McKinney Defeats Ncita Again

Kennedy McKinney bounced up from a fifth-round knockdown Saturday to win a majority decision over Welcome Ncita at South Padre Island, Tex., and retain the International Boxing Federation junior featherweight title he took from Ncita two years ago.

Judges Von La Prade and Barry Yeats favored McKinney, 117-110 and 117-111, respectively. Tobin Hansen scored it 114-114.

McKinney (27-0-1) said he wasn’t bothered by the majority decision.

“I don’t care if I only won by one point. I won,” he said.

McKinney’s strong jabs caused Ncita’s left eye to swell early in the fifth round, and it plagued Ncita (33-2), a South African, for the rest of the fight.

Pro Football

Free-agent quarterback John Friesz of the San Diego Chargers has reached a contract agreement with the Washington Redskins, according to a report in The Daily Press of Newport News, Va. Friesz and his agent, Leigh Steinberg, said the deal is for one year and will pay $900,000. The signing is scheduled to take place Monday.

College Football

An eight-yard touchdown run by tailback Terry Barnum and an 18-yard scoring pass from quarterback Matt Koffler to wide receiver DelVaughn Alexander highlighted a 52-play intrasquad scrimmage at Howard Jones Field that ended spring practice for the USC football team.

About a dozen Trojans, including quarterback Rob Johnson, were held out of the scrimmage as a precaution against injury.

Tennis

Top-seeded Michael Chang defeated third-seeded Brad Gilbert, 6-2, 7-5, and fourth-seeded Patrick Rafter of Australia upset second-seeded Ivan Lendl, 6-3, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open.

Fourth-seeeded Jason Stoltenberg of Australia and unseeded Gabriel Markus of Argentina won two matches to advance to today’s final of the $288,750 Eddleman U.S. Clay Court Championships at Birmingham, Ala.

Stoltenberg defeated sixth-seeded Jacco Eltingh of the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-2, and Marcelo Filippini of Uruguay, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2). Markus, ranked No. 119 in the world, defeated countryman Daniel Orsanic, 6-3, 6-0, and American Jared Palmer, 6-4, 6-4.

Top-seeded Sabine Appelmans of Belgium defeated fourth-seeded Florencia Labat of Argentina, 6-4, 6-2, and second-seeded Patty Fendick defeated Kristine Radford of Australia, 7-5, 6-2, in the semifinals of a women’s tournament at Bangkok, Thailand.

The No. 1-ranked USC men’s tennis team defeated California, 7-0, at USC to win its record fourth consecutive Pacific 10 Conference championship.

The women’s tennis match between UCLA and Stanford was canceled because of questions involving the amateur status of some players.

Basketball

Alonzo Mourning of the Charlotte Hornets was suspended for one game and fined $7,500 for initiating a fight with Chicago Bull center Luc Longley in Friday night’s game, the NBA said.

The NBA has returned a $100,000 franchise application check to Tampa, ensuring the city will not be getting an expansion team any time this century.

Tremaine Fowlkes of Crenshaw High was voted most valuable player of the National High School Coaches Assn.’s all-star game in Philadelphia.

Fowlkes, who signed with California, had 24 points, 10 rebounds and six steals.

Steven Goolsby of Marietta (Ga.) High made a three-pointer and a layup in the final minute and finished with 23 points to lead the East to a 104-101 victory over the West.

Clemette Haskins, an assistant at Arizona the last four years and daughter of Minnesota Coach Clem Haskins, has become women’s basketball coach at Dayton.

Auto Racing

Pole-sitter Gary Myers took advantage of Frank Fleming’s troubles one lap from the finish and won the Lowe’s 150 NASCAR modified race at North Wilkesboro, N.C., for his first victory on the circuit.

Ayrton Senna survived the heat and an oily, sandy track to win the pole for today’s Pacific Grand Prix at Aida, Japan, extending his circuit record for poles to 64.

Tony George, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, won his first professional car race, the four-hour Firehawk Endurance Championship at Braselton, Ga.

Miscellany

Mike Edwards, who had been the richest non-winner on the Professional Bowlers Assn. tour with earnings of more than $500,000, defeated Pete Weber, 203-192, in the title match of the IOF Foresters Bowling for Miracles Open at Markham, Canada.

William Mutwol of Kenya, the Olympic bronze medalist in the steeplechase, won the 10-mile Trevira Twosome run at New York with a late surge that left countryman Thomas Osano behind.

Mutwol finished in 47 minutes, 1 second, winning by 30 yards over Osano in the heavy rain. Karolina Szabo, a Hungarian who trains in Albuquerque, N.M., won the women’s title in 54:42.

After failing to obtain asylum in the United States, 16 members of Haiti’s national soccer team now want to return home from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, where they have been preparing to play in the Shell Caribbean Football Cup tournament since April 7.