The Cavs have won 12 in a row at home.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers, behind a combined 45 points in 52 minutes from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, routed the Boston Celtics, 110-79, Tuesday night at The Q. Here is a capsule look at the game after a dvr review of the Fox Sports Ohio telecast:

Back on track: The Cavs (38-24) snapped a two-game losing streak.

Protecting their court: The Cavs have won 12 straight at home; their most recent defeat occurred Jan. 7 against the Houston Rockets. For the season, they are 23-9 at The Q.

Baked beans: The Cavs did what they are supposed to do against an  ever-changing, rebuilding outfit. The Celtics (23-35) suffered their most lopsided defeat of the season.   

Boston's high-water mark Tuesday was a 9-5 advantage with 8:13 remaining in the first quarter.   

The Cavs led, 29-16, after one quarter; 61-36 at halftime; and 95-53 after three quarters. The only suspense: What would be backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova's final stat line?

Delly's final line: 25 minutes, 0-of-6 from field, 0-of-0 from the line, zero points, seven assists, five rebounds, one steal, two fouls, +4.

The blowout enabled Cavs coach David Blatt to spread minutes ahead of a significant matchup against the Raptors on Wednesday night in Toronto. A total of 12 Cavs played, each logging at least 12 minutes. No starter logged more than 26.

Welcome back, KI: Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed the previous two games because of a strained left shoulder, had 18 points and five assists in 26 minutes. He went 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line.

Practice offers Uncle Drew more of a challenge.

Cruise control: LeBron James scored a game-high 27 (on 12-of-23 shooting) and posted a game-best +35 in 26 minutes. He had five assists, three rebounds, three steals and one block.

Milestone man: LeBron's second layup of the third quarter pushed him past Ray Allen and into 21st place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Allen has 24,505 points. LeBron now has 24,508.

Patrick Ewing ranks 20th with 24,815.  

Nothing to see here: With one second remaining in the first quarter, LeBron made two free throws -- his first two attempts of the night.

That is news because, in his previous game, LeBron went 3-of-11 from the line in a 105-103 overtime loss to the Rockets on Sunday in Houston. With 4.2 seconds left in OT and the opportunity to give the Cavs a one-point lead, he missed twice.

LeBron took ownership of his inaccuracy, and the defeat, in front of reporters and on Twitter.

Against the Celtics, LeBron finished 3-of-3 from the line.

Too big and too strong: Early in the second quarter, LeBron received an outlet pass from Dellavedova and went one-on-one against 5-9 Isaiah Thomas. Thomas attempted to foil an easy basket with a grab, but the King shook loose of him and spun in a layup. The free throw made it 36-18 with 10:03 remaining in the half.

LeBron secured his 37th and-one.

The Champ dialed in: Cavs reserve James Jones went 2-of-4 from 3-point range en route to 10 points in 21 minutes.

In his past seven games, Jones is a combined 13-of-25 from beyond the arc.

Mr. Cavalier speaks: Just because the Cavs were going to win in a walk didn't mean Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr couldn't tweak them. Carr is as positive as they come about his beloved franchise, but he also is not afraid to call as he sees. On several occasions Tuesday, Carr brought to light some negatives that have crept into the Cavs' performances recently.

*With 7:18 left in the first quarter, Cavs center Timofey Mozgov received a pass from guard J.R. Smith and was fouled on the low block by Tyler Zeller. Smith had dribble-penetrated before finding Mozgov.

Carr said: "Good penetration. We need more of that. Don't stand around and wait for LeBron to do his thing -- penetrate. If you can beat a man one-on-one, then set it up for your teammate. But don't stand around and wait. Waiting is what's killed us these last two games.''

(Before losing at Houston, the Cavs lost at Indiana, 93-86, Feb. 27.)

*With 2:26 remaining in the first quarter, Thomas received a pass while outside of the 3-point arc on the left wing. Thomas drove past Iman Shumpert, who had been hedging, and met no resistance at the rim for a layup.

Carr said: "(The Cavs) had cut that out once Timo (Mozgov) came to the team. Now  they're starting to let it happen again -- those long drives to the basket.''

*With 7:13 left in the second quarter, Mozgov made an 8-foot lefty jump-hook over Brandon Bass in the paint. Mozgov had received an entry pass from Shumpert, who waited until Mozgov established position.

Carr said: "That's the patience I'm talking about: He has a distinct advantage over Bass, so wait and find him! Make the game easy, please!''

Fox Sports Ohio play-by-play voice Fred McLeod said: "You said that with passion.''

Carr said: "Fred, they have a distinct advantage! Go right at him! Take advantage!''

McLeod said: "OK! I know what you mean!''

Carr likely was thinking about the Houston game, where the Cavs had potential mismatches inside if they moved the ball and were patient. Instead, they too often settled for long jumpers. 

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

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are Ohio high school girls basketball statewide scores for Tuesday, March 3, 2015. 

Gahanna Lincoln 60, Ashville Teays Valley 55

Newark 54, Zanesville 49

Powell Olentangy Liberty 48, Cols. Watterson 32

Westerville N. 60, Marysville 38

Cols. Eastmoor 61, Delaware Buckeye Valley 33

Cols. Hartley 63, Cols. Beechcroft 39

Baltimore Liberty Union 71, London Madison Plains 34

Richwood N. Union 58, Utica 27

Danville 48, Sugar Grove Berne Union 37

Granville Christian 48, Milford Center Fairbanks 40

See Box scores and highlights for OHSAA hockey district semifinals from Tuesday, March 3, 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are box scores and highlights for OHSAA hockey district semifinals from Tuesday, March 3, 2015.

Kent District

Lake Catholic 4, Shaker Heights 2

LC: Horvath, Sentle, Piazza, Gaszo; SH: Ritts, Stack.

Goalies: LC, Denner (23 saves); SH, Passell (26). 

Notable: Lake Catholic will play University School in the Kent District championship on March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Brooklyn District

St. Ignatius 7, Padua 2

SI: Wiegandt 2, Whitney, Geither, Mazanec, Kisel, Stepka; P: Szpak 2.

Goalies: SI, Deacon (30 saves); P, Wallace (42), Kozak (3).

Notable: St. Ignatius will play the winner of tomorrow night's game between St. Edward and Rocky River on March 7 at 1 p.m.

See the high school schedule for Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here are the high school boys and girls basketball and hockey schedules for Wednesday, March 4, 2015. Statewide games will be shown for boys and girls basketball tournament games.

Boys basketball

Click here to see all of Wednesday's games.

Click here to see 64 statewide brackets.

Girls basketball

Click here to see all of Wednesday's games.

Click here to see 64 statewide brackets.

