Sports in Brief | Broncos' Nash dies after he collapses

Denver Broncos running back

Damien Nash

collapsed and died yesterday after a charity basketball game in suburban St. Louis, the team said.

It was the second death to hit the Broncos in less than two months. Teammate Darrent Williams was shot and killed on Jan. 1.

Officials at Christian Hospital in St. Louis said the 24-year-old Nash died early last evening. The cause of death wasn't immediately determined.

Nash collapsed shortly after participating in the game benefiting a foundation named for older brother Darris Nash. The foundation raises money for heart-transplant research. It was established last month, after Darris Nash received a heart transplant.

The Broncos still are coping with the slaying of Williams, who was shot once in the neck while leaving a New Year's Eve party in his rented stretch Hummer in downtown Denver hours after the season ended. His slaying remains unsolved.

Lamar Lundy, 71, a member of the Fearsome Foursome defensive line for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s, has died. Mr. Lundy died yesterday after a long illness in his hometown of Richmond, Ind., the Community Family Funeral Home said.

Venus Williams

capped her first tournament back from an injured left wrist by beating top-seeded

Shahar Peer

of Israel, 6-1, 6-1, in the Cellular South Cup in Memphis. It was her first tournament since losing in the second round in Luxembourg in October.

In the men's tournament, the top two seeds advanced to the final in the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships for the first time since 1987 when Stefan Edberg beat No. 1 seed Jimmy Connors.

Andy Roddick got a little revenge against Andy Murray of Britain for last weekend's semifinal loss in San Jose, Calif., beating the young Scot, 6-3, 7-6 (4). Defending champion Tommy Haas of Germany downed Mardy Fish, 6-3, 6-4.

Zach Lund

of the United States clinched the overall World Cup skeleton title a year after missing the Turin Olympics because of a suspension triggered by his use of a hair-restoration drug.

Lund finished his two heats in 1 minute, 35.97 seconds at the event in Koenigssee, Germany.

He beat Eric Bernotas of Avondale, Chester County, for the U.S. title with 653 points to 544. Bernotas was sixth in 1:36.47.

Erik Guay won for the first time on the World Cup circuit to give Canada its first downhill victory in 13 years. He was joined by two other Canadians in the top 10 - Jan Hudec (fifth) and Manuel Osborne-Paradis (seventh). The previous Canadian to win a downhill was Cary Mullen in Aspen, Colo., in 1994.

Guay was timed in 1:56.80 on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, one of the most demanding on the circuit.

Seattle Mariners reliever

Mark Lowe

will have arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow next week, pushing back his potential return to June or later.

Elsewhere: Yankees center fielder Johnny Damon is expected to miss at least a few days of spring training for personal reasons, New York manager Joe Torre said. . . . The Colorado Rockies signed veteran outfielder Steve Finley to a minor-league contract.

Matt Kenseth

took control in the closing laps at California Speedway, driving off with his fourth NASCAR Busch Series victory in 12 tries on the 2-mile oval in Fontana, Calif.

Casey Mears was about five lengths behind in second. Kenseth earned his 22d Busch victory in his 200th series start.