Sports category, Page 955
San Diego State vs. UConn odds: Huskies favored in 2023 NCAA Men’s National Championship
BY GABE HENDERSON | Home Field Sports The dust has settled, the chaos has calmed down and the 2023 Men’s NCAA Tournament is down to its last two teams. The Connecticut Huskies and San Diego State Aztecs are the only remaining challengers after their thrilling semifinal victories on Saturday. A...
Penn State’s Manny Diaz on spring challenges: Replacing Joey Porter Jr. and Ji’Ayir Brown, plus Abdul Carter’s next step
Penn State’s defense is flush with playmakers at some important spots. Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac are proven disruptors off the edge, and second-year end Dani Dennis-Sutton should take a big step forward in the fall. Kalen King, who led the Nittany Lions in pass breakups (18), leads a deep...
UConn puts Final Four beatdown on Miami
HOUSTON — Nobody was guarding UConn’s best player. So Adama Sanogo spun the ball to get his fingers just right, set his feet behind the 3-point line and splashed in the shot. Then, less than a minute later, he did it again. It was as much basketball clinic as highlight...
Minor league report: Penguins’ losing streak reaches 5Video
Goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 29 saves on 33 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-3 overtime home loss to the Syracuse Crunch at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. Penguins defenseman Ty Smith scored a goal, giving him four points (two goals, two assists) in his last three...
Rose Zhang holds on to win Augusta Women’s Amateur in playoff
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rose Zhang has won enough to realize that rarely does something so meaningful ever come so easily. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the final piece to her brilliant amateur career, meant the world to her. It turned out to be her toughest test. Staked to a five-shot...
Mishaps and missed opportunities killer in Penguins’ loss to BruinsVideo
Takeaways from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-3 loss to Boston Saturday at PPG Paints Arena: Ugly special teams Following the Penguins’ practice Friday in Cranberry, coach Mike Sullivan reflected on the two prior meetings his club had with Boston on Nov. 1 and Jan. 2, both of which were close losses....
Butler’s buzzer-beater sends San Diego State to title gameVideo
HOUSTON — Lamont Butler made a jumper at the buzzer, sending San Diego State to its first national championship game with a 72-71 win over fellow mid-major Florida Atlantic in the Final Four on Saturday night. “It’s unbelievable,” Butler said. “This is what I came here to do. I’m glad...
Koepka takes 3-shot lead in LIV Golf event ahead of MastersVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brooks Koepka became known for showing up big in the majors. He started to hit his stride Saturday with a 6-under-par 65 for a three-shot lead in LIV Golf-Orlando on the weekend before he heads for the Masters. Koepka played bogey-free at Orange County National. Sebastian Munoz...
Patrick Rodgers takes 1-shot lead into Texas Open finaleVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Patrick Rodgers shot a 1-under-par 71 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Valero Texas Open, with his first PGA Tour title and Masters spot at stake. Making his 235th tour start, the 30-year-old Rodgers had a 12-under 204 total at...
Kevin Newman hits 1 of Reds’ 3 home runs to defeat Pirates
Rich Hill has stepped on and off too many pitching rubbers throughout his 19-season career to think about anything other than winning and losing. Sure, he recorded his 1,300th career strikeout Saturday (1,301 by the time he left Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati). Good for him, he retired 13...
Pirates farm report for April 1, 2023: Miguel Anduar smacks RBI single but Indy gets routed by Omaha
Indianapolis (Triple-A, 0-2) was pummeled 11-2 by Omaha (Royals) Saturday afternoon. Starting pitcher Caleb Smith allowed eight runs, all earned, in 4 2/3 innings on eight hits with five strikeouts and three walks. He gave up two homers, including a grand slam by Jackson Reetz in the fifth inning. Carmen...
Penguins lose to Bruins, fall out of playoff position
The Boston Bruins weren’t at their best on Saturday as they rolled into PPG Paints Arena to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Having already secured the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top overall team in the regular season (and home-ice advantage throughout the postseason), the Bruins started their backup goaltender,...
