No. 5-seed Ohio State survived a close win over Purdue to advance to the Big Ten Tournament's quarterfinals on Friday. The Buckeyes will face No. 4 Nebraska.

INDIANAPOLIS – Ohio State was coming off a win over Michigan State in its season finale, and Purdue lost six games in a row. There was no way the Buckeyes could lose to the Boilermakers in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament, right?

It was close, but No. 5 seed Ohio State did just enough in the end to escape with the narrow 63-61 victory to advance to the tournament’s quarterfinal to face No. 4 Nebraska on Friday afternoon.

With Ohio State leading by only one with about a minute left, senior guard Aaron Craft drove the lane to try an extend the lead, but he missed the shot off the glass. The ball was rebounded by A.J. Hammons, but Craft stole it out of his hands from behind to keep the ball with the Buckeyes.

Sam Thompson missed a three, but senior guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. fought for a rebound and was fouled in the process. He knocked down both free throws – reaching 1,000 career points after the second make – to put the Buckeyes up three.

Hammons scored on the next possession to bring Purdue within one with 18 seconds remaining. Purdue fouled Craft, and he hit one free throw to put the Buckeyes up only two. The No. 12-seeded Boilermakers turned it over on the next possession before sending Smith to the line.

Smith, however, missed a free throw to keep Ohio State's lead at only three. Shannon Scott fouled Ronnie Johnson with only two seconds left to prevent Purdue from tying it with a three.

Johnson, however, missed the second free throw purposefully and the ball bounced out of bounds off of Smith's hand to keep possession with the Boilermakers with 1.2 seconds remaining in the game.

That set up a game-winning attempt for Terone Johnson, but he missed a three off the front of the rim as time expired.

LaQuinton Ross led all scorers with 19 points and Craft added 16.

Stay tuned at Cleveland.com for complete coverage from the game. 

Indians manager Terry Francona met with reporters on Friday morning and discussed the competition for the fifth rotation spot, the order of his rotation, Blake Wood, Nyjer Morgan and more.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Indians manager Terry Francona met with reporters on Friday morning and discussed the competition for the fifth rotation spot, the order of his rotation, Blake Wood, Nyjer Morgan and more.

On if the winner of the fifth rotation spot will be the fourth starter to pitch, pushing Danny Salazar back to the actual No. 5 spot:

"Yeah," Francona said. "I don't think we need to etch it in stone, but I think that's a pretty logical conclusion."

On if the competition for the fifth spot will come down to the wire:

"You don't know," Francona said. "In our game, you pick up the paper every morning, and you see in any camp, somebody has a strained shoulder, somebody turned an ankle. I hope it's not us, but that's part of dealing with Major League Baseball. I know I keep falling back on it, but that's because it's how I feel. We want to let our guys get ready for a season, try to see the best of them and then we'll try to slot them where we think helps us best."

On Morgan, who is battling a slight left calf strain:

"He's improving," Francona said. "He went out and threw this morning. He'll take a test tomorrow to see where he is and we'll go from there."

On hard-throwing reliever Blake Wood, who has limited the opposition to one run in six innings this spring:

"That's that side of him that not everyone can do," Francona said. "Now, you have to be consistent with it, but there's a lot to like and I do think the further removed from surgery he is, the more consistency you're going to see. He just needs reps."

Ball State made 11 3-pointers en route to a 73-55 victory over Bowling Green on Friday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On Thursday afternoon, Ball State senior point guard Brandy Woody was asked about having to face powerful Bowling Green in a Mid-American Conference Women's Tournament semifinal the next day.

"Right now, we want anyone,'' Woody said, "so tell them to bring it.''

Woody and her teammates backed up the smack with a terrific performance. They rode 11 3-pointers, solid defense and grit to a 73-55 victory Friday afternoon at The Q.

The fifth-seeded Cardinals (18-15) played their fourth game in five days in the tournament. They defeated Kent State at home Monday before moving to The Q and knocking off Northern Illinois on Wednesday and Buffalo on Thursday.

Bowling Green (27-4) had not played since last Saturday.

"We're not tired at all,'' Woody said. "You never get tired of games, especially in this atmosphere. This is why you play.''

The Cardinals will compete in the championship game Saturday for the right to earn entry into the NCAA Tournament.

"After that game, they're going to kick us out of here, no matter what,'' Ball State coach Brady Sallee said. "So we might as well leave it on the floor.''

Sallee sat next to Woody on the podium after the conquest of Bowling Green. When Woody was asked about her bulletin-board quote of the previous day, Sallee turned to her and said with a smile: "Be careful what you say.''

Woody later explained that she had not intended to crack Bowling Green.

"I simply was saying that we're not afraid of anybody,'' she said. "We're playing with a lot of confidence, and we believe we can win every time we step on the floor. I'm so proud of this team.''

In their only meeting in the regular season, Jan. 15 at Ball State, the Falcons won, 72-61. The Cardinals went 1-of-14 from 3-point range and Woody and guard Shelbie Justice combined for zero field goals and six points.

In the all-important rematch, the Cardinals were 11-of-24 from beyond the arc against the MAC's best defense. Woody and Justice combined for 37 points on 13-of-20 shooting.

