Akron captures first MAC Women's Basketball Tournament championship and punch their ticket for March Madness. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Rachel Tecca, Hanna Luburgh and Kacie Cassell arrived at Akron, the women's basketball program still was struggling to find its way.

Now the Zips are headed to the NCAA Tournament.

Tecca, a fifth-year senior forward from Tallmadge, scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to propel Akron to a 79-68 victory over Ball State in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game Saturday afternoon at The Q.

The Zips (23-9) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in what will be their first appearance. It is the fourth postseason appearance in the 40-year history of the program (WNIT 1999, 2013; WBI 2010).

Akron's postgame podium consisted of Tecca and fourth-year seniors Luburgh and Cassell seated to the right of coach Jodi Kest. Each player made it a point to thank Kest for believing in her.

"And I want to thank you three,'' Kest said, "because we wouldn't be here without you.''

The Zips are comprised of more than seniors, of course. But the class led by Tecca, Luburgh and Cassell always will be remembered as the one that delivered the first NCAA Tournament.

"This group of seniors is very, very special,'' said Kest, in her eighth season at the school. "They believed in us when we recruited them. It's not easy to come into a program that has had some losing seasons and to take a chance on us. It's easy to go to a school that already has been successful and already has fans.''

The Zips tied the program record for single-season victories, which was set in 2012-2013. They have won 16 of 17 since Jan. 18. Their loss in that span came against Bowling Green, 77-76, in the regular-season finale March 8.

The Zips, seeded third, opened their MAC Tournament with an 83-69 victory over Toledo on Thursday. They disposed of defending champion and second-seeded Central Michigan, 85-69, on Friday. The semifinal was a rematch of last season's title game, which Central Michigan won decisively.

"I was so nervous (Saturday morning) because I wanted it so badly for them,'' Kest said of her players. "I know what we went through last year and how hard the kids took it. I think that experience helped us.''

The No. 5 Cardinals (18-16) had won seven straight, including four in a stirring tourney run. They defeated Kent State, 73-38, at home Monday, then moved to The Q and dismissed Northern Illinois, 61-47, Buffalo, 74-60, and top-seeded Bowling Green, 73-55, on consecutive days through Friday.

Ball State has lost eight straight to Akron, including twice in this past regular season. It fell to Akron in the 2013 MAC Tournament.

"I told Jodi that, as tough as it was for us, I'm happy for her and her team,'' Ball State coach Brady Sallee said. "They're a class act. They've clearly got some very special seniors.''

Sallee and his players refused to use fatigue as an excuse for their defeat.

"In that kind of game,'' hard-nosed senior point guard Brandy Woody said, "you have no room to be tired. I don't think that really came across our minds.''

Ball State might have been able to spring another upset if Tecca had not been sensational. Tecca finished 13-of-19 from the field in 37 minutes. She repeatedly beat defenders to the spot in making an assortment of short shots.

"This is what I've been waiting for for the entire five years,'' Tecca said of the MAC title and NCAA bid.

In Akron's regular-season finale, Tecca played just three minutes because of a knee injury. She was listed as day to day when the tournament began. She recovered enough to score 11 in 23 minutes against Toledo and 10 in 31 minutes against Central Michigan. She was named tournament MVP.

Tecca's rebounding helped the Zips to a 46-30 advantage.

"I think they won the game rebounding the ball,'' Sallee said. "They showed their will in that category.''

Tecca entered the day as the MAC's second-leading scorer in all games, averaging 22.0 points. The player ahead of her was teammate Hanna Luburgh, who averaged 23.2. Luburgh scored 31 and 25 in her first two tourney games and had six points and 12 rebounds against Ball State.

The Zips led, 41-30, at halftime behind Tecca's 20 points on 10-of-12 shooting. She had one fewer field goal than Ball State (11-of-31).

With point guard Cassell at the controls, the Zips established a 23-16 cushion. They appeared poised to create more distance, but the Cardinals scored four straight. Tecca ended that run with a putback.

Akron surged ahead, 33-24 late in the half, prompting Sallee to call timeout. Ball State guard Shelbie Justice sank a 3-pointer in the first possession after the timeout. The Cardinals eventually pulled within 33-30, only to have Tecca go on an 8-0 run to close the half.

"We couldn't stop Tecca,'' said Ball State guard Brittany Carter, who scored a team-high 23.

In Akron's first possession of the second half, Tecca rebounded Luburgh's miss and scored. After a Ball State miss, DiAndra Gibson drilled a 3-pointer for a 46-30 lead.

Gibson's 3-ball with 17:30 left made it 50-32. Akron's advantage grew to 64-39 with 10:41 to play. A rout seemed to be in progress -- but the Cardinals refused to fold. They scrapped to within 75-65 with 3:26 remaining before running out of fuel.

"Our players think they can go farther than this,'' Kest said. "That's the type of kids I have. They have great vision.''

MVP Rachel Tecca was one of three Akron Zips named to the Mid-American Conference Women's All-Tournament Team. She scored 30 in the title game Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Akron senior forward Rachel Tecca was named most valuable player of the Mid-American Conference Women's Tournament, which concluded Saturday at The Q.

Zips seniors Kacie Cassell and Hanna Luburgh joined Tecca on the All-Tournament Team. Ball State senior Brandy Woody and junior Shelbie Justice were the other members.

Third-seeded Akron defeated fifth-seeded Ball State, 79-68, in the championship game to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Tallmadge native Tecca scored 30 on 13-of-19 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Tecca scored 11 in Akron's first tourney game, an 83-69 victory over Toledo on Thursday, and 10 in an 85-69 victory over Central Michigan on Friday.

Luburgh, a small forward from Zanesville, scored 31 on 12-of-22 shooting against Toledo. She had 25 points in a semifinal victory over Central Michigan and six against Ball State.

Cassell ran the point superbly for three days and played terrific defense. She amassed 22 assists.

