Pitt Knocks Off Florida State

February 10, 2022 3:48 am

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Ithiel Horton scored 24 points, shooting 7 for 13 from 3-point range, and Pittsburgh beat a diminished Florida State squad 56-51 to end its four-game skid. It was the Panthers’ first road win in the ACC since a 63-60 victory over Syracuse on Jan. 6, 2021. Horton made eight of Pitt’s 18 field goals and seven of the team’s eight 3s. The Panthers never trailed in the second half. On the defensive end, Mouhamadou Gueye tied a career-high with eight blocked shots. Caleb Mills scored 19 points for Florida State which shot 16 for 56.

Marchand Suspended 6 Games

February 10, 2022 3:55 am

NEW YORK (AP) — Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand was suspended six games by the NHL on Wednesday night for roughing and high-sticking Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry the previous day.It is Marchand’s eighth career suspension and second this season.  Marchand received a match penalty with 25 seconds to play in the Penguins’ 4-2 win Tuesday night after throwing a punch at Jarry’s head and poking the goaltender’s mask with his stick as a linesman was escorting him away from the fray. Marchand sat for three games for slew-footing a Vancouver player in late November.

Owners, Players Going Back To The Table

February 10, 2022 3:56 am

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Major League Baseball and its locked-out players agreed to resume negotiations Saturday after an 11-day break.  The session in New York will follow three days of owners’ meetings in Orlando that end Thursday and three days of players’ association sessions in Arizona and Florida. It will be just the fifth negotiating session on core economics since the lockout started in early December.  There is virtually no chance spring training workouts can start as scheduled on Feb. 16, a casualty of baseball’s ninth work stoppage, its first since 1995.

Penguins Snap Skid In Boston

February 9, 2022 3:48 am

BOSTON (AP) – Sidney Crosby scored his 499th career regular-season goal as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit and beat the Boston Bruins 4-2. Danton Heinen scored twice in a 28-second span in the second period, and Crosby added another with 7:07 left in the frame, moving him one goal shy of joining Washington’s Alex Ovechkin as the only active players to score 500 goals in the regular season. Tristan Jarry stopped 43 shots for the Penguins, and Bryan Rust scored into an empty net with 1:29 left in the third as Pittsburgh snapped a four-game winless streak.

Steelers Hire New Wide Receivers Coach

February 9, 2022 2:58 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Former Carolina Panthers assistant Frisman Jackson is the new wide receivers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson replaces Ike Hilliard, whose contract was not renewed following an underwhelming season by a wide receiver group that received solid production from Pro Bowler Diontae Johnson but not much else. Frisman spent the last two years with Carolina, coming to the Panthers after a two-year stint at Baylor. He followed then-Baylor head coach Matt Rhule when Rhule made the jump from college to the NFL before the 2020 season.

Kamara Accused Of Punching Man About 8 Times

February 9, 2022 3:50 am

LAS VEGAS (AP) – New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is accused of punching a man about eight times, badly injuring him in an attack also involving at least three men who were with Kamara at a Las Vegas Strip nightclub. That’s according to a police arrest report made public Tuesday.  The alleged victim fell unconscious while police say video shows he was punched, kicked and stomped on more than 20 times early Saturday. Identities of the three other alleged attackers were blacked out in the police report. No other arrests have been made.  Kamara played in Sunday’s Pro Bowl game before he was arrested on a felony battery charge.

NFL; Texas Reportedly Will Hire Lovie Smith As Head Coach

February 8, 2022 3:54 am

UNDATED (AP) – The Houston Texans are expected to hire Lovie Smith as their head coach, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the team had not announced that Smith would be hired. The same source said an official announcement was expected later Monday or Tuesday morning.  Smith, who is Black, will be the second minority candidate to be hired this offseason after the Miami Dolphins hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who is biracial, on Sunday.

Canada Beats U.S In Olympic Women’s Hockey

February 8, 2022 3:53 am

BEIJING (AP) – Marie-Philip Poulin capped a three-goal run by scoring on a penalty shot with 2:35 left in the second period and Canada upended the defending Olympic champion United States 4-2 to claim the women’s hockey tournament’s top seed entering the playoff round. The two global hockey powers are still expected to meet once more in the gold-medal final next week. Brianne Jenner scored twice, Poulin had a goal and assist and Jamie Lee Rattray also scored for Canada. Alex Carpenter and Dani Cameranesi scored for the Americans. Maddie Rooney stopped 23 shots.

