Sports briefs for March 31, 2005

Thursday, March 31, 2005 | 10:15 a.m.

Top prospect picks Rebels

UNLV landed a verbal commitment from one of the nation's top unsigned prep post prospects Wednesday when 6-foot-8 1/2, 235-pound Jerome Johnson of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., picked the Rebels.

Johnson also visited Penn State and Virginia Tech and considered Oregon, Georgetown and St. John's.

Johnson originally signed with Clemson after attending Pendleton School, a branch of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., last year. However, he was forced to attend prep school after failing to qualify academically.

Johnson is the seventh member of Lon Kruger's 2005 recruiting class, joining point guard Jovan Adams (6-1, 180) of Houston, swingman Joe Darger (6-7, 210) of Riverton, Utah, forwards Davon Jefferson (6-8, 190) of Lynwood, Calif., Gaston Essengue (6-8, 240) of Weatherford, Texas, JC and Wendell White (6-6, 210) of Antelope Valley (Calif.) JC and guard Jason Petrimoulx (6-4, 190) of Dixie State College in St. George, Utah.

-- Steve Guiremand

U.S. team tops Guatemala, 2-0

A day shy of his 21st birthday, Eddie Johnson scored in the 11th minute and set up Steve Ralston's goal in the 68th to lead the United States against Guatemala 2-0 for a key win in World Cup qualifying in Birmingham, Ala.

Johnson, who also nearly connected on a bicycle kick, has eight goals in eight international appearances. Seven of the goals have come in World Cup qualifiers.

Clijsters continues comeback climb

Unseeded Kim Clijsters, who won her 12th match in a row by beating fifth-ranked Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-1 in 56 minutes, will face top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo in the semifinals in the Nasdaq-100 Open today. Coming back from a career-threatening wrist injury that sidelined her much of last year, Clijsters was ranked 133rd before winning the Indian Wells title this month and will climb into the top 30 next week. That means she'll likely be seeded in May at the French Open, where she's a two-time runner-up.

Talks to resume

The NHL and players' association will hold the next round of labor talks early next week, with the union having little time remaining to make a deal that doesn't link league revenues to player costs.

A source close to the negotiations said Wednesday on the condition of anonymity that the sides will get together Monday at an undisclosed location.

It will be the first negotiating session since the league made two proposals on March 17 -- one including the cost-certainty link and one without it.

-- Sun wire services