Point guard Woody and Justice helped the upstart Cardinals win four straight in the tournament, which for them began with a home victory over Kent State on Monday. Woody and Justice combined to shoot 13-of-20 and score 37 in a 73-55 shocker over top-seeded Bowling Green on Friday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jenna Burdette scored 20 of her 24 points in the second half — accounting for all but seven of her team's points over that span — to carry top-ranked Reedsville Eastern past No. 3 Zanesville Rosecrans 49-38 in the Division IV girls state title game on Saturday. Burdette, an Associated Press first-team All-Ohioan and co-player of...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jenna Burdette scored 20 of her 24 points in the second half — accounting for all but seven of her team's points over that span — to carry top-ranked Reedsville Eastern past No. 3 Zanesville Rosecrans 49-38 in the Division IV girls state title game on Saturday.

Burdette, an Associated Press first-team All-Ohioan and co-player of the year in the division, time and again made big shots and big plays as Eastern (27-1) got redemption for a semifinal loss a year ago in the school's only previous appearance at the state tournament.

In the final 1:01, three teammates hit five free throws to keep Rosecrans (27-2) at bay.

Molly Nash had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Bishops.

CANTON, Ohio -- Outstanding interior defense was a major key to St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team's 54-42 victory against Poland Seminary on Saturday to earn a trip to the state semifinals.  In keeping the Bulldogs out of the paint most of the game, the Irish left Poland Seminary with mostly mid- to long-range jumpers, which did not fall...

CANTON, Ohio -- Outstanding interior defense was a major key to St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team's 54-42 victory against Poland Seminary on Saturday to earn a trip to the state semifinals. 

In keeping the Bulldogs out of the paint most of the game, the Irish left Poland Seminary with mostly mid- to long-range jumpers, which did not fall with any sort of consistency. 

SVSM coach Dru Joyce said his team's size and tenacity on defense definitely came into play when it came to keeping Poland's shooters on the perimeter. 

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs shot a dismal 1 of 14 from the field. Whenever Poland did enter the paint on offense, they could be sure to find a SVSM defender waiting to put a hand in their face and possibly disrupt their shot. 

The Irish defenders combined for five blocked shots during the first half, with four coming in the second quarter. Poland shooters continued to have to try to hoist shots while viewing the rim between the fingers of SVSM players in the second half as well. 

Despite being active on the boards, picking up several of their own misses, the Bulldogs could not capitalize on enough of their second and third chance efforts to make a significant difference in the game. 

SVSM had much more success in getting their outside shots to go down when faced with Poland's tough interior defense in the first half. 

In the second half, the Bulldogs' outside shooting improved and multiple turnovers by the Irish enabled the Bulldogs to get back into the game, closing to within four points in the last 2:00 of the fourth quarter. 

SVSM was even more effective on offense, however, enabling the Irish to make up for its passing miscues. 

The Irish also had more success in the paint in the second half finding more opportunities to finish inside than they did in the first half. 

The Irish were able to extend their lead back to nine with less than 30 seconds to play and went on to claim the win. 

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com), Twitter (@rrozboril) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Cleveland Browns’ rushing attack was a problem in 2013, ranking 27th in the NFL with an average of less than 87 yards per game. The team is hoping today’s signing of Ben Tate will lead to a different outcome this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Browns’ rushing attack was a problem in 2013, ranking 27th in the NFL with an average of less than 87 yards per game. The team is hoping today’s signing of Ben Tate will lead to a different outcome in 2014.

Tate, 25, rushed for 771 yards in 2013, which was nearly 400 more than Willis McGahee, the Browns leading rusher a season ago. Tate was a second-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2010, serving primarily as the backup to Arian Foster.

The signing was met with excitement and optimism from the national media, fans and his new teammates.

Here are some of the best tweets on the Browns most recent signing:

Former Texans' running back Ben Tate qualifies as the biggest upgrade of all the Browns' free agent signings.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – After posting a picture of the Terminal Tower – which easily passed as a symbol of how long his negotiations with the Browns were taking -- Ben Tate became the team’s latest free agent signing Saturday.

Or what Norv Turner and Rob Chudzinski would call a year too late.

Tate’s acquisition is more evidence of the Browns’ push to distance themselves from the “process” and try to win immediately. What a concept.

It’s doubtful Ray Farmer goes to bed every night worried that he might only get one season on the job. But clearly Jimmy Haslam has set the organizational tempo several steps beyond last year's waltz.

The Browns could’ve waited and picked a running back with one of their 10 draft choices in May – and they probably still will in the middle rounds – but they pursued a proven upgrade in the featured back roll -- much as they did on defense by signing Karlos Dansby to replace D’Qwell Jackson and Donte Whitner to replace T.J. Ward.

In each of those transactions they got older, more expensive and better.

The Browns had money and not much competition for Tate’s services in a job market driven by defensive impact players. Rumored as as object of their desire for months, Tate is a good fit.

Tate wrote on a Facebook Friday that he’s “tired of people acting like RBs aren’t treally that important any more.”

He has a 4.7 yard average and 10 touchdowns in his three NFL seasons. He’s done his sturdiest work as a backup to Arian Foster. When he’s tried to assume the lead role, injuries have ensued.

Tate dealt with fractured ribs last season. He toughed it out until the final two games when he landed on injured reserve.

A year ago, we were all talking about the success running backs enjoyed in Norv Turner offenses over the years. We can say the same of Kyle Shanahan. Systems aside, good backs make coaches look smart and keep quarterbacks alive.

Tate has a chance to do both.

Speaking of quarterbacks …

The Tate signing may stand alone, but it could just as easily suggest a theme. Build around a veteran who can help you win now, while grooming his replacement.

Though the sample size is small on Brian Hoyer, his experience and decision making gives the Browns their best opportunity for immediate success.

Everything the Browns have said and done recently – the firing of a coaching staff after one poor season, the free agent spending, owner Jimmy Haslam’s own words when he called this “the critical offseason” – suggest the Browns are stepping on the accelerator.

That doesn’t preclude picking a quarterback at No. 4. Under Joe Banner and Mike Lombardi, I fully expected they would. Banner probably would’ve picked Ryan Tannehill that high in 2012 and worried about getting his running back later.

We know how that turned out. Trent Richardson gone. Brandon Weeden, chosen No. 22 overall, followed him out the door.

Hoyer allows the Browns to evaluate quarterback prospects on their own merit and not inflate their worth out of critical need.