Hockey

Click here for Wednesday's schedule.

Click here for brackets from Brooklyn and Kent districts.

Tuesday night's game is exactly what the Cleveland Cavaliers needed. The first of four games in five nights, the Cavs got off to a quick start and dispatched of the Boston Celtics quickly, cruising to a 110-79 win.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tuesday night's game is exactly what the Cleveland Cavaliers needed. The first of four games in five nights, the Cavs got off to a quick start and dispatched of the Boston Celtics, 110-79.

The Cavs' lead grew to 44 points at one time on a night when the lead changed twice and the starters were able to rest for the final 14 minutes.

All five starters played 26 minutes or less, but each still scored in double figures as the Cavs snapped their two-game losing skid and improved to 38-24.

Here are five observations from the win:

Kyrie Irving's return - The three-time All-Star returned to the lineup after missing the last two games and picked up where he left off prior to his shoulder injury, scoring 10 points in the first quarter.

"I felt pretty good," Irving said. "I happened to be down in the post a little more than even I expected but guys were getting me open and when you're playing against a defender like Avery Bradley, you try to get as many easy baskets and stay on the attack mode."

Irving played with the same aggression he has shown all season, using his slick handle to slice through the defense and finish at the rim. He also had his outside shot working, making 2-of-4 from three-point range.

"When it first happened, obviously I took probably a day and a half off and then I got back in the weight room and got some good workouts in," he said. "I was just missing my guys a lot; it was hard to watch. Being out for 3-4 days, when you have an environment like Houston, I'm just sitting on my couch with my TV, just a lot of anxiety because I wanted to be out there with my brothers. I'm just trying to stay healthy for the rest of the season and into the playoffs."

That would be important. While much has been made of the record with and without James, the Cavs have fallen apart without their starting point guard, who scored 18 points and dished out 5 assists in his return.

In the five games he has missed, the team is 1-4. 

Green light - There's something about playing the Celtics for James.

Gone are the days of battling Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the playoffs. These Celtics hardly present the same challenge, but they still tend to get James' best shot and it happened again on Tuesday.

"It's the NBA," he said. "Everybody is here for a reason. You play the game. You don't play the record. And we did that."

Averaging better than 30 points per game in his career against Boston, he scored 21 points at the half and coasted to a 27-point night, passing Allen on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

"I didn't know until I came to the bench and the guys were congratulating me," James said after the game. "I was like, 'For what? For making a layup?' They said, 'You passed Ray Allen.' He's one of my best friends. He's a guy I competed against, grew up watching and then when I was able to team with him the past two years while I was in Miami I learned so much from him about work ethic, about being a professional. It was very humbling and I guess I've done some pretty good things in the league so far."

James has scored at least 20 points in 35 straight games against the Celtics.

Bombs away - Once upon a time David Blatt eyed the final box score following a preseason game. He was asked what jumped out to him, responding with some frustration about the number of three-pointers the Cavs took that October night.

That was a sign of things to come. 

Layups and threes is what it's about for the Cavs. 

Going into Tuesday's contest, they were averaging the second-most triples since Jan. 15, a night they beat the Lakers. Averaging a shade more than 30 per game, the Cavs trailed only Houston, a team averaging 33.8 in that span.

Prior to that date, the Cavs averaged only 23.9 three-point attempts, which was 10th in the league.

The difference, according to Blatt is roster adjustments. J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert provide much more spacing. James Jones is getting minutes instead of Shawn Marion. Of course, Kevin Love continues to drift to the line as well. Then there's the return of James, who attracts so much attention the defense is often forced to leave one of the outside shooters.

"We acquired some more shooting and we've increased our number of shots overall," Blatt said. "That of course will lend itself to more opportunities from three. The three-point shot is a valuable weapon, particularly when you make it. When you go 12-for-40, it's not an efficient way to attack in my opinion."

That was the number in the loss against Houston on Sunday.

The total not only dropped against Boston as the Cavs launched 28 threes, making 10, but they came in the flow of the offense, which the coach will accept.

Chameleons - One mark of a title contender is an ability to play a number of different styles effectively, especially in the playoffs when adjustments are vital. The Cavs are starting to do that.

They can win high-scoring games, but they can also clamp down on the other end.

"In our wins we've been very defensive," James said. "We've been sound defensively. We followed our rules all game. We made a few mistakes obviously but we cover for one another when we make those mistakes."

Boston was averaging 108.2 points in their six games before Tuesday, a stretch that included games against Phoenix, Golden State and Charlotte, all teams fighting for the playoffs. The Celtics came into the night 11^th overall in scoring, averaging better than 101 points per game. The Cavs' defense never let them get comfortable. They have now held 17 of their last 21 opponents under the century mark.

While they can win with pure talent, thrashing an opponent in isolation like on Thursday against the Warriors, the Cavs can also use excellent ball movement, finishing with 28 assists on 43 makes against the Celtics.

"We played and I coached a very particular game against Golden State to take advantage of what I thought we needed to do to beat Golden State and that seemed to work out pretty good," Blatt said. "Now the fact that we had fewer assists isn't really of much concern when you're winning by 15 or so against the best team arguably in the league. We played specific kind of basketball in that game. Today we played another kind of offensive game. That speaks to the maturity of our team I think."

The playoffs will be about teams trying to exploit the Cavs' weaknesses, but they seem to have plenty of answers on offense.

"I think now we have the ability to adjust with the flow of the game and how teams are playing us," Irving said. "Some teams will have two guards back all the time and stop our transition so our half court offense and execution has to be that much better. Just depending on the game. Trust one another and trust the flow of the game."

General Manager David Griffin has built a versatile roster. The Cavs can play big or small, they can have a few different players initiate offense, they can use their size and length on the perimeter to fly into the passing lanes or contest shots and they can use their supreme athleticism and speed to get out in transition and bludgeon the opponent before there's time to get set.

They are also showing to be much more than a Big Three. Seven players reached double figures Tuesday, including James Jones.

It was mid-January when it looked as if he had fallen out of Blatt's rotation, but that's changed. Jones poured in 10 points, making 3-of-6 from the field in 21 minutes. He is averaging 6.8 points in 16.7 minutes in the last eight games.

"Shawn's injury was part of it, but it just seems that every time we throw him out there, he does something to help the team and he's always ready," Blatt said. "Every day he's in it, he's engaged and he's all about helping the team whether it be saying the right things or whether it be playing when asked to play or making a shot when asked to make one. He's just a dependable veteran that you can trust and he has been playing excellent basketball for us."

While he is spending some time at small forward, Jones is also getting minutes at power forward, helping to space the floor in a small-ball lineup, something he did in Miami with James.

