Off the wire

— HOCKEY Sabres fire coach

The Buffalo Sabres have fired Coach Lindy Ruff as a result of the team’s inconsistent start to the season. The announcement was made on the team’s Twitter account and confirmed by Sabres spokesman Michael Gilbert on Wednesday. Ruff, who had been the Sabres’ coach since the 1997-1998 season, was relieved of his duties shortly after the team held a 90-minute practice, and a day after the Sabres were booed several times by their home fans during a 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Sabres (6-10-1) have gone 4-10-1 since winning their first two games. With a 571-432-162 record, Ruff was the team’s winningest coach.

Goalie Viktor Fasth has agreed to a two-year, $5.8 million contract extension with the Anaheim Ducks after an 8-0-0 start to his first NHL season. Fasth got the deal from the Pacific Division-leading Ducks, who have the NHL’s second-best record at 12-2-1. The Ducks signed Fasth, 30, to be Jonas Hiller’s backup last summer after his stellar pro career in his native Sweden. While Hiller has been slowed by injuries this season, Fasth has been largely outstanding in his place, making nine appearances with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. Fasth is just the third goalie in NHL history to win his first eight decisions.

TENNIS Ferrer rolls in Buenos Aires

Top-seeded David Ferrer of Spain began his defense of the Copa Claro title in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 victory over Argentine wild card Agustin Velotti. Ferrer, ranked No. 4, is a heavy favorite to win his second tournament of the season.

Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska led several of the top seeds into the Dubai Championships quarterfinals on a Wednesday overshadowed by the withdrawal of Serena Williams because of a back injury. Williams, who became the oldest top-ranked woman Monday, said she’s had a sore back and ankle since the Australian Open, thoughshe still reached the final in Qatar last weekend. Former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki joined Radwanska in the quarters, brushing aside an error-prone Zheng Jie of China 6-1, 6-0. Former U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur beat Hseih Su-wei 6-4, 6-0. Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova also got past former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 7-6 (1).

BASKETBALL Johnson fractures skull

Former Texas forward Gary Johnson is expected to make a full recovery after fracturing his skull in a collision with an opponent during a second-division Israeli basketball game. Johnson, 24, was put in a medically induced coma but has regained consciousness, the Israel Basketball Association said Wednesday. IBA spokesman Hagai Segal said Johnson was awake and communicative. Johnson will require plastic surgery but should make a full recovery, Segal said. Johnson, who plays for Hapoel Galil Elyon,was injured Tuesday when Elitzur Ramla forward Johndre Jefferson hit Johnson in the head with his elbow. Johnson had 13 points and nine rebounds before his third-period injury. Elitzur Ramla eventually won the game 92-73.

Florida basketball player Damontre Harris, a junior who is sitting out this season under NCAA transfer rules, has been charged with failing to appear at an arraignment. Harris, a 6-10 forward who transferred from South Carolina after last season, was arrested early Wednesday after getting pulled over for a traffic violation. Gainesville Police spokesman Ben Tobias said officers stopped a car that ran a red light near campus at about 2 a.m. The officers performed a routine driver’s license check and found an outstanding arrest warrant for Harris. Harris was cited last July for driving without avalid license. That’s a second-degree misdemeanor, according to court records. He had been scheduled to appear in court Aug. 16, but he never showed, triggering the arrest warrant.

BASEBALL Red Sox pick up Carp

The Boston Red Sox acquired Mike Carp from the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, adding another potentially useful bat to their roster shortly before the start of exhibition games. Seattle designated the 26-year-old Carp for assignment earlier this month, and the Mariners will receive a player to be named or cash from Boston. Carp can play both first base and left field. He appeared in 173 games with Seattle in 2009-2012 and batted .255 with 28 doubles and 18 home runs. In 2011, Carp hit .276 with 12 home runs in a career-high 79 games. His average dipped to .213 in 59 games last year.

New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda has pleaded no contest to driving under the influence. Hillsborough County State Attorney spokesman Mark Cox said Pineda entered the plea Wednesday in a Tampa courtroom. Pineda was arrested and charged with DUI in Tampa on Aug. 20. Pineda, 24, missed all of 2012 with a shoulder injury, and he’s expected to be out until at least June of this year.

GOLF Snow halts Match Play

The opening round of the Match Play Championship was suspended Wednesday in Marana, Ariz., when slush on the green gave way to snow that covered the fairways and greens at Dove Mountain and made it impossible to play. Play was called off for the afternoon because there was too much snow on the course. The round is scheduled to resume today.FOOTBALL La. Tech hires Dameron

Louisiana Tech has named Kim Dameron as its defensive coordinator. Dameron is a graduate of Rogers High School and was a receiver and defensive back for the Arkansas Razorbacks (1979-1982). He spent the past two years at Cornell, serving as safeties coach and defensive coordinator, and has coached at Ole Miss, Louisiana-Monroe, Stephen F. Austin, Eastern Illinois and Cincinnati.

ATHLETICS Source: 3 ex-Miami coaches misled NCAA probe

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The NCAA believes former Miami assistant coaches Clint Hurtt, Aubrey Hill and Jorge Fernandez provided false or misleading information during the investigation into the Hurricanes’ athletic department.

The NCAA said all three violated “principles of ethical conduct” as part of the notice of allegations served against the Hurricanes, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the allegations have not been released publicly.

Hurtt and Hill were members of Miami’s football staff. Fernandez worked on the men’s basketball staff.

Several other coaches are named or referenced in the allegations, including Frank Haith, Missouri’s basketball coach who is alleged of failing “to promotean atmosphere for compliance” while at Miami. Only Hurtt, Hill and Fernandez are facing the ethical-conduct charge, commonly known as NCAA Rule 10.1.

Hurtt is currently on the staff at Louisville. Hill is not working as a coach at this time, and Fernandez spent last season as an assistant at Marshall, resigning in May.

The notice of allegations was delivered to Miami on Tuesday, and the university is facing the charge that it had a “lack of institutional control” - one of the worst things the NCAA can levy against a member school. The charge revolves around how the school allegedly failed to monitor conduct of Nevin Shapiro, a rogue booster and convicted felon who provided cash, gifts and other items to players on the football and men’s basketball teams.

Sports, Pages 18 on 02/21/2013

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