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Pine Pieces

Johnson Jr leads second half run as Michigan advances to the second round

By Dylan O'Loughlin | March 19, 2026

Kenneth Blakeney keeps building “The Dream Factory” at Howard University

By Paul Gotham | March 19, 2026

Strong first half helps Michigan State blitz North Dakota State

By Tyler Hathaway | March 19, 2026

Conwell keys winning run to start second half; Louisville advances in East Region

By Paul Gotham | March 19, 2026

Georgia looks to keep historic season alive in March

By Dylan O'Loughlin | March 19, 2026

Hodgson has USF playing its best basketball at the right time

By Paul Gotham | March 19, 2026

Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp State Semifinal Preview: Fairport to face Corning-Painted Post for spot in state final

By Paul Gotham | March 19, 2026

Saint Louis stampede sends Billikens to Round of 32

By Tyler Hathaway | March 20, 2026

Saint Louis shot over 58% from the field while holding a strong Georgia offense to around 35% as the Billikens broke away early and never looked back in a dominant 102-77 win over No. 8 seed Georgia during the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region First Round at KeyBank Center on Thursday night…

Johnson Jr leads second half run as Michigan advances to the second round

By Dylan O'Loughlin | March 19, 2026

Up four coming out of halftime after a buzzer beater three-pointer by Howard’s Bryce Harris, Michigan scored on 10 of its next 11 possesions with Johnson Jr leading the way with 14 points in the opening eight minutes of the half. The sophomore also hauled in 10 rebounds for a double-double and with the run, the Wolverines took a 77-59 lead it did not relinquish.

Red Wings showcase new food items ahead of 2026 season

By Dan Glickman | March 19, 2026

Three new menu items were showcased ahead of a new Rochester Red Wings season…

Kenneth Blakeney keeps building “The Dream Factory” at Howard University

By Paul Gotham | March 19, 2026

Two nights after winning the program’s first NCAA Tournament game, Howard went toe-to-toe with the Wolverines for the first 20 minutes connecting on 10-of-16 3-point attempts to stay within four at 50-46 heading into the break…

Strong first half helps Michigan State blitz North Dakota State

By Tyler Hathaway | March 19, 2026

Carson Cooper put together 20 points and 11 rebounds while Jeremy Fears Jr. dished out 11 assists, and No. 3 seed Michigan State used a pair of big runs in the first half to help take down No. 14 seed North Dakota State 92-67 during NCAA Tournament First Round action at the KeyBank Center on Thursday…

Conwell keys winning run to start second half; Louisville advances in East Region

By Paul Gotham | March 19, 2026

Teammate Vangelis Zougris opened the scoring then Conwell added the next five points. After a Sananda Fru tap-in, Conwell connected on a 3-pointer then led J’Vonne Hadley into the open court for a layup…

Georgia looks to keep historic season alive in March

By Dylan O'Loughlin | March 19, 2026

After finishing the regular season with its best record in program history, the Georgia Bulldogs (22-10/10-8) look to keep the season alive in March Madness this year in their 14th tournament appearance. Last year, the Bulldogs lost in the first round to No. 8 Gonzaga 89-68.

Hodgson has USF playing its best basketball at the right time

By Paul Gotham | March 19, 2026

USF held Wichita State and Charlotte to a combined 33.9 field-goal percentage in taking the recent American Athletic Conference championship…

Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp State Semifinal Preview: Fairport to face Corning-Painted Post for spot in state final

By Paul Gotham | March 19, 2026

One team is making its third state semifinal appearance while the other has reached the final four for the first time in program history. Fairport and Corning-Painted Post will square off in the NYSPHSAA Class AAA semifinal on Friday. Here’s the breakdown…

Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp state semifinal preview: Notre Dame Batavia and Stamford/Jefferson to battle for a spot in state championship

By Matt Hanes | March 19, 2026

One team is making its first state semifinal appearance since 2013 while the other last reached the final four in 1994. Notre Dame-Batavia meets Stamford Jefferson on Thursday for a spot in the NYS Class D championship game. Here’s the breakdown…

‘Every team is here for a reason’: Top-seeded Michigan prepares for March Madness

By Dylan O'Loughlin | March 18, 2026

After falling in the Sweet 16 in 2025 to top-seeded Auburn 78-65, the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines (31-3/19-1) head the Midwest Region of the NCAA DI Tournament this year in search for its first national championship since 1989.

