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Magnificat holds on against North Royalton to win third straight girls basketball district title

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ELYRIA, Ohio — The Magnificat girls basketball team earned a little bit of revenge and its third straight trip to the regional semifinals. Senior guard Sarah Scelza scored 17 points and sophomore guard Phoebe Sterba added 16 as the No. 3-seeded Blue Streaks avenged a December loss to the No. 4-seeded North Royalton Bears to win the Division I...

ELYRIA, Ohio — The Magnificat girls basketball team earned a little bit of revenge and its third straight trip to the regional semifinals.

Senior guard Sarah Scelza scored 17 points and sophomore guard Phoebe Sterba added 16 as the No. 3-seeded Blue Streaks avenged a December loss to the No. 4-seeded North Royalton Bears to win the Division I district title at Elyria Catholic, 57-46.

Bridget Pryatel scored four points, but added six blocks for the Blue Streaks, who limited North Royalton to 16-of-79 shooting (20 percent). Lily Schwind added eight for the Blue Streaks.

“We had lost to them in December so I think that was a little of incentive,” Magnificat coach Meghann Hubach said. “The last few games we’ve been playing well and I think our seniors definitely didn’t want our season to end and they bring everyone else along with them.”

“This was more than a district championship. This was getting back for that loss and revenge,” Skelza said.

The loss was a crushing one for North Royalton, which ends the year 21-3.

“I don’t think necessarily they are a better team than us,” said North Royalton coach Steffani Cicerchi. “They just executed better than us, but absolutely it’s frustrating.”

The Bears’ leading scorer Alison Smolinski had a tough game as the Blue Streaks limited her to just five points, far short of the 15 she averaged this season.

Stopping Smolinksi was the key, Hubach said.

“We put our two best defenders (Lissy Roggenburk an Anne Ubbing) on her and tried to dog her.," Hubach said. "In our previous game she made a lot of shots. She’s a good shooter and a very good player. We knew that was the key. They rely on her to get open shots and score from the perimeter.”

Cicerchi said the tactic was effective as well.

“They did a phenomenal job on her, those are the best defenders she's seen," Cicerchi said. "They full out were denying her and didn’t want her to catch the ball.”

However, North Royalton’s junior post player Rachel Flis almost foiled the strategy. She appeared to grab almost every rebound — finishing the night with an unofficial total of 18 — to go along with 16 points. But it wasn’t enough and at the end of the night.

“I just wanted one more practice with everyone,” Flis said. “That kind of pushed me to go harder.”

Flis had a hard time finishing from point blank range all night.

"I just want it to go in," Fils said. "Especially those times when I get three (shots) right in a row and they don't go in. I just wanted to throw the ball at the wall just so it would go in."

Cicerchi again credited Magnificat’s defenders for Flis’s struggles finishing.

“When she got the ball inside they were collapsing two or three people on her. Anybody would have a hard time finishing against that,” Cicerchi said.

Julianne Lebo added eight points for North Royalton

After a sloppy first quarter, which saw the game tied 8-8 after the first eight minutes, Magnificat used a 10-0 run to build a 22-10 lead. Sterba contributed a stick-back basket and a three-point play during the surge, and Scelza added four points.

Magnificat led 29-18 at the half and scored the first seven points of the third quarter to increase the lead to 36-18.

North Royalton closed the quarter on a 9-3 run and trailed 39-27 entering the fourth quarter.

The Bears got as close as 45-38 after two free throws by Gabby White with 2:33 left in the contest, but could get no closer.

“Like all good teams Royalton makes a run in the second half, we expected that to happen,” Hubach said. “Fortunately we able to hold on and win it.

Sterba scored nine points in the final period including six straight free throws down the stretch to ice the win. Magnificat finished the night 17-of-20 at the line.

Now the regionals loom next and Hubach is confident her team can get over the hump, finally after two years of disappointment.

“It would be great," Hubach said. "The last two years we’ve faced Wadsworth. This year we are going to Norwalk and we are hoping we go forward,” Hubach said.


Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco trying to win same job in Cleveland Indians' rotation

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It's still early, but Josh Tomlin and Carlos Carrasco have started well in the race for the fifth spot in the rotation this spring.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – It has been a long time since Josh Tomlin felt the rush of competition.

Carlos Carrasco is better acquainted with it, but he certainly isn’t on a first name basis. Tommy John surgery does that to pitchers. It takes them away from their work for at least a year, sometimes longer.

Now Tomlin and Carrasco are healthy and pitching for the same job in the Indians rotation. There are others involved: promising Trevor Bauer and veterans Aaron Harang and Shaun Marcum.

The Cactus League season is only three games old and much can happen between now and the season opener on March 31 in Oakland. Perhaps Danny Salazar, the Indians’ ace in waiting, won’t be ready in time for the opener and it will clear a spot for one of the other starters.

Right now, it looks like Tomlin and Carrasco will run this race. Bauer could use more time at Class AAA Columbus. Marcum is still recovering from surgery to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS), an operation that involved the removal of a rib and neck muscles. Harang, 35, is the wild card.

Signed just after camp opened, he could be a safety net if Salazar isn’t ready. He went 5-11 with Seattle last year, and is more suited for the NL, but he’s durable and could hold a rotation spot until Salazar is ready to pitch.

Tomlin threw two scoreless innings Friday in a 4-0 victory over the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. After retiring the side in order in the third, he pitched around a pair of two-out singles to end the fourth. A great diving catch by Nyjer Morgan to start the inning saved him from real trouble.

It was Tomlin’s first taste of anything close to the big leagues since he pitched two scoreless innings on Sept. 12 against the White Sox. Before that his last appearance for the Indians was on Aug. 12, 2012. Ten days later he had surgery on his right elbow.

Asked what he was trying to do Friday, Tomlin said, “Compete. It’s been a long time since I competed . . .I pitched those two innings in September, but I was a little amped up.”

Tomlin, a control pitcher who can’t afford to be overly amped, settled down after the first pitch.

“Tomlin does what he does,” said manager Terry Francona. “He stayed down in the zone, commanded his pitches and was quick to the plate. He came as advertised. I’m sure as the spring goes along, he’ll get sharper, but I thought he was good.”

Carrasco had Tommy Johns surgery on his right elbow came in 2011. It cost him the entire 2012 season.

He was busy last season, making 15 appearances for the Indians, 16 for Class AAA Columbus and serving two suspensions for throwing at batters. Yet the only time he looked comfortable at the big league level was pitching out of the bullpen. The Indians like his arm too much for that and he is thought to be the favorite to win the fifth spot in the rotation this year.

Pitching coach Mickey Callaway made a change in Carrasco’s delivery over the winter, raising his lead or left arm higher to give him more deception as the ball leaves his hand. On Wednesday, Carrasco struggled with that on his first three pitches, but made the adjustment and sailed through two scoreless innings while throwing 95 mph to 96 mph.

“On the first three pitches I felt my arm was down a little,” said Carrasco. “As soon as I felt that, I made a little adjustment and everything felt great. I threw everything for a strike – curveball, slider, change up and fastball.”

Carrasco was the first Indians’ pitcher to go two innings this spring. Francona let him do it because he’s been throwing bullpen sessions all winter and is in excellent condition.

The fact that Carrasco was able to make an in-game adjust was important to Francona.

“It was very encouraging,” said Francona. “When Carlos comes in an throws ball one and ball two and then he reels it back in. Heck yes, (it was encouraging).”

Carrasco has had trouble making adjustments during a game in the past. He says he’s been helped by a book he purchased early in camp entitled, “The ABCs of Pitching: A handbook for performance enhancement.”