This has the feel of the 2011 draft when, after Cam Newton went No. 1 overall, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder were drafted between picks No. 8 and 12.

Except for the small detail that nobody in this year's class looks to be Cam Newton.

The Browns still need to find a franchise quarterback.

But more than that, they need to be right.

If Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater don’t project as Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III or Newton, go with Hoyer.

The draft doesn’t end after the first round, as Colin Kaepernick (2nd) and Russell Wilson and Nick Foles (3rd) can attest.

As a probable No. 5 seed, the Buckeyes could open the tournament anywhere. But out West is a strong possibility.

INDIANAPOLIS – Ohio State looks like a No. 5 seed for the NCAA Tournament after losing to Michigan 72-69 on Saturday in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal.

The Buckeyes won't be seeded as poorly as they were in 2009 when they were a No. 8 seed and lost to Siena in the first round, but it won't be as high as they've been in the time since. Since then Ohio State has been a No. 2 seed, a No. 1 seed, a No. 2 seed and a No. 2 seed, advancing to the Sweet 16 twice, the Final Four once and the Elite Eight last year.

Both ESPN.com and CBSSports.com had Ohio State as a No. 5 seed in the latest bracket update Saturday morning, and that’s the line the Buckeyes believe they’ll land on.

Ohio State’s RPI was No. 19, according to ESPN.com, before the Michigan loss, and that shouldn’t change much. Beating Michigan may have moved Ohio State to a No. 4 seed, but it’s unlikely a loss will drop Ohio State to a No. 6 seed.

So where will the Buckeyes play?

If they are a No. 5 seed, Ohio State would need to be placed in a first weekend site with a No. 4 seed, because that would the Buckeyes' matchup in a second game with a win.

Only teams ranked among the top four seeds get geographical consideration, so Ohio State could wind up anywhere. But there aren’t enough top teams from the West to fill out the pods out West, so the No. 4 seeds will be placed in cities like Spokane, San Diego and San Antonio because there aren’t two higher ranked teams to wind up in those spots in front of them.

So that's where No. 5 seeds will wind up as well. ESPN.com has the Buckeyes in Orlando. CBSSports.com has them in San Antonio.

Let’s run through the top teams and where they should be placed

Florida - Orlando

Arizona - San Diego

Wichita State - St. Louis

Kansas - St. Louis

Michigan - Milwaukee

Wisconsin – Milwaukee

Duke - Raleigh

Virginia - Raleigh

Villanova - Buffalo

Syracuse – Buffalo

Those are the top teams, according to ESPN, that should be seeded No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 and land in logical geographical homes. Louisville and Cincinnati could get in there, but they'd be looking for Midwestern or Eastern homes as well.

That leaves these spots available:

Two in Spokane

Two in San Antonio

One in Orlando

One in San Diego

Ohio State logically would make sense in Buffalo, Milwaukee and St. Louis, but those spots are all taken by teams that will be seeded higher than No. 4.

The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds that would need to find homes in those final six spots, according to the latest ESPN.com bracket, are Creighton, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Louisville, Michigan State and San Diego State.

If Ohio State had lost early in Indianapolis and dropped to a No. 6 seed, the Buckeyes could have been placed in Buffalo, for instance, opposite No. 3 seed Syracuse. But by staying at a No. 5 seed, Ohio State probably created a longer trip for the Buckeyes and their fans.

Under Thad Matta, with the Buckeyes typically earning high seeds, Ohio State has been placed near home to start the tournament:

2006 - No. 2 seed, Dayton

2007 – No. 1 seed, Lexington, Ky.

2009 – No. 8 seed, Dayton (that was luck)

2010 – No. 2 seed, Milwaukee

2011 – No. 1 seed, Cleveland

2012 - No. 2 seed, Pittsburgh

2013 – No. 2 seed, Dayton

Ohio State's last long trip to open the tournament was to Albuquerque in 2002. This year, the Buckeyes should be ready to travel.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Danny Salazar said his velocity ranged from 91 mph to 98 mph Friday in a minor league game against Cincinnati’s Class AAA Louisville team. So did Salazar have something against hitting 100 mph? “That’s for the regular season,” Salazar said with a smile. “I’ve got to save my bullets.” Salazar allowed one run on two hits...

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Danny Salazar said his velocity ranged from 91 mph to 98 mph Friday in a minor league game against Cincinnati’s Class AAA Louisville team.

So did Salazar have something against hitting 100 mph?

“That’s for the regular season,” Salazar said with a smile. “I’ve got to save my bullets.”

Salazar allowed one run on two hits with a walk and six strikeouts. He threw 52 pitches and is scheduled to pitch four innings against Oakland on Wednesday.

“In my first game (an intrasquad game), I was pulling to the side and my pitches were missing,” said Salazar. “This time my delivery was better. I was throwing more strikes.

“On first pitches, I threw 10 of 12 for strikes. So I felt way better than the first time. ”

Pitching coach Mickey Callaway posts a daily list of how many first pitch strikes each pitcher throws. Callaway has emphasized that since he became pitching coach last year.

The Indians have limited Salazar’s workload much of spring training, while concentrating on building arm strength. They want him as healthy and strong as possible for the regular season.

It sounds like it’s paying off.

“I feel strong,” said Salazar. “Every new inning when I go out there, I can feel the strength in my shoulder and legs. “

Manager Terry Francona didn’t see Salazar pitch because he was with the club in Glendale on Saturday when the Indians tied the White Sox, 2-2, but the reports were good.

“Everything was good,” said Francona. “We’ll try to get him out to four innings next time out.”

Testing, testing: First baseman Bryan LaHair will make his Cactus League debut against the Giants on Sunday in a split-squad game in Scottsdale, Ariz. He’s spent this spring rehabbing from surgery on his left wrist.

LaHair, all All-Star with the Cubs in 2012, will get three at-bats against the Giants.

Outfielder Nyjer Morgan (left calf) still hasn’t been cleared to play, much to his chagrin.

“He’s champing at the bit to play,” said Francona. “He’s doing a lot, but he’s just not allowed to play yet. The best way to put it is the medical staff is protecting him from himself.”

