Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — BASKETBALL

Wright’s ex-wife threatened

Lorenzen Wright’s ex-wife was threatened at her home by three men who were carrying guns and looking for the former NBA and University of Memphis player about six weeks before he was shot to death, the woman’s attorney said Friday.

Sherra Wright warned her ex-husband, the father of her children, about the visit by men dressed in sport coats with weapons tucked in their waistbands, lawyer Gail Mathes said. But she was frightened by their threats and didn’ttell authorities about it until Monday, when she alerted police in the Memphis suburb of Collierville, near her home. The body of the 34-yearold athlete was found in woods in Memphis on Wednesday, six days after his family reported him missing. He was last seen around midnight July 18, when he stayed over at his ex-wife’s house. Sherra Wright told officers he left in the middle of the night with an unidentified person. Police records indicate Wright was probably carrying a large amount of cash when he disappeared. Autopsy results haven’t been released, so it’s not clear when Wright died or how many times he was shot. Police said the medical examiner had to use dental records to establish a positive identity, indicating the body might have been in the woods for some time before it was found by a police search team.

A one-time attorney for Karen Cunagin Sypher told jurors at her extortion trial he had sexual relations with the former model before writing a letter to Louisville basketball Coach Rick Pitino demanding $10 million. Attorney Dana Kolter testified Friday that he and Sypher had sexual relations three times during the three-week stretch he represented her as she sought to get money from Pitino in March 2009. Kolter eventually wrote Pitino a letter, signed by Sypher, accusing the coach of rape and forcing Sypher to have an abortion. In the letter, Kolter threatened to sue Pitino and make the allegations public unless he agreed to a settlement. Sypher is charged with trying to extort millions in cash, cars and a house from Pitino with a promise to stayquiet about their one-night fling in a Louisville, Ky., restaurant in July 2003. In other testimony, Pitino never said a woman who claimed the Louisville basketball coach got her pregnant after a one-night stand had to get an abortion but did advise she “go out of town” to get medical care, his longtime aide said. The aide, Tim Sypher, was testifying against the woman, his ex-wife Karen Cunagin Sypher. He testified about helping her get an abortion at her extortion trial. The two divorced after she was indicted last year on charges of demanding cash and gifts worth millions from Pitino to keep secret their 2003 tryst on a restaurant table. Tim Sypher, 49, testified that he called clinics in Indiana and Ohio before taking the woman, then known as Karen Wise, to Cincinnati, where she terminated the pregnancy Aug. 29, 2003. Tim Sypher said he paid for the procedure from $3,000 Pitino gave to Karen Sypher for medical care. Karen Sypher, 50, has pleaded innocent. After she was indicted, she told police Pitino raped her, butauthorities didn’t pursue charges.

The Detroit Pistons re-signed point guard Will Bynum to a three-year, $9.75 million contract. The 27-year-old played 63 games last season, starting 20 times, and averaged 10.0 points and 4.3 assists in 26.5 minutes. On March 12, he had 20 assists against the Washington Wizards, the first Piston to reach that mark since Isiah Thomas in 1985. Bynum began his NBA career as an undrafted free agent with the Pistons in 2008-2009, playing 57 times and starting once. On April 5, he set a franchise record by scoring 26 fourth-quarter points in a 32-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets.

Josh Howard has signed his one-year contract to return to the Washington Wizards. The deal could pay Howard as much as $4 million if he meets certain incentives. Howard was acquired in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 13, but he played in only four games before tearing a ligament in his left knee Feb. 22. Howard had surgery in mid-March, with an expected recovery time of six to eight months. Howard has averaged 15.3 points over seven NBA seasons.

MOTOR SPORTS

Newman, Hamlin fined

NASCAR Sprint Cup driversRyan Newman and Denny Hamlin say they were fined for making critical comments about the racing series. Newman refused to disclose the amount of the fine or what he said. He implied that it was for comments he made after he crashed at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Hamlin said he was punished for comments he made on Twitter. He also did not reveal the amount of the fine. People familiar with the penalties told The Associated Press this week fines were levied because the comments were considered disparaging to the sport. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because NASCAR was not publicly identifying the top-flight drivers it fined. They say one driver was penalized as much as $50,000.

Tony Stewart unbuttoned the top button on his racing suit and let out a sigh. Qualifying for the pole always makes a trip to Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., more fun. Stewart drove his No. 14 Chevy to a qualifying lap Friday of 171.393 mph around the 2.5-mile triangle track to start from the top for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500. “Man, it felt good,” Stewart said. “If you want a place where you want good track position, it’s here at Pocono.” Stewart started the Pocono 500 in June in sixth place, and finished third. He was awarded the pole at the two Pocono stops in 2009 after rainouts washed out qualifying. Complete lineup on Page 3C.

TENNIS

Defending champ wins

Defending champion Sam Querrey defeated Rainer Schuettler of Germany 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7) in the quarterfinals of the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles. The second-seeded American used back-to-back big serves in the tiebreaker to win at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on the UCLA campus. Schuettler, the oldest player in the singles draw at 34, twice served for the match in the third, but then committed three key unforced errors in the tiebreaker to lose. Querrey, who already has three titles this year on three different surfaces, improved to 6-0 in quarterfinal matches.

Eighth-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela beat top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 6-1 to reach the Croatia Open semifinals in Umag. Davydenko held serve only once.

Jarmila Groth of Australia defeated defending champion VeraDushevina of Russia 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the Istanbul Cup. Groth converted four of her five break points, using strong returns to dominate the second set.

Top-seeded Mikhail Youzhny lost to 147th-ranked Yuri Schukin of Kazakhstan in the Swiss Open quarterfinals in Gstaad, Switzerland. The 31-year-old Schukin, who came through qualifying, reached his first career semifinal by defeating the 14th-ranked Russian 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.

HORSE RACING

Rachel Alexandra to run

Rachel Alexandra, the reigning Horse of the Year, will make her next start in the Personal Ensign Stakes on Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., principal owner Jess Jackson announced Friday. After defeats in her first two starts of the year, the 4-year-old filly, who completed her championship season last year with a dramatic victory over older males in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, has won her past two races, including the Lady’s Secret at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., last weekend. She also beat the boys in the Preakness last year, part of a championship run that included victories in all eight of her starts. The Personal Ensign will be Rachel Alexandra’s first start of the year in a Grade I stakes and her first test of her career at 1 1 /4 miles.

FOOTBALL

NCAA visits Clemson

Clemson Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips said Friday that the NCAA had been on the Tigers’ campus this week to talk with two members of the football team. Phillips issued a statement about the visit, but did not say what the inquiry was about. Phillips also did not identify the athletes, but said Clemson is cooperating fully. The NCAA is investigating Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina in connection with possible rules violations at a party in Miami. A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Pressthat the Clemson inquiry is not linked to the investigations looking into improper contact with agents at the other schools. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the subject of the inquiry is confidential.