Weightlifting director DeGarmo Jr., 38, dies

USA Weightlifting executive director Rodger DeGarmo Jr. was found dead Tuesday, the United States Olympic Committee said. He was 38.

The Colorado Springs-based DeGarmo was conducting a site visit in Chicago. After a day of meetings and venue tours Monday, he stayed the night at a private home. DeGarmo's body was discovered Tuesday morning.

"It caught everybody off guard," USA Weightlifting spokesman Cecil Bleiker said. "He worked out . . . he seemed so healthy."

ALSTON CHARGED Houston Rockets guard Rafer Alston was charged with slashing a man's neck during a ruckus at a New York nightspot - his second brush with the law this month.

GRIFFIN REMEMBERED Kevin Garnett, former Seton Hall coach Tommy Amaker and former NBA coach John Lucas were among the 200 friends, players and family members who attended a Sharon Hill, Pa., memorial service for former NBA forward Eddie Griffin, who was killed in an SUV-train collision recently in Houston.

MARTIN, KINGS STRIKE DEAL Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Martin agreed in principle to a five-year contract extension. Martin was the Kings' leading scorer last season at 20.2 points a game.

BRAZIL BEATS MEXICO Leandro Barbosa had 21 points and Nuggets forward Nene scored to lead Brazil to a 104-90 victory over Mexico in the second round of the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas.

Lincoln High School graduate Hector Hernandez scored six points for Mexico.

In other tournament games:

• Carlos Delfino scored nine points in Argentina's game-opening 22-4 run, leading to an 85-70 victory against Canada.

• Hector Romero had 35 points and 11 rebounds in Venezuela's 88-79 win over Uruguay.

SHOCK WINS Swin Cash's layup with 8.5 seconds remaining in overtime lifted the WNBA's Detroit Shock to a 71-70 victory past the New York Liberty in the decisive Game 3 of their first- round Eastern Conference series.

KASS SUSPENDED East Carolina suspended quarterback Rob Kass for the opener at No. 9 Virginia Tech, three days after he was charged with driving while impaired.

HAND SIDELINED Notre Dame defensive lineman Derrell Hand, arrested last month on a misdemeanor charge of propositioning a prostitute, will be allowed to play for the Fighting Irish after serving a three-game suspension.

SWIMMER COLLAPSES Clemson swimmer Amy Marie Moxie collapsed while jogging and died at the hospital. She was 18.

PLAYER DIES Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta died in Seville, Spain, three days after collapsing on the field during his team's Spanish soccer league game against Getafe. He was 22.