Dave Mackall stories, Page 5
6 Saint Francis men’s basketball players enter transfer portal
A week after playing in just its second NCAA Tournament, Saint Francis’ decision to reclassify its athletic program to Division III and join the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in 2026-27 has sparked a mass exodus of men’s basketball players. Six more from the Northeast Conference school, including leading scorer Riley Parker,...
Inside-the-park grand slam fuels Mt. Pleasant to 2nd straight win over Freeport
Dane Firmstone’s inside-the-park grand slam highlighted a nine-run second inning for Mt. Pleasant, and the Vikings beat Freeport, 14-4, in five innings in a WPIAL Section 3-3A baseball game Tuesday at Freeport Park. Mt. Pleasant (2-2, 2-0) scored all its runs in the first two innings in its second victory...
Robert Morris’ Amarion Dickerson, Duquesne’s Kareem Rozier among area players to enter transfer portal
It took a full season, capped by a spectacular performance last week in the NCAA Tournament, for Amarion Dickerson to make his mark on the local sports scene. It took the Robert Morris basketball star barely any time at all to say his goodbyes. Dickerson, a 6-foot-7 small forward, who...
Robert Morris’ Amarion Dickerson shines in front of hometown crowd
CLEVELAND — As Amarion Dickerson slowly walked onto the podium inside a Rocket Arena interview room, he wore a towel, as he often does, loosely on his head. His eyes appeared swollen, and he struggled to contain his emotions. So, too, was the case for a pair of his Robert...
Robert Morris looks to add to highlight-filled season vs. Alabama in NCAA Tournament
Robert Morris’ rotation is tight. On most occasions, it goes just seven players deep. The pride of this particular team, however, extends much further. “Again,” Robert Morris coach Andy Toole began, about to repeat the team’s unofficial slogan, “all year long, we’ve had a group of guys that have been...
Andy Toole emphasizes importance of mid-majors, low-majors in NCAA Tournament
As his team was preparing to play in the NCAA Tournament on Friday, Robert Morris coach Andy Toole wanted you to believe there’s value in the little guys. So, please, he implored, don’t minimize them at any cost. “One of the reasons that people watch this tournament is because of...
Robert Morris hopes to become latest No. 15 seed to beat the odds and take down a No. 2Video
Rarely mentioned but highly dependable, Robert Morris guard D.J. Smith never met a challenge he wouldn’t accept. Buckle up. This one should be a doozy. “It’s always great to be on the highest stage,” Smith said. “I’ve played against a lot of pro guys in … national tournaments. It’s just...
Robert Morris’ Alvaro Folgueiras challenges himself to be leader
The Pittsburgh sports world has produced its share of iconic names. You know them by heart: Bradshaw, Clemente, Dorsett, Lemieux … They all chased their dreams and made them come true. “If your dreams don’t scare you a little bit, you’re not ambitious enough. You’re not big enough,” said Robert...
Robert Morris gets 15 seed, will face Alabama in NCAA Tournament at Cleveland
Robert Morris has made this trip before. Just not for the NCAA Tournament. Now, the Colonials are about to. The Horizon League men’s basketball champions received a No. 15 seed Sunday and will face No. 2 seed Alabama at 12:40 p.m. Friday on truTV in an East Region first-round game...
Robert Morris, Saint Francis latest to get March Madness turns
It’s the time of year for college basketball’s spotlight to shine. The sports world focuses on March Madness. It’s already underway at places like Robert Morris and Saint Francis, champions of their respective conference tournaments. But not everyone is happy while the yearly observance of Selection Sunday approaches and emotions...
OLSH holds off Central Cambria to set up all-WPIAL Class 3A semifinal vs. Shady Side Academy
For Don Eckerle, winning never gets old. And he’s done a lot of it over the years — 417 times now, to be exact. But if it were always easy, perhaps the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart girls basketball coach would just get bored and call it quits. When...
Defending champion Duquesne ousted from Atlantic 10 Tournament after loss to St. Bonaventure
Dru Joyce III grew up with a basketball in his hand. He’s played the game as a slick point guard at every level, and his father and brother are basketball coaches. Joyce won state championships in high school alongside future NBA superstar LeBron James, to this day among his closest...
