February 1, 2021 2:05 am
McGuffey moved two steps closer to a WPIAL AA Team Tournament berth with wins over Bentworth (35-30) and West Greene (54-16) over the weekend. The Highlanders wrestling team was shutdown for nearly two weeks due to COVID-19 protocols. Tuesday, McGuffey travels to unbeaten Beth-Center, looking to clinch a spot in the Section 1-AA Team Championships. Beth-Center has already clinched a berth along with Burgettstown and Fort Cherry. If McGuffey wins Tuesday, they’ll clinch a post-season berth. If Beth-Center wins, they’ll take the sub-section championship and leave the final berth to be decided by McGuffey and Frazier Wednesday night. Burgettstown will take on the Beth-Center/McGuffey/Frazier runner-up while that winner will face Fort Cherry in the Section 1-AA semifinals.
Waynesburg, fresh off a runner-up finish at PowerADE, is just a win at Trinity away from a Section 4-AAA berth. Canon-McMillan also clinches spot with a win at South Fayette Wednesday. Peters Township travels to Ringgold also looking to wrap up a playoff spot.
The WPIAL Team Section Championships are set for Monday, Feb. 8. Only the top two teams in each sub-section qualify with the champions facing the runners-up in semifinal matches. Those winners will wrestle for the section title and also qualify for the WPIAL Team Tournaments that start Wednesday, Feb. 10.
February 1, 2021 3:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Patricia Rooney, the wife of late Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, has died. She was 88. The Steelers said in a statement that Patricia Rooney died peacefully at her home on Saturday. A cause of death was not given. Patricia Rooney’s husband served as the U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-12.
February 1, 2021 3:43 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The slumping New York Rangers have placed defenseman Tony DeAngelo on waivers, one day after he struggled in a 5-4 overtime loss to Pittsburgh. DeAngelo was on ice for four of the Penguins’ goals in that defeat. He also was benched by coach David Quinn earlier this season for a third-period unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and complaining loudly to the referees after drawing a holding penalty.
February 1, 2021 3:45 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Patrick Reed pulled away for a five-shot victory in the Farmers Insurance Open. Reed closed with a 4-under 68 at Torrey Pines, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and finishing off his ninth PGA Tour title with a birdie on the 18th. The former Masters champions finished at 14 under after a consistent four days at the blufftop municipal courses overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Ryan Palmer, Henrik Norlander and Viktor Hovland tied for second.
January 31, 2021 6:45 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Sidney Crosby scored at 2:27 of overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers 5-4 on Saturday night to stop a two-game skid. Jason Zucker, Brandon Tanev, Kasperi Kapanen and Jake Guentzel also had goals for Pittsburgh, which was coming off consecutive losses in Boston — the first one in overtime. Casey DeSmith made 30 saves. Guentzel tied it 4-all midway through the third period, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph had two assists as the Penguins (5-3-1) improved to 3-0 against the Rangers this season. Brendan Lemieux, Kevin Rooney, Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin scored for New York (2-4-2), which lost for the fifth time in six games — all of them decided by one goal. Alexandar Georgiev made 33 saves in his fourth start this season. The Penguins pinned a tired Rangers trio in its own zone for a majority of the extra session and Crosby took advantage. Pittsburgh’s captain fired a shot from the high slot through Georgiev’s legs for his 18th career OT winner. Guentzel evened a back-and-forth game when the 26-year-old winger put home a rebound after Crosby won a faceoff cleanly in the offensive zone.
