Pioneer coach Haskins dies at 78

September 8, 2008

Don Haskins, credited with helping break color barriers in college sports in 1966 when he used five black starters to win a national title for Texas Western, died yesterday. He was 78. Texas-El Paso spokesman Jeff Darby said the Hall of Fame coach died in the afternoon. He had no other details. UTEP was previously known as Texas Western. Haskins was an old-time coach who believed in hard work and was known for his gruff demeanor. That attitude was portrayed in the 2006 movie "Glory Road," the film that chronicled Haskins's improbable rise to national fame in the 1966 championship game against Kentucky. He retired in 1999 after 38 seasons at UTEP with a 719-353 record and seven Western Athletic Conference titles. (Obituary) . . . Becky Hammon scored 24 points and the San Antonio Silver Stars pulled into a first-place tie in the Western Conference with an 85-73 WNBA win over the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville, Conn. San Antonio (21-10) and Seattle are tied for the lead in the West heading to the final week of the regular season. Connecticut (20-11) saw its seven-game winning streak snapped, but the Sun still lead the Eastern Conference by a game over Detroit. Asjha Jones led the Sun with 22 points and nine rebounds . . . Janel McCarville scored 16 points before leaving with an injury and Essence Carson had 10 to lead the Liberty to a 69-61 win over the Chicago Sky in New York. Cathrine Kraayeveld grabbed 14 rebounds and had some key baskets down the stretch for the Liberty (18-12).

The Broncos signed linebacker D.J. Williams to a five-year contract extension. The deal is worth $32 million, including $13 million guaranteed. Williams has played all three linebacker positions since being drafted by the Broncos in 2004. He lined up at middle linebacker last season for the first time in his career, and was credited with 170 tackles, the most by a Broncos player in five seasons. He also had a sack, three forced fumbles, and an interception . . . Bills Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters has passed his physical and will begin practicing with the team this week after ending his long holdout. Peters risked losing a paycheck of more than $191,000 - one-17th of his $3.25 million base salary for this season - if he did not report before yesterday . . . Quarterback Alex Smith could find out today if his latest shoulder injury will end his season and tenure with the 49ers. The former No. 1 overall draft pick was added to the injury report Friday after feeling pain in his surgically repaired right shoulder. Smith said the new injury could force him to have another season-ending surgery.

John Skelton threw touchdown passes of 87 and 50 yards to lead host Fordham to a 16-0 victory over Rhode Island in a game that was postponed Saturday because of Tropical Storm Hanna. Skelton finished 14 for 26 for 267 yards with one interception. Jason Caldwell's 87-yard touchdown catch midway through the second quarter gave Fordham a 10-0 lead and Asa Lucas went 50 yards with 7:12 left in the game. Derek Cassidy was 25 for 41 for 200 yards for URI . . . Penn State defensive end Jerome Hayes is out for the year after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee . . . Nebraska defensive end Barry Turner has a broken bone in his left leg and probably is out for the season.

Helio Castroneves won the race in the second closest finish in the history of the IndyCar Series, but it wasn't enough to stop Scott Dixon from taking his second championship. Castroneves came from last place to win the PEAK Indy 300 at Joliet, Ill., but Dixon, who knew coming in he only had to finish eighth or better to win the title, took the lead with a perfect pit stop late in the race, and nearly held off Castroneves for the victory, crossing the finish line inches behind the winner . . . Felipe Massa was declared the winner of Formula One's Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps after Lewis Hamilton was penalized for cutting a corner during a late duel with world champion Kimi Raikkonen. Hamilton crossed the line 14.4 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Massa in a dramatic finish as Raikkonen crashed into a barrier, but the McLaren driver was penalized 25 seconds for an illegal maneuver.

New York Mets' closer Billy Wagner, sidelined since Aug. 3 by a tender left elbow, is expected to miss the remainder of the season, according to manager Charlie Manuel. Wagner, who has 27 saves in 34 chances, tested his arm between games of yesterday's doubleheader and walked off the mound after 13 pitches. He will be re-examined by a doctor today . . . Asafa Powell won the 100 meters at the Rieti (Italy) Grand Prix in 9.82 seconds, failing to reprise his world-record effort at the meet last year. In the 1,500, world champion Bernard Lagat, the American who failed to win a medal in Beijing, got a measure of revenge by winning in 3 minutes 32.75 seconds - not far off Daniel Komen's leading time this year of 3:31.49 . . . American Levi Leipheimer finished eighth in a stage of cycling's Spanish Vuelta in Salardu to claim the overall lead by 21 seconds over Spaniard Alberto Contador . . . Australia's Greg Bennett won his third straight Los Angeles Triathlon, finishing in a time of 1:46:04. American Andy Potts finished second in 1:46:47. American Becky Lavelle, an Olympic alternate and 2003 winner, won the women's division in 1:59:46 . . . Nate Jaqua scored two goals and Kei Kamara had two assists to lead the Dynamo to a 3-1 MLS victory over the Kansas City Wizards in Houston. Brad Davis also scored and Tony Caig made one save for Western Conference-leading Houston, which won its fourth straight home game . . . Commentator, a two-time winner of the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, and Student Council, winner of two Grade I races, are among 13 graded-stakes winners on the list of 33 nominees for the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap Sept. 20 at Suffolk Downs . . . Rashad Evans knocked out Chuck Liddell in the second round of a light heavyweight Ulitmate Fighting Championship bout in Atlanta Saturday night.