Sports in brief
COLLEGES
Sooner player's death probed
Police were investigating whether drugs had a role in the death Thursday of Oklahoma linebacker Austin Box, and a witness told authorities he believed his friend had overdosed. Cherokee Ballard, a spokeswoman for the state Medical Examiner's office, said Box's body was being sent to Norman for examination. El Reno Police Chief Ken Brown said officers and medics Thursday morning responded to a call at an address in the city about 30 miles west of Oklahoma City of an unresponsive male "with unknown medical issues." Box, a 6-1, 228-pound senior from Enid, started the last five games last season for the Sooners.
St. John's will play at Kentucky
St. John's is scheduled to travel to Rupp Arena for the first time since the 1985 Final Four to meet Kentucky on Dec. 1 as part of the SEC-Big East Challenge televised by the ESPN family of networks, the Red Storm announced Thursday. It's the first meeting between two of the winningest programs in college history since St. John's scored a season-opening win over the Wildcats on Nov. 9, 2000, at Madison Square Garden. The game will match coach John Calipari's No. 1-rated recruiting class against coach Steve Lavin's No. 3-rated recruits. CYCLINGArmstrong accused of doping
A former teammate of Lance Armstrong told CBS News that he used performance-enhancing drugs with the seven-time Tour de France winner to cheat in cycling races, including the Tour. Tyler Hamilton says Armstrong took a blood-booster called EPO in the 1999 Tour and before the race in 2000 and 2001. Armstrong won the race every year from 1999-2005. Armstrong has denied doping and has never failed a drug test.
GOLF
Toms, Reavie shoot 62s
David Toms quickly rebounded from the disappointment of his playoff loss in The Players Championship to shoot a bogey-free 8-under 62 to share the first-round lead at Colonial with Chez Reavie. It was Toms' best score in 429 rounds -- since a career-best 61 at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January 2006. That was the last of his 12 PGA Tour victories.
Westwood wins at Match Play
Lee Westwood produced a blitz of birdies to defeat Anders Hansen 6 and 5 on the opening day of the World Match Play Championship in Casares, Spain. Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell also won.
Paula Creamer and Karrie Webb will face each other early in the Sybase Match Play Championship in Gladstone, N.J. Creamer and Webb had impressive first-round victories in the $1.5-million event at Hamilton Farm Golf Club. The world's No. 8 and 10 players will meet in the second round because the seedings are based on last year's earnings on the LPGA Tour.
TENNIS
Roddick out of French Open
Andy Roddick and Juan Carlos Ferrero withdrew from the French Open after failing to recover from right shoulder injuries.
HOCKEY
Christian Thomas, the son of former NHL forward Steve Thomas, has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Rangers. Thomas, who will be 19 next week, scored 54 goals for the OHL's Oshawa Generals last season. Thomas was a second-round draft pick in 2010. He reportedly would be paid an average of $838,333 if he makes the team. If he plays more than nine NHL games next season, he would lose his junior eligibility, so he could be reassigned in October. His father scored 412 goals in 20 seasons in the NHL, four of them with the Islanders, starting in 1991.
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