January 31, 2021 6:46 am
PITTSBURGH — — Cormac Ryan matched a career high with 19 points, Prentiss Hubb added 17, and the duo combined for 10 3-pointers as Notre Dame routed Pittsburgh 84-58 on Saturday night. Notre Dame (6-9, 3-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) rebounded from a 62-51 loss to No. 20 Virginia Tech on Wednesday and has won three of its last four games. It was the largest margin of defeat this season for Pitt (8-5, 4-4) and its third straight loss. Ryan and Hubb each made five 3-pointers. Hubb, who ranks second in assists (5.1) in the ACC behind Pitt’s Xavier Johnson (6.3), had nine assists against the Panthers. Dane Goodwin added 16 points and Juwan Durham had 14 for the Irish, who shot 56% percent (32 of 57) overall. Justin Champagnie had 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks to lead Pitt. He shot 8 of 20 from the field while the rest of the Panthers were 15 of 53 (28%). Johnson had five points and three assists before fouling out with 11:28 remaining. The Irish took the lead for good with about 11 minutes to play in the first half, led 41-29 at the break, and opened the second half on a 9-0 run. Notre Dame hosts Wake Forest on Tuesday. Pitt plays Virginia Tech on Wednesday in the third of a four-game homestand.
January 31, 2021 6:50 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — John Harrar managed an awkward smile and quick laugh after pulling himself up from the baseline where he had just been denied – by the rim – a highlight-reel dunk on an otherwise career-best day. The missed wide-open slam aside, Harrar did plenty otherwise to help Penn State snap a decade-long skid against Wisconsin with an 81-71 win over the No. 14 Badgers on Saturday. Harrar scored 14 of his career-high 17 in the second half and the Nittany Lions, who trailed 34-41 at halftime, led for all but 1:16 of the final 20 minutes. Myreon Jones scored 20 points and Izaiah Brockington added 18 Nittany Lions (6-7, 3-6 Big Ten), who had lost 13 straight against Wisconsin — including eight at home. Penn State’s first win in the series since 2011 came after Jones sparked the offense with back-to-back baskets to open the second. Brockington and Harrar helped them steadily increase the margin.
January 31, 2021 6:49 am
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Colin Castleton led the way for Florida in the second half — on offense and defense. Castleton scored 15 of his 21 points after halftime, and the Gators beat No. 11 West Virginia 85-80 on Saturday in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. Castleton also led the defensive effort on West Virginia’s Derek Culver after he scored 21 in the first half. Culver finished with a career-high 28, but was bottled up late in the game and took fewer trips to the free-throw line. Culver made 7 of 11 field goals and 14 of 17 free throws. He also had 12 rebounds. The Gators went ahead to stay on Scottie Lewis’ tiebreaking 3-pointer with 4:05 remaining. Castleton followed with a three-point play, and he made two free throws to put the Gators up 83-80 with 1:36 remaining. Castleton was called for an offensive foul with 59 seconds left, but West Virginia committed a shot-clock violation on the ensuing possession. Appleby made two free throws with 28 seconds left for the final margin. Sean McNeil added 21 points and Taz Sherman scored 11 for the Mountaineers. Leading scorer Miles McBride, who had 24 points in an 88-87 win over No. 11 Texas Tech on Monday night, was held to nine.
January 31, 2021 6:51 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Detroit Lions are trading quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for quarterback Jared Goff, two future first-round draft picks and a third-round pick, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday night because the deal has not been completed and will not become official until the start of the new league year March 17. ESPN first reported the swap, which will include the Rams’ first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 along with their third-round pick this year. The blockbuster trade of two former No. 1 overall draft picks will provide a fresh start for two durable starting quarterbacks who probably need a change of scenery. Stafford asked to be traded shortly after the current season ended with the Lions’ third straight campaign with at least 10 losses. He has been one of the NFL’s most prolific passers during his 12-year career spent entirely in Detroit, but has never won a playoff game. Meanwhile, the Rams’ coaching staff and front office have publicly expressed a clear loss of confidence in Goff in recent weeks, even after Los Angeles earned its third playoff berth and posted its fourth straight winning record during Goff’s four years under coach Sean McVay. Goff also led the Rams to the Super Bowl after the 2018 season.
January 30, 2021 7:21 am
The 54th PowerADE Wrestling Classic continues Saturday at the Monroeville Convention Center and on WJPA-AM. The event is about one month later than normal and moved from its recent home at Canon-McMillan due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions. Today’s action includes quarterfinals, semifinals, several rounds of consolation elimination bouts and the finals. The start time for Saturday’s action is now set for 9:50 am with the finals to begin at 5:20 pm. We’ll have live coverage all day long on WJPA-AM (1450) and online here.
