COLLEGES

Big East set to invite Navy, Air Force and Boise State

The Big East plans to invite Boise State, Air Force and Navy as football-only members, and Central Florida to compete in all sports, after it doubles the exit fee for current members to $10 million.

An official in the Big East, speaking on condition of anonymity because the conference had not authorized anyone to speak publicly about its plans, told The Associated Press the invitations could go out as soon as next week.

The Big East said earlier this week it wanted to expand to 12 football schools.

• The Mountain West Conference and Conference USA say they are combining their football programs to form a 22-team league.

The new conference will spread across five time zones from North Carolina to Hawaii.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY: Tess Dusik scored a power-play goal at 1:54 of overtime to give Bemidji State a 3-2 win over Maine in Orono.

Danielle Ward scored on a penalty shot to give the Black Bears (4-1) a 2-1 lead at 8:27 of the third period, but Emily Erickson scored after Bemidji State pulled its goalie for an extra skater in the final two minutes of regulation to pull the Beavers (2-1-2) even.

Maine’s Myriam Croussette and Bemidji’s Erika Wheelhouse traded second-period goals.

SWIMMING: Authorities say a former Arizona State swimmer is dead after drowning in a pool on the Tempe campus.

ASU police say James Rigg, 22, and a male friend jumped a fence about 1:30 a.m. Monday at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Complex and then had a swimming contest. The pool is 18 feet deep and was not lit.

BOWLING

CANDLEPIN PRO SERIES: Vacationland Bowling Center will be hosting a CPS event today. The shift times are 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The Pro Series is a series of candlepin events based on points.

Among the best bowlers competing will be Peter Flynn, Shawn Morrison, Mike Morgan, Craig Holbrook and Jeff Surette. Vacationland bowlers will be Jeff Lapierre, Scott Lapierre, Joey Hutchinson and D.J. Trask.

HOCKEY

NHL: Jeff Skinner scored with 1:24left in the third period and Cam Ward made 39 saves in leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-3 win over the Sabres in Buffalo, N.Y.

Brandon Sutter and Tim Brent scored short-handed goals, and Jay Harrison also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won two straight since getting off to an 0-2-1 start. Ward had a solid outing, at one point stopping 30 consecutive shots. Skinner’s goal came 57 seconds after Drew Stafford tied the game at 3.

• The Phoenix Coyotes assigned forward Kyle Chipchura to the Portland Pirates.

GOLF

PGA: Webb Simpson made a pair of late birdies for a 3-under 67 at the McGladrey Classic on St. Simons Island, Ga., leaving him one shot behind Billy Horschel, who picked up four shots over his last four holes for a 6-under 64 and a two-day total of 12-under 130.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Fred Couples shot a 7-under 65 to take a share of the first-round lead with Steve Lowery at the AT&T Championship in San Antonio.

LPGA: Stacy Lewis and Brittany Lang shared the lead at 9-under 133 after the second round in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Lewis shot a 6-under 65 and Lang had a 67.

EUROPEAN TOUR: England’s Simon Khan shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura, Portugal.

TENNIS

GENERALI LADIES: Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova eased past Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-2 in Linz, Austria.

Kvitova will play Jelena Jankovic for a place in Sunday’s final. Jankovic beat Evgeniya Rodina 6-2, 6-4.

SHANGHAI MASTERS: David Ferrer moved into the semifinals in Shanghai with a 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (2) win over Andy Roddick.

JAPAN OPEN: Rain washed out play in Osaka, Japan, delaying the quarterfinals until today.

– From staff and news services