Sports category, Page 738
Penguins forward Drew O’Connor found confidence playing overseas then comfort as a top-6 winger
When Drew O’Connor got loose for a breakaway and scored the opening goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 7-4 preseason road win against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 6, it surprised some people. Sabres forward Alex Tuch was not one of those people. He saw O’Connor — typically a...
Mike Tomlin says Steelers’ Keeanu Benton could be ‘dominant.’ Benton wants to prove him right
Mike Tomlin isn’t exactly known as the type of coach who freely dispenses praise for young players. So when in answering the 58th question asked of him during his season-ending news conference last week, Tomlin didn’t restrain in extolling rookie Keeanu Benton, it opened eyes. “I think he’s capable of...
49ers stage 4th-quarter rally to put away pesky Packers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy’s throws were off target all night. The San Francisco defense kept giving up big plays. There were even a couple of special teams blunders. Just when it seemed like the top-seeded 49ers might be sent home in their first playoff game, they did something...
Penguins give up 3 goals late in loss to Golden Knights
Allowing a trio of scores in the third period, the Pittsburgh Penguins were defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-2, on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Goaltender Tristan Jarry made 26 saves on 29 shots in the defeat, which dropped his record to 12-13-4. The Penguins were outshot...
Minor league report: Penguins shut out by BearsVideo
Goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 19 saves on 20 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 1-0 road loss to the rival Hershey Bears at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday. The result dropped Blomqvist’s record to 12-5-3. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (20-14-5-0) was shut out for the second time this season. Penguins...
Blake Hinson’s 24 points lead Pitt to road stunner against No. 7 Duke
If anyone in the crowd of 9,314 at Cameron Indoor Stadium did not see Blake Hinson’s passion overflowing Saturday night, he offered an encore performance moments after Pitt’s stunning 80-76 upset of the No. 7 Blue Devils. Hinson jumped up on a table — inches from the Duke student section...
Nick Dunlap nears PGA Tour’s 1st amateur victory since 1991
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Nick Dunlap’s girlfriend flew cross-country Saturday to spend the weekend with him in Palm Springs, so the two college students planned to go get a steak dinner before Dunlap wraps up his day with a little laundry and some homework. And then on Sunday, Dunlap will...
Islanders fire coach Lane Lambert, replace him with Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy is the new coach of the New York Islanders, hired Saturday in a stunning midseason change behind the bench that came with the firing of Lane Lambert. President of hockey operations and general manager Lou Lamoriello announced the move to dismiss Lambert and bring in Roy, who hasn’t...
Lamar Jackson, Ravens pull away to beat Texans, reach AFC title game
BALTIMORE — Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores, and the Baltimore Ravens pulled away in the second half for a 34-10 win over the Houston Texans on Saturday to advance to the AFC championship game. On one of his most productive rushing days of the...
RaeQuan Battle, Pat Suemnick lead West Virginia over No. 3 Kansas
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — RaeQuan Battle scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Pat Suemnick added a career-high 20 points and West Virginia beat No. 3 Kansas, 91-85, on Saturday. Fans stormed the court after the Mountaineers (7-11, 2-3 Big 12) improved to 7-5 against Kansas in Morgantown and broke a...
Duquesne loses on layup in final second vs. Saint Joseph’s
PHILADELPHIA — Christ Essandoko led Saint Joseph’s with 21 points, and Cameron Brown hit the winning layup with one second left as the Hawks took down Duquesne, 71-69, on Saturday. The Dukes (9-8, 0-5 Atlantic 10) were led in scoring by Jimmy Clark III, who finished with 21 points and...
3 things that went right for Steelers offense, 3 that new offensive coordinator must fix
Mike Tomlin is going outside of his comfort zone — and the organization — to find his next offensive coordinator. Not since Todd Haley was hired in 2012 have the Steelers looked beyond the walls of 3400 South Water Street for the person in charge of leading the offense. The...