DH Jason Giambi (broken rib) says it should take him about 10 days until he can gauge where he’s at in regards to swinging the bat.

“The medical staff has checked with some NFL teams because that’s what kind of injury this is,” said Giambi. “They said in about 10 days I’ll be able to start doing things. It will hurt, but I should be able to work through it. Hey, I’m 43. I’m used to playing in pain.”

Giambi will almost assuredly miss the season opener on March 31 in Oakland.

Baueroutage: Trevor Bauer pitched four innings in a minor league game Saturday. He drew quite an audience as GM Chris Antonetti and various front office members watched. Tribe President Mark Shapiro showed up as well.

Bauer bounced a couple of breaking balls, but showed better control than in his last appearance Monday against the Angels.

Asked about his control and command, Bauer said, “It was fine. I was able to throw the ball anywhere I wanted to. I got some guys out. Got some good work in. I did more fastballs (today).

“It was a better outing than my last one. I had a bad outing against the Angels. . People can say I had a bad outing, shoot, the sky is falling, but it’s not. It’s just a bad outing.”

Francona wants Bauer to work on his fastball command and control.

Catch if catch can: The Carlos Santana experiment continues.

He’s shown his stuff at third base, now he’ll move back behind the plate next week just to see if he can play third and be the Tribe’s backup catcher.

“He’ll catch a bullpen Monday and he’ll probably catch in a game Tuesday,” said Francona. “That’s not etched in stone.”

When asked if Santana feels he can do both jobs, Francona said “He’s willing to try . . . We’re trying to balance the amount of work he’s done just to play third because he’s out there every morning.

“On top of that, if he can do the catching, it is a unique skill set. There’s not one team in baseball that has their backup catcher hitting cleanup.”

Finally: Former Tribe coaches Carl Willis and Robby Thompson are in camp working with the minor leagues. “I can’t think of a minor leaguer who wouldn’t be better off after talking to either one of those guys for 10 minutes,” said Francona. Willis and Thompson were on manager Eric Wedge’s staff in Seattle before Wedge was fired. Willis and Thompson are still getting paid by the Mariners . . .Right-hander J.C. Ramirez leaves for Cleveland on Sunday. He’ll undergo surgery on his left thumb Monday at Cleveland Clinic and miss six to eight weeks.

CANTON, Ohio -- Check out some footage of players from the St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team during their 54-42 regional final victory against Poland Seminary on Saturday.  Below are videos of game highlights and interviews with SVSM's Jalen Hudson, VJ King and coach Dru Joyce. 

CANTON, Ohio -- Check out some footage of players from the St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team during their 54-42 regional final victory against Poland Seminary on Saturday. 

Below are videos of game highlights and interviews with SVSM's Jalen Hudson, VJ King and coach Dru Joyce. 

Read more about the victory for the Irish and how the team's defense played a major role in getting SVSM the win.

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com), Twitter (@rrozboril) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Watch comments from running back Ben Tate after signing a 2-year $7 million deal with the Browns.

BEREA, Ohio -- Ben Tate became the fifth free agent to sign with the Cleveland Browns this week when he agreed to a 2-year deal worth about $7 Million Saturday.

Tate has average 4.7 yards per carry in the three years running the ball for Houston as a backup to Arian Foster. He missed his rookie year after breaking his ankle in the preseason.

Last season, Tate for 771 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games even though he battle through four broken ribs much of the season.

The other free agents to sign this week with the Browns are safety Donte Whitner, inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, cornerback Isaiah Trufant and tight end Jim Dray.

The also have signed Bengals restricted free agent slot receiver Andrew Hawkins to a four year deal, but the Bengals have until Tuesday to match it.

On Twitter: @CLEvideos

Tate looks to shed tacklers and reputation for being injury prone.

BEREA, Ohio – The signing of Ben Tate ensures Kyrie Irving no longer will be viewed as the most injury-prone 20-something in Cleveland sports.

What intrigues about the new Browns halfback is an impressive yards per carry average (4.7). What concerns is an extensive medical file for a 25-year-old: broken ankle prior to his 2010 rookie year; foot and hamstring issues in 2012; four cracked ribs a season ago. And, that’s just at the pro level.

Forget a helmet and shoulder pads, the Browns need to swaddle Tate in Bubble wrap. If he can stay healthy, however, the addition of the 5-foot-11, 214-pounder addresses an important need for a club that couldn’t run the ball with any efficiency last season.

The reported two-year, roughly $7 million deal is a worthwhile gamble. It’s a short-term risk with the potential for a sizable return. In free agency, system fit is critical and Tate comes from a zone-blocking scheme in Houston similar to the one run by Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

“. . . It's a good scheme,” he said. “I like it because they find that the running backs are important. They hand you the ball, they throw you the ball. That was the thing to me. I know (Shanahan) likes to use his running backs and how he likes to use them, so I felt like that gave me an advantage.”

Tate won’t be lacking in motivation when he arrives for training camp. Not only does he want to put the injury talk behind him but emerge as a feature back something that wasn’t possible as long as he remained with the Texans and fellow back Arian Foster.

If you haven’t noticed, there’s a real step-out-of-the-shadows theme developing with these Browns. Coach Mike Pettine has dealt with it in terms of his father, a famous prep coach, and Rex Ryan. Shanahan is ready to go his own way again after four years working under his old man in Washington.

The Shanahans have a history of producing good running backs, dating to Mike’s days with the Denver Broncos. Terrell Davis. Mike Anderson. Clinton Portis. The father-son duo made a Pro Bowler out of 2012 six-round pick Alfred Morris. It represents a tremendous opportunity for Tate, who has 1,992 yards on 421 career carries.

The running game was a constant source of frustration last season, finishing tied for 27th, after the Browns jettisoned Trent Richardson to Indianapolis for a first-round pick. Willis McGhee, 32, was more willing than able. Fozzy Whittaker and Chris Ogbonnaya didn’t give any defensive coordinators pause when designing game plans. Edwin Baker was easily the team’s best back and casual Browns fans probably don’t even remember who Edwin Baker is.