"As a team, we made smart decisions with the basketball,'' Woody said. "We were very unselfish.''

Justice finished 7-of-11 from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range.

Ball State's hustle defense played a large role in Bowling Green shooting 33 percent (19-of-57) from the floor.

Ball State led at halftime, 33-27, It established a 54-39 cushion at 9:47 when Nathalie Fontaine converted a layup off a terrific lob from Katie Murphy.

Bowling Green scored the next six. Ball State answered with a 6-0 run.

The Cardinals held a 63-52 lead with possession at 3:35. They were workmanlike the rest of the way.

"Our team has a look about it,'' Sallee said. "(The players) are playing their tails off.''

Get scoring updates and analysis from today as the Indians continue Cactus League play against the Chicago White Sox in Glendale. Join Indians reporter Zack Meisel in the comments section of this post at 4:05 p.m.

GLENDALE, Arizona -- Get scoring updates and analysis from today as the Indians continue Cactus League play against the Chicago White Sox in Glendale. Join Indians reporter Zack Meisel in the comments section of this post at 4:05 p.m.

If you're viewing this on your mobile device, click here to get updates and comment.

Where to watch/listen: 99X-FM and indians.com.

Today's pitchers: RHP Josh Tomlin (1-0, 2.00) vs. RHP Dylan Axelrod (0-0, 1.80). Also scheduled to pitch for Indians: Mike Zagurski, Bryan Shaw, David Aardsma, Scott Barnes

Indians lineup: Bourn CF, Cabrera DH, Kipnis 2B, Brantley LF Chisenhall 3B, Gomes C, Francoeur RF, Adams 1B, Johnson SS

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Villa Angela-St. Joseph's football team head coach John Storey will be joined by OL/LB Parker Berzin of Gilmour Academy and OL/DL Jacob DiDonato from Villa Angela-St. Joseph.  The Global Bowl features a traveling squad of high school student-athletes and will be played in Spain. Storey will be an assistant coach on the staff and has participated...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Villa Angela-St. Joseph's football team head coach John Storey will be joined by OL/LB Parker Berzin of Gilmour Academy and OL/DL Jacob DiDonato from Villa Angela-St. Joseph. 

The Global Bowl features a traveling squad of high school student-athletes and will be played in Spain. Storey will be an assistant coach on the staff and has participated in the series since it's inception in 2008. He has tutored several future NFL players, among them Bob Golic, Mike Golic, Desmond Howard and London Fletcher. 

Berzin, DiDonato, and coach Storey will be a part of Team Stars and Stripes. The team is selected from high school players from around the country. They will travel from America to Barcelona from March 22 until the 30th. They will compete against a Cataluña All-Star junior team (19-and-under).

The Global Bowl Series has been contested previously in Japan (2008 and 2009), France/Belgium (2010), Germany (2011), and Italy (2012 and 2013). As part of the cultural experience of the visit to Spain, Team Stars & Stripes will enjoy the sights of Barcelona and the Catalan region before taking on the Cataluña All-Star team.

“This visit will make memories that last a lifetime for the traveling student-athletes,” said Storey in a press release. “It is one thing to read about a country overseas and its history in books, but to see in the flesh is another thing altogether."

Is the MAC Tournament missing something without Kent State? Who has the best shot to pull off an upset in the NCAA Tournament? The Plain Dealer's Elton Alexander answered those questions and more in his podcast with cleveland.com's Chris Fedor

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Is the MAC Tournament missing something without Kent State? Who has the best shot to pull off an upset in the NCAA Tournament?

The Plain Dealer's Elton Alexander answered those questions and more in his podcast with cleveland.com's Chris Fedor.

Among other topics discussed:

• Why Akron always performs well in the MAC Tournament.
• The biggest surprise thus far.
• A preview of the semifinal matchups

You can download the MP3 or listen with the player to the right.

Be sure to follow Elton Alexander on Twitter.

The Golden State Warriors present problems offensively and defensively for the Cavaliers.

OAKLAND, California -- Cavaliers coach Mike Brown admitted his team will have its hands full against the Golden State Warriors tonight at Oracle Arena.

"It’s tough,'' Brown said. "They’re a really good offensive team. Obviously, they’re playing well defensively too. They have a lot of weapons. One thing we have to do is contest all their 3-pointers. We can’t let them take uncontested 3s, whether in the half court or especially in transition.

"Then they want to get out and run. All their bigs are pretty good runners, so that puts a lot of pressure on you to get back the right way because their bigs can rim run and cause a small to take them.

"Then you have a big trailing and picking up Steph Curry. So our transition defense has to be on point. And then for us, we want to make sure we push the ball back at them because they’re pretty good with their defense and we don’t want to go against their set defense all the time.''

Obviously, Brown knows good defense when he sees it. The Warriors are holding their opponents to 42.2 percent shooting since the All-Star break, the best in the league.

Cavs vs. Warriors

Probable starters: Cavs -- F Luol Deng, F Tristan Thompson, C Spencer Hawes, G Jarrett Jack, G Kyrie Irving. Warriors -- F Harrison Barnes, F David Lee, C Andrew Bogut, G Andre Iguodala, G Stephen Curry.

