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St. Mary's basketball on NCAA probation

MORAGA, Calif., March 1 (UPI) -- The NCAA said it placed the St. Mary's (Calif.) men's basketball program on four years of probation Friday for failing to monitor its recruiting activities.

The Gaels, who are in second place in the West Coast Conference standings, will have their scholarships reduced in the 2014-2015 and the 2015-2016 academic years, the NCAA said in a written statement.

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions concluded a St. Mary's assistant coach "acted unethically in his recruitment of international prospects," the statement said.

The allegations involved travel arrangements and improper assistance in filling out paperwork for a student visa.

The committee said head Coach Randy Bennett failed to monitor his coaching staff's activities and will have to sit out five games next season.

Weirather wins super-G in Germany

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, March 1 (UPI) -- Lichtenstein's Tina Weirather won the women's super-G in Germany Friday. Veterans Julia Mancuso of the United States and Tina Maze of Slovenia tied for second.

Weirather posted her first career World Cup victory with a time of 1 minute, 19.82 seconds, 0.12 seconds ahead of Mancuso and Maze.

Anna Fenniger and Nicole Hosp took fourth and fifth places, respectively, on a day when weather and course conditions at Garmisch were described as ideal.

"I managed to keep up the speed all the way down," said Weirather, who has battled knee injuries for much her career. "My shin isn't hurting anymore and I could really push on it. I was really fast in the last section."

The tie for the second spot also tightened up the super-G standings. Maze, the overall points leader, also maintained her lead in the super-G category -- by a slim 65 points over second-place Mancuso with two more events left in the season.

St. John's suspends D'Angelo Harrison

NEW YORK, March 1 (UPI) -- St. John's sopohomore guard D'Angelo Harrison, the third-leading scorer in the Big East, was suspended for the rest of the season Friday by Coach Steve Lavin.

No reason was stated for the disciplinary action.

The university said the suspension includes post-season games.

St. John's has three remaining regular-season games, the Big East Tournament and could qualify for subsequent post-season competition.

"I had a productive meeting with D'Angelo yesterday," Lavin said. "He has a bright future in basketball and I'm optimistic his time away from our team will be of value."

Harrison's team-leading average of 17.8 points per game is third best in the Big East.

St. John's is 16-11 overall and 8-7 in the Big East going into a conference game Saturday at Providence.

Lewis jumps to LPGA lead

SINGAPORE, March 1 (UPI) -- Stacy Lewis shot a bogey-free, 6-under-par 66 Friday in building a two-stroke lead halfway through the LPGA's HSBC Women's Champions tournament in Singapore.

Lewis had three birdies on each side, moving to 11-under 133 after 36 holes.

Six players are tied for second at 9-under. Choi Na-yeon and Ariya Jutanugarn each matched Lewis' score of 66. Choi had a bogey and seven birdies and Jutanugarn posted six birdies.

First-round leader Azahara Munoz was 2-under 70 and among those tied for second. Also at 9-under for the tournament are Chella Choi and Paula Creamer, who both shot 67 in the second round, and Yoo Sun-young, who had a 68.

Lewis birdied three par 4s in the first six holes, including back-to-back birdies at Nos. 5 and 6 that moved her into the lead. She added birdies at the par-5 12th and the par-3 14th and 17th holes.