Inside is the complete instant recap of Ohio State's 77-61 win over Illinois in Value City Arena on Saturday afternoon.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The last time Ohio State started off 0-2 in Big Ten play back in 2009-10 the Buckeyes went on to win the conference. 

Yet somehow the Buckeyes, coming off a home loss to Iowa in their conference opener on Dec. 30, were in as close to a must-win situation as you could find in early January. 

Ohio State won't have to try and repeat what it did five years ago. 

Backed by freshman D'Angelo Russell's team-high 22 points, No. 20 Ohio State rebounded from it's ugly loss to Iowa with a 77-61 win over Illinois in Value City Arena on Saturday afternoon. 

Below is the full instant recap from the convincing win. 

What it means: Given the way Ohio State looked in its loss to Iowa, combined with the fact the Buckeyes didn't look good in a loss to North Carolina in Chicago's United Center on Dec. 20, it was encouraging to see the Buckeyes take control of a game on their home floor and cruise to an easy win. The victory means Ohio State can avoid what would have been considered an early-season lull considering Illinois has already lost four games this season. 

Crucial run: Trailing Illinois 44-41 with 16:34 remaining, Ohio State scored 15 consecutive points over the next 3:37 to break the game wide open. Russell scored eight points during the run and accounted for a SportsCenter-worthy play to give the Buckeyes all the momentum.  

Ohio State's run ballooned all the way up to 21-2 to extend its lead to 62-46 with less than 10 minutes remaining and the Fighting Illini never threatened. 

When it was over: When Ohio State's run reached 15 consecutive points. Illinois' never threatened once the Buckeyes went up 56-44 with 11:55 remaining. 

Play of the game: Russell poked a ball away from Illinois that was headed out of bounds by throwing it blindly behind his back to Loving with his right arm. Aware of his surroundings, Russell got back into transition quickly before Loving found him for the easy layup to extend Ohio State's lead to 53-44 with 12:08 remaining in the game. The play was the 12th consecutive point of the run described above. 

Ohio State football honored: During the first media timeout the Buckeyes football team was honored for its victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday, a win that has them on their way to the national title game vs. Oregon on Jan. 13 in Dallas. Football coach Urban Meyer took the mic first and had a few words for the crowd, then captains Doran Grant and Curtis Grant spoke to the fans. The entire team got a 45-second standing ovation. 

What's next: Three of Ohio State's next four games are road Big Ten games, starting at Minnesota on Tuesday. The only home game the Buckeyes have during the next four-game stretch is vs. Michigan on Jan. 13, the day after Ohio State's football plays for the national title. 

Harris threw an 86-yard scoring pass to mostly unheralded receiver Ahmad Fulwood, and Hargreaves intercepted a pass in the end zone late to preserve Florida's 28-20 victory over East Carolina on Saturday in the Birmingham Bowl.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Florida Gators got big plays from star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, quarterback Treon Harris and two of their lesser known teammates.

Harris threw an 86-yard scoring pass to mostly unheralded receiver Ahmad Fulwood, and Hargreaves intercepted a pass in the end zone late to preserve Florida's 28-20 victory over East Carolina on Saturday in the Birmingham Bowl.

The big plays helped the Gators (7-5) finish a disappointing season with a winning record while new coach Jim McElwain was among the spectators. Brian Poole also scored on a 29-yard interception return and Florida's defense repeatedly turned East Carolina's high-powered offense away from the end zone.

"Words can't describe how I feel about these guys as a team," interim head coach D.J. Durkin said. "I'm so happy for our players to go get that win."

Redshirt freshman running back Adam Lane was chosen the game's MVP after rushing 16 times for 109 yards and a touchdown with Matt Jones sidelined with a shoulder injury. He had only eight carries coming into the game, all in two lopsided wins.

Shane Carden was 34 of 66 for 427 yards for the Pirates (8-5), but Hargreaves' pick with 1:20 left ended his day. It was a school record for passing attempts and the most thrown against Florida.

Harris left late in the third quarter with what Durkin described as an elbow injury and was replaced by former starter Jeff Driskel.

Driskel ran for a first down on a third-down play on the final drive to allow Florida to run out the clock.

Durkin took over for the bowl game after Will Muschamp's firing.

East Carolina came in averaging 37.2 points a game, but managed only a field goal in the fourth quarter and couldn't cash in on a number of flirtations with the end zone.

"Coming into this game, people probably didn't think it would be this close," Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill said. "We had opportunities that we just didn't take advantage of."

Justin Hardy finished with 11 catches for 160 yards and Cam Worthy gained 130 yards on eight catches.

Carden's take on the offense: "We ran 101 plays, put up a ton of offensive yards, but we just needed to execute more. We should have had that touchdown, but an interception in the end zone can't happen."

Florida's Harris was 5 of 11 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, including the play to Fulwood on a screen pass early in the third quarter. It was the Gators' longest play from scrimmage this season.

The game gave young players like Lane and Fulwood hope for more playing time under the new regime.

"It just built a bigger fire inside me and made me want to work harder," Lane said.

Fulwood had just 113 yards receiving in the regular season. Driskel had 48 passing yards in what could be his final Florida game. McElwain said before the game Driskel had asked for a release from his scholarship.

"It says a lot about him as a person," Durkin said. "The amount of adversity he's gone through in his career, I don't know if I could have made it through that."

Florida's offense mostly sputtered without Harris, but the defense delivered.