Injuries: Cavs -- Spencer Hawes (sprained left ankle) is probable. C.J. Miles (sprained left ankle) is doubtful. Anthony Bennett (strained tendon left knee) and Carrick Felix (stress fracture, left knee) are out. Warriors -- Festus Ezeli (recovery from right knee surgery) and Klay Thompson (personal) are out.

Officials: Jason Phillips, Violet Palmer, Leon Wood.

Up next for Cavs: At Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Akron and Central Michigan are even heading to the second half of their MAC Women's Tournament semifinal.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Akron Zips and Central Michigan Chippewas were tied, 38-38, at halftime of their Mid-American Conference Women's Tournament semifinal Friday afternoon at The Q.

It is a matchup of the conference's two highest-scoring teams.

Second-seeded Central Michigan is without MAC Player of the Year Crystal Bradford, who injured her knee in practice Tuesday. Bradford, also named defensive player of the year, is out for the duration of the tournament.

Akron is seeded third.

The Chippewas led, 25-17, with 7:56 left. They were 10-of-20 from the field; Akron was 6-of-26.

The Zips rallied to tie the score, 27-27, with 5:28 left when reserve Anita Brown made a fastbreak layup.

With the Chippewas leading, 36-33, Akron's Carly Young sank a 3-pointer with one minute left. Moments later, she blocked a shot.

The winner of this game faces Ball State for the title Saturday. Ball State shocked Bowling Green, 73-55, in the first semifinal.

How much have the Browns improved in free agency? Should the Browns attempt to sign running back Ben Tate? The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - How much have the Browns improved in free agency? Should the Browns attempt to sign running back Ben Tate?

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast with cleveland.com's Chris Fedor.

Among other topics discussed:

• Is Matt Schaub or Brian Hoyer a better option at quarterback?
• Should the Browns have made a trade for Darrelle Revis?
• Who should be blamed for the Cavs' inconsistent play?

You can download the MP3 or listen with the player to the right.

Be sure to follow DMan on Twitter.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Five area boys basketball teams are one win away from making it to the state final four in Columbus next week. East Tech, St. Edward, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Villa Angela-St. Joseph and Richmond Heights are all in the regional finals in their respective divisions and can clinch a trip to state by winning this weekend.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Five area boys basketball teams are one win away from making it to the state final four in Columbus next week.

East Tech, St. Edward, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Villa Angela-St. Joseph and Richmond Heights are all in the regional finals in their respective divisions and can clinch a trip to state by winning this weekend.

See all the updated brackets across the region here, and check back to see updated brackets.

Here's everything you need to know about this weekend's regional finals:

GAME OF THE WEEKEND

St. Edward vs. Mansfield Senior, Division I Akron Regional Final, Saturday, 7 p.m.

The Eagles made sure their third game against St. Ignatius was drama-free, as they beat their rivals for the third time, 70-59, to advance to the regional final for the second time in three years.

Marsalis Hamilton finished one point and three assists shy of a triple-double, and teammate Malcolm Walters led the way with 16 points. Even better was the return of Derek Funderburk, who played five minutes off the bench more than a month after suffering a broken foot.

St. Edward is one win away from a return trip to Columbus, but it has to go against a very athletic Mansfield Senior team which is playing with nothing to lose, Coach JT Reese told the Mansfield News Journal after his team's 66-50 win against Toledo Bowsher on Thursday.

Resiliency is the best word to describe the Tygers, who are in the regional final for the first time in nine years despite missing two of their top players from the start of the season. Mansfield Senior is very athletic and very stout defensively, which will be a big challenge for St. Edward.

Reporters Tim Bielik and Nathaniel Cline will be at the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron for this regional final. Follow Tim (@bielik_tim) and Nathaniel (@nathanielcline) on Twitter for updates from the game.

REST OF THE SLATE

Richmond Heights vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, Division IV Canton Regional Final, Friday, 7 p.m.

Richmond Heights is one win away from its first trip to Columbus in school history. To do that, the Spartans will need to find a way to slow down the red-hot St. Thomas Aquinas Knights.

The Knights defeated Cornerstone Christian, 58-37, in the regional semifinal on Tuesday.

Richmond Heights has gotten to the regional final on the strength of its defense, led by 6-foot-8 forward Mike Parks.

Reporters Tim Bielik and Nubyjas Wilborn will be at the Canton Fieldhouse covering all the action. Follow Tim (@bielik_tim) and Nubyjas (@nwilborn19) on Twitter for live updates.

St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. Poland Seminary, Division II Canton Regional Final, Saturday, 1 p.m.

VJ King, Jalen Hudson and the Irish are one win away from yet another trip to the state final four in Columbus.

St. Vincent-St. Mary will face high-scoring Poland Seminary, who beat Cleveland Central Catholic, 60-52, on Thursday in the semifinal. The Bulldogs had averaged 73 points per game in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

The Irish advanced to Saturday's final by beating Lake Catholic, 68-52, in the regional semifinal. Hudson had 21 points and King scored 16, all in the second half.