"If you look at my press clips from the last two years I petitioned for James to be in games," James said. "It didn't work out in Miami. Every time he was in the game for us in Miami he was just a difference maker. Everybody is so fascinated with the way he shoots the ball but he's on time and in the right place everywhere. He rebounds, defends and just a cerebral basketball player. Not surprising to me."

Playoff chase - With Boston in the rearview mirror, the Cavs have set their sights on struggling second-place Toronto as they begin their most intense stretch of the season.

"We have a very difficult couple of weeks ahead of us," Blatt admitted. "April is going to be a month where we'll have more time to practice and rest in between games. The main thought right now is how to improve our position going into the playoffs."

That started with dismantling the Celtics, but the climb is far from over. The Cavs are fourth in the Eastern Conference, a half game behind the banged-up Bulls, and seeding is important, at least to Blatt.

"I want us to finish as high as possible," Blatt said. "If that's second then it's second. That's a pretty big challenge right now."

After Toronto, the Cavs will fly into Atlanta to measure themselves against the East's top team. The same team that rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit to beat the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night. The same team that clinched a playoff spot six weeks in advance.

"I don't think we're playoff-ready yet but I certainly think that we're getting there," Blatt said. "I feel like we're getting there, particularly because we've shored up our defense and we're good at that end now. When you're good on defense, you can compete in the playoffs."

Even having won 19 of the last 23 games and even after being labeled the new title favorite in Las Vegas, James won't stray from the one-game-at-a-time mantra. 

"Not there," he said when asked if the team is playoff-ready. "Still have a lot of room to improve, still trying to get better and have a lot of games to play. We're not playoff ready right now."

Now in his seventh year, Love, who battled suspected food poisoning that required an IV injection of fluids after the game, still hasn't had that taste, but it hasn't stopped him from envisioning what's on the horizon.

"In six weeks I will be," he said about being playoff-ready. "I think we just start to mentally prepare for it now. Just certain timeouts talking to the guys and saying how nice it is to be gearing up for it."

Ohio State plays its final road game of the season in State College on Wednesday night. Watch video

No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes (21-8, 10-6) at Penn State Nittany Lions (15-14, 3-13)

When: Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Where: Bryce Jordan Center (15,261)

TV: Big Ten Network

Announcers: Kevin Kugler (Play-by-Play) and Bob Wenzel (Analysis)

* Matta can tie OSU wins record with victory

Breaking down the Buckeyes: Ohio State still won't have backup big man Anthony Lee, out for nearly a month with a groin injury. ... Ohio State is tied for fifth in the conference at 10-6, and the chances of a top four finish and double bye in the Big Ten Tournament are slim. Iowa's win over Indiana on Tuesday moved the Hawkeyes to 11-6 and into sole possession of fourth and they hold the tiebreaker over Ohio State. The Buckeyes are going to need two wins this week and some help. Not that playing one extra game as the No. 5 seed or No. 6 seed in the tournament is a big deal. ... Backup guard Kam Williams hit two big foul shots down the stretch to help beat Purdue on Sunday, but the redshirt freshman think he's getting better at both ends of the court. "I know now to help this team I have to contribute a lot more on the defensive end, and I think I've made huge strides," Williams said. "I know I'm one of the fastest guys on the team. I think it was just utilizing all my tools, like foot speed and agility and recognizing what's right in front of me and just studying it." ... He had even more confidence on the free throws. "I knew once I got the ball they were going to foul me and I knew I was going to make the free throws. There was no doubt in my mind," Williams said.

Breaking down the Nittany Lions: In a similar circumstance last season, Penn State rose up and beat a ranked Ohio State team at home, winning 65-63 on Feb. 27, 2014. "We didn't take care of business," OSU senior Sam Thompson said. ... Penn State has just three conference wins, but the Nittany Lions have been remarkably competitive at home, where their Big Ten record is 3-5. Losses to Purdue and Iowa were in overtime, a loss to Maryland was by three and a loss to Wisconsin was within five points with just over three minutes to play. "That's always been a tough venue to play in," Thad Matta said. "You look at their team and it's a very, very good team. There was so many games they had a chance to win."

Doug's prediction: Ohio State 68, Penn State 61

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana - As prospects arrived for media interviews at the recent NFL combine, former Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik spoke of a scout who did some of his best work at happy hour. It was the spring of 2012 and the Bucs were considering Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon in the draft. He was an immense talent, but...

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana - As prospects arrived for media interviews at the recent NFL combine, former Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik spoke of a scout who did some of his best work at happy hour.

It was the spring of 2012 and the Bucs were considering Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon in the draft. He was an immense talent, but one who had a history of off-field concerns including a 2010 arrest for impaired driving.

Scouts supply information ranging from player critiques to character references. Dominik was in search of a different kind of draught analysis. He instructed his man to catalog Blackmon's visits to a certain bar and how many drinks the two-time All-American consumed.

The assignment lasted a week.

"He's a really talented football player, but we had to take him off our (draft) board," Dominik said. "You have to collect as much information when it comes to making important decisions."

Each year at this time, NFL teams wrestle with the character conundrum, weighing the risks and rewards of drafting players carrying off-field red flags. The Bucs, under different management but same family ownership, are faced with the dilemma of deciding whether they want to make star quarterback Jameis Winston, accused of sexual assault, the No.1 overall pick.

Meanwhile, the Browns have been scrutinized for the turbulent rookie seasons of first-round picks Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel and the continued travails of Josh Gordon, who's serving an indefinite league-imposed suspension for violating its substance-abuse policy.

View full sizeMark Dominik served as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager from 2009-13.Associated Press 

It's unclear if the Browns or any other club employed surveillance tactics similar to Dominik's when scouting Manziel. Browns general manager Ray Farmer said two weeks ago he's not offering "people insight as to what you do in the process."

Manziel entered the league with questions surrounding his affinity for nightlife and celebrity. Last month he checked himself into rehab for possible substance abuse. Browns coach Mike Pettine said it's easy to look back and wonder if the franchise missed a "deeply rooted" issue, but conceded it "felt very comfortable with (the quarterback's) background, certainly enough to draft him."

Three years ago, the Buccaneers went the other way on Blackmon.

They traded down two spots and picked up an additional fourth-round choice, allowing the Jaguars to select him at No. 5 overall. The wideout has played just 20 games in three seasons. He's been arrested three times for drug- and alcohol-related offenses, and like Gordon is serving an indefinite ban.

"So how do you not mess up?" NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said rhetorically. "That's your question. I'm not sure there is a right answer other than being a little more conservative. And I think we all get overwhelmed with talent and you want to buy into the fact that your building or your organization can change people when most of the time statistically, it can't."