“The problem in the past is I never thought about making an adjustment,” said Carrasco. “I just threw the ball. Thursday I could feel a big difference.

“I worked on that mentality during the offseason and the book is unbelievable. I’m reading about adjustments and being aggressive. That’s what I did Thursday.”

If Carrasco doesn't make the rotation, he's expected to start the season in the bullpen because he's out of options. Tomlin hold three options on Tomlin.

Decision time is still weeks away and Francona wants it to be one that keeps him up a night.

“I hope it comes down to the end and we have a really hard decision,” he said, “because that means guys did well, which bodes well for us.”


Watch video interviews with 11 locals wrestlers who qualified for state finals: OHSAA wrestling 2014

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are 11 video interviews with local wrestlers after clinching a berth in a state title match in their weight class during Friday's semifinals at the Ohio High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament. The finals are Saturday night at Ohio State's Value City Arena. DIVISION I:

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are 11 video interviews with local wrestlers after clinching a berth in a state title match in their weight class during Friday's semifinals at the Ohio High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament. The finals are Saturday night at Ohio State's Value City Arena.

DIVISION I:

Ben Darmstadt of Elyria defeated Andrew McNally of Uniontown Lake, 11-2 major decision victory to advance to the 152-pound state title.

Nick Kiussis of Brunswick defeated Bobby Smith of Hilliard Davidson, 1-0, to advance to the state title in the 132-pound weight class as a freshman.

Alex Mackall of Walsh Jesuit defeated Corey Shie of Cincinnati LaSalle, 17-9 major decision victory to advance to the state title in the 120-pound weight class.

DIVISION II:

Kenny Jackson of Crestwood won on a 5-3 decision over Kyle Kremiller of Perry at 195 pounds

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Tony DeCesare of Padua won his 106-pound match in a 5-3 sudden victory over Josh Venia from Toledo Central Catholic.

Billy Miller of Perry advanced to the state final after defeating Evan Loughman, 7-1, to advance to the heavyweight championship.

Anthony Tutolo of Lake Catholic scored a 6-3 decision over 126-pounder Devin Rogers from Springfield Northwestern.

DIVISION III:

Travis Linton from Rootstown pinned Delta’s Ryan Patchin in 5:06 at 182 pounds.

Sam Gross of Beachwood won via a 7-3 decision over Ryan Ford from Covington at 132 pounds.

Jacob Hanzel of Manchester advanced to the final with a 4-3 decision over Nate Jackson from Dayton Christian.

Ryan Harris from Beachwood scored his second consecutive technical fall, this time winning 23-8 over Covington’s Ben Miller.

 

Drew Richmond, an elite offensive tackle prospect in the 2015 class, grew up an Ohio State fan: Buckeyes recruiting

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"I am a fan and I love Coach Hinton,” Richmond said of Ohio State. "Right now I don't really have a list of top schools. I'll have a little more precise list coming soon. I just have to continue to narrow it down, but Ohio State (will probably make that list)."

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the majority of Drew Richmond'™s childhood, he thought he was going to play basketball. Then things started to change.

"œI didn'™t ever think I would end up playing football, then I got bigger and wider and everyone got taller, skinnier and lankier," Richmond told Cleveland.com in a phone interview Thursday. "I knew my basketball days were done when I played AAU ball in seventh grade and the guy I was guarding was 6-foot-7."

A few years have gone by since then, and Richmond continued to get bigger. Now there's a lot of head coaches at top college football programs are glad the 6-6, 313-pounder of Memphis (Tenn.) University School came to that realization.

Why? Because Richmond has become an elite offensive tackle prospect in the 2015 recruiting class.

"I am glad I chose football and I really love it," Richmond said. "Now I am just in the weight room and trying to get better, and things are going really good (in my recruitment). Now I am just trying to figure out which schools I'm interested in the most."

That won't be easy.

A four-star prospect rated by Rivals.com the No. 5 offensive tackle in the class, Richmond has offers from top programs like Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, UCLA and others.

But the Buckeyes will likely be involved in Richmond's recruitment until the end. Richmond grew up an Ohio State fan and he's built a strong relationship with Buckeyes assistant Tim Hinton, who told Richmond he's one of the program's top targets in the class.

Richmond has also already visited Ohio State for the Buckeyes' 31-24 win over Wisconsin last year, a game head coach Urban Meyer designed to be a showcase for the Buckeyes. Meyer had NBA megastar LeBron James on the sidelines, and most of Ohio State's top targets in the 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes were in attendance.

"I grew up a fan of Ohio State. That’s really a big thing – I am a fan and I love Coach Hinton,” Richmond said. "Right now I don't really have a list of top schools. I’ll have a little more precise list coming soon. I just have to continue to narrow it down, but Ohio State (will probably make that list).”

Though Meyer is glad Richmond gave up basketball for football, it his Richmond's background on the hardwood that has made him such an attractive prospect. Richmond's athleticism and quickness fits the exact mold Ohio State's coach finds ideal for his offensive linemen.

The first cousin of Stanford wide receiver Ty Montgomery, Richmond played and worked out with his athletic cousin during his early childhood. All of that helped set the stage for Richmond's prowess on the football field. 

"That really helped. A lot of coaches have told me they like my athleticism," Richmond said. "Now it is about getting in the weight room more and continuing to get stronger and better."

Richmond hasn't set out his entire schedule for the summer, but he knows he wants to visit North Carolina, Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State. The offensive lineman's return to Columbus will likely be for Ohio State's Friday Night Light's camp in July. 

But for now, Richmond is taking things slow. 

"I have a lot to figure out before I start getting closer to a decision," Richmond said. 

The 'Unfinished Business' movement and a guy who has caught Terry Francona's eye: 5 Cleveland Indians observations

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The Indians claimed the rubber match in their series against the Reds at the teams' spring training complex. Here are five observations from the desert.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians claimed the rubber match in their series against the Reds at the teams' spring training complex. Here are five observations from the desert.

1. Nyjer Morgan has caught the eye of manager Terry Francona. The skipper said his favorite play from Thursday's 12-3 win was when Morgan sprinted from his spot in the outfield to back up third base. On Friday, Francona lauded a diving catch Morgan made in center field during the fourth inning.

"You can tell he's on a mission," Francona said. "He's playing with a lot of enthusiasm. He's all over the place."

Morgan, fighting for a roster spot as a reserve outfielder, has two hits, two walks, two runs and two RBIs in 10 plate appearances.

2. Francona noted that both pitchers have only thrown two innings, but Carlos Carrasco and Josh Tomlin have breathed fresh air into the competition for the final slot in the starting rotation. Carrasco retired all six batters he faced on Thursday. Tomlin tossed a pair of scoreless frames on Friday.

It's early, but for the Indians' sake, this showing sure beats the contrary.

"I hope it comes down to the end and we have a really hard decision," Francona said, "because that means guys did well and that bodes well for us."

3. As Nick Swisher handed out stacks of red T-shirts in the clubhouse on Friday morning, veteran reliever Scott Atchison yelled in his direction.

"You passing those out to everyone, or only people you like?" Atchison said, laughing.

Swisher's teammates adore him, and they seem to have embraced the motto etched onto the chest of the shirts: "Unfinished Business."

The Indians have spoken at length for the last four months about how the Wild Card Game experience offered them a brief, albeit dissatisfying, taste of the postseason.

Francona joked that he missed his chance at getting a shirt because he was too busy mingling with the media. He also revealed that Swisher will make his spring debut on Sunday.

4. The Indians will more than likely carry two left-handed relievers on the roster when they open the season at Oakland on March 31.