The NFL has a passing fetish, yet the ground attack remains an integral part of successful clubs. The best two teams, Seattle and San Francisco, ranked fourth and third, respectively. All four conference championship qualifiers were among the top-15 in rushing.

But running the ball is a punishing and no longer profitable enterprise. Teams aren’t investing high draft picks or top dollars in halfbacks. Tate was considered the best back in free agency and he received half the term and less than half the money of former Browns guard Shawn Lauvao, who signed a four-year, $17 million contract with the Redskins.

“Right now I think (teams) feel like they can get away with not really giving us our real worth,” said Tate who conceded just two other teams showed serious interest in him. “Maybe they think you don't need just that one guy, you can just plug in anybody and let them do it. I think some teams are finding out that's not really true.”

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

Last season, three of the game’s top rookies – Green Bay’s Eddie Lacy, Cincinnati’s Gio Bernard and Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell – were running backs. Two of them play in the Browns’ division. Part of Baltimore’s slide into mediocrity involved the decline of Ray Rice.

The Browns needed to upgrade their backfield and general manager Ray Farmer addressed it aggressively. Securing Tate allows them to dedicate high draft picks on quarterback, receiver, inside linebacker and cornerback. But don’t be surprised to see them take another halfback in the mid to late rounds.

More teams are running by committee, and the Browns will enter camp with a nice mix of Tate, Baker, a healthy Dion Lewis, Ogbonnaya and presumably a rookie back.

Although missing his first year with broken ankle slowed Tate’s development, it also knocked miles off his odometer. So did his understudy role to Foster. A year ago, Tate earned seven starts due to Foster’s injuries and managed 771 yards on 181 carries despite playing with the cracked ribs.

If he’s going to be a top-10 back, as he predicted on Saturday, Tate can’t be losing five fumbles as he did last season. With opportunity comes expectations and a string of turnovers could become as debilitating as a broken bone or torn muscle.

Nevertheless, the Browns made a wise, low-cost purchase Saturday. Unlike the halfbacks in the draft class, Tate already has proven he can play at the NFL level.

Now, he’s determined to show he’s more than just a good backup. The Browns’ equipment staff might want to stock up on Bubble wrap just in case.

"I expect the pain we're feeling to carry over to the next game and to take it out on the next opponent ... Bad enough for them, whoever they are, I feel sorry for them," senior Lenzelle Smith Jr. said.

INDIANAPOLIS – Here’s a question you couldn't have asked Thad Matta after the Big Ten Tournament semifinals each of the last five years: What are your plans for Selection Sunday?

Ohio State has been so successful in this tournament for so long, it never had to worry about anything other than finding a TV in the locker room after the final to find out its NCAA Tournament fate.

Three times the Buckeyes were Big Ten Tournament Champions. Two times they lost. But they always were left standing on the final stage on the final day in arguably the deepest conference in college basketball.

But this year is different. After No. 5-seeded Ohio State's 72-69 loss to top-seeded Michigan on Saturday, the question was appropriate.

So Thad, what are your plans for Sunday?

After staring off in the distance with a confused look on his face, he said ... "I don't know."

What he does know is that Ohio State isn't a finished product with issues that need to be corrected in a matter of days. 

"Now if we don't, we're going home," Matta said. "But we are definitely a better basketball team now than we were when we got here."

The feeling in Ohio State's locker room after the loss was different, but not devastating. Sure, it was the first time any of the players had experienced losing before the Big Ten Tournament final, but there was a sense of satisfaction.

Why? The Buckeyes erased a 32-16, first-half deficit to Michigan – the regular-season Big Ten champion, and a projected No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament – and even took a 61-60 lead on an emphatic alley-oop slam from Sam Thompson with 7:58 remaining in the game.

They lost, but they withstood the best shot from a team that's better than anyone they could face before the NCAA Tournament's second weekend. They pushed the Wolverines to the limit, even in a game Michigan, a team stacked with NBA talent, made 12 of 23 threes. Ohio State learned a lot about itself in three games in Indianapolis. 

• LaQuinton Ross has become far more aggressive - he's scored at least 19 points in six straight games – and said he's found comfort in putting Ohio State on his back.

"It's NCAA Tournament time. That's what I have to do," Ross said. "I know this team needs me to score, so I have just been aggressive, tried to drive more, because I know when I get to the rack I will either finish or draw a foul." 

• It even got major scoring contributions from Amedeo Della Valle and Shannon Scott, who tied a career-high 18 against the Wolverines. Scott was confident in his jumper, and he even answered big-time threes from Michigan forward Nik Stauskas. 

"I've just got to learn to stay aggressive on offense at all times," Scott said. 

• The Buckeyes fought back from 18-point and 16-point deficits. One game it won, one it lost, but they have a sense of pride for being resilient team in March. 

"With this loss, everyone is hurting, so I expect the pain we're feeling to carry over to the next game and to take it out on the next opponent ... Bad enough for them, whoever they are, I feel sorry for them," senior Lenzelle Smith Jr. said. "We're not in the best position we wanted to be in for the NCAA Tournament, but I am I pretty confident in the position we are after how we played here." 

That's where it's really different from years past. Ohio State has always been Michigan in this equation – the superior team that plays a close game, but ends up squeaking out the win because it has more talent.

And even through all the good things that happened for the Buckeyes, its loss to Michigan was another reminder that this team is different than the four previous ones that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond.

The Big Ten Tournament wasn't the salvation Ohio State was looking for. There is no trophy to validate an otherwise average regular season. And really, it had to avoid a game-winning shot attempt to beat No. 12 Purdue in the first round, and claw back from down 18 to survive Nebraska. 

Now it has to turn the page. Start over. Find a clean slate. Put everything in the past. You know, the usual. 

This time, though, it's welcomed. And it has been since Ohio State lost back-to-back games to Penn State and Indiana two weeks ago, before the Buckeyes knocked off Michigan State in the regular season finale and won two Big Ten Tournament games.

"Everything that has happened to this point, it really doesn't mean anything," senior Aaron Craft said after Ohio State's loss at Indiana. "The years before when we had success going down the stretch, we'd play in the Big Ten Tournament Championship and we'd win or we'd lose. Then you come in and the next thing you say is 'Hey, new season, nothing matters.' That's easy to say when you're winning.

