College Basketball
Last of the independents joins Atlantic Sun league
NEWARK, N.J. – NCAA men’s and women’s basketball no longer has any independent institutions now that the New Jersey Institute of Technology agreed Friday to join the Atlantic Sun Conference.
The lone independent among 351 Division I basketball schools over the past two years will be part of the conference in all sports beginning in the fall.
NJIT will be immediately eligible to compete for all Atlantic Sun postseason tournaments plus have a chance to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The NJIT men’s soccer team already had a commitment to be a working member of the Sun Belt for the 2015 season, but the Highlanders will join the Atlantic Sun for soccer in 2016.
Cycling
Tour de France champ takes Van Garderen’s lead
VILLARD-DE-LANS, France – Vincenzo Nibali signaled his return to form by claiming the overall lead at the Criterium du Dauphine after a rain-soaked mountain stage Friday.
Nibali, who won the Tour de France last year, launched a late attack from a group of breakaway riders but was beaten by former world champion Rui Costa for the stage win at the ski resort of Villard-de-Lans in the French Alps.
With less than a month to go before the Tour de France, Nibali – who has not won a race this season – seems to be peaking at the right time.
The Italian now is leading Rui Costa by 29 seconds in the provisional standings, with Alejandro Valverde in third place, one second back.
Golf
Koepka tunes up while Senior Players’ lead grows
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Brooks Koepka is tuning up quite nicely for the U.S. Open at the event he added at the deadline.
Koepka, who had a share of the lead after the first round, shot a 3-under 67 on Friday to lead the St. Jude Classic by a stroke after 36 holes.
He turned in a four birdie-one bogey round for a 9-under 131.
ATZENBRUGG, Austria – Gregory Bourdy widened his lead at the Lyoness Open on Friday by shooting a 5-under 67 to go four strokes clear of fellow Frenchman Gary Stal and Chris Wood of England.
HARRISON, N.Y. – Sei Young Kim of South Korea eagled the 15th hole for a 5-under 68 on Friday to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the second major of the season.
BELMONT, Mass. – Bernhard Langer shot his second consecutive 6-under-par 65 on Friday to extend his lead to four shots halfway through the Senior Players Championship.
Soccer
Interpol suspends deal with FIFA after scandals
LYON, France – Interpol suspended its 10-year, $22.4 million partnership with FIFA while soccer’s governing body is implicated in bribery allegations.
The international police liaison group said it will “freeze the use of financial contributions from FIFA.”
Interpol secretary general Juergen Stock says the decision was taken “in light of the current context surrounding FIFA.”
The agreement includes a clause that FIFA must be “compatible with the principles, aims and activities of Interpol.”
Last week, Interpol issued a global alert about two former FIFA officials and four marketing executives on charges including racketeering and corruption.
In May 2011, FIFA agreed to fund a 10-year program to tackle match-fixing operated from an Interpol base in Singapore.
Associated Press
