BRIEFLY : GRAF EASILY OVERPOWERS RUBIN.

Peerless on a cloudless Saturday, Steffi Graf showed a brief but brutal display of power tennis before a capacity crowd at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla., where the temperature underfoot reached a sizzling 120 degrees.

Graf's humbled challenger, sixth-seeded Chanda Rubin, no doubt felt the heat in more ways than one after absorbing a 6-1, 6-3 thrashing that took the 26-year-old German, the defending champion, a mere 54 minutes to complete.

``I could sense that she was a bit tentative from the start; I think she felt she needed to produce some great shots,'' said Graf.

The victory brought Graf's collection of championships to 97 titles in 124 finals. Already the first person to hoist four Lipton trophies, she improved on her own formidable record by adding a fifth title at the prestigious event.

Other than Graf, no one - man or woman - has won more than two Liptons. Graf has won three straight. Andre Agassi will go for his third straight title today against Goran Ivanisevic.

In the men's doubles final, top-seeded Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, who also happened to be this event's defending champions, trounced 10th-seeded Ellis Ferreira and Patrick Galbraith in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.

Gilbert Schaller of Austria moved within a match of defending the only pro title he ever won as he beat Alberto Berasategui of Spain 7-6 (10-8), 7-5 in the semifinals of the King Hassan II Casablanca Open in Morocco. Unseeded Tomas Carbonell of Spain gained the other final berth by beating Andrei Chesnokov of Russia 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

HOCKEY Michigan won an unprecedented eighth NCAA title but its first in 32 years when Brendan Morrison flipped in a rebound 3:35 into overtime for a 3-2 victory over Colorado College in Cincinnati.

The International Ice Hockey Federation announced the formation of a 20-team European League starting in September with the NHL sending over teams to join it in 1997. The 20 clubs will be split into five divisions of four.

MOTOR SPORTS Britain's Damon Hill won the pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, fighting off a surprise challenge from hometown favorite Rubens Barichello.

Dick Trickle, substituting for injured Loy Allen Jr., was the only successful qualifier in second-round time trials for today's Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn.

Mark Martin came up with his second straight victory and third in six Busch Grand National starts this season, taking the Goody's Headache Powders 250 in Bristol, Tenn.

Mark Martin came up with his second straight victory and third in six Busch Grand National starts this season, taking the Goody's Headach Powders 250 in Bristol, Tenn.

Pole-winner Jimmy Vasser won his second race of the PPG Championship season today, leading for all but five laps to take the Australian IndyCar Grand Prix in Surfers Paradise, Australia.

BASKETBALL An Illinois appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit against Charles Barkley and Jayson Williams stemming from a Chicago bar fight in 1992.

The Illinois Appellate Court in Chicago said the trial court should have taken testimony on allegations against the pair, rather than merely dismissing the case on the basis of a police report.

The lawsuit was filed by Christopher Vincent, a health-club worker who said Williams, a forward with the New Jersey Nets, hit him over the head with a beer mug. Vincent said Williams and Phoenix Suns star Barkley caused him to be falsely arrested by fabricating a story that Williams acted in self-defense when Vincent threatened him with a knife.

BOXING Three-time world boxing champion Alexis Arguello said he is finished with boxing and will devote more time to his restaurant in Managua, Nicaragua. Arguello, 44, began boxing in 1968 when he was 16. He won the WBA featherweight title and the WBC lightweight and junior lightweight titles between 1974 and 1980.

Ireland's Wayne McCullough finished with a bloodied nose, a swollen face and a split decision as he hung onto his WBC bantamweight title with an unconvincing performance against Mexico's Jose Luis Bueno in Dublin.

ETC. Tom Dolan dominated the NCAA men's swimming championships Saturday at Austin, Texas. The Michigan junior added the 1,650-yard freestyle title to his other two weekend titles to become the first triple winner in consecutive NCAA meets since Matt Biondi in 1986 and 1980.

Just a short drive from his house, Steve Hoskins made himself feel right at home in the finals of the Comfort Inn Classic in Sunrise, Fla. He claimed the fourth Professional Bowlers Association title of his career and $50,000 with a 250-202 victory over Brian Voss.

SOURCE: Daily News Wire Services

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Photo

PHOTO Michigan's Brendan Morrison, right, scores the winnin g goal in overtime against Colorado College goalie Ryan Bach, giving the Wolverines the NCAA title.

Associated Press