Oklahoma fights for wins from 2005

The University of Oklahoma has until Oct. 30 to file its latest rebuttal in the NCAA infractions case surrounding extra benefits received by former starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and offensive lineman J.D. Quinn.

Oklahoma is appealing the NCAA Committee on Infractions’ decision to strip the school of eight victories in which Bomar and Quinn participated during the 2005 season.

In its notice that it intended to appeal, Oklahoma objected to a “failure to monitor” finding and having its wins from an 8-4 season in 2005 taken away.

Bomar and Quinn were both dismissed from the team for receiving extra pay for work they did not do at a Norman car dealership.

•Former University of Louisiana at Lafayette head football coach Jerry Baldwin has won a $2 million judgment in a lawsuit claiming the school fired him because of his race, not his 6-27 record.

ULL attorney Steve Oats said the same officials accused of racial discrimination hired Baldwin, who is an African-American.

Basketball

Howard suspended

Mavericks forward Josh Howard was suspended for the first two games of the regular season, punishment for a fight with Sacramento center Brad Miller earlier in the week.

Howard was ejected from an exhibition Tuesday against the Kings after delivering a forearm to the back of Miller’s neck. He also pushed Miller, who had shoved Dallas guard Devin Harris to the ground.

•Kingsley Costain, the Pepperdine men’s top returning scorer, has been dismissed from school for a violation of university policy. Pepperdine has not released specifics on his dismissal.

•Nevada forward Richie Phillips will be out four to six weeks with a stress fracture in his lower left leg.

Tennis

Nadal ousted

Rafael Nadal, coming off a five-week layoff because of ailing knees, lost to David Nalbandian 6-1, 6-2 in the Madrid Masters quarterfinals at Madrid, Spain.

Roger Federer downed Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (4), 6-4 to set up a matchup against 112th-ranked Nicolas Kiefer, who beat the fifth seed, Fernando Gonzalez, 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Nalbandian, an Argentine ranked No. 33, will play Novak Djokovic, who defeated Mario Ancic 7-6 (2), 6-2.

•Andy Roddick became the fifth player to qualify for the season-ending Masters Cup despite withdrawing from this week’s Madrid Masters because of a knee injury. The exit of several seeded players in Madrid allowed the American to qualify for the event.

Miscellany

John Henry honored

More than 500 people attended a graveside memorial for thoroughbred John Henry in Lexington, Ky.

John Henry, who won $6.5 million and became America’s richest racehorse before retiring in 1985, was euthanized last week at 32.

•Undefeated Lucian Bute won the IBF super-middleweight title, stopping Colombia’s Alejandro Berrio in the 11th round at the Bell Centre in Montreal.