The Fastbreak with Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe will broadcast the action live from the Canton Memorial Civic Center on Saturday. Reporters Bill Landis (@blandis25) and Robert Rozboril (@rrozboril) will have updates and coverage from the game.

East Tech vs. Uniontown Lake, Division I Cleveland Regional Final, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Led by the talented guard combination of KT Taylor and Anthony Carmon, East Tech stunned Shaker Heights, 70-54, on Thursday in the regional semifinal.

Only Uniontown Lake stands in the way of the Scarabs' first trip to Columbus since 1972.

The Blue Streaks play a very efficient, very disciplined game led by senior Mitchell Spotleson, who had a double-double in the regional semifinal win against Massillon Jackson. They are seeking their first trip to Columbus in school history.

East Tech's guards will have to be smart with the ball against a very good Uniontown Lake defense if it wants to make plans for Columbus.

David Cassilo (@dcassilo) and Nubyjas Wilborn (@nwilborn19) will have coverage and live updates from the action at the Wolstein Center.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph vs. Youngstown Ursuline, Division III Canton Regional Final, Saturday, 7 p.m.

The Vikings defeated Canton Central Catholic, 72-64, on Thursday to move another win closer to back-to-back state championships.

They will meet a smaller, but very talented Youngstown Ursuline team. The Irish beat a taller Creston Norwayne team, 74-56, on Thursday, so they know how to beat teams with more size.

Carlton Bragg and Dererk Pardon will need to be aggressive in the paint for VASJ. They combined for 36 points against Canton Central Catholic and will need to do it again to make it back to Columbus.

Follow reporters Stephanie Kuzydym (@stephkuzy) and Mark Kern (@MarkKern11) on Twitter for updates from the Canton Fieldhouse.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

TUESDAY

Richmond Heights 59, Malvern 45: The Spartans shot 52 percent from the field and got 19 points from Sean Walker in the win against Malvern. Dontez Lockett added 14 points for Richmond Heights.

THURSDAY

East Tech 70, Shaker Heights 54: Anthony Carmon's 25 points put the Scarabs one win away from the state semifinals for the first time since they won the state title in 1972. East Tech's pressure defense forced 25 Shaker Heights turnovers.

St. Edward 70, St. Ignatius 59: The Eagles had to go to overtime in their second game against St. Ignatius, but won more convincingly in the third matchup to advance to the regional final. Malcolm Walters led the way with 16 points.

St. Vincent-St. Mary 68, Lake Catholic 52: St. Vincent-St. Mary got a 16-point second half from VJ King to help the Irish hold off Lake Catholic. Jalen Hudson had 21 points, but shut out Lake Catholic senior guard Zavier Powers.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph 72, Canton Central Catholic 64: Carlton Bragg had a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds to send the Vikings to the regional final. Brian Parker added 21 points.

Follow updates all day from Ari and Doug, starting with the noon tipoff between Michigan and Illinois, followed by Ohio State and Nebraska around 2:30. Watch video

INDIANAPOLIS - Greetings from the second day at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the 17th Big Ten Tournament, where Ohio State is attempting to reach the tournament title game for the eighth time in nine years and for the sixth straight season.

1:58 p.m.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon slapped his hands on the courtside table, leaned his head back and took a deep breath. The Wolverines have survived. A great look off an inbounds play with 3.9 seconds left led to a Tracy Abrams runner hitting off the front rim, as No. 9 seed Illinois fell short of the upset, No. 1 seed Michigan advancing to Saturday's semifinals with a 64-63 win Friday.

The last time a No. 1 seed lost its first game in the Big Ten Tournament was 2003. Michigan almost fell into that trap against a hot Illinois team that had won five of its last six games coming in.

Michigan will play the winner of the Ohio State-Nebraska game at 1:40 p.m. Saturday on CBS. -- Doug

12:45 p.m.

Ari and I have been tearing it up with our picks this season, getting probably about 40 percent of them right. Nebraska and Ohio State split their regular-season games, so who wins today between the No. 4 seed and No. 5 seed?

I'll take Ohio State 68, Nebraska 62. Ari is going with the Buckeyes 71, Nebraska 65. We're sitting with Dave Briggs of The Toledo Blade, but he doesn't know much about basketball, so I didn't ask for his pick. What's your pick? -- Doug

12:20 p.m.

View full sizeDoug and Ari are sitting courtside for Michigan-Illinois at the Big Ten Tournament. Ari Wasserman

Aaron Craft is one of six finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the best point guard in the nation. The other finalists are Fred VanVleet of Wichita State, Tyler Ennis of Syracuse, Kyle Anderson of UCLA, Shabazz Napier of Connecticut and Marcus Paige of North Carolina. Michigan's Trey Burke won it last year. -- Doug

12:15 p.m.

Ari and I are courtside for Michigan-Illinois. Ari is wearing a plaid shirt and a vest if you want to watch for him on TV. Resetting the TV schedule, Ohio State and Purdue follow on ESPN around 2:30, then it's Minnesota and Wisconsin on the Big Ten Network at 6:30 and Northwestern vs. Michigan State on the Big Ten Network at 9. -- Doug

11:03 a.m.