Josh Allen, Bills hope home-field edge will help them avoid another playoff loss to Chiefs
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — As much respect Josh Allen has for friend and occasional offseason golf partner Patrick Mahomes, the Buffalo Bills quarterback still can’t forget when his Kansas City Chiefs rival got the last laugh at his expense. The two were teammates in a made-for-TV golf event in June...
Robert Morris men extend winning streak to 3 after beating IUPUI
INDIANAPOLIS — Josh Corbin’s 20 points helped Robert Morris defeat IUPUI, 80-63, on Saturday as the Colonials extended their winning streak to three. Corbin added five assists for the Colonials (8-12, 4-5 Horizon League). Justice Williams scored 17 points, and TJ Wainwright finished with 16 points. Jlynn Counter led the...
Penn State can’t overcome early deficit, loses at Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Evan Mahaffey, a sophomore transfer from Penn State, and Roddy Gayle Jr. each scored 16 points to help Ohio State beat the Nittany Lions, 79-67, on Saturday afternoon. The win gave Chris Holtmann his 250th career victory and his 136th win in seven seasons as head coach...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Don’t expect many surprises from Steelers this offseason
A summation of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 offseason before it happens: • Mike Tomlin retained as coach, given contract extension. (Already halfway home on that.) • Somebody connected to the organization or city hired as offensive coordinator. Byron Leftwich seems the heavy favorite. #BuddySystem • Mitch Trubisky cut. Mason Rudolph...
No. 1 Iga Swiatek exits Australian Open in a 3rd-round loss to Czech teenager Linda Noskova
MELBOURNE, Australia — Already down a set and facing a break point against Iga Swiatek, No. 50-ranked Linda Noskova decided she had nothing to lose. She won 11 of the next 12 points to take the second set and swing momentum in their third-round match Saturday, ultimately becoming the first...
Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer earns 1,202nd victory to tie Mike Krzyzewski’s record
STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford’s players formed a postgame circle and Kiki Iriafen offered her celebratory teammates a little perspective on their coach, Tara VanDerveer: “Tara’s been winning since our parents were kids.” Yes, pushing five decades. A head coach since her mid-20s and still doing it now at 70, VanDerveer...
Josh Hader agrees to $95 million, 5-year contract with Astros, AP source says
Hard-throwing reliever Josh Hader and the Houston Astros agreed to a $95 million, five-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. Hader will get a $19 million salary...
Minor league report: Taylor Gauthier, Nailers snap losing streakVideo
Goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 28 saves on 29 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 4-1 road win against the Iowa Heartlanders at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa on Friday. The result boosted Gauthier’s record to 10-11-2. Defenseman Davis Bunz had a goal and an assist for Wheeling (17-16-1-1) which...
C.J. Stroud shows poise beyond his years in leading Texans
HOUSTON — Rookie C.J. Stroud impressed fans across the country with his poise and calmness in leading the Houston Texans to a win over the Cleveland Browns in his playoff debut. Though the performance was eye-opening to many, for those in Houston who know him best, it was just what...
Miami Heat retire Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey
MIAMI — Udonis Haslem averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds in his career. He never made an All-Star team. Never had a triple-double. Never signed anything close to a max contract. Never even won a player of the week award. The stats might seem ordinary. Yet, to the Miami Heat,...
Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus join Donnie Allison in NASCAR Hall of Fame
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, who teamed up to win a record-tying seven Cup championships, were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday night. The sport’s dominant duo, both first-ballot inductees, joined Donnie Allison, an original member of the “Alabama Gang,” in a...
Sam Burns leads The American Express; amateur Nick Dunlap in hunt
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Sam Burns shot the best round of his life with “RTR” shaved into the side of his head. The acronym for “Roll Tide Roll” was the LSU product’s follicular punishment for losing a bet with Justin Thomas. Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap apparently took it literally, however:...
Lions finally giving fans, including Eminem, chance to cheer for winner
DETROIT — Eminem stood alongside Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson before the Detroit Lions hosted a playoff game for the first time in three decades, soaking up an electric atmosphere at Ford Field. “The energy in the building was amazing,” Johnson said in a phone...