As Dominik discussed the talent-versus-trouble debate, an NFL combine staff member announced Missouri's Dorial Green-Beckham was about to speak with reporters.

The 6-foot-5, 237-pounder might be the draft's most physically gifted receiver, a position of great need for the Browns. He also comes with numerous off-field issues, including marijuana-related arrests and allegations of pushing a female student down some stairs during a burglary. The wideout was never charged for the incident, according to a report, because witnesses feared retribution or harassment.

Standing in the back of the media center, Dominik recognized the irony surrounding the timing of Green-Beckham's arrival.

"You might want to listen in on that one," the ESPN analyst said. "He's super talented and he's going to require a lot of homework by teams." 

'I can't read his heart' 

Every organization wants players of high character and most 53-man rosters are filled with it, including the Browns. 

The question whether to gamble on prospects lacking that virtue is almost as old as the game itself. The dilemma, however, has taken on greater significance in recent seasons Penalties for code-of-conduct infractions have increased. So, has the national attention paid to violators.

The NFL is coming off a traumatic year highlighted by several major domestic-violence cases. The Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy sagas dominated news cycles. Tougher punishment, including a six-game ban for first-time offenders, was enacted.

As the draft beckons, the potential top pick is a quarterback no stranger to negative headlines. Winston was involved in multiple off-field incidents at Florida State, featuring an investigation into a 2012 alleged sexual assault for which he was never charged.

Winston and Green-Beckham are considered the highest-profile character risks in the draft, but they aren't alone. The league-sponsored website ran a story recently detailing seven prospects who might give teams pause.

"I say this all the time, we miss more so on the person than the player," Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said. "I can watch tape and see a player's foot speed and his movement skills, his athleticism. I can't read his heart and his mind." 

The Cardinals drafted Tyrann Mathieu in 2013 after he slipped to the third round due to off-field concerns. The safety hasn't suffered a significant slip-up since joining the organization and has helped Arizona reach the playoffs last season. 

View full sizeRay Rice arrives with his wife Janay Palmer for an appeal hearing of his indefinite suspension from the NFL in New York. His domestic-violence case was one of several that dominated headlines for the NFL last year. Associated Press 

"We got to know Tyrann as a person," Keim said. "He's one of the best leaders in our locker room right now. If they are passionate and love it enough, you have a chance to get them pointed in the right direction." 

Mathieu is hardly the only troubled prospect who's rewarded his franchise for selecting him. Character questions dogged former NFL receiving great Randy Moss and Hall-of-Fame quarterback Dan Marino entering the draft. Each enjoyed lengthy careers. 

Pettine believes as long as teams do their homework and feel good about the findings they can take some calculated risks.

"There's a danger in that, that if you just say, 'We're only going to add players to our roster who are in the National Honor Society and the school choir,'" he said. "You look across the league, it's not just the league, it's society in general. It's rare you're going to have somebody who has impeccable, clean character. It's all risk-reward, you've got to weigh it." 

'That second-guess moment'

One of the biggest revelations from the combine concerned the Browns' top pick in the 2014 draft.

Pettine and Farmer acknowledged Gilbert has been dealing with a "very personal" issue, one that might be rooted in the immaturity and lack of commitment teammates and coaches witnessed last season.  

With Manziel and Gordon, who flunked multiple drug tests in college, the warning signs were well publicized. Farmer said the Browns, however, were unaware of Gilbert's trouble before the draft and that it was only revealed through the course of the season. The club expects the cornerback to rebound once he deals with his off-field issue.

But should the Browns have been aware of it before investing the No. 8 overall pick? 

"You always have that second-guess moment of 'could I have known, should I have known?'" Farmer said. "And I would tell you in that respect you always look to improve your decision-making process. So yeah, you'd like to think you can catch it or you can find it, but that requires resources or things that you've got to really, truly dig into. You don't find out every thing about every guy." 

Farmer has made substantial changes to his personnel department since last year's draft.  

--- He hired an executive chief of staff in Bill Kuharich, a former general manager with 23 years NFL experience. Kuharich had been Farmer's consultant prior to the draft. 

--- He added six senior player personnel associates - Ron Hill, Charles Bailey, Mike Hagen, Bobby DePaul, Scott Aligo and James Kirkland - who possess more than 100 years combined NFL experience.

--- He boosted the staff of scouts/player personnel associates from 11 to 17 members.  

--- He hired a new team psychologist, who accompanied the staff to Indianapolis for the combine.  

View full sizeCleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell is all smiles walking off the field after defeating the Atlanta Falcons on a field goal as time expired on the clock. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer) Plain Dealer photography staff 

"I will say we've made changes, we made our adjustments and I think we'll be more prepared this year because of the different time frame of me having the position for a year now instead of getting that appointment late February last year," Farmer said. 

The Browns did get solid production from another rookie who arrived in Berea with off-field issues. Farmer knew Isaiah Crowell's agent and his Alabama State coach, along with several other sources familiar with the halfback's story. They all vouched for his character and Farmer signed him as an undrafted free agent.

Crowell rushed for 607 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns.

"I do think that it's all about recovering information and trying to create better relationships and bonds," Farmer said. "Inevitably everybody has a piece to this puzzle, so you only get information from the people that are willing to share it with you." 

'This is a little creepy'

Jameis Winston spoke at the same combine podium as Manziel did a year earlier.

He sounded just as polished, acknowledging missteps while vowing to put them in his past. Seven times during a 12-minute news conference he told reporters he wants to be the "face of a franchise." 

"My job is to win games, hopefully win Super Bowls, and that's a big responsibility," Winston said. "That's a job up here. Whatever is behind me is behind me, so this is a new face." 

Winston is the most NFL-ready quarterback in the draft. He's won a national title, appeared in two BCS bowl games and led the Seminoles on a 27-game unbeaten streak spanning two seasons. 

But no player's character in the draft is under more scrutiny - or the subject of a documentary concerning on-campus rapes.

In The Hunting Ground, his accuser Erica Kinsman recalls the process of trying to file a sexual assault report and how she believes police and university let her down, according to the Huffington Post.  No criminal charges were filed. Winston also was cleared in a university code-of-conduct hearing.  

Will NFL teams interested in drafting the quarterback watch the documentary? Will they attempt to interview Kinsman?  

The Buccaneers, who changed management and coaching staff last season, own the first pick in the draft. Coach Lovie Smith said at the combine he's comfortable with the intel his team has received on Winston thus far, but cautioned it's early in the process.  

"With the information we have right now, we haven't taken him off of our list," Smith said.

