JUDGE BLOCKS VIKINGS' DRUG SUSPENSIONS. A Minnesota judge blocked the NFL's suspensions of Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams for violating the league's anti-doping policy. Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson issued a temporary restraining order at the players' request yesterday, saying he wanted more time to hear arguments in the case. No further hearing date was set. The Williamses were among six NFL players who were suspended Tuesday for four games for testing positive for a diuretic that can be used as a masking agent for steroids.
IRISH KEEP WEIS. Charlie Weis will return for a fifth year as Notre Dame football coach despite his second straight disappointing season, athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. Weis has seven years left on a 10-year contract. The Irish got off to a 4-1 start this season but finished 6-6. They were 3-9 last year ... Tommy Tuberville stepped down after 10 years as Auburn's coach. His record there was 85-40, including a 13-0 season in 2004 when the Tigers finished No. 2 in the nation. They went 5-7 this year. Raptors FIRE MITCHELL. The Raptors fired coach Sam Mitchell and replaced him with assistant Jay Triano. Mitchell led the Raptors to the playoffs the past two seasons and was the NBA's coach of the year for 2006-07. Toronto is 8-9, partly because of injuries.
Celtics WIN 10TH IN A ROW. Rajon Rondo notched his first career triple-double and Ray Allen scored 31 points, leading the host Celtics over the Pacers, 114-96, for their 10th straight victory. Rondo had 16 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 17 assists. Kevin Garnett added 26 points and 14 rebounds for Boston ... In Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant tormented his hometown team again, scoring 32 points to lead the Lakers (15-2) to a 114-102 victory over the 76ers.
SYRACUSE STAYS UNBEATEN. Jonny Flynn had 24 points as No. 16 Syracuse (8-0) rallied to beat visiting Cornell, 88-78. Cornell hasn't beaten Syracuse in 40 years, suffering 31 straight losses ... Tyler Smith's triple double led No. 10 Tennessee's 87-69 win over UNC-Asheville. Smith (12 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) helped the host Vols (6-1) give Bruce Pearl his 400th win in only his 509th game ... Sam Young scored 23 points as No. 3 Pittsburgh (8-0) beat down-the-street rival Duquesne, 78-51, on the Panthers' home court.
UCONN, CAROLINA WOMEN COAST. Freshman Caroline Doty had 11 points and extended her school-record streak of three-pointers to 10 to lead top-ranked Connecticut (6-0) to a 96-37 win over visiting Holy Cross. Doty was 3-for-3 from behind the arc. The national record is 14 straight, set by Portland's Deanna Lansing in 1996. ... No. 2 North Carolina (9-0) held No. 18 Ohio State scoreless for more than nine minutes of the second half in a 72-63 win over the host Buckeyes (6-2). Freshman guard Samantha Prahalis, a former Commack star, had 13 assists for Ohio State.
