Sports briefs

BASEBALL

Hispanic woman sues MLB, alleging bias

A woman who says she is Major League Baseball's highest-ranking Hispanic female executive has filed a discrimination lawsuit against MLB. Sylvia Lind, 48, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, says in the suit filed in Manhattan federal court that she was passed over for executive positions for which she was qualified and was underpaid. She accused Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, a league executive, of giving her "disparaging and demoralizing evaluations that lacked substantive and truthful support'' to justify his allegedly discriminatory treatment of her.

Robinson and outgoing commissioner Bud Selig are named as defendants in the suit. An MLB spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment. According to the suit, Lind still is employed as director of baseball initiatives in MLB's Office of the Commissioner.

NBASore knee sidelines LeBron

LeBron James sat out last night because of a sore knee, and the host Thunder, behind Russell Westbrook's 26 points, ended the Cavaliers' win streak at eight, 103-94.

Cavaliers coach David Blatt announced the decision during his pregame media session. Blatt said it's a day-to-day situation and there are no plans for an MRI.

He said James started to have issues after Cleveland's victory over Toronto on Tuesday night. "After the last game, he felt some soreness in the back of his knee," Blatt said. "Nothing major. He got up this morning and didn't feel particularly good, so we decided to hold him out."

COLLEGE FOOTBALLAlvarez to coach Wisconsin in Outback Bowl

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez will coach the Badgers in the Outback Bowl against Auburn on Jan. 1. He is replacing Gary Andersen, who abruptly left the program Wednesday to become Oregon State's coach . . . Tulsa has hired Baylor offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery as its head coach . . . UNLV named Tony Sanchez coach, joining a small group of Division I schools to hire a head coach directly from the high school ranks. GOLFDay, Tringale scramble for 55

Jason Day and Cameron Tringale shot a 17-under 55 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout in Naples, Florida. In the scramble format, each teammate tees off, with competitors taking their second shot from the location of the best tee shot. The third shot is played from where the best second shots landed, and so on until a putt is holed . . . Australia's Marcus Fraser chipped in for birdie on the 18th hole for a 3-under 69 and a share of the first-round lead in the Thailand Golf Championship in Chonburi. Thailand's Thanyakorn Khrongpha and Lu Wei-chih and Canada's Richard Lee also shot 69. Lee Westwood shot 70 and defending champion Sergio Garcia was at 71.NHL

Flyers defeat Devils

Matt Read and Sean Couturier each had a goal and an assist as the Flyers beat the visiting Devils, 4-1 . . . Ben Smith had a goal and an assist to lead the Blackhawks to their eighth straight win, 3-2 over the host Bruins.-- AP