SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2013 SPORTS Vonn delays return Lee cruises to final Italy, US bids for 2024 NEW YORK: Olympic downhill champion Lindsey Vonn has withdrawn from this week’s World Cup race in the United States after hurting her knee in a training crash. But Vonn HONG KONG: World number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia ROME: New IOC President Thomas Bach is pleased with the Italian govern- said she was making a quick recovery and was hoping to compete at the next race in ment’s support for a possible 2024 Olympics bid, and says it’s “time for the Canada the following week. “It has been a very difficult few days and your positive mes- crushed eighth-seeded Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand to reach United States to present a strong bid” too. In Rome for Olympic meetings sages have helped tremendously,” she wrote on her Facebook the Hong Kong Open final yesterday, leaving him set to face page. “Rehab is going well and I am working as hard as I three-times Asian champion Sony Dwi Kuncoro. The 31-year-old and to see Pope Francis, Bach also visited can to race in Lake Louise in a few weeks.” Vonn’s ortho- beat the Bangkok-born player 21-12, 21-7 in 34 minutes in their Italian Premier Enrico Letta. Bach said pedic surgeon Bill Sterett also expressed confidence semi-final at the Hong Kong Coliseum. The world’s number one, that Letta “has realized that the she would be back in action soon. “Lindsey is recov- who has yet to lose a game, will today play Indonesia’s Kuncoro games can serve as a catalyst for ering very quickly from abrasions to her face and in a replay of January’s Malaysia Open, in which Lee prevailed. development.” While Rome has not contusions to her shoulder blade,” Sterett said in a Kuncoro eliminated compatriot Tommy Sugiarto in the other yet been selected, the capital is statement released by Vonn’s publicist. “Beyond semi-final in which the fifth-seed retired in the second game. In Italy’s likely candidate. Other that, she has a stable knee with an MRI finding of the women’s draw, Wang Yihan and Wang Shixian are leading for potential 2024 bids could come a partial tear of her ACL graft. With therapy, she is an all-Chinese singles finals, overcoming an upset Friday when from Paris; Doha, Qatar; and cities in progressing well while not losing any of the the United States and Africa. Bach strength she worked so hard to achieve.” Vonn’s top seed and defending champion Li Xuerui was knocked out by publicist Lewis Kay said the 29-year-old Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk. Third-seed Yihan beat the says, “I think it’s time for the United American, who was due to make her first unseeded Buranaprasertsuk 17-21, 21-15, 21-13 in an hour-long States to present a strong bid, and I’m competitive appearance next weekend, game, preventing the Thai from ruling out the second Chinese happy to hear that the USOC is under- had put her comeback on hold, for at seed in the tournament. — AFP taking everything to prepare least another week. — Reuters such a bid.” — AP Umpire suspended No 22 UCLA beat pesky for derogatory statement Morehead State 81-70 ASHBURN: An NFL game official was suspended Friday for one game without pay for making “a profane and derogatory statement” to a LOS ANGELES: Jordan Adams scored a career-high 30 points, 73-67 victory over Long Beach State in the consolation bracket win. Napier, the tournament MVP, was 10 of 14 from the field, Washington Redskins player, an incident that has Kyle Anderson had a triple-double and No 22 UCLA pulled of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Rob Brandenberg scored 19 points including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. He was the only double- away from pesky Morehead State in the second half to win 81- and helped ignite a rally that proved to be too much for a figure scorer for the Huskies, but he struggled from the free led to a call for NFL players to stop using the N- 70 on Friday night. Anderson finished with 13 points, 12 49ers team that lost its fifth straight game. The Rams (4-1) throw line (3 of 7) and had seven turnovers. Still, every big play word on the field and in the locker room. The rebounds and 11 assists for the school’s first triple-double trailed by eight early in the second half before reeling off that down the stretch was his. league announced Friday that umpire Roy Ellison since Toby Bailey had one in 1995, when UCLA won the last of 13-0 run to take back control. “I was just trying to stay aggres- will not work an NFL game