Mark Rzepczynski has staked his claim to one of those spots, on the basis of his 0.89 ERA and 0.836 WHIP in 27 outings with the Indians last summer. He fashioned a scoreless inning on Friday.

Josh Outman, acquired over the winter from Colorado for Drew Stubbs, is the odds-on favorite to win the other spot. Nick Hagadone, Scott Barnes and Colt Hynes are also in the mix. Barnes labored through a scoreless ninth inning on Friday.

Francona said he prefers carrying two lefties because it prevents him from leaning too heavily on one guy and allows him to use the two for varying lengths of time. Of course, as he also noted, he values ability much more than handedness.

5. Frank Herrmann is nearly a full year removed from Tommy John surgery. The operation and subsequent rehab process have provided him with a new view of his career.

Herrmann, a Harvard graduate, said Friday he is now simply grateful to have an opportunity to pitch, whether it's at Triple-A or with the big league club.

Herrmann has thrown batting practice and hopes to be completely healed and back to full strength by May or June. In 95 career relief appearances with the Indians, the right-hander has compiled a 4.26 ERA.


College Basketball Tip-off: 'Hoos on the move, Top 25 buzz, headlines and bracketology

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Here's a look at the big matchups and top storylines from around the nation as we begin another busy weekend of college basketball action.

Here's a look at the big matchups and top storylines from around the nation as we begin another busy weekend of college basketball action:

The Big Buzz: Spotlight on Charlottesville

No. 4 Syracuse at No. 12 Virginia, Saturday at 4 p.m. ET

By this point, it's reasonable to think that you know the Virginia Cavaliers, at 24-5, are ranked No. 12 in the nation. But are you aware that they are 15-1 in ACC play? Did you know they've won 12 straight since losing by four at Duke on January 13? I think not.

It's true that Virginia's steady climb up the polls this season would have been expedited by some higher-profile victories. But sometimes evaluating a team's losses can be just as revealing. The Cavaliers surely subscribe to that school of thought, as all five teams that bested them -- VCU, Wisconsin, Green Bay, Tennessee and Duke -- are slated to dance in ESPN's latest bracket projection.

Another factor that may have cost the 'Hoos a bit of acclaim is that their style of play closely resembles that of molasses in January. According to Ken Pomeroy, Virginia plays at the eighth-slowest tempo in the nation. Sure, they're the third-most efficient defense and allow the least points per game (54.7) in the country, but it's difficult to garner much respect operating at that pace without the star power of, say, a Syracuse.

Speaking of the Orange, they will be in Charlottesville today for the biggest Virginia home game in recent memory. The Cavs hold a one-game advantage in the ACC over 'Cuse, which has lost two of three and escaped in its last three wins by a combined five points. Jim Boeheim's bunch seems ripe for the picking and, with an RPI rating of 8, provides Virginia with a perfect opportunity to add the only thing missing from its resume.

Tony BennettVirginia head coach Tony Bennett watches the game during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlottesville, Va., Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014. Virginia won the game 65-40. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

It is not the fault of Joe Harris and company that they only got Duke, Pittsburgh, UNC and Syracuse once each on their schedule. All they've done is take care of business with what they've been provided. But if they can top the reeling Orange, it might be time to start thinking about national title contention in Charlottesville.

A win today clinches the first outright title for Virginia since 1981, the year Ralph Sampson led the Hoos to the Final Four, writes ESPN's Dana O'Neil:

Needless to say, there is no Ralph Sampson on Tony Bennett's roster, hence the blasphemy of such a comparison. But there is a team, a very good one, capable of matching Sampson's figurative heights, if not his literal 7-foot-4 height.

The only little thing standing in the way to complete the first leg is a pesky little team by the name of Syracuse that could, with a few more wins, do in one year what the Cavaliers have been waiting for three decades to repeat. That's about as in-your-face upstart as it comes.

Virginia could be catching the Orange at the right time, writes Mike Waters of Syracuse.com:

The game is part of a brutal finishing stretch that has Syracuse playing four of its last five games on the road. Syracuse is the only team from a major conference that will have just one home game in its last five games.

For all the talk about these two elite defenses, ESPN's Andy Katz reminds us that both of these squads are capable of putting up points on the right night:

Both teams can score. Syracuse will need to move the ball quickly against the pack line defense of Virginia. The Virginia guards are strong, long and able to find the seams against the zone. The key will be whether the Cavs can rebound within the zone. First one to 60 wins?

Virginia refuses to allow penetration, emphasizing the importance of making shot, says Syracuse superstar C.J. Fair: (via Syracuse.com)

"That's one way to break them down. They like to pack it in the paint and force you to shoot jump shots. If you get a lot of good movement and knock shots down, then you can take them out of their element, make them start to extend more and that will open up some things."

Watch Brent Ace of Syracuse.com and former Syracuse player Matt Roe preview today's Cavaliers-Orange tilt in this week's '3 points' video:

Top games

Here's a look at some of this weekend's other can't-miss matchups involving teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25:

No. 11 Cincinnati at Connecticut, Saturday at 12 p.m. ET

No. 7 Louisville at No. 21 Memphis, Saturday at 2 p.m. ET

No. 10 Saint Louis at VCU, Saturday at 6 p.m. ET

Minnesota at No. 16 Michigan, Saturday at 6 p.m. ET

No. 15 Iowa State at Kansas State, Saturday at 7 p.m. ET

No. 5 Kansas at Oklahoma State, Saturday at 9 p.m. ET

Stanford at No. 3 Arizona, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET

Headlines

With Wichita State now at 30-0, Kansas head coach Bill Self believes the Shockers deserve a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they can run the table. (via SI.com)

Cuonzo MartinTennessee head coach Cuonzo Martin yells to his player's in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, in Knoxville, Tenn. Florida won 67-56. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Branden Dawson returned to practice this week after missing nine weeks with a broken right hand, finally giving Michigan State the full roster many pundits envisioned when they ranked the Spartans as a top three team in the preseason. (via MLive.com)

Tennessee fans that want to see Volunteers head coach Cuonzo Martin fired are "idiots," according to Vanderbilt coach and in-state rival Kevin Stallings. (via CBSSports.com)

New Mexico State head coach Marvin Menzies has suspended KC Ross-Miller for his role in the brawl that occurred between players and fans after the No. 25 Lobos topped Utah State on Thursday. (via CollegeBasketballTalk.com)

What they're saying

Finally fully healthy, Michigan State's Tom Izzo sees a team in his Spartans, one game behind Michigan in the Big Ten, that can do some damage heading into postseason play: (via MLive.com)

"I see it," Izzo said. "If we get everybody back playing somewhat like they were, I think this team will make serious noise here in the next three weeks. How fast? We know it's not going to be one week. If it's two or three weeks, we're in trouble the other way."

Russ Smith, Sean KilpatrickLouisville guard Russ Smith (2) shoots over Cincinnati guard Sean Kilpatrick in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

• David Cassilo of Cleveland.com puts the spotlight on Louisville's Russ Smith, who has transformed from good shooter to good player, in his weekly Player of the Year watch:

Louisville's Russ Smith knew it would be hard to top last season. As a junior, he won a national title and averaged 22.3 points per game in the NCAA tournament.

This season, though, Smith has become a better all-around player. He was always a terrific scorer and on-ball defender, but now he a smarter and less selfish player.

Even after winning six of seven, it's hard to avoid thinking that Ohio State took a big step back on Thursday in losing to Penn State for the second time this year, a notion an angry Aaron Craft seemed to concede afterwards: (via Cleveland.com)

"The whole game we never found a way to get ourselves out of it," Craft said. "We can't do that. That can't be us unless we want to be home early or we want the offseason to start as soon as possible. That can't be us."