Teams can interview 30 players extensively at private workouts. They can speak to 60 players at the combine in 15-minute intervals, while also engaging them at all-star games and pro days. Most franchises also track prospects' social media accounts and can quiz them on objectionable content.

But Dominik said many draft prospects with red flags have become so well coached in what to say in meetings with NFL personnel. The former Bucs GM used to instruct area scouts to take pictures of a player's house or neighborhood in hopes of drawing him into deeper conversation.  

"Sometimes, players would say, 'this is a little creepy,' but it's serious stuff," Dominik said. "It could go both ways. Sometimes, guys would open up and tell you a little bit more about where they came from." 

Every team employs a security director and psychologist. Dominik and former NFL general manager Bill Polian, however, agree the area scouts are perhaps the most important members of the research team. They are the ones with connections to the schools, communities and people who live in them.

"They are the ones who are in there all year, every year," said Polian, an ESPN analyst. "They know the culture of the programs. Many times they will know players and his background and who he hangs with. They are by far the biggest source of accurate information." 

Sometimes, right down to a prospect's drink of choice.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There are plenty of players in the big leagues who hit from both sides of the plate. They're called switch-hitters. But what about a switch-pitcher? Well, the A's have one in Pat Venditte and Tuesday he retired two San Francisco hitters, one with each arm, in a Cactus League game. Venditte ended the third inning by...

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There are plenty of players in the big leagues who hit from both sides of the plate. They're called switch-hitters.

But what about a switch-pitcher?

Well, the A's have one in Pat Venditte and Tuesday he retired two San Francisco hitters, one with each arm, in a Cactus League game.

Venditte ended the third inning by retiring Justin Maxwell, a right-handed hitter, on a ground ball induced by his right arm. He started the fourth against Brandon Belt, a left-handed hitter, and struck him out while pitching left-handed.

The switch-pitching Venditte is in camp with the A's on a minor league deal after spending seven years in the minors with the Yankees.

Here's what Venditte told Jane Lee of mlb.com after his performance.

"Any time you get to a new team and begin a new season," he said, "you want to start out on a good note, and I felt I was able to do that today."

Venditte, a natural right-hander, paid particularly close attention to the new timers that have been installed in ballparks to regulate pace of play.

"For me, it's something I'm going to have to look at, because I don't want to get into a situation where I don't get one of my arms loose," he said. "Usually when I'm switching over, that second arm that I'm pitching with is going to be the first hitter. So I want to make sure I have enough time to get a feel for my pitches with both arms."

Teammate Ben Zobrist added: "I didn't realize it was him when he started throwing, so it kind of tripped me out there for a second," said A's second baseman Ben Zobrist. "Obviously he does it well. It's not like he's weaker from one side than the other. Obviously he's able to throw all of his pitches and spot up from both sides. It's really fun to watch. It's an anomaly for sure."

AROUND THE MAJORS

Top of the line: Veteran Jimmy Rollins, in his first year with the Dodgers, is expected to be their leadoff hitter this season. (espn.com).

Slamming good time: Yoenis Cespedes, in his his first hit with the Tigers, proved his worth on Tuesday. (mlb.com).

October hangover: Madison Bumgarner's Cactus League debut did not go as well as his postseason did in 2014, but the Giants can live with that. (associated press).

Trade talk: Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe believes the Red Sox are preparing to trade starting right fielder Shane Victorino to make room for Rusney Castillo. (boston globe).

New Pirate: Pirates newcomer Jungo Ho Kang homered in his first Grapefruit League game Tuesday (mlb.com).

AROUND THE INDIANS

Path finder: Bud Shaw says as Jason Kipnis goes so goes the Indians in 2015. (cleveland.com).

Shortstop in waiting: Zach Meisel gives this profile on Indians shortstop prospect Francisco Lindor. (cleveland.com).

End of days: A 10-0 loss to the Reds isn't the greatest way for the Indians to open the Cactus League season, but there is always tomorrow. (cleveland.com).

One-two punch? Will Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco open the season as the Tribe's No.1 and No.2 starters? (cleveland.com).

Pitching wins pennants: Terry Pluto says the Indians just might have enough pitching talent to contend. (cleveland.com).

More the merrier: Tribe manager Terry Francona would love to see MLB expand its one-and-done wild-card format to a three-game series. (mlb.com).

Stop the roller coaster: Can third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall find consistency at the plate and in the field this year? (chronicleonline).

Put me in coach: Michael Bourn will make his Cactus League debut Wednesday for the Indians. (fox sports ohio).

The Buckeyes are ranked higher in formulas that count margin of victory, but they haven't had much "luck" in pulling out close wins over good teams. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- By one measure, Ohio State is the 13th best college basketball team in the country. By another, the Buckeyes are 16th. 

Those advanced statistical ratings from LRMC and Ken Pomeroy take margin of victory into account, which doesn't happen in several other ratings systems, including the more commonly known RPI, where Ohio State is No. 32.

But in ESPN's Basketball Power Index, or BPI, which also includes margin of victory, Ohio State is No. 12.

The point? Not to flood you with numbers. It's to let you know that with two games left in the regular season, it can still be difficult to sort out exactly how good the Buckeyes, ranked No. 23 in the AP poll and No. 25 in the coaches poll, might be.

* Matta looking to tie Ohio State wins record

With Ohio State preparing for a road game at Penn State on Wednesday night, it might help to know that the Buckeyes haven't been very lucky this season, at least when it comes to another statistical measure.

That means they could be better than you think.

Pomeroy, a leader in advanced basketball stats, includes a category on his website he dubbed "luck." The idea is to evaluate a team's true record against what you'd expect its record to be given the stats.

Ohio State's record is 21-8. Among 351 teams in the nation, the Buckeyes are ranked No. 323 in "luck." Only two Big Ten teams, Minnesota and Michigan State, rank lower. 

You can quibble with the use of the word "luck" in this regard. Maybe something else has kept the Buckeyes from winning as many games as you'd expect.

"It's just execution and toughness both defensively and offensively," senior Sam Thompson said when asked what wins close games against good teams. "It's who's stronger-willed."

So is this a team to count on in those games? 

"We can obviously get better. But right now we're in a good spot," Thompson said.

Looking at their offensive and defensive efficiency, there may be reason to expect more from Ohio State in March. Maybe more than the Buckeyes have shown.

"I wish that we had a few more wins under our belt. I think there were opportunities to do that," coach Thad Matta said Tuesday. "But the hard part when you speculate like that is like, if we would have got that win, would we have got this one?"

Matta did mention that the Buckeyes beat Maryland, the second-best team in the league, by 24 in their only meeting in Columbus five weeks ago. But the more informative win may be Sunday's four-point victory over Purdue.