"But I think that with the way things have been going, we need it. We almost need a fresh start. It's almost like, 'Do we need the pressure of if you lose you go home?' That's the position we put ourselves in." 

Matta never had a reason to make his own plans for Sunday, and perhaps it's a good sign that he didn't this year despite Ohio State's struggles during the regular season. But Matta, too, is ready for a fresh start. 

So he got up from his interview, patted a few reporters on the back and headed into an office situated in the locker room where his assistants were sitting.

It was time to pack up and head back to Columbus. Arranging plans for how to handle the Selection Sunday announcement is just another question for which Matta has to find an answer.

Ohio State erased a 16-point deficit, but the No. 5-seeded Buckeyes ultimately fell to top-seeded Michigan, 72-69. The Wolverines advance to the Big Ten Tournament finals tomorrow.

INDIANAPOLIS – In the moments after Ohio State erased an 18-point, second-half deficit to beat Nebraska on Friday, it vowed that it couldn't fall behind by a large marge and expect to win the following day.

It was right.

Though the No. 5-seeded Buckeyes erased top-seeded Michigan's 32-16 lead in the first half to draw even late in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal game, the Wolverines advanced to the title game with a 72-69 win.

All that's left now for Ohio State is to wait to hear its NCAA Tournament fate when the bracket is announced Sunday evening.

The Buckeyes played a high level of basketball, but Michigan, a projected No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, shot lights out. The Wolverines shot 53.2 percent from the floor, but more importantly converted on 12 of their 23 shots from beyond the arc.

Ohio State junior Shannon Scott did all he could to keep the Buckeyes in the game as LaQuinton Ross' scoring sidekick, scoring a career-high 18 points. Ross led the Buckeyes with 19.

Michigan had three scorers in double-figures: Nik Stauskas scored 18, Caris Levert had 17 and Glenn Robinson III added 11.

Stay tuned with Cleveland.com for full coverage from the game. 

Ari and Doug break down Ohio State's visit to Indianapolis and what's ahead in the NCAA Tournament.

INDIANAPOLIS – Ohio State failed to advance to the Big Ten Tournament title game for the sixth consecutive year, but the fifth-seeded Buckeyes remained positive about their chances for a deep NCAA Tournament run.

After falling to top-seeded Michigan on Saturday, the only thing left to do for Ohio State is wait to hear their NCAA Tournament fate when the Selection Show airs tonight. But as we wait, how about some talking points?

What was Ohio State's grade for its performance in the Big Ten Tournament?

What seed will the Buckeyes be in the NCAA Tournament?

Where could they be sent?

Should they be on upset alert?

Doug and I discussed all those topics and more in the above video.

Check out our full coverage from the Michigan game:

• Ohio State heads home early: A new Selection Sunday plan, a new NCAA Tournament outlook

• What will be Ohio State's NCAA Tournament seed, and where will the Buckeyes start March Madness?

Mike Aviles has embraced his role on the Indians and in doing so has earned the trust of manager Terry Francona. Trevor Bauer, meanwhile, showed a little better control of his fastball in a minor league game on Saturday.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Mike Aviles started in left field on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and went 3-for-3 before packing his equipment bag and taking the short bus ride back to the Indians training facility from Goodyear Ballpark. It was just another day’s work for the man of many positions.

On Sunday, he’ll be playing in center field. On Monday, who knows?

As long as it doesn’t include pitching or catching, the founder of the Goon Squad is cool with that.

“I don’t think I’d do good at catching or pitching,” he said.

Truth be told, Aviles is an infielder. He was good enough to be Boston’s starting shortstop in 2012. Last year when Asdrubal Cabrera tore his right quadriceps muscle, Aviles stepped in and started 19 straight games at short and the defense didn’t miss a beat.

For years the Indians looked for someone capable of doing that and could never find the right player. Then in one trade, a seemingly small-potatoes deal, they found a jack-of-all-trades and a starting catcher when GM Chris Antonetti sent right-hander Esmil Rogers to Toronto for Aviles and Yan Gomes in November of 2012.

Let us pause for a moment to contemplate a far great concern than Aviles’ versatility. With Gomes promoted to starting status, is he still a member of the Goon Squad? Aviles founded the Gooners last year, banding bench players Jason Giambi, Ryan Raburn, Gomes and himself into a formidable unit that helped the Indians win games.

Mike Aviles has already played four different positions this spring.Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer

Hey, they even had T-shirts made.

So what becomes of Gomes? Is he a Gone Gooner?

“He’s an OG,” said Aviles with the slightest of smiles. “That’s what we call it. He’s an original member, but he’s a starter now. So we have to find a new bench partner.

“But Yan is always going to be one of the Gooners. He’s one of the originals. It’s like Mount Rushmore, there are only four.”

This spring the Indians big-league clubhouse is full of potential Goon Squaders. Jeff Francoeur, Elliot Johnson, Nyjer Morgan, Justin Sellers and David Adams could all fit the bill. But in Aviles, Francona has found someone special, someone he can trust.

Aviles has played one game at second, three at short, three in left and one in right field this spring. That does not include the B game where he played center field.

The first time Francona played Aviles in left field this spring, Aviles hadn’t even been taking fly balls at the position.

“That’s how much I trust him,” said Francona. “I have a lot of faith in him and he’s earned it. And he continues to earn it. That’s what’s nice.

“Sometimes you see guys get to a point where they earn it and then level off. In reality you have to earn it every day. Mikey does a really good job of that.”

To Aviles the equation is simple: versatility equals playing time. So the more opportunities Francona gives him, the more chances he has to help himself and his team.

“I welcome it as I should,” said Aviles. “Think about it, anyway you can play is always a good thing. You want to get as many at-bats as you possibly can. Wherever he wants to put I’m willing to work and get it right.

“The biggest thing is to find as many ways to help the team win. My job is to do what I can to help out. I want to be a piece of the puzzle.”

The Kansas City Royals drafted Aviles in the seventh round in 2003. They offered him a $1,000 signing bonus because he was a senior out of tiny Concordia (New York) College and had no bargaining power. Aviles took the $1,000 and has been playing hungry ever since.

