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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

NCAA won’t budge on UND nickname

Minnesota’s Maya Moore goes to the basket against Atlanta. (Associated Press)

NCAA: The NCAA won’t budge on a policy that will penalize the University of North Dakota for keeping its Fighting Sioux athletics nickname, association vice president Bob Williams said Friday.

Williams’ statement, made in an email to The Associated Press, and a separate statement posted on the NCAA’s website on Friday raised doubts about whether it would be useful for state officials to meet with the NCAA to discuss the issue.

“A meeting is not scheduled, nor will the policy be changed,” Williams said in the email.

The policy discourages the use of American Indian-themed mascots, logos and nicknames by member colleges. It considers offensive UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname and a logo that features the profile of an American Indian warrior.

The university agreed to retire both in mid-August, but the Legislature pre-empted those plans last March by approving a bill that requires UND to keep them.

The Big Sky Conference, which UND hopes to join in July 2012 as part of its switch from the NCAA’s Division II to Division I, has said it may consider additional sanctions against UND if the nickname and logo are kept.

Seahawks lineman Brock arrested

NFL: Seahawks defensive lineman Raheem Brock was arrested on Thursday in Philadelphia, charged with theft of services from a nightclub and then resisting arrest.

The dispute was over a restaurant tab of $27 that Brock allegedly walked out on, according to news reports.

Augustus, Moore lead Lynx past Dream

WNBA: Seimone Augustus scored 15 of her 25 points in the second half and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Atlanta Dream 96-85 for their fourth straight victory after a season-opening loss.

Rebekkah Brunson had 18 points and 14 rebounds for her fifth straight double-double, one short of the WNBA record to start a season. Lindsay Whalen added 16 points and eight assists, and Maya Moore had 13 points.

Phelps wins 100 fly, loses 100 free

Swimming: Michael Phelps continued his inconsistent year, easily winning the 100-meter butterfly but finishing second in the 100 freestyle at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix in Santa Clara, Calif.

The 14-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder handled the competition in the butterfly. Australia’s Nicholas D’Arcy was second and Davis Tarwater third.

The strong showing in one of Phelps’ signature events was outshined only by a slow start in his only other race of the night.

Phelps nearly chased down Park Taehwan of South Korea in the 100 free before finishing a close second.

Owners relax stance on contracts

NBA: Owners relaxed their insistence on non-guaranteed contracts in a new collective bargaining agreement, but NBA players cautioned that isn’t enough because the league is still seeking a hard salary cap.

Even so, the proposal by the owners during a 41/2-hour meeting in New York was perhaps their most significant movement yet as the sides try to agree to a new deal before the current one expires June 30.

Much more is needed, though. The sides set up another meeting for Tuesday, which NBA Commissioner David Stern indicated would be crucial for determining if enough progress can be made in time to avoid a work stoppage.

Most Olympics ticket hopefuls miss out

Olympics: Two thirds of those who applied for tickets for the 2012 London Olympics missed out in the first round of sales.

Organizers announced that 1.2 million of the 1.9 million people who applied for tickets ended up with nothing. Just 700,000 individuals – mostly Britons – split 3 million tickets between them after a six-week sales window.

However, those missing out will be given the first opportunity to buy tickets when another 2.3 million go on sale on June 24.

“We certainly understand people’s disappointment,” organizing committee chief executive Paul Deighton told The Associated Press. “But we think we allocated tickets as fairly as we could.”

Fellow cyclist says Soler hit curb

Cycling: Colombian cyclist Juan Mauricio Soler hit a curb near a traffic circle, tumbled onto a spectator and smashed into a fence during the crash that left him with brain injuries and multiple fractures, a fellow rider said.

Tour of Switzerland spokesman Christoph Arnold said Soler remains in an induced coma at a hospital in the eastern city of St. Gallen. Soler’s team Movistar said the rider remained in intensive care in “stable though serious” condition, but that swelling on the brain had reduced.

“All of a sudden there was a footpath with a (2-inch) edge dropping down to the road level,” Australian rider Baden Cooke told The Associated Press in an email. “(Soler) had no time to brake at all.”

The 28-year-old Soler hit a fence about two feet away from the road.

“The fence did not move at all so Soler took the full impact,” Cooke said.

On Friday, Thomas De Gent of Belgium won the seventh and longest stage, while Damiano Cunego of Italy retained the overall lead despite coming in 17th.