Aaron White sat in his locker and took questions from reporters, rarely looking up as he contemplated what happened to Iowa's season.

The Hawkeyes once ascended to the top 10 and were becoming a trendy pick to make an NCAA Tournament run.

But after it lost to Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday night, the Hawkeyes' sixth loss in seven games, there could be reason for them to hold their breath on Selection Sunday.

"We're not worried," White said. "I think we're in."

Even if Iowa is selected, it has to find out what it lost. The Hawkeyes (20-11) beat then-No. 3 Ohio State and then-No. 10 Michigan this year, but three of their last four loses have come to Indiana, Illinois and most recently Northwestern.

"There's no magic formula," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. "You just have to keep working. What we've said over these last two weeks is you work your way out of things like this. You don't talk your way out of it, you don't fake your way out of it, you work your way out of it, and you stay positive." -- Ari Wasserman

Five Akron Zips scored in double figures in an 85-69 victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas in a MAC Women's Tournament semifinal Friday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Akron Zips women's basketball team caught a break, no question, when it did not need to face Central Michigan's Crystal Bradford in a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal Friday afternoon. Bradford, the MAC player of the year and defensive player of the year, was injured in practice Tuesday and declared out for the tournament, which for second-seeded Central Michigan began against Akron.

The Zips also made enough of their own breaks, many of them fast, so that no apologies were necessary after an 85-69 victory at The Q. Hanna Luburgh scored 25 points and four teammates notched double-figure points as the Zips advanced to their second consecutive title game.

Third-seeded Akron (22-9) will play No. 5 Ball State (18-15) on Saturday afternoon with an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament at stake. Both teams are scorching: The Zips have won 15 of 16 since Jan. 18; the Cardinals have won seven in a row, including four in the tournament.

The Chippewas-Zips matchup featured the conference's two highest-scoring teams in a rematch of the 2013 championship game, which Central Michigan won, 86-68. Bradford factored heavily in that outcome, as well as in a 109-83 regular-season victory Jan. 9 at Akron. All she could do this time was lend support from the bench.

"Obviously, with Central Michigan not having Bradford they're a different team,'' Akron coach Jodi Kest said. "But we knew they'd rally around their coach and fight, and they fought for 40 minutes. Where we're concerned, though, it's always been about us; it's never been about the opponents.''

Guard Jessica Green led four Chippewas in double figures with 15 points, but she needed 18 shots from the field to get there. The Chippewas were 30-of-74 (40.5 percent) from the field and 5-of-12 from the line.

"We played pretty tough,'' Chippewas coach Sue Guevara said. "I think we gave it everything we could. We just came up short."

The Zips struggled early in the first half and trailed, 23-13, with 9:54 left. They rallied to tie the score by the break, 38-38, despite shooting 30.2 percent (13-of-43) from the field.

"We needed to do a better job with the little things,'' Kest said. "We missed a lot of bunnies. The important thing is, we didn't panic.''

Akron used fastbreaks to slowly pull away in the second half.

"Shots started to fall,'' guard Kacie Cassell said. "Routine shots.''

Cassell's three-point play gave the Zips a 54-49 advantage with 13:35 left. Cassell had been fouled after a layup that was set up by an unselfish play from Anita Brown on a run-out.

Central Michigan pulled within 58-55, but Akron cranked up their fastbreak for a Tecca layup and Luburgh 3-pointer. Luburgh's triple made it 63-55 with 10:20 left. Central Michigan called timeout 10 seconds later.

At 7:20, Brown's long pass to Cassell produced another layup and 69-57 advantage. The Zips, receiving contributions from everyone who played, were not threatened the rest of the way.

Akron shot 14-of-26 from the field (53.8 percent) in the second half.

Luburgh scored 31 on Thursday in a victory over Toledo -- Akron's first game of the tournament. In last season's tourney, Luburgh scored 74 in three games.

The Chippewas held a 46-28 advantage in paint points, but Akron out-rebounded them, 49-45, and had a 22-4 spread in fastbreak points. The Zips went 22-of-27 from the line.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Second-team Associated Press All-Ohioan Christa Puthoff had 15 points and Versailles hit seven of eight free throws in the final minute to hold off Proctorville Fairland 67-60 in a Division III girls state semifinal on Friday. Katie Heckman added 13 of the Tigers' 27 bench points and Lauren Bruns scored 10.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Second-team Associated Press All-Ohioan Christa Puthoff had 15 points and Versailles hit seven of eight free throws in the final minute to hold off Proctorville Fairland 67-60 in a Division III girls state semifinal on Friday.

Katie Heckman added 13 of the Tigers' 27 bench points and Lauren Bruns scored 10.

Versailles (24-3), chasing its second state title, meets Columbus Africentric, a 44-22 winner over Smithville, in Saturday's championship game.

Unranked Fairland (22-4) led by 10 points early but the Tigers went on a 10-2 run to start the fourth quarter to go up by 12. The Dragons pulled as close as five before ninth-ranked Versailles put the game away at the line.

Caitlin Stone had 15 points, Taylor Perry 13 and Terra Stapleton 11 for Fairland.

