Sports category, Page 2496
Steelers reportedly will release safety Morgan Burnett
The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing to end the Morgan Burnett era after just one season. The veteran safety will be released before April 1, according to an ESPN report. Burnett complained about his role as a dime linebacker with the Steelers and requested his release with two years left on...
5 quarterfinal bouts to watch on Day 2 of the NCAA Wrestling Championships
With Day 1 in the books at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, it’s time to look for the best matchups in Friday’s quarterfinals at PPG Paints Arena. There are going to be some good ones, especially at 133 pounds. 5-Jack Mueller, Virginia (19-0) vs. 4-Ronnie Bresser, Oregon State (25-1)...
Bryan Rust’s goal helps Penguins avoid potentially frustrating loss
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the first period of Thursday night’s game against the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust had a handful of scoring chances, including one shot that rang off the post behind goalie Pekka Riine. Was he starting to grow frustrated? “I was about to break my...
Signal Item area baseball teams look to continue run of playoff berths
All three area baseball teams — Bishop Canevin, Carlynton and Chartiers Valley — made the WPIAL playoffs last season. But none lasted past the quarterfinals. They will look to rectify that this season. A look at each team: Bishop Canevin The Crusaders are under the direction of first-year coach Bill...
Penguins give up late lead again, prevail in shootout vs. PredatorsVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the fifth time in their past 14 games, the Pittsburgh Penguins blew a one-goal lead late in the third period and went to overtime. This time, they lived to tell the tale. Sidney Crosby converted on his attempt in the shootout, Matt Murray stopped all three...
NCAA wrestling second session recap: Attendance near 35,000 on first day at PPG Paints Arena
Nearly 35,000 people came out to PPG Paints Arena on Thursday for the opening day of the NCAA wrestling championships. The NCAA announced attendance for the second session at 17,957, eight more than Thursday afternoon’s session, which drew 17,949. Those in attendance Thursday night witnessed some memorable matches. Biggest upset:...
Kevin Gorman: Upsets best part of Day 1 at March MatnessVideo
When you see the dizzying display of wrestling on eight mats covering the floor of PPG Paints Arena, you begin to understand why they call this March Matness. The NCAA wrestling championships are like an eight-ring circus full of takedowns, escapes and falls, of twists and turns and contortionist moves...
Penn State strong on first day; 8 former WPIAL wrestlers advance to NCAA quarters
The first day of the NCAA wrestling championships saw its usual share of dominant wins and eyebrow-raising upsets. And, as is also custom at this time of the year, Penn State ended the night in strong position to win another national title. Although they weren’t immune to the upset bug...
Stakes raised for next Micky Phillippi-Luke Pletcher meeting at NCAA wrestling
Micky Phillippi doesn’t know how many times he’s faced Ohio State junior Luke Pletcher on the wrestling mat. “Counting the practice sessions in high school, it was probably thousands,” said Phillippi, a redshirt freshman at Pitt. But when they two square off at noon Friday in the NCAA Division I...
Robert Morris women faces No. 1 seed Louisville minus Cardinals coach
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jeff Walz does not yet know where he will watch Louisville’s NCAA Tournament opener against Robert Morris. The Cardinals coach, who is suspended for the game, hints at being close enough to quickly rejoin his top-seeded team if it gets past the 16th-seeded Colonials on Friday. He...
Ja Morant’s triple-double leads Murray State to upset of Marquette
HARTFORD, Conn. — The game was in hand for Murray State and sensational point guard Ja Morant, who dominated Marquette in every way. With a chance to make some NCAA Tournament history, Morant’s coach told him to hit the boards and grab the rebound that would push him to an...
UCF’s 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall set for his NCAA Tournament debut
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The tallest man in college basketball is finally on the game’s grandest stage: 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall is set for the NCAA Tournament. Fall’s ninth-seeded UCF (23-8) opens East Region play Friday night against No. 8 seed VCU (25-7). “For me, for us, I would say it means...