That moved Ohio State to 3-4 on the season in games decided by six points or fewer. And the win was the first close one for the Buckeyes over a potential NCAA Tournament team.

Earlier tight losses to Iowa, Indiana, Purdue and Michigan State, with three of those on the road, were no reason to be embarrassed. But get a couple of those, and Ohio State's season may have taken on a different look.

Ohio State doesn't have an inside force to get easy buckets or draw fouls late in games. Ohio State doesn't have a deadeye shooter to stand at the arc, wait for a pass, and drill a game-winner. And Matta bemoaned the fact that in so many close games, the Buckeyes have been rallying from behind just to make it tight.

He'd rather have a slim lead with five minutes left and be trying to hang on. According to OSU stats, the Buckeyes are 20-1 this season when up with five minutes to play and 276-14 in Matta's 11 seasons.

The Buckeyes are 1-0 this year when tied with five minutes to play, and 0-7 when trailing. 

But get in the right circumstance, and the Buckeyes do have something that can help - maybe the best offensive guard in the country who can make his own shot at any point. Freshman D'Angelo Russell, theoretically, should be a guy to help you win close games, "a great player who can make plays," Matta said.

Matta said coming out of those final timeouts in one-possession games, 70 or 80 percent of the time the play doesn't evolve the way it was drawn up.

"Somebody knocks down a shot," Matta said.

And that's when your team finds a little extra luck. That's what the Buckeyes will be looking for in the final stretch of the season.

LeBron James' most painful lessons have come from defeat and have led to his greatest triumphs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fear the man who is not diminished by failure, but whose urge for atonement is increased by it.

LeBron James might have lost his chance at the Most Valuable Player award Sunday in Houston. He already has four MVPs. The fifth was against the odds anyway because he has missed 11 games, the most of his career.

Sunday, James had a bad 37-point game in a 105-103 overtime loss. Is there such a thing?

Of course. It's possible when a player takes 35 shots to get the 37 points, shoots 3 for 11 at the foul line and misses the two foul shots that could have given his team a one-point lead in the final seconds of overtime.

James struggled in trying to take up the slack for the injured Kyrie Irving. Irving, playing without James, hoisted 36 shots in a 99-94 victory over Portland at The Q. He scored 55 points.

James isn't competing with Irving, though. Where he really looked bad in performance was in comparison to Houston's James Harden, another MVP contender. Harden scored 33 points on only 18 shots (because he was 15 of 18 at the foul line) and made the big plays when James did not.

But in one way, the luxuriantly bearded Harden looked worse. Compliant refs (especially you, Michael Smith. No, 38 in the video. Yeah, I'm talkin' about you.) kept him in the game after Harden was bending it like Beckham on a kick to James' groin in the overtime. Harden was only assessed a Flagrant Foul One, which allowed him to remain in the game.

It is not exactly an unwritten rule, more like an unwritten commandment, that referees should not decide an NBA game instead of players. Apparently that commandment means a superstar stays on the court even if he punts the privates of another superstar.

The lenient call was such an abdication of authority and miscarriage of justice that the NBA stepped in one day later and upped the penalty to a Flagrant Two, meaning automatic suspension of Harden for Houston's game Tuesday in Atlanta.

Without Harden in the final minutes, the Rockets, who were already playing without injured Dwight Howard, might well have lost. In that case, Harden would have basically ejected himself through his dirty play and lack of sportsmanship.

For James' part, he was unable to shake Trevor Ariza on a possession that lasted the entire final 23 seconds of regulation time. James missed a step-back jumper from the top of the foul circle at the buzzer.

He would have been better served to imitate Michael Jordan's push-off against Bryon Russell of Utah in the 1998 NBA Finals. Would James have gotten away with a discreet, Jordanesque elbow push? On the Harden precedent, Ariza would have needed a suit of armor to withstand what was coming his way.

Maybe it was better that the Cavs lost to Houston, though.

The Rockets' official Twitter account reacted to the victory the way they did at NASA headquarters in Houston when the Eagle landed. "Long live the new king," it chirped, under a photo of the Weird Beard as "King James."

James took responsibility for the loss, which was proper.

He also posted on Instagram a contemplative photo of himself. USA Today chose to call it a "pity party" for himself.

James has already failed on a much bigger stage than that provided by any regular season game.

I asked him recently about the nerves that come with an appearance in the NBA Finals, specifically whether being there before with the 2007 Cavs, who were swept by San Antonio, helped in his next Finals in 2011 in Miami.

"Not for me. I didn't play that well," James said of that six-game loss to Dallas.   "I didn't do what I had to do to help our team win. Obviously, we were against a very good opponent in Dallas, very well coached, peaking at the right time. I didn't come through for my teammates like I should have. So I learned from it."

Two Miami championships and another trip to the Finals followed.

The bitterest lesson can lead to the greatest reward. It did for Miami in 2012 and 2013. It did for the University of Florida and Tim Tebow in 2008.

The Cavs bounced back from the Houston loss by beating Boston by 31 points Tuesday night at The Q with James scoring 27 points in 26 minutes of play.

Should Houston and the Cavs meet in the Finals, what the Rockets perceived as their crowning moment could be their uncrowning one.

LeBron James and the Cavaliers continue to evolve as the playoffs approach and the schedule gets tougher.

CLEVELAND - LeBron James spoke Tuesday morning about his preference for the Cavaliers to shoot layups and threes - affirming an NBA adage that those are the highest percentage shots a team can take.

Then James went out and poured in 27 points against the Boston Celtics in the Cavaliers' 110-79 dismantling of the Boston Celtics, surpassing Ray Allen as the league's 21^st all-time leading scorer.

"I was saying as far as the team," James said afterwards, in an apparent clarification. "I can shoot whatever. I can take any shot and be effective."

If you were in the mood, this would be the time to insert your best foul-shooting joke. But that would be mean, and untimely. James sunk all three of his free throws against the Celtics, drowning out the 3-of-11 nightmare in Sunday's overtime loss to the Rockets.

And at any rate, James and the Cavaliers are looking toward the future, not the past. Especially this week, with road games looming against the East-leading Hawks Friday and second-place Raptors tonight.

Cleveland is in the midst of the toughest portion of its schedule right now, a stretch that began after the All-Star break and runs essentially through March. But the next two weeks are perhaps the fiercest for the Cavs, with four games in five nights this week -- including two away games against Eastern teams ahead of them -- and a two-game trip through Texas next week.

At 38-24, the Cavs are in 4^th, one-half game behind banged-up Chicago. Now is jockeying time, with everything from the choicest first-round opponent to homecourt advantage at stake.

