February 19, 2020 3:48 am
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Patrick Williams scored 16 points, Anthony Polite had 10 points and six rebounds and No. 8 Florida State pulled away in the second half, beating Pittsburgh 82-67. Williams, a freshman forward, scored in double figures for the 10th time this season as the Seminoles improved to 14-0 at home. Au’Diese Toney had 15 points and seven rebounds, and Xavier Johnson added 12 points and seven assists for Pittsburgh, which has lost six of its last eight games.
February 19, 2020 3:47 am
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell is eager to prove his breakout 2019 season was no fluke. Bell hit 37 home runs last year while making the All-Star team for the first time. The 27-year-old cooled off down the stretch. So did the Pirates, who plummeted to last place in the NL Central. Bell says he’s eager for a fresh start under first-year manager Derek Shelton. Shelton says Bell has the tools to be one of the best hitters in baseball if he keeps putting the work in.
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.
