VOLLEYBALL

Wichita State remained tied for second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a sweep at Illinois State (26-24, 25-20, 25-18) on Friday. Missouri State kept pace with a sweep at Indiana State. The Bears can grab the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with a win over Illinois State tonight. A loss and a Shocker win over Indiana State gives WSU the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.

Emily Stockman led the Shockers (22-5, 13-4 MVC) with 12 kills and 11 digs. Kim Wadsworth added 10 kills. The Shockers hit .252 for the match, including .370 in the final set. Illinois State (12-16, 7-10) hit .062.

* Cowley College will play for its first national championship today in the NJCAA Division II national tournament at Wisconsin Dells, Wis. The Tigers defeated Parkland 20-25, 25-20, 25-22, 19-25, 15-13 in the semifinals on Friday. Cowley, the No. 2 seed, will face No. 1 seed Illinois Central at 6:30 p.m. Cowley lost to Illinois Central in five games earlier this season.

BASKETBALL

Kevin Durant scored 35 points, Russell Westbrook added 26 and the Oklahoma City Thunder had their highest-scoring output of the season in a 127-108 victory over the Washington Wizards. Rookie James Harden followed his 24-point performance by hitting his first three three-pointers and finishing with 25 points to set another career best. Jeff Green had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Thabo Sefolosha added 16 points.

* The Hutchinson Community College men defeated Highland 78-53 at Hutchinson behind 16 points from Southeast product Joe Mitchell. Bruce Reed added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Blue Dragons.

* Friends men's team lost to Oklahoma Wesleyan 93-71 in Wichita. Chris Jackson led the Falcons with 17 points and Brett Steven added 11.

* Cassondra Boston scored 13 points to lead five Emporia State women's players in double figures as the No. 7 Hornets defeated Eastern New Mexico 82-50 at Emporia.

BOWLING

Former Wichita State All-American and Canadian national champion Caroline Lagrange won the women's World Cup Thursday at Melaka, Malaysia. Tied at one game apiece with England's Zara Glover, Lagrange needed to double in the 10th frame of the final game for the win and delivered two strikes for the 218-211 victory in the best-of-three final.

FOOTBALL

The death of the mother of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been ruled a suicide.

Mina Brees, an attorney from Austin, died Aug. 7 while visiting Colorado. Grand County coroner Brenda Bock concluded this week that the 59-year-old Brees died of a prescription drug overdose and ruled the death a suicide.

Relations between Drew Brees and his mother were strained at times and the quarterback asked her to stop using his picture in TV commercials touting her candidacy for a Texas appeals court seat in 2006. Drew Brees said the relationship crumbled when he refused to sign his mother as his agent after he went pro.

GOLF

Sophie Gustafson moved within two shots of leader Lorena Ochoa before weather put an end to the day at the LPGA Tour Championship in Richmond, Texas.

Rains swamped the Houstonian Golf and Country Club before dawn Friday and the start of the second round was pushed back six hours. The tournament resumed at 1 p.m., but light rain started falli ng about two hours later and play was halted at 5:05 p.m. with darkness approaching.

Ochoa didn't play Friday after shooting a 6-under 66 early Thursday. She will start her second round at daybreak Saturday.

Gustafson shot a 70 in the first round, then played 11 holes and moved to 4 under on Friday when play was halted.

SOCCER

Los Angeles midfielder David Beckham said Friday he'll need an injection in his right ankle to reduce pain and allow him to play in Sunday night's MLS Cup final against Real Salt Lake in Seattle.

Beckham has a bone bruise in his ankle that's been bothering him for some time. He said after Los Angeles finished training at Qwest Field that the combo of the injury and the artificial surface at the stadium won't keep him from playing for his first title since joining the Galaxy.