Off the wire

— BASKETBALL Majerus dies at 64

Rick Majerus, the jovial college basketball coach who led Utah to the 1998 NCAA final and had only one losing season in 25 years with four schools, died Saturday. He was64. Utah industrialist Jon Huntsman, the coach’s longtime friend, confirmed in a statement released through The Salt Lake Tribune that Majerus died of heart failure in a Los Angeles hospital. The coach had been hospitalizedthere for several months. Majerus was 95-69 in five seasons at Saint Louis and had a 25-year record of 517-216. He had his most success at Utah, going 323-95 from 1989-2004. He was at Marquette from 1983-86, and Ball State from 1987-89. Majerus took 12 teams to the NCAA Tournament and four to the NIT, with the 1998 Utah team losing to Kentucky in the NCAA championship game. BASEBALL

Fujikawa, Cubs reach deal

Japanese closer Kyuji Fujikawa and the Chicago Cubs have reached agreement on a two-year contract for $9.5 million, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday. The 32-yearold Fujikawa pitched for two-time World Baseball Classic champion Japan and played in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He had 220 saves in 12 seasons with Hanshin and became an unrestricted free agent last month. Fujikawa gets a $1 million signing bonus, and $4 million salaries in 2013 and 2014. The deal includes a vesting option for a third year at $5.5 million or $6 millionbased on games played.

The Tampa Bay Rays traded righthanded reliever Burke Badenhop to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league outfielder Raul MondesiJr. on Saturday. Badenhop turns 30 Feb. 8. He was 3-2 with a 3.03 ERA in 66 games last season. He has been a full-time reliever for the past three seasons and is 16-17 with 2 saves and a 4.08 ERA in his career with the Miami Marlins and Rays.

FOOTBALL N.C. State hires Doeren

Dave Doeren is leaving Northern Illinois after two consecutive championship seasons to take over at North Carolina State. N.C. State announced Doeren’s hiring Saturday - less than 24 hours after he guided the 21st-ranked Huskies to their second consecutive Mid-American Conference championship, and just six daysafter firing Tom O’Brien. Doeren claimed a MAC title both years he was at Northern Illinois and is 23-4 since taking over the Huskies with a 17-1 record in conference play. Northern Illinois AD Jeff Compher said Doeren will not coach the Huskies in their bowl game. The 64-year-old O’Brien was fired after going 40-35 in six seasons in Raleigh, won’t coach the Wolfpack in their bowl game and will receive a buyout of $1.2 million over four years. His teams were just 22-26 in Atlantic Coast Conference play and finished with a winning conference record just once, going 5-3 in 2010. He was 1-14 in Atlantic Division road games.

The Minnesota Vikings have ruled wide receiver Percy Harvin out oftheir game at Green Bay today because of a sprained left ankle. Harvin was listed Friday as doubtful to play the Packers. This will be Harvin’s third game missed after the injury occurred at Seattle on Nov. 4. He was leading the league in total yards, including receiving, rushing and kick returning, before he was hurt. The Vikings are 1-1 without him.

HORSE RACING Game On Dude wins

Game On Dude won the $242,500 Native Diver Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths Saturday at Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., rebounding from a poor performance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last month. Ridden for the first time by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Game On Dude ran 1 1/8 miles on Cushion Track in 1:52.27 and paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10 as the 3-10 favorite. He became the shortest priced winner in the race’s history, paying less than the $2.80 of Twilight Agenda in 1991. Nonios returned $3.20 and $2.40, while defending champion Kettle Corn was another 4 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $3 to show.

TENNIS Roddick tops Murray

◊Recently retired Andy Roddick beat third-ranked Andy Murray 6-2, 6-3 in the Miami Tennis Cup exhibition event in Key Biscayne, Fla. Roddick will play 11th-ranked Nicolas Almagro of Spain in the final today. Almagro advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 14th-ranked John Isner. Murray, trailing 2-5 in the first set, surrendered his serve in the eighth game when he sailed a backhand crosscourt wide. In the second set, Murray saved two break points from down 0-40, but couldn’t convert the third to give Roddick a 5-3 lead. At 15-0, Roddick doublefaulted twice in a row, but went on to win the final three points of the match with a service winner and two forehand winners.

Beckham, Galaxy win second MLS title

CARSON, California - David Beckham left MLS as a two-time champion after the Los Angeles Galaxy came from a goal down to beat the Houston Dynamo 3-1 in the MLS Cup on Saturday.

With a stirring second-half surge capped by penalty shots by Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, Los Angeles won its fourth MLS Cup, tying D.C. United for the MLS record.

The Galaxy also gave an appropriate farewell to Beckham, the 37-year-old English midfielder who wrapped up his sixth and final season in Los Angeles. Beckham will play elsewhere in the new year before eventually returning to MLS as a team owner, but he hasn’t disclosed his immediate plans.

After Calen Carr put Houston ahead in the 44th minute, Beckham and his high-scoring teammates systematically broke down the defense of the Dynamo, who lost the MLS Cup 1-0 to Los Angeles on the same field last year.

The Galaxy tied it on Omar Gonzalez’s long-range header in the 61st minute.

Donovan redeemed himself for missing an open net in the 13th minute by burying his penalty shot in the 65th after a Houston handball. The U.S. national team star, who is also contemplating a departure from MLS, won his record-tying fifth league title while scoring his fifth career MLS Cup goal and the record 22nd goal of his postseason career.

Keane played another stellar attacking game for Los Angeles before earning his own penalty shot in stoppage time when Houston’s Tally Hall knocked him down, and the Irishman sealed the victory.

Beckham left the game to a standing ovation from the packed stadium amid chants of “Thank you, David!” Beckham hugged Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena, who won his fourth MLS title, and just about everybody on theGalaxy bench before the game ended moments later.

Beckham streamed onto the field after the game with his teammates and waved thanks at the fans before he was joined by his three sons, all clad in No. 23 Galaxy jerseys.

Sports, Pages 24 on 12/02/2012

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