FOOTBALL

GIANTS TELL DROUGHNS HE’LL SPLIT TIME WITH JACOBS

The Giants plan to replace the re tired Tiki Barber with two running backs.

At least that’s what they have told newcomer Reuben Droughns, who was acquired last week in a trade with Cleveland for receiver Tim Carter.

“They said it’s definitely going to be a 1-2 punch,” Droughns said in a conference call yesterday, shortly after he passed a physical and officially joined the Giants, where he will pair up with Brandon Jacobs.

“Brandon and me will be kind of a pound-it-out running style, so we’ll try to wear down the defenses and work together,” Droughns said.

The two Super Bowl teams both alternated halfbacks last season Indianapolis used Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai, while Chicago used Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson.

BASEBALL

C LOPEZ RELEASED BY ROCKIES

Catcher Javy Lopez, who had been competing to make Col orado’s opening-day roster, was released Monday by the Rockies.

Lopez, MVP of the 1996 NL championship series with Atlanta had agreed in January to a $750,000, one-year contract that wasn’t guaranteed. He will receive 30 days’ termination pay: $122,951

TENNIS

RODDICK OVERPOWERS ROCHUS AT INDIAN WELLS

Andy Roddick served 18 aces, one clocked at 147 mph, on his way to a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over Olivier Rochus in the third round of the Pacific Life Open yesterday.

Roddick overcame 33 unforced errors with his strong serve and well-placed forehands. Rochus made 12 fewer unforced errors than his American opponent, but did not have a single ace.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

KENTUCKY AD: ‘TUBBY’S OUR BASKETBALL COACH’

Tubby Smith has good reason to believe Kentucky wants him to return next season.

“Tubby’s our basketball coach,” athletic director Mitch Barnhart told the Associated Press yesterday. “He’s done a great job of representing the platform of Kentucky basketball. We’ll always look to make adjustments to the things we’ve got to do to get better. Tubby and I will do that collectively.”

Amid weeks of speculation that Smith was on his way out, Barnhart stopped short of saying the coach would remain in charge of the Wildcats. The AD acknowledged, however, that fans had misinterpreted a statement by him as meaning a coaching change was near.