The Cavs are trying to survive their schedule as much as they're attempting to make a move. They could do both this week, considering they have the same number of wins as (and two more losses than) the Raptors.

"Top eight," James said when asked if he had a target seeding. "Put me in the playoffs and I am all right. Once I get in the playoffs I'm confident against anybody."

If that's the case, the Cavs are already in a good spot. They're 11 games ahead of eighth-place Brooklyn. But, again, Cleveland is looking to improve its situation moving forward and enter the playoffs with momentum.

In that regard, they're evolving. James, for instance, scored all his points in 26 minutes Tuesday night, sitting the game's final 17 minutes because of the blowout. It's the eighth time this season he sat the fourth quarter.

James more than shook off his 37-point, ball-dominant, foul-shooting disaster Sunday. He was 12-of-23 against the Celtics, showcasing an array of mid-range, turnaround jumpers with a few attacks of the rim. With Kyrie Irving back from injury, he ventured more into the post.

On one layup, James twirled the ball around his back to avoid Avery Bradley en route to the hoop. On another, he drove hard to the glass and passed Allen on the NBA's all-time scoring list in the third quarter.

LeBron James' shot chart against the Boston Celtics.NBA.com 

"I didn't know until I came to the bench and guys congratulated me. 'For what? Making a layup?' 'You passed Ray Allen.' That's one of my best friends," James said.

"To know that I passed him tonight it's very humbling. I guess I've done some pretty good things in this league thus far."

James hoisted 35 shots against Houston. The Cavs bombed away with 40 threes that day. They lifted a more-manageable 28 against the Celtics.

There were some extenuating circumstances - Irving missed both games, Houston is a tough place to play, James missed key free throws - but Cleveland snapped a mini, two-game slide Tuesday.

The last time the Cavs won, Thursday over Golden State, they finished with 15 assists. They tallied 28 assists (on 43 field goals) against Boston, with James and Irving each contributing five.

"We played, and I coached, a very particular game against Golden State to take advantage of what I thought we needed to do to beat Golden State. I thought that worked out pretty good," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. "The fact we had 15 assists isn't much of a concern when you're winning against arguably the best team in the league."

Blatt's point, he eventually said, was that Cleveland executed different game plans in the two wins. James agreed, and said it's a good sign that the Cavs were versatile enough to do it.

"It's great to know you can work different styles, different games and however the game dictates itself, be able to coach it and be successful," James said.

Blatt said he wants his team to finish "as high as possible" in the East. "If that's second, then it's second. But, that's a pretty big challenge right now and we're going to have to face that," he said.

The loss drops the Monsters to 24-23-5-3, including a 0-4-1-0 record in the last five games, all at home.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Lake Erie Monsters winless streak reached five games Wednesday as the Milwaukee Admirals skated to a 3-0 victory at Quicken Loans Arena.

The loss drops the Monsters to 24-23-5-3, including a 0-4-1-0 record in the last five games, all at home. Milwaukee snapped a five-game winless streak.

After being held to just one goal in their last two games, the Admirals came out the aggressors on Wednesday and out-shot the Monsters, 13-4, in the first period, then got three more shots off in the first minute of the second period, getting on the board when Colton Sissons scored 55 seconds into the period off an assist by Johan Alm. It was Sissons' 20th goal of the season.

They made it 2-0 on a goal by center Felix Girard at 8:49 of the second period, a lead that held up through the period. At the end of second, Milwaukee had out-shot the Monsters, 23-9.

The Admirals added an empty-net goal by Joe Pendenza with 1:04 remaining.

Calvin Pickard took the loss, despite stopping 28 of 30 shots. Marek Mazanec had 16 saves for Milwaukee.

The Monsters will close out their eight-game homestand with two games this weekend against the Chicago Wolves, on Friday at 7:30 and Sunday at 3.

Notes: The Monsters are 13-13-1-2 at home this season... The Monsters are 4-3-0-1 against the Admirals on the campaign... The regulation loss was the first of the season for Pickard against Milwaukee; he is 3-1-1 on the season against the Admirals... The Monsters were 0-2 on the power play, while Milwaukee was 1-3 on the man-advantage.

The Toronto Raptors came back from 19 down, but LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers held on for the win.

TORONTO -- The Cavaliers lost a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter, but LeBron James led a determined closing kick as they claimed a much-coveted 120-112 win over the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday.

As a result, they moved into a three-way tie for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference standings with Chicago and Toronto.

James was instrumental in staving off Toronto, scoring 15 of his game-high 29 points in the final quarter. He had another wobbly moment at the free throw line -- missing a pair after a flagrant foul by the Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas and missing five of 13 overall -- but his attacking and penetrating game was sharp and decisive.

Consecutive three-pointers in the final minutes gave the Cavaliers needed breathing room. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out a game-high 14 assists.

Kyrie Irving produced 26 points and eight assists in 41 minutes. The point guard got to the hole at will and finished multiple spectacular layups in traffic.

Kevin Love secured his team-leading 31st double double of the season. He was left open repeatedly and he capitalized, nailing four threes and finishing the game with 22 points and 10 boards. He has drained 21 treys in the last six games.

Cleveland's 15 three-pointers were the most made against Toronto this season.

"We're playing some good basketball," Love said. "We just want to continue and head into the playoffs feeling good about ourselves."

The first half it was all Cleveland. They absolutely had their way.

Being that rap artist Drake is a Raptors ambassador; the majority of the in-game music selections were hip hop. But what would have been more appropriate in the first 24 minutes would have been a heavy dose of the blues, because Toronto was clearly in an emotional state.

Valanciunas led Toronto with 26 points and 11 rebounds, but sat out much of the fourth quarter as the Raptors made their run with a small lineup that featured backup guard Lou Williams, who also had 26 points. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points.

Toronto was without All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, who is experiencing a laundry list of ailments.

What this means?

Cleveland won the season series 3-1. Should Toronto tie Cleveland in the standings at season's end, the Cavaliers will get the better seed.

Milestones

Love reached the 8,000-point mark after scoring his 13^th point and Irving hit the 5,000-point mark after his 22^nd point.

Who's on deck?

Cleveland will conclude its two-game roadie in Atlanta (48-12) to clash with the team with the best record in the NBA Friday at Philips Arena. It will be the fourth and final meeting of the regular season. Hawks won two of the first three meetings.

There were more concerning flareups that could cause the Buckeyes to be bounced early in the NCAA Tournament if they keep recurring against better competition. Watch video

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Ohio State walked slowly off the Bryce Jordan Center floor with heads down as if the Buckeyes had just lost. 

Assistant coach Jeff Boals trailed while slapping high-fives with a few Ohio State fans on his way into the concourse. It was only Boals' fist-pump with his right hand that showed the No. 23 Buckeyes had just beaten Penn State, 77-67. 