Trying to expand the lead, Driskel led the Gators into East Carolina territory before Josh Hawkins forced a fumble by receiver Chris Thompson.

East Carolina drove to Florida's 27 before getting forced back by a penalty and Dante Fowler Jr.'s third sack of the game in his Gators finale. Fowler has already said he's skipping his senior season to turn pro.

"His celebration dances were not very good," Durkin joked. "Dante was disruptive in the backfield all day long. For a guy in his situation to go out and do what he did and play how he played ... it's pretty amazing."

The Gators took over with 4:21 left and went three and out. With two incompletions, Florida burned only 44 seconds off the clock before giving it back to Carden and the Pirates' high-powered offense at their 42.

Carden completed three straight passes, including a nifty catch and run by Hardy for 24 yards.

Then East Carolina caught a momentary reprieve. Isaiah Jones fumbled at the end of a catch, the ball squirted away from a Florida player and Jimmy Williams dove on it at Florida's 5.

Hargreaves, the Gators' All-Southeastern Conference cornerback, picked off Carden's pass two plays later.

___

AP Sports Writer John Zenor wrote this report.

Urban Meyer has been outspoken about the need to get the families of players to postseason games all season.

COLUMBUS -- Urban Meyer brings up the issue constantly, discussing it at least four times during the new College Football Playoff, from his first news conference on the day the pairings were announced to the postgame news conference after Thursday's win over Alabama.

He wants the families of players to be able to attend all the postseason games their sons play in, and he wants them to have help from the schools or the NCAA to pay the tab.

In the aftermath of that 42-35 over the Crimson Tide, Meyer said he'd be the first to contribute his own money to any kind of fund that was created to help families.

Saturday, Ohio State said it's going to try to do something about the situation, though it's too late this year.

In a statement released on his Twitter account, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said, "I have always been in agreement with Coach Meyer. I wish we could help the families of players more than we currently can. I will initiate NCAA legislation to allow us to provide more financial assistance in the future for postseason trips."

Meyer had called for immediate action at the podium when speaking about the win on Thursday night. Given how the NCAA works, this is about the fastest that anything can happen, with Smith vowing to start work now on the future. Meyer felt that the decision-makers who came up with the new four-team playoff plan for this year should have included family funding from the start.

"Are we going to get their families to Dallas?" Meyer said. "We should. That should happen immediately, that there should be an immediate committee meeting somewhere.

"Let's get them to Dallas and watch their sons play in college football history. And I hope you all write that. That's more important than anything else being said today.

"How do these players who played their hearts out for the Ohio State University, for the Big Ten Conference and for college football ... let's get their families there so they can watch them play."

Alabama coach Nick Saban expressed similar sentiments in New Orleans. For now, Ohio State can provide the family of each player $800 from its student assistance fund to help defray expenses.

It's at this point, at the title game, where anything is different. Each conference could make about $30 million more each year in the playoff era than in the old BCS world. Families have always had to get themselves to bowl games. There was an attempt to hold a fundraiser for the families of OSU running backs Beanie Wells and Antonio Pittman so they could attend the national title game in Arizona after the 2006 season. Ohio State got word and stepped in and stopped the families from taking any of the money raised because it would have violated NCAA rules.

So the first bowl trip is not a new issue. For two teams a year, making a second trip to a championship game, this is new territory. And two trips in a 12-day span is a lot.

In the whole area of athlete compensation, a complex and on-going debate, this is one area. There are things to consider beyond family bowl trips.

But for Ohio State families trying to get to Dallas, this is the issue at hand. This won't solve that situation. But it appears Ohio State will try to change things for the next playoff.

STATEMENT: I have always been in agreement with Coach Meyer. I wish we could help the families of players more than we currently can... More

— gene smith (@OSU_AD) January 3, 2015

CONTINUED: ...I will initiate NCAA legislation to allow us to provide more financial assistance in the future for postseason trips.

— gene smith (@OSU_AD) January 3, 2015

Jerome Baker, Dre'Mont Jones and Shaun Crawford all played well in their respective All-Star games this week.

Jerome Baker, Dre'Mont Jones and Shaun Crawford all played well in their respective All-Star games this week.

"I was glad to see D'Angelo come back and do the things he did," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "Since (the Iowa game), he's been in here working hard and to see him come out and play at the level he played at, it was good." Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio – D'Angelo Russell poked the ball from Nnanna Egwu's hands and watched it head out of bounds before he exploded toward it. 

He didn't just keep the ball in play. Russell launched it behind his back with his left hand, all while not looking, to Marc Loving, then kept his frame of mind to get back into transition. 

Loving pushed the ball and somehow Russell was fast enough to join the fastbreak before catching the pass and finishing the easy layup. 

"I have to watch it again," said Russell, seemingly unaware that the play was destined to be all over SportsCenter. "It was just something natural, I can't explain it." 

There is no other explanation for a play like that than natural ability. 

It was only one of Russell's baskets in a 22-point performance in Ohio State's 77-61 win over Illinois in Value City Arena on Saturday evening, but it was, in a nutshell, what it looks like when the best player on the floor is feeling it. 

That play came during a crucial 15-0 run in the second half that helped the Buckeyes erase a three-point lead to put the game away, and it wasn't coincidence that Russell was at the center of it all. 

It was working for the freshman guard, and because of it Ohio State looked like a team in full command on its home floor, a direct contrast to the sloppy performance the Buckeyes (12-3, 1-1 Big Ten) had in its conference-opening loss to Iowa on Dec. 30. 

