Sports

Sports Shorts

HOOPS: Clifford hired to coach Bobcats

Steve Clifford was hired yesterday to become the new head coach of the Bobcats. Sources said the former Lakers assistant has agreed on a three-year contract to replace former St. John’s assistant Mike Dunlap, who was fired after going 21-61 in his only season as coach.

Brittney Griner, making her WNBA debut for the Phoenix Mercury, became the third WNBA player to dunk and first to do it twice in one game in a 102-80 loss to the Chicago Sky. Griner finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Epiphanny Prince had 26 points for the Sky.

Tennis: Nadal survives shaky start

Rafael Nadal held off 59th-ranked Daniel Brands in the opening round of the French Open in Paris. Nadal got off to a slow start before finishing off a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3 win. The victory improved Nadal’s career record at Roland Garros to 53-1, the only loss coming in the fourth round in 2009 against Robin Soderling. On the women’s side, Maria Sharapova needed all of 54 minutes to overpower 42nd-ranked Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan 6-2, 6-1 and Li Na was a 6-3, 6-4 winner against Anabel Medina Garrigue.

COLLEGE: Columbia heads west for tourney

Ivy League champion Columbia heads west for the NCAA baseball tournament this weekend. The Lions received the fourth seed in the Fullerton, Calif., Regional, and will take on No. 1 Cal State Fullerton Friday at 11 p.m. Arizona State, seeded second, and No. 3 New Mexico are also in the region.

Columbia is the only local in the 64-team field, after Seton Hall failed to get an invite despite a 37-18 record.