First Call: Ravens TE praises fans for keeping Terrible Towels in Pittsburgh; Baltimore injuries to watch

Fridays First Call examines the Ravens injury report as the Steelers get ready to visit them Saturday in Baltimore.

One of the Ravens is reminding the franchises fans how important it is to avoid selling their tickets to folks from Pittsburgh.

The Penguins head into Christmas break against some divisional foes.

And theres a busy weekend of local college basketball to preview.

Banged-up birds The Steelers wont be the only team in Maryland dealing with injuries Saturday afternoon.

When they take the field against the Ravens, Baltimore may be without three contributors on offense and a starter on defense.

Wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor are both questionable.

Neither practiced Thursday.

Bateman is second on the team with 654 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, and Agholor has 14 catches for 231 yards and two scores.

Starting guard Daniel Faalele was limited in practice and is also questionable.

So is linebacker Odafe Oweh.

The Penn State product is second on the team with eight sacks.

Two of them came in Pittsburgh during the first meeting between the clubs.

While Steelers outside linebacker T.J.

Watt will play , the organization has already ruled out receiver George Pickens and quarterback Justin Fields.

Safety DeShon Elliott is doubtful.

Cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi are questionable.

No time for towels The Steelers have a reputation for taking over road stadiums.

Just down the way from Baltimore early this season, Terrible Towels were waving like crazy during a win in Washington.

But thats not often the case at M&T Bank Stadium.

When asked about Ravens fans holding onto their tickets when the Steelers come to town, tight end Isaiah Likely complimented the fanbase.

It just shows you the type of rivalry it is.

They dont like us as much as we dont like them.

Just keeping a home game a home game, I feel like, thats the biggest thing that the Flock Nation tries to preach, Likely said.

Regardless of how many fans infiltrate M&T Bank Stadium, the Steelers have had a lot of success there lately.

Theyve won four in a row in Baltimore.

Bedeviled As the Penguins were winning an overtime ping-pong match in Nashville Thursday night, their next opponent suffered a surprising loss in Columbus.

Bryan Rust polished off a 5-4 OT victory against the Predators.

That was his second goal of the night, to go along with a pair of assists.

The Pens erased deficits of 3-1 and 4-3 along the way.

Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists.

They have now won eight of their past 11 games.

Up next, they travel to New Jersey for a game on Saturday.

The Devils have 45 points, the most in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference.

The Pens are fourth in the division with 35 points.

However, the Columbus Blue Jackets, tied for last in the Metro with 31 points, upset Jersey 4-2 Thursday night.

Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist for the Jackets.

New Jersey had won its previous three games.

This will be the first meeting of the year between the divisional foes.

The Pens played there twice last year, winning 6-3 and losing 5-2.

The Devils average 3.31 goals per game seventh-best in the NHL.

They also give up the fourth-fewest goals per game at 2.60.

New Jerseys power play is clicking at 29.8%, second-best in the NHL.

Their 81.4% penalty kill is 10th-best.

The Pens then host Philadelphia (33 points, fifth in the Metro) on Monday before breaking for Christmas.

Back at it The Pitt mens basketball team (9-2) hasnt played since Dec.

11.

Thats when they blew out Eastern Kentucky 95-56.

Theyll return to action Saturday at the Petersen Events Center.

Sam Houston comes to Oakland for a 1 p.m.

start.

This will be the Panthers only game until Jan.

1 at home against California.

They then host Stanford on Jan.

4 , and they travel to Duke on Jan.

7.

Meanwhile, the womens team blew out the University of New Hampshire 94-39 Thursday afternoon.

Mikayla Johnson had 21 points.

Marley Washenitz put up 20.

The Panthers will visit Utah Tech at 3 p.m.

Saturday.

Double dips Duquesne basketball fans are getting two games in one day Saturday at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

The womens team opens the action at noon against Bowling Green.

The Dukes come in at 8-2 after smoking Canisius 90-66 on Sunday.

Chartiers Valley product Megan McConnell put up 35 points.

BGSU comes in at 6-4, having just won a 64-62 contest against Marquette on Wednesday.

The Falcons have won four in a row.

The men take the floor after the womens game is over.

Thats at roughly 2:30 p.m.

Dru Joyce IIIs team (3-8) won its most recent game, a 65-47 decision over Towson in Akron.

Cameron Crawford led the way with 13 points.

Now U.C.

Irvine comes to the Bluff at 9-1.

The Anteaters only loss was to Oregon State 67-55.

The Dukes won a 66-62 affair between the teams in Pittsburgh last year.

Robert Morris is hosting a basketball doubleheader at the UPMC Events Center on campus Saturday as well .

In the Colonials case, the mens team plays first.

Andy Tooles team (7-5) welcomes St.

Francis (5-8) at 1 p.m.

RMU has won six of seven games at home.

The womens team (4-7) takes the floor at 4 p.m.

against St.

Bonaventure (4-6).

Chandler McCabes club just dropped a 55-53 result to Oakland on Wednesday..

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