"I was glad to see D'Angelo come back and do the things he did," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "Since (the Iowa game), he's been in here working hard and to see him come out and play at the level he played at, it was good."

Matta won't come out and say it, but when Russell is good, Ohio State is good. And when he's bad, well, you know. 

Against Iowa, Russell scored 13 points but shot 4-of-16 from the floor and 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. In Ohio State's other losses to North Carolina and Louisville, Russell had similar performances. 

There's a direct correlation between Russell's comfort level and Ohio State's success rate. But it's not only about scoring – it's about protecting the ball while not sacrificing the way he plays the game. 

Russell is aggressive, and when he's hitting it on all cylinders, it's special to watch. When he's turning it over and is out of his element, Ohio State is hard to watch. 

"I put pressure on myself. Honestly, I'm a risk taker," Russell said. "A lot of the plays I try to make, it's either a great play or a not-so-good play with a turnover. I try to pride myself on getting on to the next one and I can only get better at it." 

Russell had five turnovers in the first half against Illinois, and without coincidence, Illinois was in control. In the second half he cleaned it up, and the Buckeyes took over. 

Ohio State will live with some of those miscues as he continues to attack and get points, but the hope for Matta is that Russell's game will become more efficient as the season progresses. 

Though Russell is Ohio State's most natural scorer, he's not alone. Loving and Sam Thompson both added 13, and with it all working the Buckeyes had their most complete win of the season. 

"We know D-Russ is going to make some plays that end up in turnovers, that's what he does," Thompson said. "He gets a lot of assists, he makes a lot happen for our team ad sometimes defenses sit on it. That's what happens.

"But he did a great job in the second half coming out, taking care of the ball and making plays, and he really helped us build a lead and get on a run."

It's about finding a happy medium, finding a balance. 

Russell admitted he's still trying to figure out how to play somewhere in the middle. 

"That's a great question and I've always ask myself (how I can find balance)," Russell said. "If I stay on attack the whole time, I'll find the open man. I try to never slow down in attacking my opponent." 

The Akron Zips have their issues against Coppin State, but still win as they look forward to Mid-American Conference play.

AKRON Ohio -- The Akron Zips survived a few scares Saturday night as they defeated Coppin State, 79-62, in Rhodes Arena with red flags of concern waving in several corners.

First, starting point guard Noah Robotham fell awkwardly on a fast-break layup, then lay on the floor for extended minutes before being carried to the bench, then to the locker room.

But he later returned and played the final two minutes of the opening half, as the Zips were in the midst of letting an 18-point lead wither to 43-33 at the break against a team that entered the game, 1-13. Robotham would finish with 10 points, but no assists and five turnovers.

The good news for the Zips, along with shooting 6-of-14 on 3-pointers in the half and 11-of-34 for the game, was that they forced 13 of 21 turnovers in the opening half, 10 of them during a 29-12 run to build the 18-point cushion.

But undersized Coppin State was taking it to the Zips on the boards, 24-10 at half, and 42-33 for the night. If not for 6-of-23 shooting on 3-pointers, Coppin State would have made this game much tighter.

But the Zips, who improved to 9-4, were not overly concerned at the end.

"As long as we got the win, we're cool,'' Cheatham said.

Even with these concerns, Akron got 13 points and four rebounds from 6-10, 290-pound sophomore pivot Isaiah Johnson on a night when leading scorer Pat Forsythe was saddled with foul trouble. Fellow sophomore Kwan Cheatham had 10 points, seven boards and five assists.

Despite their issues, Akron must still be considered one of the MAC favorites as the Zips continue to win, even as they overcome their problems on the court.

"I think we've made a big jump,'' Cheatham said of Akron's play. "Now we got to be ready for the two best teams on the other side."

After hosting defending MAC champ Western Michigan on Tuesday, the Zips travel Friday to play at preseason MAC favorite Toledo.

Lake Erie Monsters drop second in two nights to Oklahoma City Barons, 5-2.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Oklahoma City Barons completed a two-game sweep of the Lake Erie Monsters with a 5-2 victory Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena.

The win was the seventh straight for the Barons, who improved to 23-7-2-2. The Monsters fall to 14-14-2-3.

Oklahoma City got goals from Jason Williams and Matthew Ford in the first period, and from Bogdan Yakimov and Iiro Pakarinen in the second in building a 4-0 lead.

Trevor Cheek finally got the Monsters on the board with 30 seconds remaining in the second period off an assist from Reid Petryk. It was Cheek's third goal of the season. He also scored in Friday's loss.

Ford got his second goal of the game and 11th of the season just a minute into the third, then Mitchell Heard got the Monsters final score with just under three minutes remaining. It was his fourth goal of the season.

Calvin Pickard stopped 23 of 28 shots in taking the loss. Richard Bachman had 33 saves for Oklahoma City.

The Monsters open a five-game road trip on Friday at Rochester.

Lakewood's Jack Witri hit seven of his team's 13 3-pointers as the Rangers gave North Olmsted its first loss of the season.

Lakewood's Jack Witri hit seven of his team's 13 3-pointers as the Rangers gave North Olmsted its first loss of the season.

See Ohio high school boys basketball statewide scores for Jan. 3, 2015.

See Ohio high school boys basketball statewide scores for Jan. 3, 2015.

See Ohio high school girls basketball statewide scores for Jan. 3, 2015.

See Ohio high school girls basketball statewide scores for Jan. 3, 2015.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving showed a side of him that media seldom sees but NEOMG caught it and he spoke about it.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On Friday the Ritz Carlton Hotel in downtown Charlotte was swarmed with well over 100 people waiting outside.

