         Reebok International Ltd. posted a 35% increase in third-quarter net income despite a slight decline in sales. 

The athletic footwear maker said net rose to $49.9 million, or 44 cents a share, from $37.1 million, or 32 cents a share, a year earlier.
Sales declined 3% to $524.5 million from $539.4 million. 

Paul Fireman, Reebok chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Our gains in earnings provide further evidence that the controls we have put in place and our sales mix are continuing to improve the company's overall profit performance." 

The company said it expects sales to improve due to a number of new products, including a "pump" basketball shoe that can be inflated to better fit the foot. 

In the first nine months, net was $140 million, or $1.23 a share, on sales of $1.44 billion. 

Separately, Reebok completed the acquisition of CML Group Inc. 's Boston Whaler unit, a builder of power boats. 

CML, Acton, Mass., had agreed to sell the unit to Reebok for about $42 million.
The agreement also called for Reebok to receive warrants to purchase 400,000 shares of CML common at $31.25 a share, exercisable at any time before July 1, 

An outside spokesman for CML said the terms were changed to a minor extent but wouldn't disclose what those changes were. 