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim acknowledged that he went overboard with his court-storming reaction to a bad call at Cameron Indoor Stadium last weekend: (via Syracuse.com)

"There's no question I went too far," Boeheim said. "In my mind, the game was over. That was really the call that got me. Would you rather not do that? Probably. But when you're in the middle of that moment, when you're involved in a game like that and you feel the game is gone because of this play, you lose control of your emotions."

Tourney Talk

Florida may be No. 1 in the polls, but Joe Lunardi of ESPN.com has Arizona as the top overall seed in his latest tournament projection.

With Thursday night's win over Kentucky at Rupp Arena, Arkansas has catapulted itself onto the bubble, writes Patrick Stevens of Syracuse.com.

Only two SEC teams made it into the latest NCAA projection from Shelby Mast, but the USA Today bracketologist has Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas and LSU just outside his bubble.

• Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo! Sports dubs Oregon his big winner this week after its Thursday night win at UCLA, but writes that the Ducks still have work to do before the Pac-12 tourney.

After an upset-filled Thursday, Jerry Palm of CBS dropped Saint Louis, Ohio State, Iowa and Memphis down a line after four ugly losses.

Cleveland Indians Spring Training 2014 daily updates from Goodyear for March 1

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Get the latest from Zack Meisel, Paul Hoynes, Terry Pluto and Chuck Crow in Goodyear as the Indians continue spring training play against the Chicago White Sox.

GOODYEAR, Arizona -- The Indians won their 3-day turf war with the Reds on Friday thanks to the power of Ryan Raburn and a shutout by their pitching staff. They even took some time out to push a new team slogan.

The Indians play the White Sox today at 3:05 p.m. I'll be live chatting during the game, so join in the conversation.

For the next two weeks, our cleveland.com/Plain Dealer team of Paul Hoynes, Terry Pluto, Chuck Crow and yours truly will be in Arizona bringing you wall-to-wall coverage. We'll have in-game blogs, live shows, videos interviews with players, photos and a few surprises.

Come back to this page throughout the day for the latest from Goodyear.

St. Vincent-St. Mary’s Aaron Adkins wins Division II state title: OHSAA wrestling 2014 (videos)

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two wrestlers became four-time state champions this weekend at the state wrestling tournament. St. Vincent-St. Mary senior Aaron Adkins considers himself a four-time state champ as well. Saturday, Adkins won his second straight 182-pound Division II state title to go with the second football state title he helped win in the fall.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two wrestlers became four-time state champions this weekend at the state wrestling tournament.

St. Vincent-St. Mary senior Aaron Adkins considers himself a four-time state champ as well. Saturday, Adkins won his second straight 182-pound Division II state title to go with the second football state title he helped win in the fall.

"It's absolutely great," said Adkins. "The work is hard and it's really awesome for it to pay off."

More video will be added to this post shortly.

Adkins beat Urbana's Jack Harris, 5-4, for the title. It was a rematch of last year's state semifinal, won by Adkins (11-7). An escape with 20 seconds left Saturday was the difference. Adkins never trailed in the match, but couldn't shake Harris, who tied the match twice, the last time coming on a reversal with 31 seconds left in the third period.

"I looked at the clock and there was like 30 seconds left. I didn't think I was going to get out," said Adkins. "But like last week (5-4 win in the district semifinals), I held on to win. That's all that matters."

Adkins (46-5) wasn't tested on his way to the final. He won his first three matches by pin, 7-0 and major decision. It was a strong ending to a season Adkins admits wasn't hard at times. 

Like last season, he started late due to the football teams' run to the state title. After winning the Top Gun tournament in mid-January, Adkins was still trying building up the endurance to last six minutes.

"There was a lot of pressure this year to repeat," he said. "The slow start to the season got me not as prepared as I wanted to be. As soon as February came around, I was ready to go."

Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@ScottPatsko). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.


Beachwood’s Ryan Harris wins Division III state title: OHSAA wrestling 2014 (video)

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Beachwood senior wrestler Ryan Harris won the Division III 170-pound state wrestling championship on Saturday. Harris adds this to his first state title earned last season in the 160-pound weight class with a record of 50-0.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Beachwood senior wrestler Ryan Harris won the Division III 170-pound state wrestling championship on Saturday.

Harris adds this to his first state title earned last season in the 160-pound weight class with a record of 50-0.

“I was glad I was able to end my high school career with a second state championship,” Harris said.

The senior took an early lead in the finals against West Salem Northwestern senior Joey Meek. After the first period, Harris led Meek 9-3 after the first two periods. Harris went to win by a 9-4 decision in the final round.

Harris came into the finals as a three-time place finisher and won both the Beachwood sectional and Garfield Heights district tournaments. This season he also earned an eighth-place finish in the Ironman Tournament, and first place in the Beachwood, Kenston, Bill Dies and Chagrin Valley Conference tournaments.

He ends his high school career at 47-3.

Contact high school sports reporter Nathaniel Cline by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@nathanielcline). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Perry’s Billy Miller wins Division II state title: OHSAA wrestling 2014 (video)

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Billy Miller made set a goal for himself as a freshman — he was going to be a state champion. The Perry senior accomplished that goal last year, winning the Division II state title at 285 pounds. He left no doubt in his last trip to states, beating Beloit West Branch’s Logan Sharp, 4-2, to claim...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Billy Miller made set a goal for himself as a freshman — he was going to be a state champion.

The Perry senior accomplished that goal last year, winning the Division II state title at 285 pounds. He left no doubt in his last trip to states, beating Beloit West Branch’s Logan Sharp, 4-2, to claim his second straight title on Saturday night in Columbus.

The win capped off an unbeaten season for Miller, who finished the year 44-0.

“It’s means a lot to me,” Miller said. “I’ve been dreaming to have an undefeated season for a while. It just puts me up to the top, where all those state champions are.”

Check back later for video.

Miller used a first period take down, and a second period reversal to hold off Sharp, whom had beaten twice earlier in the season.

His quest for a second straight state title began with back-to-back pins in the preliminaries in quarterfinals.

“That first match was definitely a great opening for me,” Miller said. “Pinning that first kid meant a lot to me because when you go out there and you see all the big lights, it can be intimidating.”

Miller looked anything but intimidated during his last trip to state, handling his first two opponents and relying on his skill and experience to pull out victories in the semifinal and championship.

Miller finished fourth at 285 pounds as a sophomore, beginning the march toward that goal he set as a freshman. After getting pinned in his first six high school matches, Miller vowed to put in the work to get on top.

That’s where he ended his career on Saturday.

“As a freshman, I would have never thought that this day would come,” Miller said. “I never thought I’d be a state champion. I just worked my butt off every single day and it finally paid off in the end during my junior and senior seasons.”

Contact high school sports reporter Bill Landis by email (blandis@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@blandis25). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy's Tyler Maclellan wins Division II state title: OHSAA state wrestling 2014 (video)

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy wrestling coach Dave Bergen knows that his 195-pound senior Tyler Maclellan isn't a true technician. In his coach's words, Maclellan is a grinder. In his Division II state championship match on Saturday night at Value City Arena at The Ohio State University, Maclellan fought out a low-scoring 3-2 win against Crestwood's Kenny...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy wrestling coach Dave Bergen knows that his 195-pound senior Tyler Maclellan isn't a true technician. In his coach's words, Maclellan is a grinder.

In his Division II state championship match on Saturday night at Value City Arena at The Ohio State University, Maclellan fought out a low-scoring 3-2 win against Crestwood's Kenny Jackson, in a rematch of last week's Alliance District Final, to end his high school career with a state championship.