Duquesne ready for St. Bonaventure rubber match in A-10 tourney
Duquesne begins defense of its Atlantic 10 Tournament men’s basketball championship Thursday with an early-bird matchup against a familiar foe. The ninth-seeded Dukes (13-18) and No. 8 St. Bonaventure (21-10) will meet for the 137th time dating to 1920 in a first-round game at 11:30 a.m. at Capital One Arena...
Robert Morris wins Horizon League, will play in 1st NCAA Tournament in 10 years
The surprising Robert Morris Colonials will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. A first, too, as a member of the Horizon League. Picked to finish ninth among 11 teams, Robert Morris got hot after a slow start to the season and raced all the...
Robert Morris men rally from 2nd-half deficit, beat Oakland in OT to make Horizon League title game
When Robert Morris and Oakland met twice in men’s basketball during the regular season, the games developed into fierce battles. Robert Morris won both times by a combined 10 points. The third affair Monday night in the Horizon League Tournament semifinals at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis was an absolute war....
Robert Morris women fall to Green Bay in Horizon Tournament semifinals
Robert Morris’ first women’s basketball season under new coach Chandler McCabe didn’t go as some had planned — her team was predicted to finish last in the Horizon League — but a late-season run of nine victories in 12 games landed them a surprising No. 4 seed and a first-round...
Robert Morris men, 2 wins from NCAA Tournament, hope winning recipe continues
You’ve probably heard about all the hoopla surrounding the Robert Morris men’s basketball team. It’s been quite an intriguing story. You’re probably aware that in the preseason, the Colonials were picked to finish ninth out of 11 teams in the Horizon League. And that they hadn’t been having any measurable...
Duquesne men lose to Saint Louis in overtime, get No. 9 seed for A-10 tournament
It was some early madness. From the start Saturday night, Duquesne and Saint Louis weren’t about to concede. But somebody had to win. Gibson Jimerson scored a career-high 35 points, Robbie Avila added 22 — including a key 3-point shot with 36 seconds left in overtime — and Saint Louis...
Robert Morris women defeat Northern Kentucky, advance to Horizon League semis MondayVideo
During the women’s basketball regular season, Northern Kentucky gave Robert Morris fits. On Thursday in the Horizon League Tournament quarterfinals, the Colonials returned the favor. Noa Givon scored a season-high 23 points, and No. 4 seed Robert Morris defeated No. 5 Northern Kentucky, 70-57, at UPMC Events Center to advance...
Robert Morris men top Wright State in Horizon League quarters in front of record crowd
Robert Morris’ UPMC Events Center was rocking Thursday night. And why not? The Colonials are a hot ticket these days. They certainly didn’t disappoint their screaming faithful in passing their first test in the Horizon League Tournament for their eighth consecutive victory and 14th in the past 15 games. Kam...
Well-traveled Woods plays important role in getting Robert Morris the top seed for the Horizon League Tournament
In high school, Kam Woods was a phenom on the basketball court. After all, he didn’t score nearly 4,000 career points by accident. He averaged 38.1 as a senior at Pinson Valley in suburban Birmingham, Ala. It’s just one small highlight in the big picture of Woods’ illustrious background that...
Duquesne men cool off, lose to VCU at home
The league’s top team was facing the defending Atlantic 10 champs. Virginia Commonwealth had revenge on its mind. But for a time Tuesday night, it was Duquesne that was looking like the better team, the fresher team, the hungrier team. “Early in the game, we were very disruptive,” Duquesne coach...
Duquesne’s Megan McConnell named A-10 defensive player of year
Duquesne senior Megan McConnell on Tuesday was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year in women’s basketball. The Chartiers Valley product and a sister of Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell also earned a place on the all-conference first team, defensive team and academic team. “We celebrate Meg and...
Robert Morris men claim 3 Horizon League postseason awards
Five years into its Horizon League membership, Robert Morris finally is proving the prognosticators wrong. Picked to finish ninth in the 11-team conference and with no one on the preseason all-league men’s basketball teams, the Colonials on Monday claimed three of the Horizon’s major postseason awards less than a week...
Folgueiras’ health a concern for top-seeded Robert Morris as Horizon League Tournament approaches
Top-seeded Robert Morris entered the week with a bit of uncertainty as the start of the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Tournament loomed. The Colonials (23-8), one of five teams with first-round byes, were looking ahead to the quarterfinals on Thursday night with an eye on the status of injured sophomore...
