Sports shorts

Registration for the Brainerd Parks and Recreation Department's Pond Hockey program remains open.

The program is for boys and girls in grades 4-7. All skating abilities are welcome. Cost is $30.

Helmets, pads and jerseys will be provided. Participants need to have their own sticks, skates and mouthguards. Games will be played Saturday mornings at Mill Avenue Park for six weeks, weather permitting.

Register at the parks and recreation office in Lum Park from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday.

Equipment will be handed out 2 p.m. Sunday at Brainerd Area Civic Center. Registration will also be available at that time. A rules meeting and a short skating program will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday.

For further information call 828-2320.

Sophomore girls defeat Pelican Rapids

Stacy Butler scored 17 points to help the Brainerd Warriors defeat Pelican Rapids 46-32 in the sophomore division of the Brainerd Sports Boosters Girls Basketball Holiday Classic Tuesday.

Kayla Huether added 11 points and Megan Bates eight for Brainerd, which plays for the championship at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

JV boys triumph

The Brainerd Warriors defeated Apple Valley 4-1 in the junior varsity Silver Division of the Schwan Cup boys' hockey tournament Tuesday.

Brainerd goals were by Adam Meyer, Jack Freeman, Sam Holland and Tyler Swoboda. Landon Snider was the winning goalie. Brainerd plays Benilde-St. Margaret's 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Roseville in the semifinals.

Nuggets fire Bzdelik after lackluster start

DENVER (AP) -- Following a lackluster loss to Cleveland earlier this month, Denver coach Jeff Bzdelik questioned whether his players were in shape and said he was losing sleep because of the Nuggets' inconsistent play.

Unfortunately for him, things never really got better.

Denver fired Bzdelik on Tuesday, one day after the Nuggets lost their sixth straight game and failed again to live up to the high expectations that came with the offseason addition of All-Star forward Kenyon Martin. Assistant Michael Cooper took over on an interim basis after Bzdelik became the first NBA coach to be fired this season.

Company attorney tipped OSU about gifts to QB

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio State athletic officials will sanction a businessman who gave improper benefits to quarterback Troy Smith, leading to his suspension from playing in the Alamo Bowl, athletic director Andy Geiger said Tuesday.

Robert Q. Baker, 46, gave Smith an unspecified benefit at the Columbus business he used to head, in violation of NCAA rules, Geiger told The Associated Press by telephone from San Antonio, where the Buckeyes are preparing for Wednesday's game against Oklahoma State.

Possible penalties include preventing Baker from buying tickets to Buckeyes' football games or not allowing him to buy into a luxury suite at Ohio Stadium, Geiger said.