Dave Mackall stories, Page 11
Duquesne tops St. Bonaventure in Atlantic 10 semifinals, 1 win from 1st NCAA berth in 47 years
It was Dae Dae’s day. Riding the hot shooting of Dae Dae Grant, Duquesne surged Saturday into its first Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game appearance in 15 years. The Dukes are one win away from reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 47 years. “We told y’all, ‘Hop...
Greensburg Central Catholic finds footing, blows past Everett into PIAA semifinals
SIDMAN — A three-point halftime lead turned into a rout in a hurry for Greensburg Central Catholic. Once the Centurions girls found their legs in their state quarterfinal Friday night, there was no way of stopping them. “We definitely picked it up in the second half. We beat them by...
Streaking Duquesne surges past No. 24 Dayton in Atlantic 10 quarterfinals
A five-game skid in early January to open Atlantic 10 play was like a New Year’s Day hangover for Duquesne. That seems like such a long time ago for the now red-hot Dukes, who’ve turned their season around in the second half. Behind Jimmy Clark III’s 16 points, including five...
Duquesne beats Saint Louis in emotional A-10 Tournament win for coach Keith Dambrot
There was no denying it. This win was special. Following Duquesne’s 83-73 victory over Saint Louis in a second-round Atlantic 10 Tournament game Wednesday night at Barclays Center in New York, Dukes coach Keith Dambrot spent a great deal of time discussing a number of subjects. It wasn’t until near...
Despite Erica Gribble’s off night, Greensburg C.C. girls roll on in PIAA playoffs
On a playoff night when Greensburg Central Catholic’s leading scorer was held to two points, coach Chris Skatell turned to Erica Gribble’s teammates for an answer. They came through. Mya Morgan scored 15 points, Jayla Peterson added 14 and Avery Davis finished with 12 as WPIAL champion GCC jumped to...
Duquesne’s Drame twins know about improbable runs
There they stood, inside empty UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Drame twins, side-by-side. Quiet. Respectful. Unassuming. Don’t be deceived. These African-born brothers — they hail from Bamako, Mali — are a tenacious pair, anything but usual. They tend to unite in a sort of brotherly love manner. Spotting the Drames, Jimmy...
Duquesne’s Dae Dae Grant, Jimmy Clark III earn Atlantic-10 honors
Duquesne senior guards Dae Dae Grant and Jimmy Clark III were named Tuesday to the All-Atlantic 10 second team by a vote of the conference’s 15 head basketball coaches. Clark, who leads the league in steals (74), also earned a spot on the All-A-10 Defensive Team for a second consecutive...
City Game in the NIT? Could happen if Pitt, Duquesne don’t make NCAA Tournament
Remember the City Game? It wasn’t long ago — 2018, to be exact — that Pitt was continuing its dominance over Duquesne in the intracity college basketball series, which is on pause. Neither of the school’s current coaches — Pitt’s Jeff Capel and Duquesne’s Keith Dambrot — has had much...
Duquesne edges George Washington in finale, reaches 20 wins
Of all the things that concerned the Duquesne basketball team Saturday, the one that mattered most was the final score. Sure, that’s important every game — Duquesne edged George Washington, 67-65, at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Jimmy Clark III’s two free throws with 2.1 seconds left, giving the Dukes their...
Greensburg Central Catholic girls roll over Bellwood-Antis in PIAA opener
The Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball team did a lot of talking on its home court Friday night, but it had nothing to do with trash. The WPIAL champion Centurions were in sync for a first-round PIAA Class 2A test that resulted in another impressive performance for the state’s second-ranked...
Saint Vincent club hockey team qualifies for national tournament, to delight of former coach
His euphoric acclamation was a clear sign Mike Ziemianski couldn’t have been prouder. The former longtime Saint Vincent coach was overcome with emotion in the moments after the school’s recent club hockey victory over IUP, securing the program’s first College Hockey East playoff championship and third trip to the American...
Bentworth’s Chris Vargo pulls huge upset at 2A wrestling Southwest Regional
ALTOONA — Ask Bentworth senior Chris Vargo what it means to win four regional wrestling championships, and the response might seem surprising. Even after a convincing decision Saturday against a nationally ranked opponent. “Right now, it doesn’t mean (anything),” Vargo said. On a night when Frazier standout Rune Lawrence notched...
