BRIEFLY : GOLD MEDALIST SMITH FACING LIFETIME BAN.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Michelle Smith, who won three gold medals at the 1996 Olympics, faces a disciplinary hearing - and possible lifetime ban from swimming - after a backup test revealed signs that her urine sample was manipulated.

Smith underwent an out-of-competition test Jan. 10 at Kilkenny County, Ireland.

FINA, the international swimming federation, said Monday that analysis of Smith's second sample showed the same signs of alleged tampering as the first.

``The result of the analysis of the B sample confirms that of the A sample,'' FINA announced. ``These results indicate suspicion of physical manipulation of the sample.''

FINA said the case would be forwarded to its drug panel for investigation. Smith has 28 days to decide if she wants a hearing. Under FINA rules, Smith could be banned for life.

BASEBALL: Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Jeff Tabaka suffered a fractured jaw and likely will go on the disabled list after being punched by teammate Marc Wilkins during a hotel-lobby fight in Milwaukee, apparently in a dispute over a card game.

The argument apparently began during a card game on the Pirates' flight from Miami to Milwaukee and carried over to the hotel. Tabaka and Wilkins share an apartment in suburban Pittsburgh during the season.

General manager Cam Bonifay said he will talk with manager Gene Lamont before deciding on any disciplinary action.

LACROSSE: Princeton defeated Maryland 15-5 at Piscataway, N.J., for its third straight NCAA Division I title and fifth in seven years.

Only two other teams have won three straight Division I titles - Syracuse (1988-90) and Johns Hopkins (1978-80). No team has won four in a row.

Goalie Corey Popham made 17 saves as Princeton (14-1) beat Maryland (14-3) for the title for the second straight year.

GOLF: Colin Montgomerie made a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory in the Volvo PGA Championship at Virginia Water, England.

Patrik Sjoland, Ernie Els and Gary Orr finished one shot back.

FOOTBALL: The Minnesota Vikings are officially for sale again. Owners will not consider bids less than novelist Tom Clancy's failed $200 million offer and they hope to complete a sale of the team by late July, according to co-owner Jaye Dyer.

TENNIS: Unbeaten Stanford shut out Mississippi State 4-0 and third-seeded Georgia upset No. 2 Louisiana State 4-1 to advance to the final of the NCAA men's championships at Athens, Ga. Today's final will be a rematch of the 1997 title match, won by Stanford in Los Angeles.

Four of the top eight seeds in the NCAA women's singles tennis championships were eliminated at South Bend, Ind., the most first-round upsets ever in the individual draw.

Anne Kremer of Stanford lost 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to Zuzana Lesenarova of San Diego. Fifth-seeded Sandy Sureephong of Texas, No. 6 Annica Cooper of UCLA and No. 8 Lauren Nikolaus of William & Mary also lost.

HORSE RACING: Jockey Eddie Maple, 49, who rode two Belmont Stakes winners, announced his retirement, ending a 33-year riding career. Maple's Belmont Stakes victories were aboard Temperence Hill in 1980 and Creme Fraiche in 1985.