Even though the Bobcats guard excelled in soccer in high school, his first passion has always been basketball.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Just picture it: Nick Kellogg, MAC soccer player.

It shouldn't be that difficult to imagine, even if the Ohio University guard finished his basketball career Thursday when his Bobcats lost to Akron.

When it was suggested the other day that the former high school soccer star might use a fifth year of NCAA eligibility to play soccer, the MAC's all-time leader in 3-pointers made paused.

"I never thought of that," Kellogg said.

Maybe there's a reason why he's never thought of it, despite how good he once was at soccer.

"He wants to play hoops," said his dad, Clark Kellogg.

Clark Kellogg thinks it all might have turned out differently if he had raised his family abroad or somewhere other than just outside Columbus, where everyone could see how important basketball could be in the middle of Ohio.

"He might disagree, but I think if we lived in Europe, he would have chosen soccer," Clark Kellogg said. "Basketball carries more weight here. If we were somewhere where soccer was really king, and he can see being a pro in it, I think he might have looked at it differently."

To listen to those who saw Kellogg play soccer, he could have succeeded in that sport, as well. At 6-3, he was an uncommon combination of size, speed and skill at center midfield and striker, his father said.

But after averaging 15.7 points for the Bobcats this season, and leading Ohio to the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament in his senior season, it's safe to say Nick Kellogg isn't regretting his decision to focus on basketball.

"This year has been special because he's really grown as a young man and as a player," Clark Kellogg said. "His senior year to this point has been exactly what he had hoped it would be. He's had a terrific senior year, and a really outstanding career. We're extremely happy for him and proud of him."

Former Miami University head basketball coach Charlie Coles on list of seven to be inducted into the MAC Hall of Fame.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference announced its 2014 Hall of Fame class Friday and heading the list is late Miami University head coach Charlie Coles.

"The Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame is a testament to the achievements of those that have competed and served in this great conference,'' MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a release at MAC Tournament 2014.

Coles did both, as a player at Miami, then a head coach at Central Michigan, then back with the RedHawks.

It's a noteworthy class that includes former Northern Illinois and Mentor High head football coach Joe Novak, Kent State's former coach and administrator Judy Devine, former MAC Commissioner and Bowling Green AD Jim Lessig, former Ohio University wrestling coach Harry Houska, former Western Michigan track athlete Caroline Mullen-Kearney, and former Ball State field hockey player Sally Northcroft.

However, in many ways, Coles was the face of the conference for years as a mastermind on the sidelines, an constant advocate for the league, and hands down the best interview in the league.

Coles sideline banters with opposing fans was nearly as legendary as his back-and-forth with reporters. Many of those parries, caught often on tape and film, still stand as classics.

To honor Coles' history as basketball player and coach, the MAC has a video tribute of his career as part of its semifinal night Friday.

Will the Browns be able to sign Ben Tate? Who else should the Browns go after? Get updates throughout the day.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's Friday and it's been a busy week for the Cleveland Browns when it comes to NFL Free Agency. From rumors to signings, the Browns have been active since Tuesday when the new NFL year began.

Sources: Dallas shows interest in Weeden http://t.co/MgCWYtvNGP

— espn_watkins (@espn_watkins) March 14, 2014

Weeden signed a four-year deal worth $8.1 million as the No. 22 pick in the first round two years ago. He is still owed more than $2 million in guaranteed money, but the Browns would only have to make up the difference if Weeden makes less from his new team.

It is possible the Cowboys could carry Romo, Orton and Weeden on the 53-man roster if they were to sign him.

The Cowboys have not carried a third quarterback on the roster since 2011 when they had Stephen McGee behind Romo and Jon Kitna. They had Alex Tanney on the practice squad for much of last season before losing him to the Browns, and re-signed Kitna for the final week of the season after Romo got hurt.

Ravens are giving WR Steve Smith a 3-year deal, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2014

How good a selling job did Ozzie Newsome & John Harbaugh do? Source says Steve Smith cancelled flight to New England to stay in Baltimore

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2014

Bald is beautiful! RT @jasonsheridan2: @bhoyer8 shaving for the cause pic.twitter.com/vEd0QegxXI

— Brian Hoyer (@bhoyer8) March 14, 2014

For those asking about Ben Tate and the #Browns, he’s still there right now. Lengthy visit.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2014

Given the amount of time #Browns investing in Ben Tate, I'd guess that anything less than a signed contract today would be bad news.

— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) March 14, 2014

DE Alex Carrington still meeting with #Steelers this afternoon.

— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) March 14, 2014

Browns are looking for a quarterback

Draft impact: Goodbye Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell, hello (another) quarterback of the future. The Browns probably will sign a low-cost veteran free agent to bolster the roster, but it's pretty clear by their moves that one of their two first-rounders will be a quarterback. The question is will they grab a signal-caller at No. 4, No. 26 or somewhere else? Count NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah as somebody who thinks it will be Fresno State's Derek Carr with their second first-round pick.

“@nflnetwork: Who is the best Corner in the NFL: #Sherman #Talib or #Revis? pic.twitter.com/S8mpIVtg9f” other?