It was the lodging locale that accommodated the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was also the site of a refreshing scene.

Kyrie Irving is notoriously reserved. He has a small inner circle that consists of family, a few friends and teammates. He doesn't like to talk much and sometimes offers short-winded responses, which makes it difficult for reporters covering him.

And when he finds a question to be ludicrous or repetitive, you'll know. One colleague described the feeling best: "He stares at you as if he just wants you to die."

"I am guarded," Irving told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "My dad is 10 times worse."

But outside the team's hotel in the afternoon, Irving revealed a different side.

Fans were screaming his name, pleading for the All-Star's attention. Though obviously in a rush to make it to the arena on time for his pregame routine, he posed for as many pictures and signed as many autographs as he possibly could.

The news of LeBron James being sidelined for two weeks was well over 24 hours old. Those people were camping out to catch a glimpse of the point guard.

Irving was courteous, flashing his million-dollar smile all the way through. He even held conversations with the fans and answered questions. It was a side of him that the media seldom witnesses.

"For me, I just appreciate all the support that they not only have for me but for my team," he said. "We travel to places and see people with your jerseys on and it puts things in perspective for yourself that this is the best job ever.

"It's the best job I've ever had and I take full advantage of it. To have fans and little kids looking up to you and families wanting to take a picture with you, I really don't mind that. That's the way I was brought up."

Those close to the guard say he just goes about his business and keeps it moving. That's the way he prefers to operate.

"That's just who I am," Irving said. "It's nothing personal, though.

"I'm just on this continuous journey to being one of the best point guards in the league and bettering myself every single day as a person and as player," he said. "When fans come to see me, I just want to put on a show and leave them with a great impression.

"If I play good or bad, I'm always going to be who I am and have good sportsmanship out there. I'm trying to win a ball game and have fun out there. Fans pay great money and want to see a game against great players. They're who I play for."

The shorthanded Cavaliers were overwhelmed by the red-hot Dallas Mavericks, losing, 109-90.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hours after Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin gave an impassioned defense of coach David Blatt amidst speculation of turmoil, the Cavs stormed out of the locker room, playing with the passion and intensity that reflected their front-office leader.

But it didn't last long as the shorthanded Cavaliers, playing without LeBron James for the fifth time this season, were overwhelmed by the red-hot Dallas Mavericks, losing, 109-90, on Sunday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena.

Kevin Love, playing in his second straight game since sitting out on New Year's Eve with back spasms, kept the team within striking distance early, scoring 10 of his season-high 30 points in the first quarter as the Cavs trailed by three points, 28-25.

Despite Love's efforts, the Cavs didn't get any closer.

They trailed, 57-47, at halftime as the sweet-shooting Mavericks made 55 percent from the floor in the first 24 minutes.

Dallas continued the onslaught in the second half.

The Mavericks scorched the nets from 3-point range. They hit 12-of-26 (46 percent), and bludgeoned the Cavs in the paint, finishing with 44 points. 

The Mavericks used crisp ball movement (30 assists) and swarming defense (40 percent) to lead by as many as 20 points in what turned into a rout in front of a sellout crowd at The Q. 

Six players scored in double figures for the Mavericks, led by Monta Ellis, who had a team-high 20 points. Dirk Nowitzki added 15.

One game after making just 8-of-27 from the field, Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving hit 2-of-9 shot attempts, finishing with a season-low six points in 25 minutes. He left the court early in the third quarter and did not return after experiencing lower back tightness.

Love, now clean-shaven, is averaging 28.5 points since the calendar flipped to 2015. 

Shawn Marion, playing against his former team, added 13 points while Matthew Dellavedova finished with 10. Dion Waiters, who scored 17 points in Friday's win against Charlotte, struggled on Sunday. He scored eight points on 4-of-14 from the field.

The Cavs had been playing better defensively, allowing the third-lowest opponent scoring average in the NBA since Nov. 24, giving up 97.2 points per game over that 21-game stretch.

But on Sunday, the Dallas offense was too much, scoring the second-highest point total against the Cavs in the last 10 games and making 56 percent from the field.

The Cavs (19-15) are now 4-7 against the Western Conference.

Dallas has won five straight games and have yet to lose on the road to an Eastern Conference foe this season. 

What's it mean?

The Cavs are now 1-4 in games without James, who has been diagnosed with a left knee strain and lower back strain. Prior to tipoff, Griffin referred to James' situation as "fluid." He will not travel with the team to Philadelphia tomorrow and it's unknown when he will return. 

Familiar face

Marion spent five seasons playing for the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds while playing 31.7 minutes last year and starting all but the six games he missed.

Marion, who started 21 games for the Cavs at shooting guard earlier this season, has settled into his bench role. Playing against one of his former teams, Marion scored a season-high 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

Backcourt battle

The Mavericks made a blockbuster trade a few weeks ago, acquiring versatile Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics.

The four-time NBA All-Star now teams up with Monta Ellis to form one of the most lethal backcourt tandems in the NBA. The Dallas starting backcourt outscored Cleveland's, 24-16.

Who's on deck?

The Cavs will travel to Philadelphia for a 7 p.m. tipoff Monday without James to play the four-win Philadelphia 76ers. It's the first of three meetings between the two Eastern Conference teams this season. 

Central Catholic has not lost so far this season.

Central Catholic has not lost so far this season.

