BRIEFLY DRUG BUY GETS NUNN 24 YEARS.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Former middleweight boxing champion Michael Nunn was sentenced Friday to more than 24 years in prison for buying two pounds of cocaine from an undercover agent more than a year ago.

The 40-year-old was arrested in 2002 in Iowa after paying an agent $200 for one kilogram of cocaine that had an estimated street value of $24,000. He pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

Nunn had a 58-4 record with 38 knockouts and earned at least $6 million as one of the world's top boxers in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

FOOTBALL: UCLA had another scholarship open up when backup quarterback John Sciarra made the expected announcement he was transferring.

Sciarra, from St. Francis High of La Canada, will remain at UCLA through the current quarter but will not participate in April's spring practice.

-- The Arena Football League's Avengers cut backup quarterbacks Ryan Helming and Lon Sheriff, leaving Brian Mann as the main reserve to Tony Graziani.

GOLF: Phil Mickelson stayed on pace to win back-to-back tournaments for the first time in his career, shooting a 3-under-par 68 to take a one-shot lead in the PGA Tour's FBR Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Mickelson, who won last week's Bob Hope Classic in Palm Desert, had three birdies and an eagle before bogeying the last two holes. The left-hander has been in the 60s all seven rounds this year.

WINTER SPORTS: Kirsten Clark broke her wrist and tore ligaments in both her knees in a crash during a World Cup downhill event in Haus im Ennstal, Austria, likely ending her season.

The 27-year-old from Raymond, Maine, was runner-up in the super giant slalom at the 2003 world championships and is 10th in the overall World Cup standings.

Clark's crash was the third bad accident on the slope in three days.

--Norway Alpine and Olympic ski champion Lasse Kjus will miss the rest of the season after injuring his knee last week in Kitzbuehel, Austria.

--Didier Cuche of Switzerland edged American Daron Rahlves by .08 seconds to win the World Cup downhill race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. U.S. teammate Bryon Friedman was 21st, with Bode Miller 27th.

BASKETBALL: Louisville coach Rick Pitino declined to disclose the medical problem that forced him to take a two-day leave, insisting there is nothing seriously wrong with him and that he has a clean bill of health.

The 51-year-old rejoined his team Thursday after two days of tests at the Cleveland Clinic to find the cause of a ``urological-related'' pain.

SOCCER: The United States beat Sweden 3-0 in the Four Nations women's tournament in Shenzhen, China, getting two goals from Lindsay Tarpley and another from Shannon Boxx.

COLLEGES: Texas Christian officially accepted an invitation to become the ninth member of the Mountain West Conference starting in 2005.

TCU is the ninth university, fifth with a football team, to announce its departure from Conference USA.

BASEBALL: First baseman/designated hitter David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox agreed to a one-year contract worth $4.5 million.

--Right-hander Vincente Padilla agreed to a $2.6 million, one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, more than six times his $425,000 salary last season when he went 14-12 with a 3.62 ERA in 32 starts.

LACROSSE: The Anaheim Storm, who have started 0-3 in their first season of the National Lacrosse League, fired coach Peter Vipond and assistant Jeff Dowling and had team captain Stephen Sombrotto announce his retirement so he could become the new general manager.

Pat McCabe was hired as the new coach, Kevin Finneran was made his assistant, and former GM Jim Brady was reassigned to a front-office position.

HORSE RACING: Breeders' Cup Classic winner Pleasantly Perfect faces four rivals, including Congaree, in today's $250,000 San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita.

In Friday's $53,872 feature race, Royal Siphon rallied from far off the pace to beat Valley's Passion by three-quarters of a length.

Staff Writer Brian Dohn contributed to this report.