— Joe Haden (@joehaden23) March 14, 2014

A team spokesman confirmed Tate’s visit with the team Thursday night and Tate remained in Cleveland. He is meeting again with the Browns on Friday a source tells Newschannel 5 sports director and 92.3 The Fan’s Andy Baskin.

92.3 The Fan reported Wednesday night that Tate would meet with the Browns on Thursday and it is his hope that a contract will be worked out.

Tate, 25, has been linked to the Browns in free agency rumors since last September following the Trent Richardson trade to Indianapolis.

Will Alex Mack be a Brown in 2014? (PD)

"Alex is willing to be patient and play the process out,'' agent Tim Younger told cleveland.com. "He's not in any hurry to sign the transition. He's going to take his time.''

Younger stressed that teams are interested in the two-time Pro Bowler despite his $10.039 million transition tender from the Browns and their right of first refusal. At least four teams have expressed interest, including the Indianapolis Colts.

"We do anticipate Alex making visits -- but he's not in any hurry to do so either,'' said Younger.

If Mack receives an offer, the Browns will have five days to match. But Mack's lead agent, Marvin Demoff, told Sports Illustrated's Peter King Monday night that he can make it tricky for the Browns to hang onto their sixth-year pro.

Ben Tate to the Browns? (AP)

The Browns haven't had a featured back since they traded Trent Richardson after the first two games of last season.

"I think I can bring you an elite running back," Tate told Fox 26 in Houston on Friday. "I've learned a lot being behind Arian (Foster). Definitely, when I'm healthy I think I'm an elite running back in this league, and I feel like I can show my abilities and my numbers and my play will speak for itself, and guys will be able to see that I am a guy who is a top-five running back in this league, which I believe once I get out there and get to show that on a consistent basis."

Tate also wrote in a Facebook post Friday, "I'm tired of people acting like RBs aren't really that important anymore.''

Did the Browns upgrade with Whitner and Dansby? (cleveland.com)

At safety, the Browns gave $13 million in fully-guaranteed money to Donte Whitner as part of a four-year, $28 million deal. T.J. Ward, in contrast, signed for only $7 million fully guaranteed at signing, with another $6.5 million guaranteed for injury only until the 2015 league year. The total value of Ward’s four-year deal is $22.5 million — $5.5 million less than Whitner’s contract.

At linebacker, the Browns dumped D’Qwell Jackson’s contract, which would have paid him $6.6 million in 2014. They’re instead paying Karlos Dansby $10 million in 2014, part of a $12 million fully-guaranteed contract. The 32-year-old’s deal averages $6 million per season through 2017.

While it was prudent for the cap-rich Browns to resist the temptation of going on a Day One overspending spree, some would say they’ve opted to dog-paddle by swapping Ward and Jackson for Whitner and Dansby. The goal moving forward should be to do something other than mildly upgrade positions of strength, and to instead shop for bargains at positions of need.

“I think anybody that doesn’t take A.J. in one of those earlier rounds is going to make a huge mistake, because I think he’s going to be a very, very good player,” Saban said. “First of all, he has all the athletic talent to make all the throws that he needs to make at the next level. . . . Guys who can make quick decisions, process the information and throw the ball accurately are the guys that usually end up being pretty good NFL quarterbacks.”

Led by LaQuinton Ross' game-high 26, No. 5-seeded Ohio State stormed back from an 18-point deficit to beat No. 4 Nebraska and advance to the semifinals against No. 1 Michigan on Saturday.

CANTON, Ohio — The St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team beat Poland Seminary, 54-42, on Saturday in a Division II regional final at Canton Civic Center. VJ King led the Irish with 14 points. Three Irish players scored in double figures.

CANTON, Ohio — The St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team beat Poland Seminary, 54-42, on Saturday in a Division II regional final at Canton Civic Center.

VJ King led the Irish with 14 points. Three Irish players scored in double figures.

The Irish (19-9) advance to the state semifinals in Columbus, where they will meet either Columbus Bishop Watterson or New Concord John Glenn on Thursday at 2 p.m.

This story will be updated with reaction, photos and video.

Poland Seminary cut SVSM’s lead to four with 1:34 left, but couldn’t even things up.

The interior defense was strong for the Irish, who blocked five shots.

After using a 10-3 run to close the first quarter, Poland Seminary shot just 1 for 14 in the second quarter, but stayed in the game thanks to 11 first0half turnovers by the Irish, who led 24-18 at the half.

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.

The Browns signed former Houston running back Ben Tate as a free agent to shore up their woeful running game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns filled the void they've had at running back since they traded Trent Richardson last season by signing former Texans running back Ben Tate on Saturday.

The deal is for two years and worth about $7 million, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Tate is the fifth free agent signed by the Browns since the league opened for business on Tuesday. The others are safety Donte Whitner, inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, cornerback Isaiah Trufant and tight end Jim Dray.

They've also signed Bengals restricted free agent slot receiver Andrew Hawkins to a four-year offer sheet worth $13.6 million.

The Bengals have until Tuesday to match, but NFL Network reports that they're unlikely to do so because the contract is frontloaded. A source told cleveland.com it includes $10.8 million over the first two years.