The Cavs have lost five of seven.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 109-90, Sunday afternoon at The Q. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Stumbling: The Cavs (19-15 overall, 11-8 at home) have lost five of seven.

Locked in: The Mavericks (25-10 overall, 12-5 on road) have won five straight.

Comforts of road in East: The Mavs are 10-0 on the road against Eastern Conference opponents this season and have won 14 in a row dating to last season.

Talent mismatch: Certain defeats are more understandable than others. Sometimes, the opposition simply is (much) better.

The Cavs played hard but were soundly defeated primarily because, for all practical purposes, they didn't have two-thirds of their Big Three against a supremely talented and deep team. The Cavs' roster, unlike the Mavs', is not constructed in such a way as to absorb losses to key personnel. 

Cavs small forward LeBron James did not play for the fourth consecutive game because of left knee and back issues. Overall, the Cavs are 1-4 without LeBron.

Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving played 25 minutes and clearly wasn't himself physically. He went 2-of-9 from the field and scored six, and he struggled to keep up defensively. He was subbed out for Shawn Marion with 6:41 remaining in the third quarter and did not return.

Fox Sports Ohio reporter Allie Clifton said during the fourth quarter that Irving was dealing with lower-back tightness. The problem dated to a hard foul imposed on  Irving in a victory at Charlotte on Friday. He will not travel to Philadelphia for a game against the 76ers on Monday night. 

Lovefest: The other third of the Cavs' Big Three, Kevin Love, tried his best to compensate. He went 11-of-21 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line for 30 points -- his first 30-point game as a Cav -- in 32 minutes. He had 10 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.

Early in the third quarter, when the game still was competitive, Love pump-faked to draw a foul on Monta Ellis and sank a long jumper. Love made the free throw to pull the Cavs within 62-52. At that point, Love was 9-of-14 from the field and had scored 21.

Heating up: In two games since returning from a one-game absence because of back spasms, Love has scored a combined 57 -- and looked good doing it. Against Charlotte, he shot 9-of-15 and scored 27 in 38 minutes.

Not much behind Love: The Cavs' second-leading scorer against Dallas was Marion, who had 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting in 21 minutes off the bench. One other Cav managed double-digit points: starting off-guard Matthew Dellavedova, 10.

The Cavs are not going to defeat many teams, let alone the Mavs, when Marion and Dellavedova are their respective second- and third-leading scorers.

Cavs starters not named Love combined to score 27 on 10-of-26 shooting.

Relentless: Of the Mavs, Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr said: "You don't get a chance to breathe against these guys.''

The Mavs excel offensively in coach Rick Carlisle's system; their skills and execution were on full display Sunday. The Cavs can say they didn't play well defensively, and they would be correct -- but Dallas had plenty to do with it.

The Mavs entered Sunday ranked first in the NBA in scoring (109.9 per game), first in field goals (41.2) and second in field-goal percentage (.478) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.95:1).

They scored 109 against the Cavs by going 44-of-78 (56.4 percent) from the field. They had 30 assists and 10 turnovers. Their guards toyed with the Cavs.

The blowout enabled Carlisle to rest his starters more than usual; none logged more than 29 minutes. The Mavs' biggest name, Dirk Nowitzki, barely broke a sweat, going 7-of-12 for 15 points in 25 minutes.

The Cavs could have been competitive longer if they had made shots at a better efficiency than 35-of-86 (40.7 percent). The Cavs created a reasonable amount of open looks against a team that is not particularly stingy -- but the shots did not fall. Periodically, the non-confident Cavs eschewed open shots for an extra pass that resulted in a turnover or bad shot.     

Due to a sore back, Kyrie Irving will not play when his team visits the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving will not travel with the team when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers, the team with the worst record in the league, on Monday night.

Irving is experiencing lower back pain and will remain in Cleveland for further treatment on his back. With LeBron James out for a few weeks, this is the last thing the Cavaliers need.

"It sucks because we got two injuries at one time, but you try your best to get through it but sometimes your body is telling you when to stop," Irving said. "This is the time right now."

The All-Star point guard didn't play at all in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 109-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He was a shell of himself as he finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Head coach David Blatt informed the media that Irving first hurt his back in the second half of Friday's road win over the Charlotte Bobcats. Irving attempted to play on Sunday, but couldn't make it all the way through.

"It disturbed him today," Blatt said. "He was struggling, as you saw. He gave what he had. That's why we pulled him out early and just rested him for the rest of the game."

Irving said he felt his back tighten up in the fourth quarter Friday and he later fell on it to make matters worse. In the grand scheme, this isn't a serious concern. It's just a minor setback, Blatt said.

"Certainly short term, it's a worry," Blatt said.

It will be the third game of the season Irving has missed. He missed two games in late December with a bone bruise in his knee.

As the Colts (12-5) were setting up a rematch at Denver (12-4) next Sunday, the Bengals frittered away a chance to end their postseason misery.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Andrew Luck stood tall, even as he was falling down Sunday.

The Colts quarterback threw for 376 yards and a game-changing touchdown as he was headed to the turf. Daniel "Boom" Herron ran for another score as Indianapolis dominated the second half to beat Cincinnati 26-10 in the wild-card round.

As the Colts (12-5) were setting up a rematch at Denver (12-4) next Sunday, the Bengals frittered away a chance to end their postseason misery.

Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis tied Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Mora and Steven Owen for most consecutive playoff losses (six) by a coach. Lewis also tied Mora, the former Colts coach, for most consecutive playoff losses to start a career, and tied Owen for most consecutive playoff losses with one team.