To Francona, he is the perfect player for his role.

“He’s not content (in his role) and I know that,” said Francona. “That’s the fine line you walk in trying to find guys who are good enough play every day, will accept not playing every day, stay ready when their name is called and when they’re not playing, they don’t disrupt, but they help.

“When you get guys like that, you have something special.”

The Indians used eight relievers in the 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks. Before that game began, Trevor Bauer pitched four innings for Class AA Akron against Class AAA Columbus. Francona wants to get a look at as many relievers a he can in preparation for naming the 25-man roster, but he was also trying to find ways to help Bauer throw his high-octane fastball for more strikes.

A minor league game offered less stress than a Cactus League game.

Bauer allowed two runs on three hits in four innings. He struck out two and walked three. His control wasn’t the best, but it was better than his last outing when he got knocked around by the Angels and had a couple of Come to Jesus meetings with Francona, pitching coach Mickey Callaway and GM Chris Antonetti the following day.

“My point is we’re going to figure this out together,” said Francona. “I wanted him to understand that. I didn’t want him to feel he’s on an island and he doesn’t have to be.”

A list of the teams who have already qualified for the 2014 NCAA Tournament field.

The following schools have already clinched automatic bids to the 2014 NCAA Basketball Tournament. The NCAA tournament selection show is set for 6 pm Sunday night on CBS.

Albany (NY), America East Conference

American, Patriot League

Cal Poly, Big West Conference

Coastal Carolina, Big South Conference

Delaware, Colonial Athletic Association

Eastern Kentucky, Ohio Valley Conference

Gonzaga, West Coast Conference

Harvard, Ivy League

Iowa State, Big 12 Conference

Louisville, American Athletic Conference

Manhattan, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Mercer, Atlantic Sun Conference

Milwaukee, Horizon League

Mount St. Mary's, Northeast Conference

New Mexico, Mountain West Conference

New Mexico State, Western Athletic Conference

North Carolina Central, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

North Dakota State, Summit League

Providence, Big East Conference

Stephen F. Austin, Southland Conference

Texas Southern, Southwestern Athletic Conference

Tulsa, Conference USA

UCLA, Pacific-12 Conference

Weber State, Big Sky Conference

Western Michigan, Mid-American Conference

Wichita State, Missouri Valley Conference

Wofford, Southern Conference

Predicting the field of 68 for today's NCAA Selection Show, including how today's final conference title games may impact who's in, and who's out.

The Orange's profile sets it up as a solid No. 3 seed. But thanks to Duke and Virginia's victories in Saturday's ACC semifinals, those two teams are going to wind up with better top-to-bottom resumes than Syracuse.

So what does that mean? If the selection committee sticks to its professed love of geography, those two teams are probably ticketed for the East and South brackets in some combination or another. As a top-four seed from the same conference, that means Syracuse would get shipped to the Midwest or West regionals.

The price of losing at home to Boston College and Georgia Tech is having a second weekend date in Indianapolis rather than New York. As for the first weekend, it looks like Syracuse won't lose its place in Buffalo, but there is one variable that could change that.

Louisville is a really tough team to project. It's played like a No. 2 seed and has the profile of a No. 4 seed. The difference is split in the bracket below, but the Cardinals are located closer to Buffalo than Orlando (their projected opening weekend destination). If the committee trusts their eyes more than the data, Syracuse could wind up in that Sunshine State slot.

Even with its loss yesterday to UCLA, Arizona remains locked in as a No. 1 seed with Florida and Wichita State. The final No. 1 seed would seem to be in a bit more flux, but the committee might well give it to Michigan, anyway, given the mid-afternoon tip time of the Big Ten final. The Wolverines won the Big Ten regular season, made the league title game and are 10-4 against the top 50. There are worse choices.

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers (19-12) are 8-9 against the top 100 (not bad), won at Michigan State and haven't done anything remotely bad in nearly two months. Their strength of schedule raises no flags, but their 4-11 road/neutral record does. A top-50 RPI won't hurt, either. Verdict: IN

Brigham Young: What a difficult profile to discern. The Cougars (23-11) have a great RPI (31), and the sort of nonconference strength of schedule (4) that tends to be rewarded. BYU is decent away from Provo (9-10) and has a winning record against the top 100 (8-7), but also has four losses to teams outside the top 100 and just lost its No. 2 scorer (guard Kyle Collinsworth) to an ACL tear. It's a real coin flip. Verdict: IN

N.C. State: The Wolfpack (21-13) has a winning record away from Raleigh (8-7), fairly inoffensive bad losses (Miami and Wake Forest) and did its best work (beating Syracuse in Greensboro and Pittsburgh and Tennessee on the road) outside its own building. Of the remaining teams, there's less bad about N.C. State, and sometimes that's good enough. Verdict: IN

Southern Methodist: The Mustangs (23-9) are yet another bit of evidence that human polls are entirely worthless for a bracketing endeavor. While they are good away from home (8-8) and respectable against the top 50 (4-5), they played the nation's No. 296 nonconference schedule. The last team to play a nonconference schedule worse than 250th and earn anything between a No. 9 and No. 16 seed was 2006 Air Force. The committee routinely punishes teams that don't play difficult nonconference schedules, and SMU probably will be no different. Verdict: OUT

Wisconsin-Green Bay: The wild card in all of this, the Phoenix (24-6) owns a victory over Virginia, an 11-3 record away from home and a winning record against the top 100 (4-3). There are no nonconference strength of schedule issues here (52nd), though Horizon League play brought the overall SOS number down to 144th. If the committee is going to show clemency to any team, it is probably Green Bay, but it should also be noted the Phoenix lost in their conference semifinals on their own court. Verdict: OUT

California: There's some nice wins for the Golden Bears (19-13), including a Feb. 1 upset of Arizona. But there's also a lot of losses, a 4-10 mark against the top 50, a 5-11 record against the top 100, a 6-9 mark away from Berkeley, and an ugly loss to Southern California (RPI: 175). That's probably not going to cut it for much more than an NIT No. 1 seed. Verdict: OUT

Duke vs. Virginia, 1 p.m. (ESPN): The top-seeded Cavaliers (27-6) go for an ACC tournament crown to match their regular-season title as they face the only team in the league they haven't beaten this season: Duke (26-7).