Burrell logs another upset, beats No. 2 Mohawk in semifinals
Macky Bennis and his teammates hooted and hollered with Burrell’s rabid fans Monday night at North Allegheny. And why not? Moments earlier, the Burrell boys basketball team, the only double-digit seed remaining in the WPIAL playoffs, continued its improbable postseason run by knocking off yet another higher-seeded challenger. This time,...
Robert Morris men lose to Cleveland State on last-second basket
For the second time, Robert Morris fell one basket short against Cleveland State, bolstering the Vikings chances for a Horizon League Tournament bye. Drew Lowder’s off-balance layup at the shot-clock buzzer and with just 1 second left in the game lifted Cleveland State to a 73-71 victory Sunday at UPMC...
Northgate uses experience, size advantage to top Jeannette in 2A quarters
Beware of the cushion. Cam Williams certainly was. When his Northgate boys basketball team took a huge early lead Friday night against Jeannette in the Flames’ eventual 55-44 victory in a WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinal at Mt. Lebanon, it put Williams in an uncomfortable place. “Jeannette has tough kids. They...
Robert Morris men no match for Horizon League leader Oakland
Robert Morris’ final homestand of the season began Thursday night with a whimper as another in a steady parade of Horizon League heavyweights harassed the outmanned Colonials. Trey Townsend scored 22 points and gathered 17 rebounds, and conference-leading Oakland completed a season sweep of Robert Morris with a 63-43 victory...
Duquesne not giving up NCAA hopes as it prepares to face Fordham
Keith Dambrot, the latest coach to try to lead Duquesne back to the NCAA Tournament, doesn’t appear to be giving up on the idea in his seventh season on The Bluff, despite the Dukes’ recent 0-5 start in Atlantic 10 play. Neither do his players. “We know how much we’ve...
Duquesne controls St. Louis from opening tap, wins behind 31 from Dae Dae Grant
Duquesne is angling for a March peak. With just five regular-season games remaining, beginning Friday night at Fordham, the Dukes are showing signs of the team many thought could contend for an Atlantic 10 championship. Dae Dae Grant equaled his season-high of 31 points and edged closer to the nation’s...
Duquesne scraps out home win for revenge vs. St. Joseph’s
Mud wrestling was back at Duquesne. That meant a grind-it-out style Saturday in search of the ultimate goal. Mission accomplished. David Dixon, in just his third start of the season, scored 17 points and got a career-high 10 rebounds for his first career double-double, Jimmy Clark III added 15 points,...
Young Knoch rallies to defeat Beaver in Class 4A boys first round
Knoch coach Alan Bauman bristled when it was suggested his team’s first-round playoff opponent, Beaver Area, was coming into the Knights’ gym Friday night having played a highly challenging regular-season schedule. The Bobcats competed in Section 2-4A along with top-ranked Lincoln Park and No. 5 North Catholic. “We’re pretty good,...
Pitt aims to continue push toward NCAA Tournament berth vs. last-place Louisville
Don’t let the wintry forecast fool you, Pitt basketball buffs. Sunny days are here again. Winners of six games in their past seven outings, including victories over No. 9 Duke and No. 21 Virginia, the Panthers (16-8, 7-6 ACC) are back Saturday in search of more good times in a...
Pitt’s freshman backcourt duo of Lowe, Carrington growing up quickly
They have begun writing their own special story, an intriguing script any coach would peruse with utter delight. Pitt’s ascending freshman backcourt tandem is growing up fast. With the Panthers’ improving season getting even better with Tuesday night’s 74-63 victory at No. 21 Virginia that ended the Cavaliers’ Division I-leading...
Pitt snaps No. 21 Virginia’s home winning streak of 23
Remember that victory last month at Cameron? Add John Paul to the list. The Pitt basketball team is on a roll. In a hot streak that began Jan. 20 with a four-point victory against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Panthers continued their sizzling surge Tuesday night by knocking off...
Surging Pitt faces big challenge in road game with defensive-minded Virginia
When Virginia basketball is mentioned, the Cavaliers get defensive. Isn’t that the point? After all, they have led the ACC in scoring defense for 12 consecutive seasons, and they’re back on top of the heap again this year — and rank third nationally — with an average of 57.7 points...
For Valley coach Ed Jenkins, coaching is more than wins and losses
In the 2020 book, “Alle-Kiski Sports History,” local historian George Guido’s writings offer a multitude of highlights from the Allegheny-Kiski Valley region’s rich sports history, including a nod to the Highlands 1995 WPIAL championship boys basketball team. Ed Jenkins recalls so well that magical time. He was a key part...