Iowa, LSU both seeking first NCAA titles in women’s finalVideo
DALLAS — Caitlin Clark has captured the attention of basketball fans with her historic performance in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa’s sensational guard will try to finish off the unprecedented run with a championship when the Hawkeyes face LSU on Sunday in the title game. “I think winning a national championship...
Kyle Busch ahead of Richmond: Parity keeps it interestingVideo
RICHMOND, Va. — Kyle Busch is off to a solid start for Richard Childress Racing with a victory, two top-10 finishes and sitting fourth in points through six races. Now comes Richmond Raceway, where Busch leads all active drivers with six career victories, to start a stretch of three consecutive...
Analysis: Pirates would be better to pay Bryan Reynolds’ asking price than include an opt-out
Asked if he could envision signing a player to a $100 million contract in the near future, Pirates chairman Bob Nutting told the Tribune-Review that it was “definitely inside the realm of possibility.” Nutting knew that it would be met with skepticism by a fan base that views him as...
Penguins scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry against Bruins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry for Saturday’s home game against the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena. Jarry’s status was announced by coach Mike Sullivan approximately two hours before the opening faceoff. In 41 games this season, Jarry has a 22-10-6 record, a 2.90 goals...
Final Four picks are here, including one upset: Best Bets for April 1
BY ZACH EWING | Home Field Sports Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer. Here are...
‘Nobody has a perfect system:’ PIAA, critics remain at odds over public-private school debate
The Philadelphia Catholic League opponent Deer Lakes faced in the state basketball finals played tremendous defense, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone, the Lancers’ coach said. “I could put together one hell of a defensive team right now if I could make some phone calls for next year,” coach Albie Fletcher...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Pirates should give Bryan Reynolds what he wants
The Pirates and outfielder Bryan Reynolds have reportedly agreed on money and term, namely an eight-year contract that would pay $106.75 million. Reynolds has dropped his demands by over $27 million. The sticking point: Reynolds wants an opt-out clause after the fourth year. The Pirates should give it to him....
Despite improvement this season, Robert Morris aiming higher in Horizon League
Robert Morris coach Andy Toole is not known as a man content with moral victories or incremental improvement. When the Colonials were members of the Northeast Conference, Toole had them competing at a high level, with Robert Morris capturing two NEC regular season titles and two league tournament championships between...
Party for first-timers: Caitlin Clark, Iowa will play LSU for title
DALLAS — Caitlin Clark gets the national stage for one more game this season. Same with the Texas homecoming for Alexis Morris. The standout guards have made it a party of first-timers for the women’s NCAA championship game Sunday. Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes knocked off undefeated defending national champion...
AP source: NBA, players reach deal for a new labor agreement
The NBA will have labor peace for years to come. The league and its players came to an agreement early Saturday on a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The deal will begin this summer and will last at least...
Clark, Iowa end perfect South Carolina season in Final Four
DALLAS — Caitlin Clark tossed the ball high in the air as the clock ticked down, gave a huge shout-out to her adoring fans and then took off on a gleeful gallop around the court. In the biggest matchup of her life, the dazzling point guard from Iowa had done...
Minor league report: Owen Pickering debuts in Penguins lossVideo
Goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 25 saves on 28 shots in a 4-2 road loss to the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center in Allentown on Friday. Forward Drake Caggiula and defenseman Ty Smith each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (25-28-6-6) while forward Valtteri Puustinen contributed two assists. Defenseman Owen...
Pirates farm report for March 31, 2023: Endy Rodriguez homers in Indy’s season-opening loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 0-1) gave up four runs in the ninth and lost its season opener to Omaha (Royals), 8-6. C Endy Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat of the season. DH Mark Mathias went 3 for 4 with a double. 2B Nick Gonzales went 2 for 5...
