Early agate
ON THIS DATE
March 8
1955 – Coach Stan Volkavich’s Bethlehem Joint Bulldogs get 23 points from George Trout and defeat Irwin 62-55 in the WPIAL Class B basketball semifinals at the Pitt Field House. Trout makes 13 of 15 free throws.
1960 – Jerry West scores 34 points and grabs 15 rebounds as fifth-ranked West Virginia defeats Navy 94-86 in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden.
1961 – Behind 19 points from Terry Holder and 12 from Marty Schottenheimer, Fort Cherry edges Trafford 55-52 in the WPIAL Class B basketball semifinals.
1969 — Michigan State’s John Abajace of Washington wins the 152-pound weight class at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Abajace decisions top-seeded Otto Zeman of Northwestern 4-1 in the finals.
1971 – Joe Frazier wins the world heavyweight boxing title with a unanimous, 15-round decision over Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden.
1975 – Though it has only one champion (Gary Milligan at 98 pounds) Wash High finishes second in the team standings at the WPIAL wrestling tournament. It’s the Prexies’ best finish in more than 20 years. Canon-McMillan’s Angelo Marino (105) and Kevin Telep (heavyweight) also win their weight classes.
1978 – John Cinicola becomes the first coach in Duquesne University’s 62-year basketball history to be fired. He had a 52-56 record in four seasons. Cinicola is replaced by his top assistant, Mike Rice.
1980 – Brothers Dan and Dave Oliverio of Trinity win the 145- and 155-pound weight classes, respectively, at the WPIAL Class AAA Wrestling Championships. Stan Romano (112) is Trinity’s third champion and Canon-McMillan’s Matt Skittle wins the 167-pound title.
1982 – Sue Shade scores a team-high 14 points and Immaculate Conception defeats Neshannock 48-36 in the WPIAL Class A girls semifinals at Chartiers Valley.
1986 – Scoring the most points ever in a WPIAL championship game, Washington defeats Neshannock 90-62 for its third straight Class AA boys basketball title. Wash High’s Mark Popeck scores 21 points, including the 1,000th of his career.
1986 – Kim Spencer scores 21 points and Immaculate Conception becomes the first Washington County school to win a WPIAL girls basketball title by defeating Farrell 48-33 in the Class A final at the Pitt Field House.
1989 – Waynesburg College erases a 15-point second-half deficit and defeats Westminster 79-75 to win its sixth straight NAIA District 18 title. Darrin Walls scores 31 points and Vance Walker has 17 for the Yellow Jackets.
1989 – Duquesne fires head basketball coach Jim Satalin after seven seasons and a 85-120 record.
1996 – Justin Voithofer scores a game-high 21 points and Dan Everly makes two clutch three-pointers in the final four minutes as Carmichaels, playing in its first PIAA boys basketball playoff game in 24 years, defeats Sharpsville, 73-65, in a Class A contest at Greenville High School.
1999 – Pitt hires Northern Arizona’s Ben Howland as its head basketball coach.