ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 22, 1996 TAG: 9612230159
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: IN SPORTS
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser and another man were missing Saturday after embarking on what was supposed to be a day trip of snowmobiling, New Mexico state police said.
Unser, 63, and Robert Gaynor, 36, were to return Friday but failed to do so, said Sgt. Crystel Menesee of the state police post at Espanola.
``The trail that they took runs from New Mexico into Colorado,'' Menesee said.
She said state police and Colorado's Canjejos County sheriff's deputies were searching for the men.
``It's expanding, but last I heard there were six to 13 ground units and air support is on standby,'' Menesee said.
Temperatures were forecast to dip below freezing Saturday night.
BASKETBALL Rage wins in Richmond
Taj McWilliams hit two free throws with 1:03 to play, and Richmond (11-11) forced two turnovers in the closing seconds to defeat Columbus 80-79 in an ABL game in Richmond.
Former Virginia star Dawn Staley preserved the victory, stealing the ball from fellow U.S. Olympian Nikki McCray with two seconds remaining.
Staley led five Rage scorers in double figures, with 19 points. She also had 10 assists and five steals.
* Lou Eisenstein, who officiated NBA games for nearly 30 years and also worked 14 consecutive NIT finals, died Friday at 83. Eisenstein, who still worked scouting officials for the ACC, died at home of a heart attack Friday, said his son-in-law, Steve Shapiro.
BASEBALL Clemson sued by former player
A former Clemson baseball player who was declared academically ineligible by the NCAA for the 1996 season is suing the university.
R.J. Hendricks II, 22, of Seminole, Fla., accuses the university and a former academic adviser of negligence, breach of contract and breach of trust in ``twice failing to correctly advise [him] as to the courses he needed to achieve academic eligibility.''
Hendricks transferred to Clemson in 1995 from St.Leo College in Florida after being offered a partial scholarship. The academic counselor who advised him, Barbara Kennedy-Dixon, refused to comment on the suit.
* The Cincinnati Reds signed three pitchers to minor-league contracts, including Stan Belinda and Billy Brewer.
Right-handers Belinda and Felix Rodriguez and Brewer, a left-hander, signed Class AAA contracts and will be invited to spring training.
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB