January 30, 2024 4:31 am
UConn remained No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll as the top five stayed the same from last week. The Huskies did pick up four more first-place votes and had 48 of the 63 from the national media panel. Purdue stayed at No. 2. North Carolina is No. 3, Houston is fourth and Tennessee is fifth. Wisconsin moved up seven spots to sixth and Duke climbed five to No. 7, while Iowa State made the biggest jump from No. 23 to No. 12. Alabama and TCU are back in the poll. Memphis and Colorado State dropped out.
January 30, 2024 4:30 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tickets on at least one secondary-market site are the most expensive in Super Bowl history. The prices underscore the anticipation of the game’s Las Vegas debut between the defending champion and what likely is the most popular team in the West. As well as the possibility Taylor Swift will be on hand when the Kansas City Chiefs play the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11. The average purchase price on TickPick was $9,815 on Monday morning. That is nearly double the final average price of $5,795 for last year’s game between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale, Arizona. Current prices could decline before the game.
January 29, 2024 12:01 am
Our busiest week of the year opened with a showdown at the top of Girls 2A Section 4. Wash High outscored Chartiers-Houston 23-17 after intermission, led by Olivia Woods’ 11 points, to hand the Bucs their first section loss. The teams are tied for the section lead with one week to play. Trinity clinched a playoff berth with a win at Moon. Fort Cherry’s win keeps the Rangers just a game back of Burgettstown heading into their second meeting Thursday night.
Monday–Girls Basketball
5A-4 Trinity 42, Moon 35
3A-4 Waynesburg 65, McGuffey 40
3A-4 Charleroi 60, Yough 48
2A-2 Sto-Rox at Burgettstown PPD
2A-2 Fort Cherry 45, Brentwood 30
2A-4 Wash High 42, Chartiers-Houston 37 Watch Here
2A-4 Beth-Center 49, California 33
2A-4 Carmichaels 40, Bentworth 36
1A 2 Mapletown 40, Avella 38
1A-2 Monessen 57, Jeff-Morgan 17
1A-2 Geibel 49, West Greene 44
Monday–Boys Basketball
2A-4 Fort Cherry 85, Beth-Center 56
January 29, 2024 4:37 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were at their magnificent best in the first half, and Kansas City’s defense delivered another masterpiece against Lamar Jackson and Baltimore, helping the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years with a 17-10 victory in the AFC championship game. Kelce caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown with girlfriend Taylor Swift again in attendance. Kansas City will face San Francisco in Detroit on Feb. 11, seeking to become the first team since New England 19 years ago to win it all in back-to-back seasons.
January 29, 2024 4:35 am
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy threw for 267 yards and a touchdown, and the San Francisco 49ers rallied from 17 points down at halftime to beat the Detroit Lions 34-31 and reach the Super Bowl. The 49ers scored 17 points in an eight-minute span of the third quarter to tie the game and then pulled away in the fourth quarter to earn a rematch against Kansas City after losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl four years ago. Detroit became the fourth team to lose a conference title game after leading by at least 17 points and was unable to make the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
January 28, 2024 12:01 am
With two weeks left in the regular season, the WPIAL playoff picture is coming into focus for area boys teams. The top FOUR teams in each section qualify for the playoffs. Ties for qualifying positions are broken by head-to-head results. If the teams split there season series, both qualify. Here’s a rundown for all 19 Washington/Greene County boys teams (section records in parentheses):
6A Section 2
Canon-McMillan (3-3) sits in 4th place, the final qualifying spot, two games out of first and virtually 3 games ahead of Norwin and Hempfield with four games to play.
5A Section 1
Peters Township (4-2) lost its shot at the section title with Friday’s loss to Thomas Jefferson. Indians are three games up on 5th place Connellsville with four games left, all against teams below them in the standings. Trinity (3-3) has a solid hold on 4th place, having swept Connellsville. The Hillers clinch with two wins or with a win and a Connellsville loss. Ringgold (0-6) must win out and get help to qualify.
3A Section 4
Wash High (8-0) has clinched a playoff spot and can all but wrap up the section title at Yough Tuesday night. Due to weather cancellations, the Little Prexies have yet to face Mt. Pleasant but will play the Vikings twice down the stretch. McGuffey (3-5) have been up and down but is solidly in the playoff field at the moment. The Highlanders took Wash High to overtime, split a pair of blowouts with Mt. Pleasant, then lost to last-place Waynesburg. Three of McGuffey’s final four games are against teams trying to catch them in the race for the final playoff spot. Charleroi (2-7) has three games left and must sweep to qualify. Waynesburg (2-7) also must sweep but has that win over McGuffey as an aide in the tie-breakers down the stretch.
2A Section 4
Fort Cherry (8-0) has clinched a berth and sits two games up on second-place Burgettstown and can wrap up the section title with a win Friday at Chartiers-Houston. Burgettstown (6-2) is in second place with four games left. The Blue Devils clinch a playoff spot with any win or Beth-Center loss. Chartiers-Houston (6-3) clinches with a win in any of its three remaining games, or with a Beth-Center loss. Beth-Center (3-5) is currently on the outside of the picture, one game back of 4th place Frazier. The Bulldogs beat the Commodores but have lost three of their last four games since. B-C hosts Frazier to close the regular season, hoping to have stayed alive to that point. Bentworth (2-7) has to win out, plus get lots of help from Frazier and Beth-Center opponents. Carmichaels (0-8) is in the same situation as Bentworth.
1A Section 1
Avella (4-2) sits comfortably in third place, just a game back of the Rochester/Union tie atop the standings. The Eagles can clinch a playoff spot with a win at Cornell Friday night.
1A Section 2
West Greene (5-1) is tied with Monessen atop the standings with the Pioneers having won their first meeting. The teams play again Friday night in Rogersville. West Greene clinches a playoff spot with any win or Mapletown loss. Jeff-Morgan (4-2) sits in third place, one game back of the tie at the top and three games up on Mapletown. The Rockets clinch a berth with any win or Mapletown loss. California (3-3) holds the final playoff spot for the moment with four games to play. The Trojans host Mapletown on Tuesday with a chance to clinch. Mapletown (1-5) must win out and get lots of help.
January 28, 2024 12:01 am
With two weeks left in the regular season, the WPIAL playoff picture is coming into focus for area girls teams. The top FOUR teams in each section qualify for the playoffs. Ties for qualifying positions are broken by head-to-head results. If the teams split there season series, both qualify. Here’s a rundown for all 19 Washington/Greene County boys teams (section records in parentheses):
6A Section 2
Peters Township (9-0) is unbeaten overall, winning 18 straight to start the season. The Indians have clinch a playoff spot and lock up at least a share of the section title with any win. Canon-McMillan (3-5) is tied for 4th with Upper St. Clair, each with four games to play, including one against each other (Feb. 5).
5A Section 4
Trinity (4-2) is tied with South Fayette, two games behind section leader Lincoln Park, two games ahead of Moon & Montour with four games to play.
3A Section 4
Waynesburg (6-0) leads the section and has a playoff berth in hand. The Raiders host South Park Feb. 5, likely with the section title on the line. McGuffey (3-3) holds third place 1.5 games up on Yough with four games left. Charleroi (0-6) must win out and get some help.
2A Section 2
Burgettstown (6-0) has clinched a playoff spot and can win the section title with a pair of wins. Fort Cherry (5-1) has also clinched a berth and can pull even with Burgettstown with a home win against the Blue Devils on Thursday.
2A Section 4
Chartiers-Houston (9-0) has clinched a post-season berth and can claim a share of the section title with a win at Wash High (7-1) on Monday. The Little Prexies, California (5-3) and Beth-Center (5-4) have also clinched. Carmichaels (1-7) and Bentworth (1-8) have been eliminated.
1A Section 2
West Greene (4-2) is tied for second with Geibel, two games game of Monessen. The Pioneers have a three game lead on Avella (1-5) and Jeff-Morgan (1-5) with four games left. Mapletown (2-4) is one game up on the Eagles and Rockets but still has games left with the three teams ahead of them plus Avella. Mapletown split with J-M and topped Avella in the first meeting. Avella beat J-M in their first game and will play at Jefferson on Thursday.
January 28, 2024 7:08 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Marcus Pettersson scored in overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Saturday night. Lars Eller scored his ninth goal of the season for Pittsburgh in his 1,000th NHL game. Jake Guentzel scored his 22nd goal and Sidney Crosby continued a seven-game point streak with an assist. Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for the Penguins, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle scored for the Canadiens, who played their 7,000th game in franchise history. Jake Allen stopped 30 shots for the Canadiens, who have lost four of their last five.
January 28, 2024 7:06 am
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Norchad Omier scored 18 points and recorded a block with 1.8-seconds left and Miami withstood hard-charging Pittsburg at the end to secure a key 72-68 win. Out of a timeout and down 70-68 with 10.3 seconds left, Pitt’s Jaland Lowe fielded the ball in the backcourt off the inbound and drove left. Omier picked him up off a screen and deflected his flailing shot attempt as he tried to to draw the foul against Omier who has a four-inch height advantage over the 6-foot-3 Lowe. Kyshawn George made two foul shots for Miami with 1.8 seconds left for the game’s final margin. Blake Hinson led Pitt with 21 points.
January 27, 2024 12:01 am
Thomas Jefferson took the lead late in the opening quarter and never gave it back, taking a two-game lead in 5A Section 1 over Peters Township. Canon-McMillan and Trinity boys each have virtual three-game leads in races for their sections final playoff spots with four games to play. Wash High’s 11th straight win clinched a 3A playoff berth. Chartiers-Houston swept a boys/girls home doubleheader.
Saturday–Boys Basketball
N/C Shady Side Academy 46, Wash High 40
Saturday–Girls Basketball
N/C Trinity 44, Hempfield 21
1A-2 Monessen 40, West Greene 25
Friday–Boys Basketball
6A-2 Canon-McMillan 51, Norwin 47
5A-1 Thomas Jefferson 70, Peters Township 58 Watch Here
5A-1 Trinity 85, Connellsville 51
5A-1 Bethel Park 90, Ringgold 49
3A-4 Wash High 64, Brownsville 39
3A-4 Mt. Pleasant 48, Charleroi 40
3A-4 Yough 58, Waynesburg 50
2A-4 Fort Cherry 71, Frazier 43
2A-4 Chartiers-Houston 54, Bentworth 47
2A-4 Beth-Center 40, Carmichaels 34
1A-1 Avella 61, Western Beaver 49
1A-2 West Greene 61, California 49
1A-2 Jeff-Morgan 66, Mapletown 58
Friday–Girls Basketball
6A-2 Peters Township 44, Upper St. Clair 36
2A-4 Chartiers-Houston 52, Bentworth 28
