From 64 to 16, the field has shrunk down exponentially. Now, the match ups will get more and more interesting, as the fans will have tough choices from this point forward. The final 16 athletes in the Pittsburgh March Madness are: Ben Roethlisberger Starling Marte Cam Heyward Maurkice Pouncey Monica Wignot Marc-Andre Fleury Kelly Johnson Francisco Liriano Antonio Brown Neil Walker Josh Harrison Le'Veon Bell Sidney Crosby Gerrit Cole Gregory ... Read More
Archives for March 2015
Dukes WNIT run ends in Morgantown
The Duquesne Dukes rode a bus to Morgantown, West Virginia, hoping to extend thier WNIT run, but a 60-39 loss to West Virginia on Thursday meant an hour plus season-ending bus ride back to Pittsburgh. Duquesne [23-11] started the game with an Amadea Szamosi lay-up and then took a 4-3 lead when Jose-Ann Johnson hit a jumper. Little did the Dukes know, that would be their last lead. West Virginia [21-14] quickly responded with a 13-3 run in the next 5:14 to lead by nine and take control. ... Read More
Pens embarrassed by last-place Canes
The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost 23 games in regulation this season. Thursday night’s 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes might have been the most embarrassing of the bunch. The Hurricanes came into the contest having lost nine out of their last 11 games and are closer to the bottom of the table than a playoff spot. That didn’t seem to stop them from thrashing a listless Penguins club. The Penguins started out on the right foot, outshooting the Canes 14-7 in the opening frame and taking a ... Read More
IUP tops Tarleton to advance to D2 National Championship
IUP big man Daddy Ugbede came through in a big way and gave the Crimson Hawks a 72-68 victory over Tarleton State Thursday evening to advance to Saturday's Division II National Championship. The 6-foot-6 junior scored six points in a crucial run, including a game-tying layup to help IUP overcome the Texans during the second half. Early in the big 17-2 run, IUP forced three turnovers during a four-minute span and regained the lead off a phenomenal block in the lane by Devante Chance, who ... Read More
Middle-infield looks solid for Pirates
There were questions going into the 2014 season about the lack of offense at the middle-infield positions for the Pirates. At second base, Neil Walker had shown glimpses of power, but injuries plagued him forcing him to sit when things seemed to be coming around. At shortstop, there wasn't much to look forward to. Clint Barmes could barely keep his head above the Mendoza line and a young Jordy Mercer looked to be at least a full year or two away from being a solid starter. To the surprise ... Read More
Pens will play a man short in Carolina
The Penguins will take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in Raleigh, North Carolina, and for the third straight game, they will play with only 17 skaters. This is the first time that it will be on purpose. On Saturday, the Penguins were playing in Glendale, Arizona when defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was injured in the pregame warmups and was unable to play. The Penguins weren’t carrying any extra players on that road trip, and while Ehrhoff was in the team’s lineup, he did not play. Back ... Read More
When it comes to the draft, it’s all about defense for the Steelers
With the NFL draft set to begin April 30, there seems to be little question that the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to focus on the defensive side of the ball early and often. Even with a number of young players set to play prominent roles in the Steeler defense such as Jarvis Jones, Shamarko Thomas, Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt, the need to add talent will be a top priority. What we do know is many of the key components of one of the top defenses in the NFL for the past decade are now gone, ... Read More
Darrius Heyward-Bey re-signs with Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers added some depth at the wide receiver position on Thursday, coming to terms with free agent Darrius Heyward-Bey. Heyward-Bey returns on a one-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed, but it is likely for the league minimum. Once a top pick of the Oakland Raiders, Heyward-Bey signed with the Steelers prior to last season and made an impact as a special teams player. With Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton already entrenched as the Steelers top ... Read More
Ohio QB Thomas MacVittie commits to Pitt
Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi has been a busy guy the past week preparing for the future at Pitt. After securing verbals from Ohio defensive back Tony Butler and Upper St. Clair offensive lineman Brandon Ford, Narduzzi turned his attention to the quarterback position, as Cincinnati Moeller quarterback Thomas MacVittie committed to Pitt. MacVittie, the Panthers third commit for the Class of 2016, made the announcement via Twitter. "I have officially committed to The University of ... Read More
Pittsburgh March Madness: Station Square Round of 32
Twelve athletes have made the Sweet 16, as there were no real upsets yesterday. Today, however, will be interesting, as there are numerous matchups that could go either way. As usual, it's up to you to vote the last four athletes into the next round. Let's take a look at who is up today. #1. Sidney Crosby (Penguins captain) vs. #9. Jordy Mercer (Pirates shortstop) [poll id="110"] #5. Tony Watson (Pirates All-Star setup man) vs. #4. Gerrit Cole (Pirates ace of the future) [poll ... Read More