Pro basketball
GOMES, ANGOLA ADVANCE TO PLAY TEAM USA: Former Valparaiso University standout Joaquim Gomes had eight points, five rebounds and two steals as his native Angola lost to Australia 76-65 at the FIBA World Championships on Thursday in Turkey.
Angola, which played without top scorer Olimpio Cipriano, finished pool play 2-3. Angola, the No. 4 seed from Group A, will face the United States (5-0), seeded first in Group B, on Monday.
Former Crusader Mohamed Kone had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Ivory Coast past Puerto Rico 88-79. The Ivory Coast finished 1-4 and failed to advance from group play.
Eric Gordon scored 21 points, and the United States pulled away after a sluggish first half to beat Tunisia 92-57 in its final game of pool play.
With nothing to play for, the Americans sleepwalked through most of the early start, leading the winless team by only four points early in the third quarter before turning it into a rout over the final 15 minutes.
The Americans misfired on nine of their 10 3-point attempts in the first half and failed to show any sustained stretches of good offense.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook each scored 14 points for the U.S. team, and Stephen Curry had 13.
Tunisia went 0-5 in its first appearance in the world championship.
Pro baseball
GORZELANNY EXPECTED TO MISS NEXT START: Cubs pitcher Tom Gorzelanny underwent a CT scan Thursday that revealed a small incomplete hairline fracture underneath the fingernail of his left pinky finger, which is stable.
The Lansing native is not expected to make his next start in the rotation, more so due to the swelling on the palm of his left hand. Gorzelanny's return to the mound will be reassessed in the coming days as the swelling in his palm subsides.
SABATHIA, GRANDERSON GIVE YANKS SWEEP: CC Sabathia pitched one-hit ball for eight innings to earn his major league-leading 19th win Thursday as the New York Yankees beat Oakland Athletics 5-0 for a four-game sweep.
Curtis Granderson homered twice as a fill-in for Nick Swisher, who left after one inning because of a stiff left knee. New York increased its AL East lead over idle Tampa to 1 1/2 games.
Local auto racing
BETTENHAUSEN CLASSIC SEPT. 11: Illiana Motor Speedway will host the 49th edition of the Tony Bettenhausen Memorial 100 on Sept. 11.
Gates will open 4 p.m. on race day, with time trials set for 5:30 p.m. and the first race starting at 7:05 p.m. Cost is $15 for adults, $5 for children 8-12.
The race honors Tony Bettenhausen, a Tinley Park native who made 14 starts in the Indianapolis 500 with five top-10 finishes. Bettenhausen's life ended during a crash while testing a car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 1961.
Steve Carlson, the 2009 ASA Midwest tour Champion, and Jeff Cannon are the first entries for this year's event. Both seek their first Bettenhausen win.
For details, call (219) 322-5311, or go to www.illianaspeedway.com.
Prep sports
FIREWORKS, REUNION PLANNED AT VALPO: Valparaiso's Viking Quarterback Club will again sponsor pregame fireworks before all home football games this season. Valpo (2-0) will play its home and Duneland Athletic Conference opener at 7 p.m. today at Viking Field against LaPorte (2-0).
Former players who were a part of Valparaiso's football program in 1970, 1971 and 1972 are invited to a reunion and recognition ceremony at halftime of the Sept. 24 home game against Crown Point. The reunion is for players who graduated from 1971-73 to honor those who were part of the Vikings' 26-game winning streak. For details, call Jeff Butterfield at (219) 548-3805.
MEET THE VIKES SOCCER EVENTS NEXT WEEK: Meet the Vikes nights will both take place at Viking Arena next week. The Valparaiso boys will meet Merrillville on Wednesday, while the VHS girls will host Munster on Thursday. Junior varsity matches will begin at 5 both nights. Admission is free to all children wearing their team jersey. Prizes will be given away during the contests. A special autograph session will take place immediately after the games.
Around the horn
Alan Karpick, president/publisher of the Purdue Boilermakers' sports publication and website, Gold & Black Illustrated, previews the Purdue football season on today's Purdue Calumet Sports Insight radio program at 5:30 p.m. on WJOB-AM (1230). ... Playmaker 12-and-under baseball tryouts will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dave Griffin's baseball school in Griffith. Tryouts for the 14-and-under softball team will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday. For details, call (219) 992-1107. ... Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson was selected the WNBA's most valuable player for the third time in her career.