Now Luck will get a chance to defy his short NFL playoff history. Though he improved to 2-0 at home, the Colts' franchise quarterback has struggled mightily in consecutive playoff losses on the road. His third opportunity will come against his predecessor in Indy, Peyton Manning. Denver beat the Colts 31-24 in the season opener.

Luck couldn't be going into the next game under better circumstances. He finished 31 of 44 and for the first time did not have a turnover in a playoff game. He also joined Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon and Drew Brees as the only NFL players with three straight 300-yard games in the postseason and managed to keep his feet and his poise on the biggest play of the game.

"I sort of stepped up in a crease there, saw Donte (Moncrief) running his butt off and tried to put it in a spot where only he could get it," Luck said. "He does such a great job of running underneath those balls and we had the touch."

While it wasn't the clean game Colts coach Chuck Pagano envisioned -- T.Y. Hilton dropped a couple of potentially game-changing passes; Herron lost a fumble; and the Colts were called for nine penalties -- Luck and the offense did enough. The defense was even better, allowing just 254 yards against the Bengals (10-6-1), who played without injured receiver A.J. Green or tight end Jermaine Gresham, their two top pass catchers.

The difference between Luck and Dalton was never more apparent than on two third-quarter plays.

On second-and-10 from the Bengals 36, Luck floated a perfect pass to the corner of the end zone with Carlos Dunlap taking him to the ground. Moncrief cradled the ball to his chest for a 36-yard score and a 20-10 lead.

"I wasn't shocked because we do that play a lot," Moncrief said. "We run that play a lot in practice, but I was shocked that I caught it in that situation. "

When Dalton got the ball back, he had Brandon Tate open deep down the middle on a flea-flicker. But Colts cornerback Greg Toler raced over and broke up the underthrown pass. Three plays later, the Bengals punted. They never seriously challenged again.

Dalton finished 18 of 35 for 155 yards and lost a fumble, while rookie Jeremy Hill rushed 13 times for 47 yards.

Hilton caught six passes for 103 yards, Herron had 10 catches for 85 yards -- he also rushed for 56 -- and Adam Vinatieri made four field goals.

Mike Nugent made a 57-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the first half to cut Indy's lead to 13-10. It was the longest field goal in franchise history.

But the Colts only gave up 9 net yards in the third quarter, when Luck seized control with his acrobatic TD pass.

"It's kind of like missing a field goal that you should have hit," Nugent said, referring to Cincinnati's continual playoff exits.

Hank Peters set the foundation of the great Indians teams in the 1990s by convincing ownership to invest in the minor league system and making smart trades.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Hank Peters, who led the Baltimore Orioles to the World Series title in 1983 and set the foundation for the renaissance of Indians baseball in the 1990s, died Sunday morning in Boca Raton, Fla. Peters was 90.

"The Cleveland Indians organization lost a cherished member of the family this morning as former President and General Manager Hank Peters passed away due to complications of a recent stroke," Indians President Mark Shapiro said in a prepared statement. "We are saddened by Hank's passing and express our deepest sympathy to his daughter, Sharon, son, Steve and grandchildren."

After Dick and Richard Jacobs purchased the Indians on Dec. 11, 1986, they hired Peters as president and general manager on Nov. 2, 1987. Peters spent the previous 12 years as general manager and executive vice president of the Orioles, leading them to AL pennants in 1979 and 1983. The Orioles lost the 1979 World Series to the Pirates in seven games. They beat the Phillies in 1983.

When Peters arrived in Cleveland, he brought John Hart, Dan O'Dowd and Tom Giordano with him from the Orioles. Hart and O'Dowd eventually formed one of the most successful front offices in Indians history. Giordano was Peters' top scout and advisor.

"We celebrate Hank's instrumental role in the renaissance of Indians baseball," said Shapiro in his statement. "Hank was the foundation of the rebirth of baseball in Cleveland that led to a new ballpark, modernized baseball and business operations and ultimately to championship teams."

Peters worked for the Indians from 1987 through 1991. Hart, his handpicked successor, replaced him on Sept. 18, 1991.

It was Peters who convinced the Jacobs brothers to revitalize the farm system. He gave the same advice to former Indians owner Vernon Stouffer when he was the Indians director of player personnel from 1966 to 1971. The cash-strapped Stouffer did not take Peters' advice.

With more attention being paid to the Indians farm system, it produced players such as Charles Nagy, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Brian Giles, Richie Sexson and Sean Casey. Albert Belle was already in the minor league system when Peters took over.

The talent eventually helped the Indians win two AL pennants with World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997 and six AL Central titles from 1995 through 2001.

It was Peters who orchestrated the trade of Joe Carter to San Diego for Carlos Baerga, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Chris James at the winter meeting on Dec. 6, 1989. Baerga and Alomar, members of the Indians Hall of Fame, were two of the cornerstones to the Indians rebirth on the field.

The renaissance of the Cleveland Indians began when Dick Jacobs hired HANK PETERS as President/GM. Honored to have worked w/him. RIP Hank.

— Bob DiBiasio (@BDbaseball6) January 4, 2015

Peters spent 42 years in professional baseball. His first job was with the St. Louis Browns in 1946. He was general manager of the Kansas City Athletics in 1965 and president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Clubs (the minor leagues) from 1971 to 1975.

The Orioles, under Peters, averaged 90 victories a season in his first 10 years on the job.

