Coaches get warning

Referees will enforce bench decorum with quick whistle

Cursing or venturing onto the court could draw college basketball coaches a quick technical foul this season. The NCAA is making bench decorum a point of emphasis and warns coaches to expect a whistle without warning for a variety of unsportsmanlike actions.

Referees who are consistent in enforcing the rules will be given preferential consideration for conference and NCAA tournament assignments.

The actions that can draw a technical include disrespectfully addressing an official or attempting to influence an official's decision, using abusive or profane language, taunting an opponent, inciting undesirable crowd reactions and coming onto the court without permission of an official to attend to an injured player.

MORE BASKETBALL

GEORGIA SUSPENDS THREE: Three Georgia players, including the Bulldogs' top two returning scorers, were suspended for violations of the school's class attendance policy for student-athletes.

Coach Dennis Felton said guard Mike Mercer has been suspended for 15 games, forward Takais Brown for nine games and center Albert Jackson for six games.

Brown led the Bulldogs with 14.2 points per game last season, while Mercer averaged 13.7.

BASEBALL

FORMER COACH COMMITS MURDER-SUICIDE: Former Louisiana Tech baseball coach Pat Patterson killed his wife, who had Alzheimer's, and then himself Thursday at an assisted living facility outside Ruston, La.

Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone said Patterson's 71-year-old wife, Glenda, had been a resident of the home, he said.

Patterson, 73, coached at Louisiana Tech from 1968-90, compiling a record of 741-462.

(THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

WOMEN'S SOCCER

USC-UPSTATE 1, CAMPBELL 0: Alyssa Roegner scored a first-half goal to lead South Carolina-Upstate past Campbell in an Atlantic Sun match at Spartanburg, S.C.

VOLLEYBALL

AVERETT 3, PEACE 0: Host Averett College defeated Peace 30-17, 30-23, 30-24 in a USA South Athletic Conference match. First-year middle Kerra Gore led Peace with 13 kills, and senior setter Bridget Corbitt had 17 assists.

(FROM COLLEGE NEWS RELEASES)