IN BRIEF (Page 24)

NFL

Brees inspires Saints to big win over Falcons

ATLANTA: Drew Brees passed for three touchdowns to lift the New Orleans Saints to a convincing 34-14 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

Marques Colston caught two of them as the Saints (6-7) chalked up 24 consecutive points after the scores were tied at 7-7 to keep their playoff hopes alive.

"This was a must-win game," Brees told reporters after completing 28 of 41 passes for 328 yards and no interceptions.

"They all are from this point on, but you can't win four in a row until you win one in a row."

The Falcons dropped to 3-10 on the day former quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his role in an illegal dogfighting ring.

Colston wound up with nine catches for 92 yards and made touchdown catches of 15 and two yards for the Saints.

David Patten added 122 yards receiving on nine catches and the game's first touchdown, a 25-yard pass from Brees.

Soccer

Pellegrini extends deal with Villarreal to 2010

MADRID: Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini has agreed to a two-year contract extension that secures his services until 2010, the Primera Liga club said on Monday.

The 54-year-old Chilean joined Villarreal from River Plate in 2004. He steered the modest club to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup and third place in the Primera Liga to earn its first Champions League place in 2005.

It went on to make the Champions League semifinals, where it fell 1-0 to Arsenal in 2006, and finished seventh in the league.

A fifth-place finish last season earned it a slot in the UEFA Cup where it has just qualified for the last 32 knockout phase.

It is fourth in the Primera Liga, seven points behind leader Real Madrid.

Baseball

Brewers ink closer Gagne to one-year contract

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin: The Milwaukee Brewers inked Eric Gagne to a one-year contract on Monday, making the oft-injured right-hander's move official.

Gagne, 31, will replace former closer Francisco Cordero, who signed with the Cincinnati Reds last month.

Gagne had a 2.16 ERA and 16 saves for the Texas Rangers before he was traded at the deadline to the Boston Red Sox.

He struggled in Boston, where his ERA jumped to 6.75 before finishing the season 4-1 with a 3.81 ERA.

Gagne converted a major league-record 84 straight saves for the Los Angeles Dodgers from August 28, 2002-July 3, 2004, which contributed to his winning the 2003 National League Cy Young Award.

Snooker

Higgins fails to Cope

LONDON: Reigning world champion John Higgins became on Monday the latest leading player to be knocked out in the first round of this year's UK Championship after he lost 9-3 to rising English star Jamie Cope.

Higgins joined seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry and defending UK champion Peter Ebdon, winner of the world title in 2003, in failing to make it through to the second round as Cope demonstrated the increasing strength in depth of professional snooker.

Cope, the world No 22 and runner-up in last season's China Open in Beijing, now faces fellow Englishman Barry Hawkins in the second round.

But fan favorite and former world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan did get through the first round after coming from 5-6 down to beat Michael Holt 9-6.

(China Daily 12/12/2007 page24)