Saint Joseph's vs. Virginia Commonwealth, 1 p.m. (CBS): Both teams are playing for NCAA seeding at this point, with Virginia Commonwealth (26-7) harboring realistic hopes of a No. 5 seed if it can beat the Hawks (23-9) in the Atlantic 10 title game.

Georgia State vs. UL Lafayette, 1 p.m. (ESPN2): The last of the one-bid leagues is decided as Sun Belt regular season champ Georgia State (25-7) takes on the Ragin' Cajuns (22-11). The Panthers won the teams' earlier meetings by three and seven points, respectively.

Florida vs. Kentucky, 3:15 p.m. (ESPN): The Gators (31-2) are basically assured the No. 1 overall seed in the field of 68, while Kentucky (24-9) is trying to salvage some notable accomplishment from an overhyped season. Winning the SEC tournament would count.

Michigan vs. Michigan State, 3:30 p.m. (CBS): Is this Big Ten title game being played too late to matter for bracketing purposes? Quite possibly. Don't be surprised if, win or lose, Michigan (25-7) occupies the last No. 1 seed.

Note: (Teams with their conference affiliation in parenthesis are conference winners or the top remaining seed in their conference tournaments; in this bracket, the South winner would face the East winner and the West winner would face the Midwest winner)

Dates and locations for NCAA tournament

The field of 68 will be announced at 6 pm Sunday.

The NCAA tournament field will be announced at 6 p.m. (Eastern time) Sunday. You can download and print a blank bracket form to fill out during the show.

You can also check the website shortly after the show to print out a filled-in bracket.

Below are the dates and locations for the tournament.

First Round

March 18-19

UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)

Second-Third Rounds

March 20, 22

First Niagara Center (Buffalo, N.Y.)

BMO Harris Bradley Center (Milwaukee)

Amway Center (Orlando, Fla.)

Veterans Memorial Arena (Spokane, Wash.)

March 21, 23

PNC Arena (Raleigh, N.C.)

AT&T Center (San Antonio)

Viejas Arena (San Diego)

Scottrade Center (St. Louis)

South Regional

March 27, 29 at FedExForum (Memphis, Tenn.)

West Regional

March 27, 29 at Honda Center (Anaheim, Calif.)

East Regional

March 28, 30 at Madison Square Garden (New York)

Midwest Regional

March 28, 30 at Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)

Final Four

April 5 at Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, Texas)

Championship Game

April 7 at Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, Texas)

Western Michigan was not expected to be the kingpin of the Mid-American Conference this season, but the Broncos proved they were.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Western Michigan's basketball team, and coach Steve Hawkins are riding high today after taking down the Toledo Rockets, 98-77, to win MAC Tournament 2014 in impressive and stunning fashion.

It's an uplifting story of how a team expected to be middle of the pack at best, pretty much led the league from start to finish with a depleted roster and a coach on the hot seat with WMU fans. These self described, 'dogs from the pound' proved their worth.

'Hawkins, he's gotta go' is a thread on the Broncos fan forum. It was started in 2009 and is 63 pages long. The last nine cover this season alone. Granted, the bulk of the comments on the nine now stand behind him, but the point also shows, (a) how fickle fans and supporters can be, and (b) how in this day and age of instant gratification, patience and stability still goes a long way.

Hawkins is now 204-154 as head coach at WMU. He led the Broncos to the NCAA Tournament his first season, 2004, and now in his 11th. He has had six 20-win seasons in his WMU career, five seasons under that including three losing campaigns, the last as recently as 2012.

In a conference where every strong team is loaded with transfers, including the Toledo team the Broncos dismantled so efficiently, the Broncos are a throwback. Every player is home grown, which means down seasons with freshman-sophomore dominated rosters are part of the growing process.

Indeed, where the likes of Toledo, Akron, Ohio, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan and Kent State have regularly infused transfers onto their rosters, Hawkins and WMU have actually lost a bunch.

The current roster was depleted because in recent years the likes of St. Edwards High product Matt Stainbrook, a 6-9, 250-pound center; Juwan Howard Jr., a 6-6 son of a NBA and Michigan great, and 6-9, 225-pound MAC Freshman of the Year Darius Paul, among others, had all left the program.

That Stainbrook is now the starting center for Xavier, Howard the starting small forward for the Detroit Titans and Paul is with Big Ten Illinois shows the level of talent Hawkins has produced. Howard was a starter on the Titans NIT Tournament team last season; Stainbrook will likely do the same for Xavier this season in the NCAA or NIT. Paul is a redshirt.

All three would have been on this team that now stands 23-9. So it's easy to see why Hawkins was feeling some heat back in November, when 6-10 senior Shayne Whittington and brittle 6-4 senior guard David Brown were all WMU seemed to have to rely on.

Whittington was viewed as a backup to Stainbrook, and a sidekick to the emerging Paul. And how could you count on Brown, who had already missed two full seasons with knee injuries? Yet Hawkins put together a team he called, "a collection of dogs from the pound" and went to work.

It culminated with a record 98-point performance that was no fluke. After scoring just 17 points in the opening half of its semifinal game against the Akron Zips, the Broncos scored 49 points in the second half and OT, posting 145 points in the last 65 minutes it played.

It's now off to the NCAA Tournament for WMU. It would not be surprising if the Broncos had an extended stay.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- East Tech's boys basketball team clinched a berth in the state semifinal with a 62-60 win against Uniontown Lake capped off by Markell Johnson's shot with 3.1 seconds left in OT. The Scarabs will be making their first appearance in Columbus since 1972. They will battle St. Edward on Friday 5:15 p.m. in Columbus at the...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- East Tech's boys basketball team clinched a berth in the state semifinal with a 62-60 win against Uniontown Lake capped off by Markell Johnson's shot with 3.1 seconds left in OT.

The Scarabs will be making their first appearance in Columbus since 1972. They will battle St. Edward on Friday 5:15 p.m. in Columbus at the Value City Arena, Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Check out the video below to see Johnson's game-winner and the Scarabs celebration.