Miscellany

Louisiana Tech, fourth in The Associated Press women’s preseason basketball poll last week, shot to the top after beating defending national champion Connecticut 83-81 in overtime in Sunday’s Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic at Knoxville, Tenn.

It’s the first No. 1 ranking for the Lady Techsters since the final poll of the 1989-90 season. Connecticut dropped from first to third.

Georgia, which hasn’t played, remained second and Tennessee climbed two spots to fourth after beating Virginia in the second half of the Tip-Off Classic twin bill. Virginia slipped three places to sixth and Vanderbilt stayed at No. 5.

In New York, Annika Sorenstam, 25, received the LPGA Rolex Player of the Year Award and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average, making her the only player beside Nancy Lopez to take those honors the year after being rookie of the year.

New York’s Madison Square Garden signed Roy Jones Jr. to fight Merqui Sosa, the North American Boxing Federation light-heavyweight champion, on Jan. 12.

An injury to his left leg during a match has forced American sumo wrestler yokozuna Akebono, formerly known as Chad Rowan, to withdraw from the tenth day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka, Japan.