Briefs: NHL tries unique meeting tact
NHL
Owners, players to meet minus leaders
In the latest bid to end the labor stalemate that has crippled the NHL season, six owners will meet Tuesday in New York with six players -- but without commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr. The union Sunday agreed to this meeting offer made by Bettman after two days of talks led by federal mediators ended without progress Thursday. Each side also will have staff and counsel there.NBA
Magic beats Lakers, Howard
Arron Afflalo had 30 points and Glen Davis scored 23 as the Orlando Magic (6-10) beat the Lakers, 113-103, in Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant scored 34 points but shot 12-for-27 from the floor for the Lakers (8-9) and former Magic center Dwight Howard had 21 points and 15 rebounds. The Magic outscored the Lakers 40-26 in the fourth quarter.
COLLEGES
South Florida fires Skip Holtz
Skip Holtz, 48, has been fired as South Florida's football coach after the worst season in the program's 16-year history. The son of former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz went 16-21 at the Big East school, concluding a three-year run by losing nine of 10 to finish a school-worst 3-9, 1-6 in conference.
No. 1 Stanford prevails in women's basketball
Chiney Ogwumike had 21 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 1 Stanford beat Gonzaga, 69-41, in Spokane, Wash. Taylor Greenfield added a career-high 18 points, hitting six three-pointers, for Stanford (8-0). Gonzaga is 6-2 . . . Tricia Liston scored 22 points to help No. 4 Duke (6-0) to a 77-63 win over No. 10 California (6-1).
GOLF
First win for McDowell since 2010
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell closed with a 4-under-par 68 for a 271 total at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., for a three-shot win in the World Challenge hosted by five-time champion Tiger Woods. It was McDowell's first win since he beat Woods in a playoff at Sherwood to close out a dream season in 2010 that included his first major. Woods finished eight shots back . . . Martin Kaymer of Germany shot a 3-under 69 for a 280 total and a two-shot victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in rainy Sun City, South Africa, earning his first title of 2012. -- AP
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