The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered another double-digit home loss on Sunday afternoon, falling to the Dallas Mavericks, 109-90.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered another double-digit home loss on Sunday afternoon, falling to the Dallas Mavericks, 109-90.

Kevin Love scored a season-high 30 points, but got very little help as Kyrie Irving limped off the court in the third quarter with a lower back injury. Irving scored a season-low six points.

While the offense struggled, making just 40 percent of its shot attempts, the Cavs' lackluster defense was once again the main problem.

The Cavs are now 19-15 on the season, and will be heading to Philadelphia to play the second night of a back-to-back without Irving, who will stay in Cleveland to receive treatment.

James also will not make the trip as he continues to rehab a sore left knee and lower back. The Cavs are 1-4 in games James doesn't play this season.

Here are five observations from the loss against Dallas:

Defense of Blatt – Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin was not the only person inside Quicken Loans Arena to voice his support of Cavs head coach David Blatt.

Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle did the same prior to tipoff.

"I can promise you that David Blatt's been in a lot of high-profile and challenging situations in international basketball," Carlisle said. "People in the States have no idea of -- we think expectations are high here -- European basketball, Russia, and all these places, Israel, these teams play games with not only league significance but national significance. Guys are playing for their countries in a lot of situations. And so Dave has been through all that."

Carlisle's defense comes on the heels of growing speculation about Blatt's future with the Cavs, something that Griffin tried to quell on Sunday afternoon.

"People that speculate about David Blatt's job security, it's ridiculous," Carlisle said. "They'd have a hard time finding a better coach than him on any level."

There have been rumblings about assistant coach Tyronn Lue possibly taking over for Blatt. Another name that has been linked to the job since James' arrival is Mark Jackson, who left Golden State this summer.

The Cavs are 19-15 on the season and just had their fifth double-digit loss at home, but Carlisle is confident the Cavs have the right coach in place.

"Look, David Blatt is one of the best coaches in the world," Carlisle said. "He proved that long before he got to the NBA. I knew it was just a matter of time before he became not only an NBA coach but a top NBA coach."

Fresh start – The calendar has flipped to 2015 and there are few players happier than Love about that.

The three-time All-Star averaged 16.3 points on 41 percent shooting, including 31 percent from three-point range in the month of December. He briefly injured his thumb and dealt with back spasms as well.

But January means a fresh start. To celebrate the New Year, Love shaved his beard, something he said in the locker room after the game he tends to do in early January. He also channeled his Minnesota form.

Love scored 27 points in Friday night's win against Charlotte and followed that up with a season-high 30 points in just 32 minutes. The Cavs are asking Love to take on a bigger offensive role in the absence of James, who missed his fifth game of the year and fourth straight on Sunday, and Love has responded.

"He is making shots," Blatt said. "He's maximizing his touches right now. He's getting it in good spots and making use of his opportunities."

Love played inside and outside. He also got to the free throw line six times. He seems to be finding his role after a sluggish start, one that Griffin expected this season.

"In games when we win and he scores a lot of points I feel really good," Griffin said with a smile. "I think he's been fantastic. I absolutely believe Kevin is about the right stuff. I think Kevin has been making the largest sacrifice probably of anybody by being asked from going from the No. 1 option to probably the third. I think that's very difficult. I think you've seen a real focus on his part on the defensive end of late. He's taking more charges.

"You're seeing a complete Kevin Love right now, I think, when he's healthy. He's also been banged up. And again, when you're playing a season and people aren't exactly right and your rotation changes, in a situation like ours where we didn't have continuity coming in, it has a really big impact. So I think it's had a big impact on Kevin. I think it's had a big impact on everybody." 

The Love of the last two games is one that many knew existed. He showed this talent in Minnesota. Can he keep up this level of play and efficiency when James returns and the Cavs are fully healthy? The answer to that question will play a large role in Cleveland's success.

Dion Waiters: Inside the numbers – Waiters, the enigmatic bench player, has had a rough start to this season. He started the year alongside Irving in the backcourt before quickly being moved to the bench.

Frustrated by the demotion at first, Waiters sulked. The result: He is averaging career-lows in points per game (10.5) and field goal percentage (.409).

But he's had some big nights recently and shown signs of maybe coming around. There's a theme to his breakout performances: Being aggressive as opposed to settling for jumpers.

Scoring in double figures in four his last eight games, much of Waiters' damage has been done driving to the basket and scoring in the paint.

Against Minnesota, Waiters scored 19 points on 5-of-12 from the field. Of those five made baskets, two came in the paint. He also scored seven points at the free throw line, taking advantage of Minnesota's lack of size.

Three nights later against Orlando, Waiters dropped 17 points on 6-of-14 from the field. Five of his six made shots against Orlando came inside the paint.

Waiters scored 10 points on New Year's Eve, connecting on 5-of-10 from the field, with all five makes coming inside the paint.

On Friday night, Waiters had a poor shooting percentage, making 8-of-21 from the floor, despite scoring 17 points. The reason? He settled for too many ill-advised jumpers. He went 5-of-10 on shots inside the paint. That means he was just 3-of-11 otherwise.

This isn't new for Waiters. It's been a running theme since he came into the NBA. On Sunday against Dallas, he reverted back to his old ways and finished with eight points on 4-of-14 from the field. Three of his four makes against the Mavericks came inside.

It's easier said than done, but Waiters, who has struggled to find his role this season, needs to eventually understand where he is best on the floor as well, and try to maximize those opportunities the way others have.

He is shooting a paltry 25 percent from three-point range, and has just two makes in his last 18 attempts from distance.

