BRIEFLY U.S. INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATED WITH WIN.

Tiffeny Milbrett scored in the 77th minute Tuesday as the United States soccer team stopped a winless streak against Canada at four games with a 1-0 victory in Blaine, Minn., in the Independence Day series.

The Americans were tied 2-2 by the Canadians on Saturday night in Toronto in the opener of the two-game Independence Day series to drop to 0-2-2 in their last four games against Canada. They now lead the overall series 23-3-2.

BOXING: Light-heavyweight boxer Beethavean Scottland, 26, was pronounced dead at 10:36 p.m. Monday at New York's Bellevue Hospital Center. He had been comatose for six days after being knocked out in a nationally televised fight. Scottland, who underwent two surgeries, never regained consciousness. He was survived by his wife, Denise, their three children and a large extended family.

BASKETBALL: USC basketball coach Henry Bibby has hired former Michigan assistant Kurtis Townsend as his top assistant coach, replacing Dave Miller, whose contract was not renewed July 1.

Townsend was an assistant at California from 1993-1997. He then became an assistant at Eastern Kentucky before going to Michigan, which he left when coach Brian Ellerbe and his staff were fired in March.

A native of San Jose, Townsend is the younger brother of former UCLA guard Raymond Townsend.

In another move on the coaching staff, Bibby has promoted No. 3 assistant Damon Archibald to No. 2, replacing Silvey Dominguez, who resigned to join the staff at Texas-El Paso.

- Scott Wolf

--Loyola Marymount is part of the 16-team field for the Women's Preseason NIT. It plays at Oregon St. in the first round Nov. 9.

HOCKEY: Alexander Mogilny signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

- Daily News Wire Services