Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — BASKETBALL

NBA cancels more games

NBA Commissioner David Stern canceled all November games on Friday, the 120th day ofthe lockout, after labor negotiations broke down. Just a day earlier, Stern had said he would consider it a failure if the two sides didn’t reach a deal in the next few days and vowed they would take “one heck of a shot” toget it done. Owners are insistent on a 50-50 split of revenues, while players last formally proposed they get 52.5 percent, leaving them about $100 million apart annually. Players were guaranteed 57 percent in the previous collective bargaining agreement. No further talks have been scheduled. After two days of making some progress on salary cap issues, the two sides brought the revenue split back into the discussion Friday and promptly got stuck on both issues. Stern said the NBA owners were “willing” to go to 50 percent. But he said union executive director Billy Hunter was unwilling to “go a penny below 52,” that he had been getting many calls from agents and then closed up his book and walked out of the room. Hunter said the league initially moved its target down to 47 percent during Friday’s six-hour session then returned to its previous proposal of 50 percent of revenues.

BASEBALL

Angels hire Dipoto

The Los Angeles Angels, the parent club of the Class AA Arkansas Travelers, have chosen Arizona Diamondbacks executive Jerry Dipoto to be their new general manager. The club will hold a news conference today, waiting until the conclusion of the World Series to make the hiring official. The 43-year-old Dipoto, who will replace Tony Reagins, spent the past six seasons in Arizona’s front office, serving as interim GM in 2010 and sticking with the club after Arizonahired Kevin Towers for the fulltime job in September 2010.

FOOTBALL

Lions claim Harris

The Detroit Lions claimed former Chicago Bears safety Chris Harris off waivers on Friday. Harris (Little Rock Fair) started all three games he played with Chicago this season, but his production dropped off after recording five interceptions last season. Detroit placed safety Vincent Fuller (forearm) on injured reserve to clear a roster spot.

GOLF

McIlroy increases lead

U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot a 3-under par 69 to increase his lead to two strokes after the second round of the Shanghai Masters. After opening with a bogey-free 64, McIlroy struggled on the front nine, bogeying the fourth hole and dropping two strokes when he drove into the water on the par-4 ninth. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland recovered with four birdies on the back nine to finish at 11-under 133on Lake Malaren’s Jack Nicklaus-designed Masters course.

American Jeff Overton shot a course-record 9-under 62 for a share of the second-round lead with Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson in the Asia Pacific Classic in Selangor, Malaysia. Jacobson had a 64 to match Overton at 13-under 129 at The Mines Resort and Golf Club in the second-year event sanctioned by the PGA Tour and Asian Tour.

Scotland’s Richie Ramsay shot a 1-over 72 to hold his two-stroke lead after the second round of the Andalucia Masters in Sotogrande, Spain. France’s Gregory Havret shot a 71 to trail Ramsay. Sergio Garcia had a second consecutive 70 and is three strokes behind in third.

Daniel Chopra fired a tournament-record 10-under 62 to move into a share of the second-round lead with Jason Kokrak at the Nationwide Tour Championship in Charleston, S.C. Chopra is at 10-under 134 after two rounds. Kokrak shot a 67 for the second consecutive day in the $1 million event. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a 68 on Friday and is at 4-under 140. David Lingmerth (Fayetteville, Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 73 and is 2-under 143. Brenden Pappas (Razorbacks) finished with a second-round 71. This is the final tournament on the Nationwide schedule, and the top 25 players on the money list at the finish will win PGA Tour cards for 2012. Pappas ($134,331) came into the tournament 33rd on the list, Duke ($133,241) 36th and Lingmerth ($112,980) 50th.

TENNIS

Stosur beats Li

Australia’s Samantha Stosur beat China’s Li Na 6-1, 6-0 Friday to qualify for the semifinals of the WTA Championships in Istanbul. Stosur joined Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in qualifying from the White Group and will next face Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Kvitova had already secured her place in the semis from the Red Group before she beat Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6 (4), 6-3 later Friday. Radwanska’s failure to win a set meant Vera Zvonareva of Russia will join Kvitova in the semifinals.

ATHLETICS West Virginia joining Big 12

The Big 12 welcomed West Virginia from the Big East and bid goodbye to Missouri before the Tigers even had a chance to finalize their move to the Southeastern Conference.

Now that the poaching of the Big East seems to be over, the beleaguered league is not backing down. It has been busy courting six schools and says it was braced for the latest loss. And despite what the Big 12 says, the Big East plans to keep West Virginia for two more years - just as it has vowed to keep Pittsburgh and Syracuse away from the Atlantic Coast Conference until 2014.

The latest round of conference realignment appears to be winding down, but tug-o-war over who goes where when likely will take a while to sort out.

The Big 12 completed its work Friday by adding West Virginia to become its easternmost member, joining Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, TCU and Iowa State.

The Big 12 said it expects to have 10 schools for the 2012-2013 season, listing West Virginia but not Missouri, which is expected to complete its move to the SEC any day now.

“I wouldn’t say that there won’t be further expansion,” interim Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas said on a conference call Friday night. “But our mission was ... to move forward with 10 teams at this point. That doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be further consideration. But right now, we’ve got our house in order. We’ve got everybody signed up. We’re looking forward to a very aggressive conference.”

Ames, Iowa, is the closest Big 12 campus to Morgantown, W.Va., at 870 miles away, but that hardly matters. The Mountaineers bring a football program that has consistently been ranked in the Top 25 in recent years, and that’s what counts most when it comes time to sell TV rights.

In April, the conference signed a 13-year TV deal with Fox worth $1.17 billion that kicks in next year and was based upon the league having 10 members.

The Big 12 leaders voted to add West Virginia, rather than closer Big East rival Louisville, on Friday morning.

West Virginia is one of the founding members of the Big East’s football conference, created in 1991. Of the eight original members, only Rutgers remains. The Big East is trying to reconfigure itself as a 12-team football league and has been pitching itself to six schools, including Boise State. Now it will need seven to get to 12, though maybe not for a couple years.