So what does he do against Dallas? Fires up four triples, making zero and even hitting the top of the backboard on a wide-open attempt from the corner.

The only area on the court where Waiters is finding consistent success is near the rim. He is shooting 54 percent (68-of-126) on shots less than five feet from the hoop.

Here is the rest of the breakdown:

From 5-9 feet - 7-of-20 (35 percent)

From 10-14 feet - 5-of-10 (50 percent)

From 15-19 feet – 27-of-70 (38.6 percent)

From 20-24 feet – 26-of-77 (33.8 percent)

From 25-29 feet – 5-of-38 (13.2 percent)

Battle of attrition – The injuries are starting to hit the Cavs like an avalanche. It started with Anderson Varejao, who is lost for the season with a torn Achilles. Mike Miller, Love, James and Shawn Marion have all missed time this season as well.

The latest player to go down is Irving, who left the game in the third quarter with lower back tightness.

Irving first injured his back on a hard fall in the win against Charlotte. He tried to fight through it, but couldn't give anything else.

"I'm just in a lot of pain right, just trying to get through it and try to start out the games," Irving said. "Just have spasms, tightness. I have to do what I can to get better."

Irving has a long history of injuries, but this is the first time he will be dealing with a back issue. He won't travel to Philadelphia for Monday's game. Instead, he'll stay in Cleveland to get treatment, and possibly be ready for Wednesday's contest against Houston.

"Long term, no," Blatt said of Irving's back injury. "But short term, certainly yes. Short term it's certainly a worry."

I have no clue what Blatt will do on Monday against Philadelphia. Griffin had already been searching for more depth at point guard since Matthew Dellavedova, who scored 10 points on Sunday, has been placed in the starting lineup with James' injury.

The only other backup point guard on the roster is A.J. Price. Does he got the starting nod in the absence of Irving or will Blatt put Waiters, the Philly kid, with the starters in his return home?

Defensive woes – The Mavericks entered Sunday afternoon as the highest-scoring team in the NBA, averaging more than 109 points. Playing against Dallas isn't easy, but even shorthanded, the Cavs' defense was surprisingly poor on Sunday afternoon.

The Mavericks shot 56 percent from the field, 46 percent from three-point range, dished out 30 assists and committed just 10 turnovers.

"Certainly not good enough," Blatt said of his team's defensive effort. "The other night we played great defensively and tonight we did not. We didn't play the kind of defense we needed to play against any team and certainly not Dallas."

The defense had been getting better recently, only giving up 97 points in the previous 21 games. However, Sunday marked the 18^th time in 34 games the Cavs have allowed at least 100 points. They are ranked 25^th in field goal percentage defense. The only thing that stopped Dallas from piling on even more was the lopsided score.

So what went wrong?

"How long you got," Love said after the game as his feet sat in a bucket of ice water just like every night. "There's a lot. We didn't protect at the rim, didn't get back in transition defense, turned the ball over and didn't shoot the ball well. That's not a good recipe for success, especially against a team that good. I think they're a very, very good team. With (Rajon) Rondo now, it just changes their entire dynamic. They go out there and play and played well today."

Cleveland State improves to 2-0 in Horizon League with victory over Illinois-Chicago.

CHICAGO, Illinois -- Anton Grady had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Charlie Lee had 18 points and five assists Sunday as Cleveland State improved to 2-0 in the Horizon League by defeating Illinois-Chicago, 74-69.

Grady recorded his 11th career double-double to key the win.

"We have to go to Anton Grady because it opens up everything else for us," CSU coach Gary Waters told STO after the game.

CSU, which improved to 8-8, had a 14-point lead in the second half, but had to scrap to hold off a late barrage from the Flames, who fell to 5-12 overall, 1-1 in the Horizon.

"I wasn't happy with the way the game ended, but it's a road win and it's nice to start Horizon League play with two wins," Waters said in the team release. "They were playing five guards at the end of the game and hit a few shots. Overall, I was pleased with our pressure defense which allowed us to build a lead. Anton and Charlie played great games and Marlin (Mason) was strong until he fouled out late."

UIC's Marc Brown, who finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, hit three free throws with 13 seconds remaining to cut CSU's lead to four, but Trey Lewis made a foul shot to build the final margin.

Mason had 12 points and Lewis added 11 for the Vikings, who shot 59 percent from the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers.

Lee, who moved into ninth place on the all-time CSU assist leaders, fueled a 13-3 run in the second half as the Vikings built a 62-48 lead. Lee made three 3-pointers in that span.

Cleveland State was out-rebounded, 45-21.

The Vikings will play host to Oakland at the Wolstein Center on Thursday at 7:30.

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the loss against the Mavericks during the postgame show.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kevin Love's 30 points, a season-high, weren't enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon as they lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 109-90. 

The Cavs played their fourth straight game and fifth overall without LeBron James, who is dealing with a left knee strain and lower back issue.

Kyrie Irving can now be added to Cleveland's growing injury list. Irving left the game in the third quarter with lower back tightness. He never returned and will not travel with the team to Philadelphia to play the 76ers on Monday night.

The Cavs are now 19-15, and 1-4 without James this season. 

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the loss against the Mavericks during the postgame show.

The trio talked about what they took from general manager David Griffin's meeting with the media before the game, whether head coach David Blatt's job truly is safe, what the Cavs will do without Irving, how many games James will miss and if Love's recent play is a sign of things to come or if he's just taking advantage of more opportunities.