With the score tied at 1 late in the final period, Maclellan made the match's only takedown with only 14 seconds left. Jackson got a late escape, but it was not enough to keep Maclellan from his dream goal of winning a state title.

"My coaches were yelling, 'High leg attack,'" Maclellan said. "So I passed his arm and went for the leg, and I got it. I was lucky enough to finish it on the edge."

Jackson made an escape to start the second period, and Maclellan did the same at the start of the third. The match didn't feature many close calls, but that was just fine with Bergen.

"Absolutely textbook," Bergen said. "If you watched this match and probably a dozen other matches this season, they're very much the same. He just doesn't give up. He doesn't get rattled too easy. In fact, he had to tell me to calm down during the match."

Maclellan's win stayed in form with his two previous wins, in which he outscored his quarterfinal and semifinal opponents by a combined score of 5-0.

Video coming soon.

His win gave CVCA a state champion for the fifth year in a row as Maclellan followed in the footsteps of four-time state champion Nate Tomasello, who graduated in 2013. But Maclellan's path to the state title isn't too complex.

"Tyler isn't the technician of all technicians. He is a grind it out, wear you down and score (wrestler). And he does it probably better than most I've seen," Bergen said. "This game is three periods long. And he's won a lot of matches in the third period because of his style. He's just in your face. He's fearless. He's relentless."

Jackson and Maclellan, who entered the final with identical 38-5 records, went to overtime in Alliance last week. Maclellan won that match, 3-1, with another takedown.

In the rematch, they battled tightly through two periods, and Jackson took a 1-0 lead into the final period. Maclellan said he knew that one takedown was likely going to decide the match.

"I knew I was picking bottom, so I knew I had a chance to tie it up," he said. "But I knew I was going to have to take him down no matter what to win, whether it was in the third period of overtime.

"This has been my dream. My whole family's here and I didn't want to let them down. I did it for my coaches, my school and my family, most of all for God. It just feels good."

Top storylines from Division II championship matches: OHSAA wrestling 2014

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Four local wrestlers were crowned Division II state champions on Saturday night at the OHSAA wrestling championships in Columbus. Lake Catholic’s Anthony Tutolo repeated as the titlist at 126 pounds.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Four local wrestlers were crowned Division II state champions on Saturday night at the OHSAA wrestling championships in Columbus.

Lake Catholic’s Anthony Tutolo repeated as the titlist at 126 pounds.

St. Vincent-St. Mary’s Aaron Adkins defended his title at 182 pounds.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy’s Tyler Maclellan beat Crestwood’s Kenny Jackson to win the championship at 195 pounds.

Perry's Billy Miller won his second straight state title at 285 pounds.

Padua sophomore gets runner-up

Padua sophomore Tony DeCesare lost, 2-0, at 106 pounds to defending state champion Tyler Warner of Uhrichsville Claymont. Warner needed just a first period takedown to hold on for the win.

DeCesare, a sophomore, earned his second state placement after finishing sixth as freshman.

See complete results from Day 3 of the Division II tournament here.

Team standings

Paris Graham won its 14th consecutive team title, and 16th overall, with 185.5 points. Claymont was the runner-up with 137.5 points.

Perry (4th, 74 points), SVSM (5th, 62 points), CVCA (7th, 41 points) and Padua (9th, 40 points) were local teams in the top 10.

Graham’s Jordan four-peats

Paris Graham senior Micah Jordan won his fourth straight state title, beating Clyde’s Beau Minnick. Jordan won by pin in 1:44, sending the crowd at Value City Arena to its feet.

Jordan becomes the fourth four-time state champion in his family, joining his brother, father and uncle.

“It’s just a relief that I made t to four-time state champ with my dad, my uncle and my brother,” Jordan said. “There’s some pressure, but I just had to go out there and wrestle had.”

Jordan becomes the fourth four-time state champion in his family, joining his brother, father and uncle.

“It’s just a relief that I made t to four-time state champ with my dad, my uncle and my brother,” Jordan said. “There’s some pressure, but I just had to go out there and wrestle had.”

Other repeat champs

Paris Graham’s Eli Seipel was the only 2013 Division II state champion who failed to pull off the feat again this year.

Warner, Tutolo, Jordan, Adkins and Miller joined Toledo Central Catholic’s Alex Mossing (152 pounds) and Graham’s Alex Marinelli (160.

Third-place finishers

Five local wrestlers earned third-place finishes in Division II.

Ryan Skonieczny of St. Vincent-St. Mary got revenge on Claymont’s Cody Burcher with a pin in 4:03 in the third-place match at 138 pounds. Burcher beat Skonieczny in the championship quarterfinals.

Perry had two in senior Aaran Gessic (132 pounds) and senior Alec Schenk (182 pounds).

Revere’s Zeck Lehman earned a third-place finish at 170 pounds, while Norton’s Sean Rutherford repeated as the third-place finisher at 220 pounds with a pin of Minerva’s Harrison Hoppel.

Other local state placers

Fourth place: Cory Simpson, Field (113); Kyle Kremiller, Perry (195).

Fifth place: Paul Petras, Padua (113); Kyle Kaminski, Padua (138); Andy Dobben, CVCA (145); Jeff Hojnacki, CVCA (152); Alonzo Turner, Harvey (160); Jacob Worthington, Keystone (182).

Sixth place: Conner Nemec, Crestwood (132); Matt Ludwig, Lake Catholic (160).

Seventh place: Markus Cruz, Clearview (120); Garrett Carter, SVSM (132); Jake Zemaitis, Crestwood (138); Nick Wrobel, CVCA (145).

Eighth place: Brendon Winning, Ravenna (170); Dre’K Brumley, SVSM (220).

Contact high school sports reporter Bill Landis by email (blandis@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@blandis25). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Manchester's Jacob Hanzel wins Division III state title: OHSAA wrestling 2014 (videos)

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – After qualifying for the state tournament last season, Manchester senior Jacob Hanzel  had bigger goals coming into this season. On Saturday night, he accomplished those goals as Hanzel won the Division III state title in the heavyweight class with a 6-0 decision victory against Corey Durbin of Freemont St. Joseph C.C. While it was an individual...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After qualifying for the state tournament last season, Manchester senior Jacob Hanzel  had bigger goals coming into this season.

On Saturday night, he accomplished those goals as Hanzel won the Division III state title in the heavyweight class with a 6-0 decision victory against Corey Durbin of Freemont St. Joseph C.C. While it was an individual accomplishment, Hanzel was quick to share much of the credit with the guys that are with him everyday in the gym.

“I would not be able to accomplish any of this without the coaches,” Hanzel said. “Those guys are with me every day, and have helped me get here and achieve those goals. It was a special moment for the whole team as everyone played a big role in making me the wrestler that I have become.”

While he had been to the state tournament before, he still had those pre-fight jitters through his four hour wait for the title match. However, those nerves did not get to him as he did not allow Durbin get into any kind of rhythm on the attack.

“You always have those nerves anytime you have a match, but you have to get over those and take care of business,” Hanzel said. “I was able to keep him away from him the entire match and not let him use his offensive talents.”

Contact high school sports reporter Mark Kern by email mkern@cleveland.com or Twitter (@Markkern11). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Top Storylines from Division I championship matches: OHSAA wrestling 2014

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Three local wrestlers were crowned Division I state champions Saturday night at the OHSAA wrestling championships in Columbus. Be sure to check out coverage of all divisions from Day 3 of the OHSAA state wrestling tournament.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Three local wrestlers were crowned Division I state champions Saturday night at the OHSAA wrestling championships in Columbus.

