Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — BASKETBALL

U.S. women rout Greece

Angel McCoughtry and Swin Cash each scored 16 points to lead a balanced U.S. offense in a 99-73 victory over Greece on Thursday at the women’s basketball world championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Tina Charles and Tamika Catchings added 10 points each in the U.S. opener. Evanthia Maltsi scored 29 points for Greece, which was making its first appearance at the event, and Styliani Kaltsidou finished with 21 points.

Coach Don Nelson is expected to part ways with the Golden State Warriors on Monday, an NBA source told The Associated Press, possibly ending the career of the league’s victory leader. The source spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday night because the surprising move by new team owner Joe Lacob likely won’t be announced until the start of the Warriors’ training camp next week. The 70-year-old Nelson has a record 1,335 victories in 31 seasons coaching Milwaukee, Golden State, New York and Dallas.He passed Lenny Wilkens’ NBA record of 1,332 victories April 7, near the close of the fourth season in his second stint with the Warriors. Golden State finished 26-56 last season.

The Phoenix Suns have extended Coach Alvin Gentry’s contract through the 2012-13 season. The move essentially is a one-year extension because the Suns exercised an option three months ago on his previous deal that ran through the 2011-12 season. Last year, in his first full season as coach, Gentry directed the Suns to the third-best record in the Western Conference at 54-28. Phoenix advanced to the conference finals before losing to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. The 55-year-old Gentry was elevated to head coach when Terry Porter was fired at the All-Star break of the 2008-09 season. Under his leadership, Phoenix is 72-41, including a 46-12 mark at home.

The Philadelphia 76ers have acquired rookie forward Craig Brackins from the New Orleans Hornets for Willie Green and Jason Smith. The Sixers also got forward Darius Songaila in Thursday’s trade. Brackins was taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 21stoverall pick in the NBA Draft. He was then traded to New Orleans. Brackins averaged 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds last season for Iowa State. Songaila has averaged 7 points and 3.5 rebounds in seven seasons with Sacramento, Chicago, Washington and the Hornets. Green played seven seasons with the Sixers, averaging 9.4 points in 422 games. Smith has also spent his entire career with the Sixers, averaging 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds.

BOXING

Hatton stripped of licensed

Former world champion Ricky Hatton was stripped of his boxer’s license Thursday after he was found guilty of misconduct by the British Boxing Board of Control following newspaper revelations of drug use. Hattan was also fined $31,000 at the board hearing Wednesday but kept his promoter’s license. The 31-yearold Hatton, who won four world titles across two weight divisions, was recently admitted to a rehabilitation clinic after a tabloid published pictures of apparentcocaine use in a Manchester hotel room. Hatton, who has not fought since losing to Manny Pacquiao in May 2009, has been diagnosed with depression and a drinking problem by a specialist. Hatton said recently he’s had difficulty coping with retirement from boxing.

ATHLETICS

NCAA finds major violations

The NCAA cited Tennessee-Chattanooga with major violations Thursday in its athletics program for failing to monitor phone calls and text messages by coaches to recruits. The Division I Committee on Infractions released its findings after resolving the probe through a summary disposition that did not involve a hearing in Indianapolis. Chattanooga will be publicly reprimanded and censured and placed on probation starting Thursday until Sept. 22, 2012, for 137 impermissible texts and 74 phone calls made to 12 recruits or their families mostly in football and basketball, but also women’s basketball and men’s tennis. The probation penalties do not ban the Mocs from postseason play or from competing on television. The NCAA said the probation through September 2012 stems from an investigation.

TENNIS

Serena pulls out of event

Tournament organizers say top-ranked Serena Williams has pulled out of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, two months after surgery on her right foot. Williams, who cut her foot on broken glass at a restaurant after winning Wimbledon, returned to practice earlier this month. Williams was to head a strong field for the Sept. 26-Oct.2 event, which includes defending champion Maria Sharapova.

Defending champion Kimiko Date Krumm reached the Korea Open quarterfinals in Seoul by ousting second-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-1 Thursday. Top-seeded Nadia Petrova beat Vania King of the United States 6-3, 6-4 and No. 5-seeded Alisa Kleybanova of Russia also advanced, but No. 4 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain and No. 6 Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan fell in straight sets.

Xavier Malisse of Belgium upset former winner and third-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 7-5, 6-2 Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Open de Moselle in Metz, France. Top-seeded Marin Cilic advanced with a 7-5, 7-6 (3) victory over Lukas Lacko of Slovakia, and Jarkko Nieminen of Finland cruised past Kristof Vliegen of Belgium 6-4, 6-1 to advance. Malisse will face eighth-seeded Gilles Simon of France, who needed nearly two hours and 15 aces to defeat Dutch qualifier Igor Sijsling 6-1,6-7 (5), 6-3.

Second-seeded Florian Mayer of Germany was knocked out of the BCR Open Romania in Bucharest by Spanish qualifier Pablo Andujaron in an upset Thursday. Andujar won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to line up a quarterfinal against Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay, who defeated Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq 6-4, 6-0. Thirdseeded Potito Starace rallied to avoid a similar exit, beating Victor Crivoi of Romania 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 in his second-round match. The Italian will now face Spain’s Marcel Granollers, a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 winner over Italy’s Filippo Volandri.

GOLF

Edfors leads Vivendi Cup

Sweden’s Johan Edfors shot an 11-under-par 61 on Golf de Joyenval’s Marly Course to take a two-stroke lead over England’s David Dixon in the Vivendi Cup in Chambourcy, France. Dixon also played the Marley Course, the site of the final two rounds.John Parry and Jean-Francois Remesey opened with 64s, also on the Marley Course. Padraig Harrington, the only European Ryder Cup player in the field after Peter Hanson withdrew because of illness, had a 68 on the Marley Course.

GOLFWhittaker, Pappas tied for lead

MIDLAND, Texas - Ron Whittaker and Brenden Pappas shared the lead after shooting 66s Thursday in the first round of the Nationwide Tour’s WNB Golf Classic.

Whittaker (Little Rock) had a run of four consecutive birdies after opening with a par in his 6-under-par round. He finished with eight birdies and two bogeys.

Pappas (Arkansas Razorbacks) also had eight birdiesand two bogeys, with five birdies falling in the final seven holes.

They hold a one-stroke lead over seven players.

Glen Day (Little Rock) shot a 71 withfive birdies and four bogeys.

Nick Beach (Fayetteville) had four bogeys and two double bogeys in a round of 80.