Duke U. guilty of sex discrimination

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Duke University discriminated against a female placekicker who failed to earn a spot on the football team, a federal jury ruled yesterday.

Jurors deliberated just more than two hours before finding in favor of Heather Sue Mercer, who graduated from Duke in 1998.

There was no reaction from Mercer, her attorneys or her family when the verdict was read.

The jury next will decide if she should receive compensatory and/or punitive damages.

To award compensatory damages, jurors must find that Mercer suffered actual financial losses because of Duke's actions. For punitive damages, they must find the defendants acted with malice and reckless indifference.

"Any award you make must be just and fair," Judge James Beaty said.

Shortly after they began deliberating, jurors asked to see videotapes of Mercer and other kickers practicing.

Former 'M' star Rose injured, out 4-6 weeks

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indiana Pacers lost another player yesterday when it was discovered that former Fab Fiver Jalen Rose has a broken left wrist and could miss four to six weeks.

Rose, last year's Most Improved Player in the NBA, suffered the injury Wednesday night in the third quarter of the Pacers' 91-83 exhibition victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Conseco Fieldhouse. He broke his wrist when he fell hard to the floor after scoring on a dunk.

The injury will not require surgery but has to be considered serious since Rose shoots with his left hand.

Under new coach Isiah Thomas, the Pacers are already facing an adjustment period after losing three starters from last year's squad, which reached the NBA Finals and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

Center Rik Smits retired, point guard Mark Jackson signed as a free agent with the Toronto Raptors and Dale Davis was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.

UCLA hoopster Hines benched for 2 games

LOS ANGELES (AP) - UCLA basketball player Rico Hines has been suspended from the Bruins' first two games - one an exhibition contest - for a violation of team rules.

"Rico broke a team rule and will accept the consequences for his actions," UCLA coach Steve Lavin said Thursday. "He has been a team leader for us over the years, and he knows what it means to learn from your mistakes."

Hines, a senior, must sit out UCLA's exhibition game against Team Concept Nov. 1 at Pauley Pavilion, and will miss the Bruins' regular-season opener, against Kansas Nov. 9 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament in New York.

He will be allowed to play the following day in the Bruins' final game in the tournament against Kentucky or St. John's.

At Indiana, the lighter side of Midnight

BLOOMINGTON (AP) - Don't expect to see Mike Davis barking out instructions Friday night when Indiana opens practice.

Or correcting mistakes.

Or taking center stage.

Instead, Davis is ushering in a new era of Hoosier basketball with his own version of Midnight Madness.

"This is their reward for really working hard," Davis said. "They're going to have some fun, but they're not going to be out there clowning around."

Hoosier players will find the atmosphere more relaxed.

Gone are the days of fired coach Bob Knight's Midnight Practices, in which players were required to do drills.

Instead, Davis, who accepted the interim job at Indiana last month, has implemented the sorts of festivities - 3-point shooting and dunk contests - not normally associated with such a high-profile event.