Izzo, Michigan State ready to make another March run

By Tyler Hathaway | March 18, 2026

In a tournament known for making you expect the unexpected, one thing has been a constant in March for nearly the past 30 years. Tom Izzo and Michigan State. Izzo has coached the Spartans into their 28th straight NCAA tournament, as they prepare to start their postseason run in Buffalo this Thursday…

‘Be elite all the time’: Louisville is ready to rewrite history against South Florida

By Dylan O'Loughlin | March 18, 2026

The Louisville Cardinals (23-10/11-7) out of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) are back in the NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Tournament for the 45th time in program history and second year in a row. The Cardinals enter the tournament as the sixth seed in search of its fourth national championship in school history…

High School

Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp State Semifinal Preview: Fairport to face Corning-Painted Post for spot in state final

By Paul Gotham | March 19, 2026 | 0 Comments

One team is making its third state semifinal appearance while the other has reached the final four for the first time in program history. Fairport and Corning-Painted Post will square off in the NYSPHSAA Class AAA semifinal on Friday. Here’s the breakdown…

Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp state semifinal preview: Notre Dame Batavia and Stamford/Jefferson to battle for a spot in state championship

By Matt Hanes | March 19, 2026 | 0 Comments

One team is making its first state semifinal appearance since 2013 while the other last reached the final four in 1994. Notre Dame-Batavia meets Stamford Jefferson on Thursday for a spot in the NYS Class D championship game. Here’s the breakdown…

Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp State Semifinal Preview: Aquinas and William Floyd set to square off for a spot in the state finals

By Matt Hanes | March 18, 2026 | 0 Comments

One team is making its third straight state semifinals appearance; the other its first state semifinal appearance in program history. Aquinas and William Floyd (XI) are set to square off in the state semifinals. Here’s the breakdown…

Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp State Semifinal Preview: Penfield to face Seton Catholic for spot in AA championship game

By Paul Gotham | March 17, 2026 | 0 Comments

One team is looking for its first state semifinal win. The other has two wins in the final four and looking for a first under its current head coach. Penfield and Seton Catholic will meet in the NYS Class AA semifinals on Friday. Here’s the breakdown…

Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp State Semifinal Preview: Lyons to face unbeaten Cooperstown for spot in state championship game

By Paul Gotham | March 17, 2026 | 0 Comments

These two programs have combined to win three state titles One squad is making a second state semifinal appearance in three years and seventh overall. The other clinched a final four spot for a third time. Lyons and Cooperstown will meet on Saturday with a spot in the NYS Class C championship game on the line. Here’s the breakdown…

State Semifinals and Finals Schedule: Girls’ Basketball

By Paul Gotham | March 17, 2026 | 0 Comments

Section V Girls’ Basketball continues this weekend with final four action across three different classifications. Aquinas (AAA), Our Lady of Mercy (A) and Notre Dame-Batavia (D) open in the semifinals with potential championship matchups to follow later in the weekend. All games will be played at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York…

WNY Sports

Special teams flop as Amerks winless skid reaches nine

By Kevin Oklobzija | March 11, 2026

Levi pulled, Amerks ’embarrassed’ as Laval scores nine

By Kevin Oklobzija | February 27, 2026

Amerk teammates remember Scott Metcalfe: ‘The ultimate competitor’

By Kevin Oklobzija | February 27, 2026

Laval, with plenty of swagger, frustrates Amerks again

By Kevin Oklobzija | February 20, 2026

Bills

Bills promote offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach

By Tyler Hathaway | January 27, 2026 | 0 Comments

Buffalo is in the process of finalizing a deal to promote offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the head coaching role. Brady plans to sign a five-year deal with the Bills and will replace former coach Sean McDermott, who was fired last Monday…

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Bills/Broncos playoff preview: Three storylines, two keys to the game, one X-Factor

By Tyler Hathaway | January 16, 2026 | 0 Comments

The Buffalo Bills will continue their postseason run when they travel to face the number one overall seed in the AFC, the Denver Broncos. Where as the Bills enter off of a battle against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Broncos will come into Saturday’s game fully rested…

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Bills/Jaguars playoff preview: Three storylines, two keys to the game, one X-Factor

By Tyler Hathaway | January 10, 2026 | 0 Comments

The 2025 NFL regular season has come to a close, and the Buffalo Bills will be competing in the playoffs for the seventh straight season. But unlike the previous five, the No. 6 seed Bills will be starting their playoff run on the road, heading south to face the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday. The third-seeded Jaguars enter the contest red-hot, while Buffalo is coming off of an emotional yet emphatic win over the New York Jets…

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Amerks

Kuntar’s OT goal allows Amerks to finally celebrate a victory

By Kevin Oklobzija | March 13, 2026 | 3 Comments

When you go 27 days without experiencing thrill of victory, when an entire month has been nothing but the agony of defeat, there’s good reason for a display of unbridled joy after an overtime victory…

Special teams flop as Amerks winless skid reaches nine

By Kevin Oklobzija | March 11, 2026 | 4 Comments

Fast-forward to today and they’ve become a team that can no longer score goals or win games. Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to the Utica Comets at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial extended their winless streak to nine (0-6-1-2)…

Levi pulled, Amerks ’embarrassed’ as Laval scores nine

By Kevin Oklobzija | February 27, 2026 | 9 Comments

With 10 minutes remaining in Friday’s Rochester Americans game, around half of the 7,063 fans were long gone, starting goalie Devon Levi was on the bench and the Laval Rocket were no longer attacking with their trademark ferocity…

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