For an elite basketball team, No. 8 Washington State hasn't played many home games.

The Cougars made the most of only their fifth home game of the season last night, pounding Oregon State, 69-46, at Pullman, Wash., behind 17 points by Aron Baynes and 15 by 'Iolani alum Derrick Low.

"It's good to be home," said Baynes, who made 6 of 8 field goals.

Washington State (15-1, 3-1 Pac-10), coming off its only loss of the season at UCLA, broke open the game at the start of the second half, outscoring the Beavers 20-4 in the first nine minutes.

Oregon State (6-11, 0-5) lost its seventh straight game.

Low's 15 points gave him 1,012 in his career and made him the 28th WSU player to reach that milestone.

"It feels so good to come back home and play," Low said, "and have people cheering for you every single time."

BASEBALL

BRAVES SIGN TEIXEIRA, KAUA'I PITCHER YATES

First baseman Mark Teixeira agreed to a $12.5 million, one-year contract with the Braves yesterday, one of four Atlanta players coming to terms rather than going through arbitration.

Teixeira, who was acquired from Texas just before the trade deadline, received a big raise over the $9 million he made last season.

He batted .317 with 17 homers and 56 RBIs with Atlanta. Overall, Teixeira had 30 homers, 105 RBIs and hit .306.

The Braves also agreed to deals with relievers Mike Gonzalez and Tyler Yates, and infielder Omar Infante.

Yates a Kaua'i High and Hawai'i-Hilo alum who was 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA and two saves, got $800,000 after making $412,500 last season for the Braves.

COMMISSIONER SELIG GETS 3-YEAR EXTENSION

Bud Selig was given a three-year extension as baseball commissioner through the 2012 season.

The unanimous decision made at yesterday's owners' meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., came two days after Selig and union head Donald Fehr testified before a congressional committee that both criticized baseball for its steroids problem and praised the sport for strides made during the past three years.

"I'm proud of what we've accomplished but there's much work to be done in many areas," Selig said.

GOLF

TRAHAN, GAMEZ SHARE LEAD IN HOPE CHRYSLER

D.J. Trahan shot an 8-under 64, and Robert Gamez had a 65 yesterday to tie for the lead after two rounds of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic at Palm Desert, Calif.

Trahan began the day with a string of four birdies and had just one bogey to go to 13-under 131 through 36 holes of the 90-hole tournament.

Gamez turned in a bogey-free round. The co-leaders played at La Quinta Country Club, one of four courses used for the first four rounds.

AND WHAT'S MORE ...

Kansas' Mark Mangino, who led the Jayhawks to an 12-1 record and a win in the Orange Bowl, won the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award yesterday as the college football coach of the year. He beat six other finalists, including Hawai'i's June Jones.