Cal Denies Transfer Requests

California athletic officials have denied requests from forward Tremaine Fowlkes and center Michael Stewart to be released from their basketball scholarships.

Athletic Director John Kasser said the players can appeal.

“I am adamant about this, as is [Cal Coach] Todd [Bozeman],” Kasser said. “These are very important parts of our program, and we have invested a great deal of time and effort into them. It’s in the best interest of everyone [not to release them].”

“It’s out of my hands right now,” said Fowlkes, a sophomore who in his first year was named the 1995 Pac-10 freshman of the year. “All I can do is concentrate on my classes.”

Fowlkes was suspended for 14 games in the 1995-1996 season for allegedly accepting money from a former agent in order to buy a car. He was later suspended for one game for violating a team rule, which was never specified.

Tennis

Top-seeded Pete Sampras overcame Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), in the semifinals and will meet No. 2 Michael Chang in today’s final at the $328,000 Salem Open in Hong Kong. Chang, 7-9 in head-to-head meetings with Sampras, beat Australian Todd Woodbridge, 6-3, 6-4.

Top-seeded Thomas Enqvist of Sweden outlasted American Jonathan Stark, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5, and No. 3 seed Byron Black of Zimbabwe beat Alex Radulescu of Germany, 6-4, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Indian Open in New Delhi.

Thomas Muster of Austria, the world’s top-ranked tennis player, was extended to three sets and two hours before finally beating Spain’s Alex Corretja, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-0, in the semifinals of the Estoril Open in Portugal. Muster will meet his training partner, Andrea Guadenzi of Italy, in today’s final.

No. 7 seed Mary Pierce and No. 8 seed Irina Spirlea will meet in today’s championship of the $450,000 Bausch and Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Fla.

In the semifinals, Pierce defeated Mary Joe Fernandez, 6-2, 6-4, and Spirlea beat Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, 6-1, 7-5.

Miscellany

A Miami football player and a woman were slain in a campus apartment attack discovered by a student who found his door blocked by a bloody body.

Marlin Barnes, 22, a reserve linebacker for the Hurricanes, and the unidentified woman were killed in a “double homicide,” police said. They were found in the apartment about 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Police said Barnes had “sustained trauma” but did not elaborate. The woman was found in an adjacent room, wounded and in critical condition. She was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where she died.

Metro-Dade Police Detective Tony Carvajal said he didn’t know the method, motive or weapon used. Carvajal said police were trying to confirm the woman’s identity, but said she apparently was not a student.

Barnes was a reserve linebacker last year as a sophomore and was named the most improved player during spring practice.

Former USC standout Lisa Leslie scored 23 points as the United States women’s national basketball team routed China, 85-52, in Philadelphia.

Pro Football

Former Dallas quarterback Steve Pelluer threw two touchdowns passes to lead defending champion Frankfurt to a 27-21 victory over Duesseldorf in the World League of American Football season opener.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed unrestricted free agent defensive tackle John Jurkovic, who played the last four seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

Auto Racing

Andy Santerre knocked Steve Park off the pole with his final run, capturing the No. 1 starting spot for the NASCAR Busch North Series’ Tri-State Megabucks Twins at Loudon, N.H.

Blaine Johnson, John Force and Mike Edwards led qualifying after Saturday’s session in the Winston Select Invitational at Rockingham (N.C.) Dragway.

Volleyball

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes defeated Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh, 15-12, to win a record $100,000 first prize in the Jose Cuervo Gold Crown Pro Beach Volleyball tournament in Clearwater, Fla.

Boxing

Michael Carbajal, International Boxing Federation junior flyweight champion, broke his right hand sparring and could be out as long as three months, his doctor said.

South African Baby Jake Matlala retained his World Boxing Organization light-flyweight title by stopping Scotland’s Paul Weir in the 10th round in Liverpool, England. In an undercard fight, Mexico’s Jose Luis Lopez floored Ireland’s Eamonn Loughran three times in the first 51 seconds to claim the WBO welterweight title.

Names in the News

As expected, Olympic veteran Charles Barkley of Phoenix and Mitch Richmond of Sacramento were added to the U.S. Olympic basketball team.

Olympic veteran Robert Dover won the Grand Prix Special Qualifier for U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team in West Palm Beach, Fla.