Hornets Pick Cowens as Coach

Former Boston Celtic center Dave Cowens was named coach of the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday after two weeks of negotiations.

Cowens, 47, a former NBA MVP and a key member of championship teams in his 10 years with Boston, had a reputation on the court as an overachiever.

“I had a good time when I played and I tried to play hard,” Cowens said. “Most of the guys I played with did the same thing. I expect my players to give a good effort and have a good attitude.”

An assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs since 1994, Cowens has some head coaching experience. He was player-coach of the Celtics during part of the 1978-79 season, going 27-41.

He will succeed Allan Bristow, who won more games than he lost in five seasons with the Hornets, but failed to lead the club to the upper echelons of the NBA.

“We will play with a lot of enthusiasm, because that’s what the fans come to see,” said Cowens. “Obviously, you can’t win them all. But you can play with gusto.”

Cowens said expect the Hornets to be aggressive next season.

“I think they’ll be tougher from a defensive standpoint. You have to play smart and intense, with no nonsense,” he said. “When you look at the teams still playing for the NBA championship you can see they are the best defensive teams.”

Auto Racing

Driver Alessandro Zampedri, injured in a crash on the last lap of the Indianapolis 500, was in fair condition after a second operation on both of his legs and feet.

His left foot was most severely injured, and doctors won’t know until Monday whether it can be saved, said Charlotte Hatfield, a spokeswoman for Indianapolis Methodist Hospital. His right foot was repaired during the three-hour surgery, she said.

Zampedri, Roberto Guerrero and Eliseo Salazar crashed in the fourth turn just as Sunday’s race ended. Guerrero was not hurt and Salazar was treated for a bruised right knee and released Sunday evening.

Zampedri, who led 20 laps before he was passed on the 190th of the 200 laps, was in surgery for seven hours Sunday night to repair multiple fractures of his legs and feet.

He was awarded fourth place in the race, Guerrero fifth and Salazar sixth.

Times photographer Jayne Kamin-Oncea and staff writer Shav Glick won three first-place prizes in the annual contest conducted by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Assn.

Kamin-Oncea took a first in action color photography and another in people, black and white. Glick won in news writing for his story on the 1995 Daytona 500, “A Sterling Drive at Daytona.”

College Baseball

After losing its first game of round-robin play, Cal Lutheran advanced into today’s NCAA Division III baseball championship game at Salem, Va., defeating William Paterson of New Jersey, and Bridgewater State of Massachusetts.

Cal Lutheran (34-13-1) will play William Paterson (38-5-1) in the title game.

The Kingsmen beat William Paterson, 3-2, in a game that was rescheduled because of rain Monday night. Junior Tom McGee had a two-run double and senior Andrew Barber gave up 10 hits and struck out seven to lead Cal Lutheran.

The Kingsmen then beat Bridgewater State in the semifinals, 3-1, on run-scoring singles by Eric Buben and Frank Maldonado. Junior Richard Bell gave up eight hits and struck out two for Cal Lutheran, which had lost to Wisconsin Oshkosh last Thursday, 4-0.

College Football

Michigan State tailback Duane Goulbourne was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after missing his senior season because of a broken leg.

Goulbourne led the Spartans in rushing in 1994 with 930 yards, but missed all of last season, which was to have been his final year of eligibility.

“This is a precedent-setting case for the Big Ten,” said Michael Kasavana, Michigan State’s faculty representative. “It was based on medical hardship, and the strength of the case rested on the fact that Duane graduated in May and is enrolled in a second academic degree program.”

Goulbourne graduated in May with a degree in food systems economics and management. He is now enrolled in a degree program in agriculture and natural resources communications.

Miscellany

Rolando Blackman led the scoring with 19 points as Olimpia Milan won its first Italian basketball league championship in seven years, beating Teamsystem Bologna, 88-80, in the fourth game of their best-of-five playoff.

Seven walk-on players were retained at the USA baseball tryouts for the Olympic team at Millington, Tenn.

Players selected included Ryan Brannan of Long Beach State, Brenden Behn of Merced College, Matt Ceriani of Consumnes River College in Sacramento, Scott Downs of Kentucky, Chad Harville of Memphis, Evan Thomas of Florida International and Matthew White of Waynesboro (Pa.) High School.

U.S. national team veterans Kasey Keller and Claudio Reyna were chosen as overage players to the U.S. Olympic soccer team.

Keller, a goalkeeper, and Reyna, a midfielder, are expected to be two of the three overage players on the Olympic team. The other likely will be defender Alexi Lalas.