Sports 2000

Forrest Griffin avenged an earlier loss to Tito Ortiz with a split decision victory tonight in Las Vegas at the main event of UFC 106. Ortiz won on one judge’s card, 29-28. Griffin also earned a 29-28 decision on one card. The third judge sided with Griffin, 30-27.

LSU was Saturday’s biggest upset victim in college football today as the #8 Tigers (8-3, 4-3) lost, 25-23, at Mississippi (7-4, 3-4) when they failed to get off a final play at the Rebel six-yard line. California, rated #25, (8-3, 5-3) kept the Axe by rallying past #17 Stanford (7-4, 6-3), 34-28, in Palo Alto. Northwestern (7-5, 4-4) stunned visiting #16 Wisconsin (8-3, 5-3), 33-31.

Lee Westwood leads the Dubai World Championship by two shots after firing a 66 Saturday. Ross McGowan’s third-round 66 left him in second place. Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and Alexander Noren are tied for third, five strokes behind Westwood.

A second day of rain in Houston forced more delays at the LPGA Tour Championship. No one played Saturday. The event will be shortened to 54 holes. Tournament officials hope to complete the second round Sunday then cut the field to 70 players and ties. The third round will be Monday.

Zsolt Erdel won a majority decision to take the WBC cruiserweight title from Giacobbe Fragomeni. One judge scored the bout even, 114-114. The other two judges awarded the fight to Erdel (30-0, 17 knockouts), 115-113. Fragomeni (26-1-1, 10 KOs) suffered his first loss.

Kyle Busch won the NASCAR Nationwide Series event Saturday in Miami. In the process, Busch claimed the season-long championship. Kevin Harvick won the Truck Series race Friday.

The WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs folded Friday. League President Donna Orender said she will look for a new investor who will move the team to the Bay Area.

Boise State remained undefeated by crushing Utah State, 52-21, in Logan Friday. The #6 Broncos improved to 11-0, 6-0 in the Western Athletic Conference. The host Aggies fell to 3-8, 2-5 in league action. Bowling Green (6-5, 5-2 Mid-American Conference) dispatching visiting Akron (2-9, 1-6), 36-20.

Lee Westwood leads at the midway point of the Dubai World Championship. Robert Allenby, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and Ross McGowan are tied for second, two strokes behind Westwood.

Rain delayed the second round of the LPGA Tour Championship in Houston. Lorena Ochoa, the first-day leader, kept her one-shot advantage over Reilley Rankin despite neither player hitting a shot Friday. The second round is scheduled to resume Saturday morning.

Florida (6-0) defeated host California (2-4), 34-27, and Las Vegas (4-2) trounced visiting New York (0-6), 41-7, to end the UFL regular season. Florida will meet Las Vegas at Sam Boyd Stadium Nov. 27 in the championship game.

Miami (5-5) defeated host Carolina (4-6), 24-17, in an NFL game tonight. Colorado (3-8, 2-5 Big 12) held a 21-17 lead after three quarters at #12 Oklahoma State Thursday but the Cowboys (9-2, 6-1) avoided the upset, 31-28.

Robert Allenby leads after one round of the Dubai World Championship. Lorena Ochoa leads after the first round of the LPGA Tour Championship.

In the NHL tonight, Boston beat Atlanta, 4-3, in a shootout. Carolina defeated Toronto, 6-5, in a shootout. Ottawa handled Pittsburgh, 6-2. St. Louis edged Phoenix, 3-2, in overtime. Nashville outlasted New Jersey, 3-2, in a shootout. Columbus dispatched Dallas, 4-1. Chicago humbled Calgary, 7-1. Anaheim squeaked past Tampa Bay, 4-3, in overtime.

In the NBA Thursday, New Orleans defeated Phoenix, 110-103. Utah beat San Antonio, 90-83. The Los Angeles Lakers lead Chicago, 84-67, after three quarters.