Be sure to check out coverage of all divisions from Day 3 of the OHSAA state wrestling tournament.

Wadsworth's Noah Baughman won the 106-pound title with a 6-3 win over Massillon Perry's Tommy Genetin. Check out our separate post on Baughman's state title.

Alex Mackall (120) and Mike Kostandaras both won titles for Walsh Jesuit. The duo bumped the Warriors' number of state champions to 46. Check out our separate post on Mackall's and Kostandaras' state titles.

Elyria's Darmstadt runner-up at 152

Elyria sophomore Ben Darmstadt gave Massillon Perry's Casey Sparkman all he could handle, but lost an 11-8 decision in the 152 finals.

Damrstadt finishes 42-6 as Elyria's eighth state runner-up.

"I was pushing real hard, trying to keep the tempo up, trying to tire him out, but to the sacrifice of some of my better technique," Darmstadt said.

Both Darmstadt and Sparkman showed tremendous quickness. But Darmstadt admitted that his height advantage did hurt him a little bit.

"When I was trying to shoot, I had to get a lot lower than him," Darmstadt said. "He was able to drop his head before I could get into him."

Darmstadt trailed just 9-7 with less than 40 seconds left in the final period. Sparkman got one final takedown to put the match away and end Darmstadt's quest for a championship.

Brunswick's Kiussis runner-up at 132

Brunswick freshman Nick Kiussis followed up last year's junior high state title with a trip to the high school state finals. But Kiussis wasn't able to get a repeat title, losing 4-3 to Oregon Clay's Richie Screptock in Saturday's finals.

"I wasn't sure how it was really going to go," said Kiussis. "I had the mindset of being in the finals, trying to win it all. I got off to a slow start and I just came up short."

Kiussis finishes his first varsity season 33-4.

"This is going to be my motivation for next year. I came up short, taking second place," he said. "I definitely want to win it all next year."

Massillon Perry takes the title

Massillon Perry, a nine-time runner-up, finally broke through to claim the Division I team trophy at the state wrestling tournament.

The Panthers finished with three champions and three runners-up. They scored 185 points, well ahead of runner-up Perrysburg (90.5). Marysville was third (77.5).

Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Walsh Jesuit and St. Edward were sixth, seventh and eighth.

Final results from all divisions.

Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@ScottPatsko). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Top storylines from Division III championship matches: OHSAA wrestling 2014

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Five local wrestlers were crowned state champions on Saturday in this year’s Division III state tournament at Ohio State University. Black River senior Sebastian Vidika (106 pounds) earned his first state title along with Manchester senior Jacob Hanzel and Rootstown senior Travis Linton and Beachwood seniors Sam Gross (132) and Ryan Harris (170) earning their second career...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Five local wrestlers were crowned state champions on Saturday in this year’s Division III state tournament at Ohio State University.

Black River senior Sebastian Vidika (106 pounds) earned his first state title along with Manchester senior Jacob Hanzel and Rootstown senior Travis Linton and Beachwood seniors Sam Gross (132) and Ryan Harris (170) earning their second career titles.

Rootstown senior Zack Laddich went up against 3-time defending state champion Jacob Danishek of Dayton Christian, who came into the match 42-0. Laddich nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in wrestling history, nearly ending the match in the first minute with a pin. He ended up losing 12-7.

“Not very many fighters get the opportunity to go up against a 4-time defending champion, so I just had to go out there and give everything I had,” Laddich said. “ I saw an opportunity early, and I went all out for it. I know I got the five-count, but I wanted more. I just hope I was able to give the fans something to enjoy, and show people that I will never back down from anything.”

Other local state placers

Seven Northeast Ohio wrestlers earned state honors in the Division III place winner matches on Saturday afternoon at Ohio State University.

Saturday's morning session consisted of third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches following the last round of consolations. Locals went 2-5 in the placement matches. The winners were Hawken senior Alex Stotter (220) and Manchester sophomore Joey Bowen (106), who each placed seventh.

Stotter pinned Mike McKinne of Reading in 2:53 and ended his career with a 40-6 record. Bowen won by a 6-0 decision against Crooksville senior Jordan Burkholder. Bowen finished the season with a record of 43-8.

While some wrestlers added another trip to the state tournament to their resumes, others reflected on their first state appearance.

“It’s just an awesome experience to make it down here. The first time you come out of the tunnel it's pretty nerve-racking,” said Manchester junior 160-pounder Drew Brasiel, who placed eighth. “It’s going to be a tough road coming back like it was this year. I can’t be sleeping in the district tournament. Hopefully I’ll come back and win a state title.”

Brasiel ended the season at 40-13 after losing a 6-2 decision against Ada junior Austin Windle.

In a third-place match, Lutheran West junior Tim Mecklenburg (126) fell to Northwood junior Devon Dunbar by a decision of 4-2. Mecklenburg ended his season at 26-8.

Then in the fifth-place round, Lutheran West senior Jake DeLorge (152) ended his career at 50-8 after falling in a 6-2 decision against Waynedale senior Dakota Stanley.

Berkshire senior T.J. Malkus (126) ended his career at 36-8 and placing sixth after dropping a 6-3 decision against Newark Catholic senior Caleb Ohl.

Hawken junior Louis DeMarco (113) rounded out the place winners, finishing eighth after he fell in a 5-3 decision to Bishop Hartley junior Kristopher Hill. DeMarco ended his season at 42-7.

Delta won first place in the team race with the 141 points, followed by Dayton Christian with 122.5 and Waynedale with 65. The top local is Beachwood, which is sixth with 50 points. Rootstown is tied for eighth with 42 points.

Contact high school sports reporter Nathaniel Cline by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@nathanielcline). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.


Results from the state gymnastics individual championship

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are results from the state gymnastics individual championship from Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Hilliard Bradley High School.  All-around: 1. Farina (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 38.325; 2. Batton (Nordonia) 38.000 3. Brandt (Cloverleaf) 36.850; 4. Chesney (Cincinnati Oak Hills) 36.500; 5. Pratt (Strongsville) 36.375; 6. Brozier (Mentor) 36.300; 7. Markulis (Dublin Coffman) 36.150; 8. Waugaman (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 36.100; 9....

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are results from the state gymnastics individual championship from Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Hilliard Bradley High School. 

All-around: 1. Farina (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 38.325; 2. Batton (Nordonia) 38.000 3. Brandt (Cloverleaf) 36.850; 4. Chesney (Cincinnati Oak Hills) 36.500; 5. Pratt (Strongsville) 36.375; 6. Brozier (Mentor) 36.300; 7. Markulis (Dublin Coffman) 36.150; 8. Waugaman (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 36.100; 9. Borrelli (Medina) 36.000; 10. Shier (North Canton Hoover) 35.925.

Beam: 1. Batton (Nordonia) 9.475; 2. Farina (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 9.450; 3. Brandt (Cloverleaf) 9.300; 4. Pratt (Strongsville) 9.200; 5. Brozier (Mentor) 9.125; T6. Markulis (Dublin Coffman) 9.05; T6. Turner (Worthington Kilbourne) 9.05; T6. Shook (Ansonia) 9.05; T6. DeMeo (Oregon Clay) 9.05; 10. Nowacki (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 9.000.

Vault: T1. Farina (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 9.75; T1. Keller (Greenville) 9.75; 3. Batton (Nordonia) 9.625; 4. Luciano (Mayfield) 9.55; T5. Shier (North Canton Hoover) 9.375; T5. Androsik (Magnificat) 9.375; 7. Rentschler (Liberty Center) 9.350; 8. Chesney (Cincinnati Oak Hills) 9.250; 9. Brozier (Mentor) 9.225; 10. Nash-Carabello (North Olmsted) 9.200.