Sidney Crosby says Penguins better served going for empty-netters than sitting back in late-game situations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Playing the position runs in Sidney Crosby’s family, and he’s been known to goof around between the pipes in pick-up games and other informal settings from time to time, but make no mistake: He’s not a goaltender. As such, the idea of sitting back and letting opposing...
Latrobe grad Pletcher off to good start at NCAA Wrestling Championships
When Latrobe graduate Luke Pletcher walked out on the mat for his first-round match at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Thursday, he heard a young fan yelling his name. Pletcher said he usually would nod, but when he saw the kid wearing a Latrobe wrestling sweatshirt, he gave...
Penn Hills grad Campbell, North Allegheny’s Woodley pull off upsets in NCAA 1st round
For Ohio State senior Te’Shan Campbell and Oklahoma freshman Jake Woodley a trip home turned out better than ever after both claimed wins in Round 1 of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena. Campbell snapped a scoreless tie with a takedown in the third...
Ichiro walks off into history in ‘sayonara’ at Tokyo Dome
TOKYO — At times, it seemed as if he’d go on hitting forever. But Thursday night, a player who defined baseball at its very best on two continents for a generation, took his final swing. The great Ichiro has said “sayonara.” Now 45, Ichiro Suzuki left the Tokyo Dome field...
Five matches to watch in the evening session of Day 1 of the NCAA wrestling championships
With the first session in the books at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, it’s time to look for the best matchups in Thursday’s second session at PPG Paints Arena. There are going to be some good ones, especially at 133 pounds. (Wrestlers’ seeds are designated before their names.) 5-Luke...
Pitt, Duquesne jointly pledge return of the City Game in 2020 and 2021
The City Game is going away, but only for one basketball season. Athletic directors Heather Lyke of Pitt and Dave Harper of Duquesne said Thursday that their teams won’t play each other next season for the first time since 1969, but the series will resume with games in 2020 and...
Late mistakes cost New Mexico State in loss to Auburn
SALT LAKE CITY — After a teammate passed up an open layup that could have tied the game, New Mexico State’s Terrell Brown was fouled behind the arc and missed two of three free throws as the Aggies dropped a 78-77 heartbreaker Thursday to fifth-seeded Auburn in the NCAA Tournament....
NCAA Tournament roundup: Maryland holds off Belmont
Maryland’s Darryl Morsell made a crucial defensive stop as the Terrapins fended off Belmont, 79-77, in a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The mid-major powerhouse from Nashville, Tenn., couldn’t knock off the No. 6-seeded Terrapins from the Big Ten despite a 35-point performance by Dylan Windler. Maryland...
Pitt wrestlers Phillippi, Bonaccorsi, Thomas win NCAA first-round matches
Pitt’s Micky Phillippi felt the butterflies all too briefly as he walked out to wrestle the first NCAA tournament match of his career. Then it was time to get down to business. Phillippi, a Derry graduate, was one of three Pitt wrestlers to win their first-round bouts at the NCAA...
NCAA wrestling tournament Session 1 recap: Penn State dominant in opening round
More than 300 wrestlers took the mats Thursday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena for the preliminary and first rounds of the NCAA wrestling championships. Penn State, which won seven of the past eight championships, held the team lead after the end of the first session with 21 points, ahead of...
Jung Ho Kang’s walk-off grand slam leads Pirates past Orioles
The big news of the day for Jung Ho Kang was that he got a double — his first hit that wasn’t a home run. Then Kang hit a walk-off grand slam to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in a Grapefruit League game...
Penguins growing weary of trying to make playoffs one point at a time
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Coming into a matchup with the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost two in a row. Both losses, however, came past regulation, in overtime against Philadelphia last Sunday and in a shootout Tuesday in Carolina. All told, the Penguins have picked up a...
Penguins call-up Adam Johnson to rely on speed in NHL debut in Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – When most call-ups are set to make their NHL debuts, they have to prove they can keep up with the speed of the NHL game. That shouldn’t be a problem for Pittsburgh Penguins winger Adam Johnson. As he prepares to face the Nashville Predators on Thursday night,...