Sources Say Baseball Isn’t Testing For Steroids

February 8, 2022 3:56 am

UNDATED (AP) – Two people familiar with the sport’s Joint Drug Program tell The Associated Press that Major League Baseball has stopped testing players for steroids for the first time in nearly 20 years due to the expiration of the sport’s drug agreement.  When the 2017-21 drug agreement was negotiated, the sides included a provision that states “the termination date and time of the program shall be 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, 2021.” That matched the expiration of the five-year labor contract.

 

HS Basketball’s Final Week

February 7, 2022 2:38 am

The sprint to the finish is here for WPIAL basketball teams.  One week remains in the regular season, albeit a very busy week for some with as many as four section games on the docket.  The top four teams in each section qualify and only section games count in that process.  Playoff spots are in hand for Peters Township, Ringgold, Charleroi, California, Burgettstown, Fort Cherry and Avella girls teams.  Boys squads who have already punched their tickets include Wash High, Fort Cherry and California. Here’s a look at where each Washington County team stands as we move into the final week of section play.

Girls
6A Peters Township (6-3) has clinched its berth and is tied for for second with Upper St. Clair. The two meet Monday night at USC. Canon-McMillan (0-10) has been eliminated.

5A Trinity (10-0) leads Section 3, has clinched a playoff berth and is ranked #2 behind Chartiers Valley in the latest TribHSSN rankings.  The Hillers have rolled past most section foes and host Albert Gallatin Monday night. Hear the game on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here starting at 7:05 pm. The Colonials gave Trinity one of the few challenges the first time through the section.  Ringgold (2-5) is currently tied for fifth, a game back of Connellsville. The two split their regular season games. The Rams need to win two of three games this week at least.

3A Charleroi (6-4) has won four of its last five games to settle into fourth place, three games up on the rest of the section. Playoff spots from Section 2 are locked up and that leaves McGuffey (3-7), Bentworth (2-8) and Wash High (0-10) on the outside.

2A California (5-3) is in third place in Section 2 with a playoff spot in hand.  Beth-Center (0-8) can not qualify. Burgettstown (6-1) has clinched a berth and leads Section 3 with three to play, all against teams on the bottom of the standings. Fort Cherry (5-2) pulled into a tie for second and clinched a playoff spot with a win at Burgettstown. Chartiers-Houston (3-3) is fourth and locks up a spot with a win in any of its four games this week. With a little help, the Bucs could pull all the way into a tie for the section title. Chartiers-Houston visits Fort Cherry Tuesday. Hear the game on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here starting at 5:50 pm.

1A Avella (4-3) is tied for third with Mapletown in Section 2, having lost to the top two teams, beating the two teams below them and splitting with the Maples.

Boys
6A Canon-McMillan (3-5) stayed alive in the playoff race with a home win over Baldwin Saturday.  CM visits Upper St. Clair Tuesday. Hear the game on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here starting at 7:20 pm. The Big Macs need to win out to stay in the chase.  Peters Township (1-7) has been eliminated.

5A Ringgold (2-6) is a game back of Thomas Jefferson for the fourth spot in Section 1. The two meet at Ringgold Tuesday. Trinity (0-8) can not make the playoffs out of Section 2.

3A Wash High (9-0) has clinched a playoff spot, leads Section 4, two games ahead of Brownsville with three games left. The Little Prexies clinch a share of the section title with any win, and win it outright with two more wins or a Brownsville loss. Charleroi (3-5) has dropped to fifth place, a half-game back of Waynesburg.  McGuffey (2-7) is two games back of the last berth and virtually needs to win out. Beth-Center (0-10) can not make the playoffs.

2A Fort Cherry (6-1) is one game back of Section 2 leader Carlynton. The Rangers host the Cougars Wednesday night. Hear the game on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here starting at 7:20 pm. Chartiers-Houston (3-4) sits in 4th place and can clinch a playoff spot with any win. Burgettstown (0-7) must win out and get help but to qualify. California (3-4) is in 4th place in Section 4 and has clinched. Bentworth (1-7) must win out and get help from Jeff-Morgan and Carmichaels against California.

1A Avella (1-6) is in last place in Section 2, two games back of the final playoff position and needs a perfect storm to earn a playoff spot, three wins plus two losses by Mapletown (3-4).