Bars: 1. Farina (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 9.600; 2. Borrelli (Medina) 9.400; 3. Batton (Nordonia) 9.350; 4. Pratt (Strongsville) 9.275; 5. Downie (Dublin Coffman) 9.150; 6. Brandt (Cloverleaf) 9.050; 7. Chesney (Cincinnati Oak Hills) 9.025; T8. Amato (Delaware Buckeye Valley) 8.925; T8. Carloni (Thomas Worthington) 8.925; T10. Nash-Carabello (North Olmsted) 8.900; T10. Waugaman (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 8.900.

Floor: 1. Batton (Nordonia) 9.550; 2. Farina (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 9.525; 3. Waugaman (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) 9.425; 4. Corrao (Magnificat) 9.400; 5. Shier (North Canton Hoover) 9.350; 6. Jaskot (Upper Arlington) 9.325; 7. Brandt (Cloverleaf) 9.300; 8. Chesney (Cincinnati Oak Hills) 9.275; 9. Markulis (Dublin Coffman) 9.250; 10. Rice (Worthington Kilbourne) 9.225.

Cleveland Cavaliers fall to Memphis Grizzlies, 110-96

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Zach Randolph scored 13 of his 23 points in the third quarter to power the Memphis Grizzlies to a 110-96 victory over the Cavaliers on Saturday in Fed Ex Forum. Kyrie Irving led the Cavs with 28 points. Former Ohio State star Mike Conley had 22 points for Memphis.

MEMPHIS -- Obviously, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown wasn't in the Memphis Grizzlies locker room at halftime, but he thought he had a pretty good read on Zach Randolph's game plan for the second half.

"In the second half, he came out and said, 'You know what? I'm going to get the ball, whether it's in a post-up situation or off the glass, I'm going to get it and I'm going to do what I do,' and he did it time after time after time,'' Brown said.

In fact, Randolph scored 13 of his 23 points in the third quarter, keying a 17-0 run that broke open a close game as the Grizzlies ended the Cavs two-game winning streak with a 110-96 victory on Saturday night at Fed Ex Forum. The game started an hour later than normal because the University of Memphis beat Louisville, 72-66, earlier Saturday in the same building.

Randolph, who also finished with 14 rebounds, hurt the Cavs offensively and defensively, swiping the ball from Spencer Hawes with 3:27 left and finding former Ohio State star Mike Conley for a 3-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire. Another 3-pointer a minute later by Conley, who finished with 22 points, pretty much put an end to any Cavs comeback as Memphis closed out the game on a 15-2 run after the Cavs had closed to 95-94 with four minutes left. Marc Gasol finished with 22 points and eight rebounds as the Grizzlies improved to 33-25 and moved within a game of idle Phoenix for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoff race.

"We just couldn't withstand that one-two punch with Marc and ZBo,'' said Kyrie Irving, who had 28 points for the Cavs, still without Anderson Varejao (back), Dion Waiters (knee) and C.J. Miles (ankle). Tristan Thompson added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Cavs, 24-37, now four games behind the idle Atlanta Hawks for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Brown started Hawes and Thompson, substituted Tyler Zeller and then used the two 7-footers down the stretch, to no avail. After holding Randolph to six points in the first half, he had his way in the second.

"We were just trying to make it as difficult as possible for him,'' Zeller said. "I think he came out much more motivated in the second half. He's a great player, so you have to give him some credit. But we also have got to do better.''

Thanks to Randolph and Gasol, the Grizzlies beat the Cavs in the paint, 50-38, on second-chance points, 12-9, and on the boards, 36-33. Whereas the Cavs shot 61.4 percent in the first half, when they made 27-of-44 shots, that fell off to 34.3 percent in the second half (12 of 35).

"They amped it up a notch, well, a couple of notches, defensively,'' Brown said. "I thought their physicality on both ends of the floor in the second half was the difference.''

The strong finish by the Grizzlies erased a strong start by the Cavs.

Picking up where they left off in a 99-79 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night at The Q, the Cavs started off the game on an 18-6 run and led Memphis after the first quarter, 30-22. It was only that close because Gasol banked in a 60-foot prayer at the buzzer.

Undeterred, Cleveland pushed its lead to 47-32 after two free throws by Alonzo Gee with 7:29 left in the second quarter and was still in control at halftime, 65-54. The 65-point total was three short of the season high for a half (68 at Denver on Jan. 17). But with the Cavs shooting 61.4 percent (27 of 44), who was counting? In addition, Luol Deng and Thompson each had five rebounds in the first half to help the Cavs to a 20-13 edge on the boards.

But the Cavs defense wasn't as sharp in the second quarter as it was in the first. In the first 12 minutes, Memphis made just 10 of 22 shots (45.5 percent) with five turnovers. In the second 12 minutes, the Grizzlies hit 12 of 20 shots (60 percent) and made just one turnover.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, that trend continued in the third quarter as the Grizzlies pounded the ball inside. Randolph, who had six points in the first half, had eight in the first half of the third quarter to lead the Grizzlies on a 19-8 run that tied the score at 73-73 with 6:15 left. By the end of the quarter, Randolph had made 6-of-8 shots and Memphis had outscored Cleveland, 33-15, to take an 87-80 lead into the fourth quarter.


10-day contracts give teams a chance to 'kick the tires' on a player: NBA Insider

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Players signed to 10-day contracts can be short-term fixes in case of injury -- as the Cavaliers' Arinze Onuaku likely is -- or a veteran trying out to stick on a team, like Brooklyn's Jason Collins.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Arinze Onuaku is a week into his 10-day contract with the Cavaliers, and the 6-foot-9 forward has seen one minute of playing time with the team.

The 26-year-old is fine with that. He knows that's his role.

"That's the thing about this game, you've got 15 guys on the roster and not every guy is going to play every night," Onuaku said. "It's not even necessarily about what you do in the games. What can you bring to practice, are you a great guy on the bench. I'm just here to learn, work hard and bring positive energy to the team."

Onuaku's role as a 10-day contract guy is not to be confused with the roles of other players in similar situations. Sometimes, it's a tryout. Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in North American professional sports, is on a 10-day tryout with the Brooklyn Nets.

Sometimes, it's to fill a glaring need for a playoff-bound team. Chris Andersen's signing with the Miami Heat last season – he had two 10-day contracts in January before sticking for the remainder of the schedule – is an example of a veteran cog finding a perfect fit.

Then there are unknown quantities like Onuaku, which is a "kick-the-tires" experiment in which the Cavaliers can find out what they have in a young player in their D-League system while simultaneously filling a need (in this case, a big, burly body who can practice with Cleveland while Anderson Varejao remains injured).

Ten-day contracts first appeared in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement in 1976, and teams have been using them ever since to varying success. The current CBA allows 10-day contracts to be signed beginning in January. Each player can re-sign a second 10-day contract with the same team; a contract for the remainder of the season must be issued if a team wants to retain the player beyond that.

So far, 29 10-day contracts have been signed this season, and seven were then signed to a second 10-day contract. Three players – Leandro Barbosa in Phoenix, Chris Johnson in Boston and Cartier Martin in Atlanta -- have been signed for the remainder of the season after first signing on with a 10-day contract.

More than ever, however, teams must be judicious in which players they sign. If a player performs so well on a 10-day contract, it might be difficult to sign him to favorable long-term deal.

