sports briefs
SF advances to PIAA boys tournament
The South Fayette boys soccer team defeated Chartiers Valley 1-0 Wednesday night at Moon High School in the WPIAL Class AAA consolation match.
The win sends South Fayette (15-5-2) to the PIAA playoffs as the third-place team from the WPIAL. The Lions will play the District 10 champion, either General McLane or Erie Prep in the opening round Tuesday.
South Fayette and Chartiers Valley had split a pair of matchups during the regular season.
PAC soccer tournament
A Thomas More penalty kick goal in the second minute of the match proved to be the game-winner as the Saints defeated visiting Washington & Jefferson 2-0 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference tournament semifinals Wednesday afternoon.
Thomas more tacked on an insurance goal in the 81st minute.
The Presidents conclude the 2017 season with n 11-7 record, the most wins in a season for W&J since the 2010.
Browns’ Gordon reinstated by NFL
Josh Gordon’s personal journey, from star to suspension to sobriety, has reached a new dawning.
He’s getting yet another chance to resurrect his football career and life.
Cleveland’s gifted wide receiver has been conditionally reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who met with the Browns former Pro Bowler Wednesday in New York and is allowing him to return after a nearly three-year absence.
Gordon, who hasn’t played since the 2014 season, can immediately join the team for meetings, engage in conditioning work and individual workouts. He has to comply with requirements set forth by Goodell and can begin practicing with the team Nov. 20.
The 26-year-old will be eligible – at the team’s discretion – to return to active status Nov. 27 or remain on the exempt list for an additional week before returning to active status.
If he abides by Goodell’s stipulations, Gordon could play in Cleveland’s final five games this season.
Gordon has been in and out of rehab over the past year, and there are many fans who feel he has been given more breaks than he deserved.
He had been suspended indefinitely since 2016 for multiple violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
In the NBA
Goran Dragic scored 20 points, Tyler Johnson added 19 and the Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 97-91 Wednesday night to snap a three-game slide.
Hassan Whiteside returned from a five-game absence with a bruised knee and scored 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Heat, who went 3-3 on their six-game homestand.
- T.J. Warren scored 28 of his career-high 40 points in the second half and the Phoenix Suns overcame a 22-point deficit to beat the Washington Wizards 122-116.
Warren also had 10 rebounds and Devin Booker added 22 points to help the Suns improve to 4-1 under interim coach Jay Triano following an 0-3 start that led to Earl Watson’s firing.
- Thaddeus Young scored 26 points, Darren Collison had 25 and the Indiana Pacers sent the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fourth straight loss, 124-107.
LeBron James had 33 points and 11 assists, but it wasn’t enough to keep Cleveland from losing for the fifth time in six games and falling to 3-5.
- Ben Simmons had 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, and Joel Embiid had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their third straight win, 119-109 over the Atlanta Hawks.
- Kemba Walker had 26 points, rookie Malik Monk had a huge fourth quarter and the Charlotte Hornets put the clamps on the NBA’s leading scorer to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 126-121.