February 19, 2020 3:45 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Ayo Dosunmu scored 24 points and Illinois snapped a four-game losing streak with a 62-56 victory over No. 9 Penn State. Kofi Cockburn added 14 points for the Fighting Illini, who led most of the way and ended Penn State’s eight-game winning streak. The win also snapped Illinois’ six-game losing streak against Penn State. Lamar Stevens scored 13 points for the Nittany Lions.
February 18, 2020 3:40 am
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) – P.J. Horne scored a career-high 18 points to lift Virginia Tech to a 67-57 victory over Pittsburgh. Horne hit 6 of 9 from the floor, including a career-high four 3-pointers for the Hokies, who snapped a five-game losing streak. Au’Diese Toney and Justin Champignie scored 12 points each to lead the Panthers, who lost for the fifth time in the past seven games.
February 17, 2020 3:48 am
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – It’s going to take another day to determine the winner of the Daytona 500. NASCAR’s season-opening race was postponed following a second rain delay, pushing the event into Monday. It’s the second time in 62 years and first time since 2012 that “The Great American Race” will finish on a Monday. Pole-sitter Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the leader 20 laps into the race when the rain returned, sending drivers back to pit road. The first delay lasted 50 minutes and came moments after the presidential motorcade completed a ceremonial parade lap around the 2 1/2-mile track. The second stoppage was prompted by heavier rain, further soaking a racing surface that takes hours to dry.
February 17, 2020 3:44 am
TORONTO (AP) – Former All-Star shortstop Tony Fernandez has died. The director of his charitable foundation said Fernandez died Sunday afternoon. He had been ill with a kidney disease and was on a life support system. Fernandez was a stylish shortstop who made five All-Star teams during his 17 seasons in the major leagues and helped the Toronto Blue Jays win the 1993 World Series. Fernandez earned four straight Gold Gloves with the Blue Jays in the 1980s and holds club records for career hits and games played. Fernandez was 57.
February 16, 2020 7:30 am
The agent for Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph says Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett opened himself up for potential legal action after reiterating his claim that Rudolph used a racial slur shortly before their infamous brawl in November. During an interview with ESPN, his first since being hit with a suspension after slugging Rudolph in the head with Rudolph’s own helmet in the final seconds of a Browns win on Nov. 14, Garrett said Rudolph called the defensive end “the N-word.” Rudolph, as he did when Garrett made the claim while appealing the suspension in November, called the allegation “a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character.” Tim Younger, Rudolph’s agent, went a step further. Because Garrett conducted the interview in California, Younger said Garrett’s “defamatory statement” has now exposed the former No. 1 pick to “legal liability.” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin also came to Rudolph’s defense. Tomlin said he interacted with “a lot” of people within the Browns’ organization in the aftermath of the fight and that no player or coach indicated there was a racial element to the incident. “In my conversations (with the Browns), I had a lot of sorrow for what transpired,” Tomlin said in a statement. The NFL said there was no evidence of Rudolph using a slur when it handed out an indefinite suspension to Garrett, a suspension which ended when he was reinstated earlier this week. Garrett, however, hinted the league may know more that it has revealed.
February 14, 2020 3:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are banking on Ben Roethlisberger’s return in 2020. General manager Kevin Colbert says “all signs are good” in terms of Roethlisberger’s rehab from a right elbow injury that cut short his 2019 season. The Steelers finished 8-8 without the two-time Super Bowl winner, who turns 38 in March. Roethlisberger is scheduled to meet with doctors next week to gauge his progress and there remains no timetable for when he will be cleared to start throwing.
February 13, 2020 2:59 am
Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett has been reinstated by the NFL after being suspended for hitting Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with a helmet in a Nov. 14 game. The 24-year-old Garrett missed Cleveland’s final six games last season after his disturbing attack on Garrett. The 2017 top overall pick met with Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday in the final step before he could be cleared. Garrett has expressed remorse for pulling off Rudolph’s helmet and smashing him in the head with it in the final seconds of Cleveland’s win over Pittsburgh.
February 11, 2020 3:50 am
CLEVELAND (AP) – A person familiar with the meeting says suspended Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has spoken with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about being reinstated. Garrett discussed his situation with Goodell and other league officials in New York. Garrett was banned indefinitely for pulling Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet off and striking him over the head with it during a game on Nov. 15. Garrett’s meeting with Goodell was a necessary step before he’s allowed to play in 2020. Garrett missed Cleveland’s final six games last season.
February 10, 2020 3:49 am
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Two-time All-Star pitcher Charlie Morton says he regrets not doing anything to try to stop the Houston Astros from illegally stealing signs and relaying information to their hitters during the team’s 2017 World Series championship season. Morton helped the Astros win the 2017 title in his first season with the team, winning Game 7 of both the ALCS and World Series. He says he’s not sure what he could have done to stop his former teammates and doesn’t recall specifics about who did what wrong in 2017. Morton spent one more season with the Astros before signing a two-year deal with the Rays last winter.
February 9, 2020 2:00 am
The WPIAL Basketball Committee laid out the matchups on Monday. The League’s office staff spent the afternoon and all of Tuesday putting together the schedule for the opening rounds. Tuesday night, the details will be announced for the upcoming WPIAL Basketball Playoffs. When the 12 brackets are posted, a dozen Washington County teams—six boys and six girls—will be listed. California and Charleroi have qualified boys and girls teams. West Greene has as well. Girls squads from Avella, Burgettstown, Chartiers-Houston and Trinity plus boys teams from McGuffey, Peters Township, Ringgold and Wash High have also made it to the post-season. We’ll have the WPIAL Playoff Pairings Show via the TribLive High School Sports Network Tuesday night, starting at 7 pm, on WJPA-AM (1450). Listen Here!
Once the brackets are posted, we’ll have links here along with the first game schedules for all 14 teams from the two-county area.
The WPIAL Basketball Championship games are scheduled for Feb. 27-29 at the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus.