For example, the Cavaliers signed Lester Hudson to two 10-day contracts in 2012, and the guard performed spectacularly. He scored at least 23 points in three consecutive games, and hit two last-second shots. The Cavaliers wanted to sign him to a contract that included non-guaranteed money for the second year, however, and Hudson balked. He found a better deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, and promptly signed with them.

General managers have gone from playing chess to checkers, as one NBA source explained, because they now have to think several steps ahead even with short-term, non-guaranteed deals.

If a team signs a player whose rights they don't own, is there a possibility he plays so well that he prices himself out of its market?

For Onuaku, that hasn't even been a possibility yet. Still, the big man is hoping he's making enough of a positive impression in practices and on the bench that he's brought back for a second 10-day deal -- and, if he's lucky, the rest of the season.

"The thing is to come in, work hard and bring some positive energy," Onuaku said.

Ohio State Buckeyes at Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball preview breakdown

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The Buckeyes, who saw their two big men combine for one rebound against Penn State, could have their hands full with 6-foot-10 Indiana freshman Noah Vonleh. And that loss to the Nittany Lions stung. "It cut us deep," Shannon Scott said.

No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes (22-7, 9-7 Big Ten) at Indiana Hoosiers (16-12, 6-9 Big Ten)

When: Sunday, 4 p.m.

Where: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Ind.

TV: CBS

Announcers: Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Jim Spanarkel (analysis)

• PREVIEW: Why does Ohio State struggle against zone defenses? 

Breaking down the Buckeyes: Ohio State is 9-7 in Big Ten play, tied for fourth with Nebraska with Iowa just behind at 8-7. The Cornhuskers finish at Indiana and home with Wisconsin, so the fight is on for the last first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. The No. 5 seed will play a first-round game against the No. 12 seed. "We know about it but we're not trying to talk about it," junior guard Shannon Scott said of the seeding. "We know if we win our last two games we'll be in a good situation." ... The Buckeyes are coming off a loss at Penn State on Thursday that finished with Lenzelle Smith missing two 3-pointers in the final 15 seconds. Thad Matta said he hasn't worried about lifting the confidence of his senior or the team.

"As a senior, shots are gonna go, shots are not gonna go," Matta said Saturday. "I thought they were two really, really good looks. He hit one earlier in the second half. And it kind of is what it is. With this quick turnaround, I'm not even worried about confidence. Our focus is hey, that's behind us, we can't change that, here's what we've got to do to try to win the basketball game. We've got to play better. But in terms of being (29) games into the season, you've got to man up and get the job done." ...

Make no mistake. Getting swept by last-place Penn State, and losing the last game of February after winning six of seven, did hurt. "It cut us deep," Scott said, "losing another game. But we can't dwell on it. It's too late in the season to dwell on our mistakes. It's not the time for that right now." ... Big men Amir Williams and Trey McDonald combined for one rebound in 37 minutes against Penn State. That can't happen again against IU big man Noah Vonleh. "That has been addressed with those two," Matta said. "They obviously have to rebound the ball better or us. We've got to get those guys playing. (Indiana) will be a tremendous challenge for them in terms of what they have to do."

Breaking down the Hoosiers: This is the first and only regular-season matchup between the team that won last year's Big Ten title at 14-4 and the Buckeyes, who were a game behind at 13-5. ... Indiana is 4-3 at home this season, beating many of the toughest opponents and losing to teams at the bottom of the conference. The Hoosiers beat first-place Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa at Assembly Hall, while losing to Penn State and Northwestern. ... Point guard Yogi Ferrell leads the Hoosiers in scoring at 17.6 points per game and makes everything go for Indiana. "I think Yogi is one of the best players in the country. I feel like he's not getting enough credit for the things he does on the court," Ohio State's Shannon Scott said. ...

Freshman Noah Vonleh averages 11.6 points and 9.1 rebounds and at 6-10 could be a huge problem for the Buckeyes. Senior Will Sheehey averages 10.8 points and is coming off a 30-point effort in Thursday's win over Iowa. "Sheehey played really well the other night against Iowa," Thad Matta said. "They've got younger pieces that it looks like they're coming into fruition. Ferrell is one of the top point guards in the country and Vonleh down low is a monster. The other night they played at a fast-forward pace and I think we'll see a version of that." ... Said Scott, "As a team we know none of our games are getting any easier. Indiana is a great team. Their record doesn't show how good of a team they really are."

Doug’s pick: Indiana 75, Ohio State 70

Ari’s pick: Ohio State 64, Indiana 58

With alter ego Tony Plush absent from camp, Nyjer Morgan 'on a mission' to impress Cleveland Indians

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"If I'm on your ball club, I'm coming with it and I'm going to do everything possible to help out the team," Morgan said. "It could be any role: coming off the bench, making a defensive play, anything, backing up when you have to back up."

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Tony Plush has yet to arrive at Indians' spring camp. Nyjer Morgan is all alone in Goodyear.

While fighting for a roster spot, there isn't time or energy to devote to an alter ego. As such, manager Terry Francona has only met Morgan, not his trusty second self.

"And I'm OK with that, too," Francona said. "I'm OK with Nyjer."

Francona hasn't masked his affinity for the 33-year-old outfielder. After Thursday's 12-3 win against the Reds, the skipper raved about Morgan dashing from his outfield position to back up third base. Francona also lauded a diving catch Morgan made in the fourth inning of Friday's 4-0 triumph against Cincinnati.

"When you're competing, you have to come to show what it's going to take to make the ball club," said Morgan, who inked a minor league contract with the Indians in January. "This is the player I've always been, this type of guy. Always hungry, always wanting to show my teammates, the organization that I'm with that I come to win."

Those are qualities any teammate would appreciate. Morgan's -- err, Plush's -- sideshow antics, however, have rubbed others the wrong way in the past.

Morgan spent last year in Japan with the Yokohama BayStars. When he signed with the Indians, he decided to ditch the gimmicks and focus on the challenge before him. Francona described him as being "on a mission," a declaration with which Morgan agreed.

"He's a great kid," Francona said. "I don't care what he did before. That would be totally unfair to him. He's been exemplary every day. He shows up, he's enthusiastic."

In three spring training games, Morgan has tallied two hits and two walks in 10 plate appearances, with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn, David Murphy and Ryan Raburn have roster spots clinched. Whether another outfielder will make the team might depend on how the third-base competition shakes out. That could create a ripple effect that leaves an extra opening on the bench for Morgan, Jeff Francoeur or Matt Carson.

"It's so early to start dissecting who's going to make the club and things like that," Francona said. "It's why every day I like when guys do good things and we can talk about them because that's basically why they're here. I love to brag about all of them."

Francona has certainly done his share of boasting about Morgan's effort and output.

"This kid is motivated," Francona said. "He is enthusiastic. That doesn't mean he's going to make the club, but it doesn't mean that our first initial thoughts aren't really positive with him. I think he's been outstanding. He's fun to have around."

And to do that, he hasn't needed the company of his alter ego. Of course, should Morgan make the team, one would think Plush would find his way to Cleveland at some point.

For now, though, Morgan just wants his teammates in camp to get to know and appreciate his true identity.

"A lot of them know me from playing against me, so they don't know the other side of who I am," Morgan said. "Just being able to show who I am makes me feel good as a person and as a ballplayer. Instead of going by the heresy of what people are saying about me and this and that through the past -- now they get to see the other side.

"If I'm on your ball club, I'm coming with it and I'm going to do everything possible to help out the team. It could be any role: coming off the bench, making a defensive play, anything, backing up when you have to back up.

"I'm very vocal and I like rooting on my guys and just showing that I'm in here to fight with you guys no matter what."


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