this weekend as pun- its record 11 national championships. Freshman Zach LaVine sive and just try and help my team any way I can,” No 19 New Mexico ishment for words directed at left tackle Trent added 12 points for the Bruins (4-0) in a regional game of the Brandenberg said of the spurt. “I realize that we had to play falls 81-65 to UMass Williams late in the second quarter of the Las Vegas Invitational. They play Chattanooga on Sunday with some urgency at that time. It worked out.” The victory CHARLESTON: Chaz Williams scored 19 points, Raphiael Redskins’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles today. before heading to Sin City for their final two tournament earned the Rams a matchup Sunday with Georgetown, the Putney had 18 and Cady Lalanne added 16 points and 14 The National Football League Referees games over Thanksgiving weekend. Chad Posthumus had a team it beat in the second round of the 2011 NCAA tourna- rebounds as Massachusetts ran past tired No 19 New Mexico Association issued a statement Friday evening career-high 21 points and 18 rebounds for the Eagles (4-2) in ment to first land VCU’s program on the national stage. VCU 81-65 on Friday to reach the Charleston Classic championship. saying that it will file a grievance, that the sus- their first meeting with UCLA. Brent Arrington added 17 had four players in double figures, including Juvonte Reddic The Minutemen improved to 5-0 for the second time in four pension was a rush to judgment without hearing points, including five 3-pointers. Both teams grabbed 36 with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Briante Weber with 15 years and will play either Clemson or Davidson on Sunday rebounds, but Morehead State shot just 37 percent and had points. Rams coach Shaka Smart called it a “hard-fought win.” night for the tournament title. New Mexico was playing a day Ellison’s side of the story. 13 turnovers. The Bruins, who led by 17 points in the first half, after a double overtime victory against UAB and wore down as Williams said he was called vulgar names - missed their first three shots and had a turnover to start the Unbeaten No 18 Purdue the game went on. The Lobos (3-1) tied the game at 61 on although not the N-word - by Ellison and did second half. Posthumus continued on his shooting tear that defeat Belmont 76-46 Alex Kirk’s short jumper with 7:56 remaining. That’s when nothing to provoke it. A replay from the second began with 7 minutes left in the first half, when the Eagles WEST LAFAYETTE: Ashley Morrissette scored 12 points Massachusetts took control with a 14-0 run that put it ahead quarter shows Ellison gesturing at Williams while faced that 17-point deficit. He scored 10 of Morehead State’s and April Wilson scored 11 and had three steals as No 18 75-61. Kirk finished with a career-best 32 points for New walking backward just before a snap, with first 16 points during a stretch in which they closed to three Purdue defeated Belmont 76-46 on Friday night. The Mexico. The Lobos missed their final eight shots after tying the Williams, quarterback Robert Griffin III and tight points four times. Boilermakers (4-0) forced 20 Belmont (2-4) turnovers and game and managed just four foul shots down the stretch. New end Niles Paul turning to look back at the harassed the Bruins into shooting only 25 percent. Wilson Mexico will take on the Clemson-Davidson loser in the third- umpire. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was Payne, Michigan St opened with a 3-pointer 15 seconds into the game and the place game today. Kirk worked hard to top his previous best of among those who supported Williams, saying: beat Virginia Tech Boilermakers never trailed, shooting 43.9 percent from the 31 set against Cal State-Bakersfield in January 2011, going 11 “You just can’t use that type of language to get NEW YORK: Adreian Payne had a career-high 29 points floor. Morrissette scored five points on a layup and 3-pointer of 26 from the floor as he was swarmed by Minutemen when- and 10 rebounds, Keith Appling had 13 points and seven back to back to push Purdue’s lead to 10, 22-12 midway ever he got the ball. Kirk also finished with 11 rebounds. your point across.” assists, and top-ranked Michigan State beat Virginia Tech 96- through the first half and it steadily grew from there. Meredith But John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz 77 on Friday night in the semifinals of the Coaches vs Cancer Roman led Belmont with 14 points, hitting 3 of 6 from behind No 1 UConn women stun Pollard Alliance, said his organization spoke to Classic.