Sports category, Page 615
Illinois’ Elite Eight run led by Terrence Shannon Jr., who faces rape charge, isn’t talking to mediaVideo
BOSTON — Illinois’ season could have ended up a lot different. The Illini opened the season thriving behind Terrence Shannon Jr., who established himself as one of the premier scorers in the nation. And then they were thrust into uncertainty in December when Shannon was charged with rape or an...
Hijab-wearing players in women’s NCAA Tournament hope to inspire othersVideo
N.C. State’s Jannah Eissa and UC Irvine’s Diaba Konate are bringing visibility and inspiration to some Muslim women by wearing hjiabs while they play basketball. They aren’t the first women to do it in NCAA Tournament play, but with record viewership and attendance they are certainly getting noticed. “Representation really...
Oakland Athletics fans boycott home opener outside stadium in protest of Las Vegas moveVideo
OAKLAND, Calif. — Many fans at the Oakland Coliseum were still hanging out in the parking lot when Alex Wood delivered the first pitch of the season for the Athletics against the Cleveland Guardians. And they had no intention of going into the stadium. In protest of the A’s planned...
Pirates trade injured pitcher JT Brubaker to Yankees
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a surprise move Friday, trading right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker and international bonus pool money to the New York Yankees for a player to be named later. A 2015 sixth-round draft pick from Akron, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Brubaker avoided his second year of arbitration by signing for...
Penguins recall defenseman Ryan Shea from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled defenseman Ryan Shea from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League under emergency roster conditions on Friday afternoon. While the team has yet to announce the transaction, Shea’s presence on the NHL roster is reflected on the league’s media Web site. His recall comes in the wake...
AP mock NFL draft 2.0: Quarterbacks and wide receivers are the top 6 picks
Caleb Williams will visit the Chicago Bears next week to meet more coaches, undergo medical testing and get more familiar with his future team. Williams going to the Bears at No. 1 is easy. Predicting the rest of the first round of the NFL draft is the challenge. Will Washington...
MLB’s percentage of international-born players drops slightly to 27.8%, lowest since 2016
NEW YORK — The percentage of Major League Baseball players born outside the 50 states dipped slightly to 27.8%, its lowest level since 2016. There were 264 players from 19 nations and territories outside of the 50 states among 949 players on opening day active rosters and injured, restricted and...
Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves diagnosed with concussion
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves will be sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a concussion. His status was revealed by coach Mike Sullivan following a practice session Friday in Cranberry. The left-handed Graves was injured during a 3-2 home win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. He did not...
Dru Joyce III takes over Duquesne basketball amid new heights and challenges
Newly hired Duquesne men’s basketball coach Dru Joyce III is taking over the program on the heels of the team hitting heights we haven’t seen in half a century. Joyce was promoted from associate coach to head coach Thursday, replacing recently retired Keith Dambrot after seven years on the job...
Mark Madden: Pirates could try to be a real baseball team, but they don’t have to
The Pirates have the most interesting psychology, if that’s how to put it, of any Pittsburgh sports franchise. Perhaps of any team on the continent. The Pirates are the little engine that could but won’t. They’re a perpetual underdog with a great ballpark and hot dogs piled with pierogis and...
Tim Benz: Pirates’ tension-packed season-opener feels like a forecast of what’s to come
The reaction of Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton was one of bemused relief when he was asked a question following his team’s exhausting 6-5 season-opening win over the Miami Marlins. Is this how it’s going to be for his team all year? “Ha! I hope not,” Shelton said via the...
First Call: Patrick Peterson’s request for whatever team signs him; Steelers coaches scouting along O-line
Friday’s “First Call” reveals some offensive linemen that may be of interest to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the draft. We also provide an update on Patrick Peterson’s status. A Penguins prospect comes up huge in the NCAA hockey tournament. The Duquesne women’s basketball team runs out of steam. And a...
