BRIEFLY: UCLA GIVES DALIS CONTRACT EXTENSION.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Peter Dalis, in his 18th year as UCLA's athletic director, received a contract extension Thursday that will run through June 30, 2002.

During Dalis' tenure with the Bruins, UCLA has won 36 NCAA team championships, played in 12 bowl games and made 13 appearances in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, including each of the last 12 years.

GOLF: Justin Leonard figured he was out of it. Ernie Els thought he was cursed. Such is life in the Match Play Championship, where nothing is ever what it seems.

Leonard and Els escaped scares to advance to the third round of the $5 million World Golf Championship in Melbourne, while Tom Lehman and Michael Campbell of New Zealand joined them as the only players from the top-10 seeds still alive.

Among Thursday's casualties was third-seeded Vijay Singh, whose spirited comeback fell short in a 1-up loss to Toru Taniguchi of Japan.

--Lionel Hebert, a member of the PGA Tour for more than three decades and its national champion in 1957, died in Lafayette, La. He was 72.

BASEBALL: Joe Andrews, a white baseball player who helped Hall of Famer Hank Aaron overcome racism in the early days of his career, has died.

Andrews and Aaron played with the Braves' Class-A farm team in Jacksonville in 1953. Andrews backed Aaron as he endured racists' taunts and slurs, and carried a Louisville Slugger to scare away attackers when he was with Aaron on the street.

When Aaron wasn't allowed in restaurants, Andrews would eat with him inside the bus.

--The Dodgers continued to add bodies by inviting 12 players to spring training as non-roster players signed to minor-league deals, including infielder Andy Stankiewicz and pitcher Kip Gross.

Stankiewicz, 36, has a .241 batting average through parts of seven major-league seasons. The infielder was in the Yankees organization last season. Gross, 36, went 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA in two games for Houston last season. He was 1-1 in 26 games for the Dodgers in 1992 and 1993.

The Dodgers also invited pitchers Giovanni Carrara, 2000 first round draft pick Ben Diggins, Jim Dougherty and Scott Service; catchers Steve Bieser and John Pachot; infielders Shawn Gilbert, Phil Hiatt and Jorge Nunez; and outfielder Tony Mota.

- Brian Dohn

--The Dodgers have named Claude Osteen as a major-league scout for the organization.

Osteen was the Dodgers' pitching coach from May 26, 1999, through the 2000 season. Osteen, who ranks fourth in wins (147) for the Dodgers, and third in games started (335), won 196 games and had a 3.29 ERA in his 18-year career.

Osteen has worked as a pitching coach for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.

SOCCER: The next three Football Association Cup finals will be held at 75,000-seat Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, the first time the prestigious British soccer event will be played outside England in its 129-year history.

HORSE RACING: El Cielo charged to a four-length victory in the $72,000 allowance feature at Santa Anita.

El Cielo, a 7-year-old gelding and winner of five consecutive races, ran his record at Santa Anita to eight wins in 10 starts. The Florida-bred has won 11 of 16 career starts.

SOFTBALL: The San Fernando Valley Softball Officials Association is looking for individuals to officiate at local high school games starting in March.

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