesday at Houck Field House.

Eastern Illinois visits Houck for a 7 p.m. match that will be a battle for first place in the early-season OVC race.

Defending champion Southeast (7-7 overall) is atop the league at 4-1 but EIU (8-4) is right behind at 3-1. Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee-Martin and Austin Peay all have just two conference losses in the scrambled standings.

Despite losing Sunday, the Otahkians have still posted 21 straight OVC home victories.

Illinois forward tears knee ligament

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois forward Lucas Johnson will miss four to six months after an MRI revealed a torn ligament in his right knee.

Johnson, a senior who was expected to compete for a starting position, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a pickup game with teammates last week. He is expected to have reconstructive surgery within the next week.

Illinois hopes to have Johnson in the lineup by the end of the season.

The 6-foot-8 Johnson was one of the top players off the bench for the Illini last season, averaging 5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He was fifth on the team in assists with 59 and shot 43 percent from the three-point line.

MU's Hammerich receives honor

DALLAS -- There were so many outstanding performances in the Big 12 this past weekend that the league named co-players of the week on offense, defense and special teams.

Kansas running back Reggie Duncan and Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch shared the offensive honor, Colorado cornerback Donald Strickland and Oklahoma safety Roy Williams shared the defensive honor and the special teams honor went to kickers Johnny Beck of Kansas and Brad Hammerich of Missouri.

Hammerich went 4-for-4 on field goals in the Tigers' 41-38 triple overtime victory at Oklahoma State. His 36-yard three-pointer was the game winner in the third OT, and his others came from 47, 39 and 31 yards.

K.C. Jones diagnosed with prostate cancer

BOSTON -- Former Boston Celtics great K.C. Jones said he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but the Basketball Hall of Famer is optimistic about his recovery.

"I got it, but they caught it early enough," Jones told the Boston Herald on Sunday.

The 69-year-old Jones was a guard on eight Celtics championship teams and then coached them to NBA titles in 1984 and 1986. In 1989, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Firefighter rescues Hall of Famer KellSWIFTON, Ark. -- Hall of Famer George Kell was rescued by a firefighter from his burning home Monday.

The 79-year-old Kell, who played third base for the Detroit Tigers, was not injured but his home was destroyed.

Firefighter Tommy Tubbs said he found Kell inside the house amid thick smoke.

"I got him outside, and he told me he had just started a fire in the fireplace," Tubbs told The Jonesboro Sun.

Kell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

-- From staff, wire reports