Tate arrived in Cleveland on Thursday night and has been in town ever since. He signaled that things were moving in the right direction by tweeting a photo of the Terminal Tower lit up in red on Friday night:

pic.twitter.com/B7dz5RYiNy

— Ben Tate (@BenTateRB) March 15, 2014

And on Saturday, he tweeted out a short video to Browns fans:

This is for all u crazy @browns fans (crazy in a good way) who've been blowing me up on twitter all week!! LOL https://t.co/7bUncPEXYW

— Ben Tate (@BenTateRB) March 15, 2014

A fifth-year pro, Tate, 25, has averaged 4.7 yards per carry during his three seasons. A second-round pick of the Texans out of Auburn in 2010, he broke his ankle in preseason and sat out his rookie season.

But he came back in 2011 and won the backup job to Arian Foster, rushing for 942 yards on 175 attempts for a 5.4-yard average -- third highest in the NFL. He also rushed for four touchdowns.

Plagued by lingering foot and hamstring injuries in 2012, Tate was limited to 279 yards on 65 carries, but still averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry. For comparison's sake, Richardson averaged 3.6 yards per carry in 2012 and 3.3 overall.

Last season, Tate battled through four cracked ribs much of the season to rush for 771 yards and four TDs in 14 games, including seven starts. Three of those TDs came against the Patriots to set a franchise record. Ultimately, Tate succumbed to the rib pain and was placed on injured reserve for the final two games of the season.

But he drew praise from interim coach Wade Phillips for playing in his next game after breaking the ribs, rushing for 81 yards on 22 carries in a loss to the Colts.

"He's a tough son of a gun - I've had star players not play with broken ribs,'' Philips told the Houston Chronicle.

Overall, Tate ranked third on Houston's all-time rushing list with 1,992 yards in 40 games. He also played in three Houston playoffs games.

Tate said last week that he's looking for a chance to step out of Foster's shadow and establish himself as a top five back in his own right.

"I think I can bring you an elite running back," Tate told Fox 26 in Houston on Friday. "I've learned a lot being behind Arian (Foster). Definitely, when I'm healthy I think I'm an elite running back in this league, and I feel like I can show my abilities and my numbers and my play will speak for itself, and guys will be able to see that I am a guy who is a top-five running back in this league, which I believe once I get out there and get to show that on a consistent basis."

Tate also wrote in a Facebook post Friday, "I'm tired of people acting like RBs aren't really that important anymore.''

Overall, Tate has rushed for 1,992 yards on 421 carries (4.7 average) and 10 touchdowns in his three seasons.

“I’m excited about the opportunity,” Tate told the Houston Chronicle about becoming a free agent. “I’m starting to feel rejuvenated.”

He also said he's fully recovered from the rib injury that plagued him much of last season.

“My ribs are fine,” he told the Chronicle. “Sometimes, it was tough (to play with the injury), but not playing is not what I signed up for. It’s not my personality to be out if I can play.”

Browns fans might remember that Tate rushed for 115 yards yards against the Browns during a Texans 30-12 victory in 2011 -- a game in which Foster also rolled up 124 yards en route to a franchise-record 261 by Houston.

In addition to Tate, the Browns also have Dion Lewis coming back from a broken leg and ligament damage. The Browns also have promising young back Edwin Baker on the roster, along with Fozzy Whitaker and Jamaine Cooke.

Jesse Gunter won three straight matches Saturday to secure All-America status.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Baldwin Wallace sophomore 125-pound wrestler Jesse Gunter, who is legally blind, won three straight matches Saturday morning and placed third at the NCAA Division III National Championships to earn Division III All-America status at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Gunter is believed to be the first blind wrestling NCAA All-American in any division since Randy Meyer of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1989.

• Click here to read a feature story explaining why Gunter had to prove he is blind.

Gunter had a 5-1 record at nationals and finished 32-5. His only two losses at the regional and national tournaments were to the two national finalists, No. 3-seed Lucas Malmberg of Messiah (Pa.) College in last weekend's Mideast Regional Championship match and Friday to No. 4-seed Mike Fuenffinger of Augsburg (Minn.) College in the second round.

Gunter won his first match Friday, 5-3 in sudden victory against Kevin Corrigan of the College of New Jersey. After an 8-3 loss to Fuenffinger, he dropped to the consolation bracket, where he defeated Nick Santos of North Central (Ill.) College in a major decision, 11-0

Gunter, seeded fifth, beat the top two seeds in Saturday morning consolation matches. He defeated top-seeded Paul Bewak of Johns Hopkins (Md.) University, 15-4, and No. 2-seed Gilberto Camacho of Wartburg (Iowa) College, 2-0, to advance to the consolation final. In that match, Gunter pinned the No. 6-seed, Olivet's Robert Bidlingmaier, in 1:36 to earn third place.

"Jesse showed what he is capable of doing. It was a huge effort. His win against the kid from Wartburg was big and in front of his home crowd,'' BW coach Jamie Gibbs said. "This is a huge step for our program and for what is hopefully to come in the future."

Gunter's career record is 61-7, including a 29-2 as a freshman. He was unable to compete at nationals last year because BW was banned from post-season competition.