December 21, 2023 4:32 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Guillermo Diaz Graham scored 13 points to lead three in double-figure scoring and Pittsburgh cruised past Purdue Fort Wayne 62-48. Diaz Graham shot 5 of 8 from the floor, 3 of 6 from the free-throw line and added eight rebounds. Carlton Carrington and Zack Austin added 12 points apiece for Pitt (9-3). Blake Hinson, who averages 21.7 points per game, was held to five points on 2-of-10 shooting but grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Rasheed Bello scored 11 points and Jalen Jackson had 10 for Purdue Fort Wayne (11-2), which ended a six-game win streak.
December 21, 2023 4:36 am
The early signing period in college football opened with just a little five-star drama. Georgia likely locked up a recruiting crown by flipping an in-state blue-chipper away from Florida State. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the country had Ohio State coach Ryan Day literally sighing with relief. And a five-star defensive lineman committed to Florida decided to delay making his decision official. That was the least of the bad news for the Gators.
December 20, 2023 4:38 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen isn’t going anywhere. The Pittsburgh Pirates star is remaining in his adopted hometown after agreeing to a one-year contract for the 2024 season worth $5 million, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because it was not yet finalized. The 37-year-old McCutchen hit .256 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs in 112 games while serving primarily as a designated hitter in 2023. He collected his 2,000th career hit in June and was sitting on 299 career home runs in September when he partially tore his left Achilles tendon while legging out a double against Milwaukee.
December 20, 2023 4:40 am
Aaron Rodgers’ quest to make an improbable return this season for the New York Jets appears over. The 40-year-old quarterback said during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday he’s not yet 100% healthy in his recovery from a torn left Achilles tendon and is still a few weeks away. Rodgers said if the Jets had won last Sunday at Miami and remained in the postseason hunt, he “would have pushed it as far as I could this week” even at less than full health to play against Washington on Sunday. But the Jets were routed 30-0 and eliminated from playoff contention for the 13th straight year.
December 20, 2023 4:39 am
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — It can happen almost overnight: a backup quarterback goes from holding a clipboard to being thrust into action. Backups are on display all around the NFL right now after a flurry of starters have gone down for the season with injuries and teams have needed help to keep their postseason hopes alive. At the end of Week 15, 18 teams had started quarterbacks who weren’t their first-string passers on opening day; 56 different quarterbacks have started an NFL game this season. And as starters continue going down, the value of backups keeps rising.
December 19, 2023 4:40 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby’s 18th goal of the season broke a third-period tie and the Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Minnesota Wild 4-3. The Penguins blew a three-goal lead but recovered to win for the third time in four games. Crosby added an assist to move past Mark Recchi and into 13th all alone on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 1,535 points. Jake Guentzel scored his 14th goal for the Penguins. Ryan Hartman, Jake Middleton and Vinni Lettieri scored for the Wild, who rallied from down 3-0 to briefly tie it before Crosby put the Penguins ahead to stay.
December 19, 2023 4:45 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have added another veteran left-hander to fill out their starting rotation, agreeing to terms with Martín Pérez. A person with knowledge of the agreement tells the Associated Press the deal is for one year and worth $8 million. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract is not finalized pending the completion of a physical. Pérez won a World Series with Texas in November. He is the second left-handed starter to join Pittsburgh in recent weeks. The Pirates acquired Marco Gonzales from Atlanta on Dec. 5.
December 19, 2023 4:42 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Drew Lock threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 28 seconds left to cap a 92-yard drive, and the Seattle Seahawks stunned the Philadelphia Eagles 20-17, ending a four-game skid and getting back into NFC playoff contention. Seattle rallied behind its backup quarterback, who moved the team the length of the field for its longest touchdown drive this season and found the Seahawks’ rookie first-round pick for the biggest catch of his young career. Philadelphia had one last chance, but Julian Love made his second interception of the fourth quarter, picking off Jalen Hurts’ deep pass. The Eagles dropped their third straight game.
December 18, 2023 4:48 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A player released from the Steelers practice squad earlier Sunday is facing charges for simple assault. Tariq Carpenter, 24, was arrested after a domestic incident in Pittsburgh on Sunday morning. According to Pittsburgh police, officers were dispatched to the 1600 block of Fifth Avenue just after 8 a.m. The victim told police she was thrown to the ground and held against her will. Police identified the suspect as Carpenter and he was arrested at the scene. Later Sunday morning, the Steelers announced Carpenter had been released from the practice squad. It’s not clear if the arrest is the reason for his release. Carpenter is now in the Allegheny County Jail.
December 18, 2023 4:40 am
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown pass and made the play of night when he avoided a sack and threw to Isaiah Likely near the goal line, and the Baltimore Ravens clinched a postseason berth with a 23-7 victory at Jacksonville. The Ravens won their fourth in a row and moved a step closer to securing the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Jaguars lost their third straight — all against AFC North teams — and are now tied with Houston and Indianapolis atop the AFC South. Self-inflicted mistakes were a common thread in Jacksonville’s skid.