Luis Ortiz, Jose Hernadez shine in extra innings as bullpen boosts Pirates to Opening Day win
Jose Hernandez threw the 0-2 slider, then spun around to watch it when Bryan De La Cruz drove it deep to right field before it landed in the glove of Bryan Reynolds at the warning track. Hernandez punched his glove then pumped his left fist in the air to celebrate...
Illinois finishes off Iowa State to earn Elite Eight date with UConn
BOSTON — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State, 72-69, in an East Region semifinal on Thursday night. Shannon had 20 points in the first half for the third-seeded Illini (29-8), who never trailed. He broke...
Alabama knocks off top-seeded North Carolina to reach Elite Eight for 2nd time
LOS ANGELES — Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina, 89-87, on Thursday night to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history. Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points, 19 in the...
Purdue ends Duquesne’s season in Women’s NIT round of 16
Abbey Ellis had 15 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead Purdue to a 71-50 victory over Duquesne on Thursday night, ending the Dukes’ season in the final 16 of the Women’s NIT. Sophomore Jerni Kiaku led Duquesne with 19 points. Chartiers Valley grad Megan McConnell recorded the 10th...
Penn State advances to semifinals of inaugural WBIT
Ashley Owusu scored 24 points and Peters Township grad Makenna Marisa added 22 as Penn State advanced to the semifinals of the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament with a 92-87 win over Mississippi State on Thursday night. Penn State (22-12) will meet Villanova at 2:30 p.m. Monday at Hinkle Fieldhouse...
Top-seeded Houston preps for Duke in Sweet 16 matchup
DALLAS — Houston is home in the Lone Star State, playing as a No. 1 seed in the South Region and in the Sweet 16 for the fifth NCAA Tournament in a row. With All-America point guard Jamal Shead, big man J’Wan Roberts and coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars are...
For Gonzaga, Sweet 16 means guarding Purdue’s Zach Edey — again
DETROIT — For most teams, facing a 7-foot-4, 300-pound force of nature like Zach Edey is uncharted territory. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Edey is no mystery to them. Twice over the past 16 months, the Zags have faced Edey and Purdue, and twice they have lost...
Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin draws inspiration from parents’ 1st visit to PPG Paints Arena in yearsVideo
Many could relate to the warm feeling that comes from performing well during a sporting event in front of one’s parents. That’s something athletes of all ages cherish. Evgeni Malkin did just that Thursday evening at PPG Paints Arena as the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets, putting on...
Top-seeded UConn blows through another opponent, beating San Diego State to reach Elite EightVideo
BOSTON — Stephon Castle had 16 points and 11 rebounds for top-seeded UConn, and the defending NCAA champion advanced to the Elite Eight with another double-digit victory, beating San Diego State, 82-52, on Thursday night in a rematch of last year’s title game. Cam Spencer scored 18 points, and Tristen...
Clemson upsets No. 2 Arizona, reaches Elite Eight for 1st time since 1980Video
LOS ANGELES — When Clemson has encountered rough stretches this season, coach Brad Brownell has told his team, “We’re built for this, we can handle this.” In their biggest game of the season Thursday night, the Tigers proved their coach correct. Chase Hunter scored 18 points, and Clemson advanced to...
Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby power Penguins past Blue Jackets again
Be it denial or delusion, forward Sidney Crosby hasn’t given up on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season. But he’s realistic. “With the position we’re in, I think we just got to take care of ourselves,” Crosby said in Cranberry on Wednesday. “With the amount of teams that are bunched together,...
Jared Triolo delivers winning RBI in 12th, Jose Hernandez earns save as Pirates win opener
The Pittsburgh Pirates got an extra-inning win on Opening Day thanks to a hit by a player in his first season opener and a save by a pitcher who wasn’t even supposed to be on the active roster. Jared Triolo singled in the winning run in the top of the...
Kade Bell shepherding Pitt offense through spring’s ‘growing pains’
Long past anyone else’s 7½-hour work day, Kade Bell is typically still in his office, evaluating another piece of video, working on the next day’s Pitt practice schedule or just formulating new ways to move the football. Finally, it’s time to go home, but sometimes when Bell is leaving the...
