LOCAL

LOCAL
Rayen girlsdefeat St. V-M
AKRON -- Freshman Taneisha Holland scored 23 points and senior Cherrell Triplett added 15 as the Rayen School girls basketball team defeated Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 62-60 Sunday in the Cage Classic Showcase at Akron Hoban High.
REGION
Tar Heels winmen's soccer title
COLUMBUS -- North Carolina coach Elmar Bolowich thought Indiana would have trouble defending Ryan Kneipper up front -- especially on headers.
It took Kneipper just 12 minutes to prove him right.
"The defender on me was a little bit shorter, and I knew I could beat him in the air," said Kneipper, whose team beat Indiana 2-0 Sunday to win their first NCAA men's soccer championship.
Kneipper beat defender John Swann and goalkeeper Colin Rogers to a long cross from Matt Crawford, and headed a shot from six yards out just inside the right post. Danny Jackson scored off a penalty kick in the 75th minute to put the Tar Heels up 2-0.
The win comes in a rare year in which North Carolina's women lost the NCAA soccer championship. The Tar Heels women's team played for its 17th championship in 20 seasons last week when it lost 1-0 to Santa Clara.
NATION
Georgia Southernhires new coach
STATESBORO, Ga. -- Offensive coordinator Mike Sewak, the architect of Georgia Southern's potent attack, was hired Sunday as the Eagles' new football coach.
The 43-year-old Sewak succeeds Paul Johnson, who resigned last week to accept the head coach's job at Navy.
Sewak has guided the Eagles' offense for five years. During that stretch, Georgia Southern has compiled a 62-10 mark, averaging 39.7 points and 468.8 yards.
The Eagles won five straight Southern Conference championships and the national title in 1999 and 2000. Their 2001 season ended Saturday with a 24-17 home loss to Furman.
Mets acquire Estes
NEW YORK -- Shawn Estes is heading to New York. The way the Mets are moving, more players might follow.
Extremely busy since the season ended, the Mets made another deal Sunday, trading outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo and infielder Desi Relaford to the San Francisco Giants for Estes.
Shinjo and Relaford both played well for the Mets in 2001, but the opportunity to trade them for a proven starting pitcher was too good to pass up.
Hermanson sentto Red Sox
BOSTON -- The Red Sox acquired right-hander Dustin Hermanson from St. Louis on Saturday for three minor leaguers.
Hermanson gives Boston a replacement for Hideo Nomo as a potential No. 2 starter.
The Red Sox sent outfielder Rick Asadoorian and first basemen Luis Garcia and Dustin Brisson to the Cardinals.
Hermanson was 14-13, matching a career high for wins, with a 4.45 ERA last season.
Colorado studentreports gang-rape
BOULDER, Colo. -- University of Colorado and Boulder police are investigating a student's accusation she was gang-raped at an off-campus party attended by some of the school's football players and recruits.
The woman reported the alleged rape to the campus police department, which has taken the lead in the investigation. Lt. Tim McGraw, of the campus police, would not comment on the case.
Colorado coach Gary Barnett, whose team is preparing for a Fiesta Bowl matchup with Oregon that could have national championship implications, said the investigation "is out of our control."
"I'm confident it will be dealt with in the right way for both sides and everybody involved," he said Sunday. "Once the process is over, we will do the appropriate thing."
Rockets guardarrested for DWI
HOUSTON -- Injured Rockets point guard Steve Francis was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Francis was stopped around 5 a.m. after an officer saw him run a red light, police spokesman Alvin Wright said. Francis was released on bail. A hearing is set for Friday.
Francis led the team with 21 points per game and was the top rebounder among NBA guards when he went down with a left foot injury Nov. 25. The Rockets haven't won since he went on the injured list and are mired in a 13-game skid.
WORLD
Kwan losesto Russian
KITCHENER, Ontario -- Russia's Irina Slutskaya edged American star Michelle Kwan in the Grand Prix finals for the third consecutive season Saturday night.
Kwan will have another chance to top Slutskaya in the Salt Lake Olympics.
In the men's competition, Alexei Yagudin handed world champion and Russian rival Yevgeny Plushchenko his first loss in nearly two years.
Canadian couples won the other two events.
Vindicator staff/wire reports