bu Page 5 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Penguins use flurry to down Devils, return to playoffs
Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov scored nine seconds apart for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who clinched a playoff spot Thursday with a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J.,Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Penguins (41-22-16, 98 points). Chinakhov and Sidne...

Holger Rune to begin Achilles comeback at Hamburg
Denmark's Holger Rune plans to return from his ruptured Achilles tendon at next month's Hamburg Open in Germany.,The former World No. 4 sustained the injury in the semifinals of Stockholm's Nordic Open on Oct. 18.,Rune, 22, announced his entry into the May 16-23 clay-court tournament in Hamburg on I...

Cubs looking to continue recent success vs. Pirates
It's not often the Cubs are looking up at the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Central standings, but that's the case ahead of Friday's series opener in Chicago.,It's a little early to pay attention to a division race as the Cubs look to win their fifth consecutive series over Pittsburgh. C...

Oklahoma State softball bus involved in fatal accident
A bus ferrying the Oklahoma State softball team to Kansas struck and killed a 62-year-old pedestrian, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed.,The accident occurred near Perry, Okla., on Wednesday afternoon as the team was en route to Wichita, Kan., in advance of a night game against Wichita State. In...

Slumping Jackets, Wings meet with playoff spot within reach
A pair of struggling Eastern Conference teams in desperate need of a win will square off in Detroit on Tuesday night.,The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost six straight games while the Detroit Red Wings have dropped six of their last eight. Both clubs are trying to revive their fading playoff hopes.,C...
NBA Coaching Carousel Shaken Up by Michael Malone’s Surprise UNC Move
Michael Malone’s move to North Carolina reshapes the NBA coaching market as struggling teams eye replacements amid a brutal tanking season....

Auburn blows 21-point lead, recovers to beat Tulsa for NIT title
Kevin Overton netted 26 points, including a deep 3-pointer and a free throw in the final two minutes of overtime, and Auburn won its first NIT championship in a wild 92-86 win over Tulsa on Sunday night in Indianapolis. ,An NCAA Tournament Final Four team one year ago, the Tigers (22-16) wasted a 21...

Ex-Oriole Ryan O’Hearn helps Pirates finish sweep
Braxton Ashcraft struck out a career-high eight and Ryan O'Hearn drove in four runs to lead the host Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.,O'Hearn and Oneil Cruz each hit two-run home runs to help the Pirates complete a three-game sweep of the Orioles, and ...

Rickard Rakell scores twice as Penguins handle Panthers
Rickard Rakell scored twice, and Evgeni Malkin added a pair of helpers as the Pittsburgh Penguins upended the visiting Florida Panthers 5-2 on Sunday afternoon.,With the win, the Penguins (40-22-16, 96 points) picked up their second win over the Panthers in as many days and swept the three-game seas...

Ryan O’Hearn helps Pirates knock off Orioles
Braxton Ashcraft struck out a career-high eight and Ryan O'Hearn drove in four runs to lead the host Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.,O'Hearn and Oneil Cruz each hit two-run home runs to help the Pirates complete a three-game sweep of the Orioles, and ...

Pirates take on Orioles chasing early-season sweep
Close games have become a regular occurrence for the Pittsburgh Pirates early in the season.,As long as they win their fair share, they will not mind at all. After a pair of one-run victories, the Pirates go for a sweep of their home-opening three-game series when they face the Baltimore Orioles on ...

Wessam Abou Ali's brace leads Columbus to first '26 win at Atlanta
Wessam Abou Ali scored a pair of goals in the second half, Max Arfsten added a goal and assist, and the Columbus Crew defeated host Atlanta United 3-1 for their first win of the season on Saturday.,Columbus (1-3-2, 5 points) snapped a two-match losing streak while awarding head coach Henrik Rydstrom...

Kyle Connor scores twice to lead Jets past Blue Jackets
Kyle Connor scored twice as the visiting Winnipeg Jets defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Saturday night.,Mark Scheifele picked up both primary assists for Winnipeg (33-31-12, 78 points). Connor Hellebuyck made 15 saves for the Jets.,Ivan Provorov scored the lone goal for the Blue Jackets (38...

Auburn, Tulsa look to cap off postseason runs with NIT championship
Auburn did not let the disappointment of missing the NCAA Tournament field get in the way of playing good postseason basketball. ,The Southeastern Conference school will seek its first NIT championship when it battles with Tulsa in the title game Sunday night in Indianapolis.,The Tigers (21-16) will...

Konnor Griffin hits RBI double in first MLB at-bat as Pirates beat O's
Konnor Griffin doubled and drove in a run in his major league debut to back up a quality start by Mitch Keller and propel the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles in their home opener on Friday.,Griffin, ranked the top prospect in baseball by multiple outlets, recorded his...

Auburn drubs Illinois State, will face Tulsa in NIT final
Keyshawn Hall was nearly unstoppable in a 24-point outing for overall No. 1 seed Auburn, and the sharp-shooting Tigers walloped Illinois State 88-66 in Thursday night's second NIT semifinal in Indianapolis.,The smooth left-hander, who averages 19.4 points per game, stroked 10 of 16 shots from the fi...

Auburn drubs Illinois State, advances to NIT title game
Keyshawn Hall was nearly unstoppable in a 24-point outing for overall No. 1 seed Auburn, and the sharp-shooting Tigers walloped Illinois State 88-66 in Thursday night's second NIT semifinal in Indianapolis.,The smooth left-hander, who averages 19.4 points per game, stroked 10 of 16 shots from the fi...
Charlotte Hornets Surge While Chicago Bulls Sink in Play-in Picture
The Hornets are surging late while the Bulls fade, reshaping the Eastern Conference play-in race....
Should Pirates Pay Konnor Griffin Early? Lessons From MLB History
Ranking MLB’s pre-debut contracts and what they mean for Konnor Griffin and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ future....

Illinois State gets shot at No. 1 overall seed Auburn in NIT semis
After the disappointment of not hearing its named called on Selection Sunday to be part of the March Madness field, Auburn chose to play good basketball and focus on a championship.,The top overall seed in the NIT, the Tigers (20-16) can take one step closer to a title when they face Illinois State ...