"We're just relieved that we won, but expected it so it wasn't much of a celebration," senior Shannon Scott said. "We just walked off happy to get a tough road win." 

Ohio State is past the point where it should be relieved. This is March. And it's starting to feel like it. 

Winners of its last three games, Ohio State heads into a home showdown with No. 6 Wisconsin in its regular season finale feeling pretty good. 

"We have one now that will really show us where we are," said Scott, who was still fairly mellow after the win. 

Because beating Penn State isn't cause for much celebration, even if the Buckeyes eventually rejoiced with loud rap music in the locker room after reminding Thad Matta that he just tied Fred Taylor's all-time wins record at Ohio State with 297. 

"Coach said he doesn't give a crap," freshman D'Angelo Russell said of Matta. "He said, 'One more, one more.' We know that's the big one." 

Yeah, it is. It's Wisconsin. 

View full sizeFreshman guard D'Angelo Russell scored 28 points in Ohio State's 77-67 win over Penn State. John Beale, AP 

But this was a good win because it had elements of what could equate into another NCAA Tournament run.

More specifically, Russell scored 28 points -- including 11 straight during a crucial second-half run that turned a 38-35 deficit into a 46-42 advantage -- to help put the Buckeyes' sloppy first half performance behind them. 

So let Ohio State (22-8, 11-6 Big Ten) feel good. It did what it was supposed to do against a Penn State team that has only three wins in conference play. It overpowered the Nittany Lions off their home floor in the second half. 

But this wasn't an easy road win. There were more concerning flare-ups that could cause the Buckeyes to be bounced early in the NCAA Tournament if they keep recurring against better competition. 

* Poor shooting from the outside: A look at Ohio State's 6-of-17 three-point shooting performance doesn't seem a weakness, but look a little closer at the numbers. Outside of Russell, who hit five, the Buckeyes made only 1-of-9 attempts. The superstar masked the weakness. 

It was apparent through 25 minutes -- a 1-of-10 start from beyond the arc until Russell made it all better -- is that Ohio State can't live by the three. Because it will die by it. 

"When you struggle from three you just have to get to the basket," Scott said. "Even if the team sags off of you, you have to stay aggressive." 

Ohio State stormed back to beat Purdue on Sunday when it stopped shooting the three. Even after Penn State left the shots from long range open, the Buckeyes kept shooting -- and missing. 

There were a lot of wasted possessions. 

* A struggle to finish around the rim: Ohio State has done a solid job of getting to the rim to either finish an easy layup, draw a foul or both. The Buckeyes, however, have had a hard time finishing easy looks around the basket.

Two or three of those misses -- which happened vs. Penn State -- could cost the Buckeyes in a closely-contested NCAA Tournament game.

* Lulls in effort: There was a sequence when Penn State drove right to the rim for easy layups, forcing Matta to call a timeout. Matta joked after the game by saying he couldn't share what he said in the huddle. 

It's hard to blame him because it was an effort problem. 

"They shot wide open layups three straight times," Scott said. "That's just us not playing hard." 

Tough thing to admit there. 

* Marc Loving's struggles continue: Before Loving went out for a three-game suspension he was Ohio State's second-leading scorer. In his five games back, however, he has accounted for only 19 points. 

Against the Nittany Lions he missed all four shot attempts -- including three from long range -- and looked hesitant. He's just not the same player he was in early February at the moment. 

* Amir Williams isn't a viable option inside: Williams has become the favorite scapegoat for fans, but the senior big man clearly struggles inside. When the Buckeyes try to feed the big man, he often struggles controlling the ball, getting his feet set and putting himself in position to either score or draw a foul. 

With Williams ineffective inside, Penn State often stayed with Russell on ball screens because it didn't fear that Williams could make them pay inside. 

The post is a problem. 

So is Wisconsin. 

"What I want to see is more points than (Wisconsin has) on Sunday," Matta joked. "I'll say this -- Wisconsin has been there, they've done a tremendous job all season and they haven't stubbed their toe.

"I hope it will be what an Ohio State-Wisconsin game always is. A battle." 

LeBron James scored 15 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter to push the Cavaliers to a victory.

TORONTO -- LeBron James scored 15 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter and the Cavaliers picked up an important victory north of the border Wednesday night.

James, responding to some roughness from the Toronto Raptors late in the third quarter, willed Cleveland to a 120-112 victory. The win essentially created a three-way tie for second in the East with the Cavs, Raptors, and Chicago.

James tied a season high with 14 assists and added six rebounds. He shot 9-of-16 from the field.

The Raptors, who were playing without All-Star guard Kyle Lowry (rest), fell behind by 19 in the third quarter before fighting all the way back and taking the lead briefly in the fourth. Then James had his say.

Here is an instant, quarter-by-quarter briefing on James' performance against the Raptors.

1^st Quarter

Stats: 5 PTS, 1 RB, 4 AST, 1-4 FG, 2-3 FT

Highlight: Near the end of the quarter, James toed the line and nailed a free throw after a technical foul. No problem.

Briefing: James arrived at the Air Canada Centre early for some extra shooting, but it didn't translate into an explosion of points early. James and J.R. Smith each had five points and Kyrie Irving and Timofey Mozgov both scored six. James was a facilitator on four baskets. His lone field goal was a three. Perhaps he was distracted, lauding himself for being named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for February a mere moments before the ball went in the air...(probably not).

2^nd Quarter

Stats: 4 PTS, 3 RBS, 3 AST, 2-3 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: James rebounded his own missed layup and put it in at 6:12.

Briefing: The closing sequence featured James at the top of the key, suffocating his man to the point where the Raptors couldn't get off a shot at the buzzer. This is noteworthy because, well, there was no discernible reason for James to be out there at that point. When James left the game at 5:14, Cleveland held a 41-36 lead. Irving and Love made quick work of the Raptors, and with 41 seconds remaining the Cavs were ahead 55-41 when James returned. Again, head scratcher. Love scored 13, Irving 12, and James nine through two.

3^rd Quarter

Stats: 5 PTS, 2 RBS, 4 AST, 2-4 FG, 1-4 FT

Highlight: James knifed his way through the Raptors' interior and finished a layup just before the buzzer.

Briefing: It happened again, a Flagrant One foul committed on James. This time it was Jonas Valanciunas, who took James down by his neck on James' way to the hoop. Valanciunas went over to help James up, but James swatted his arm away. On Sunday, James Harden kicked the Cavs' star in the groin and was later suspended for it. Then and now, James missed both free throws. Sheesh. Also, things tightened a bit, with Cleveland's lead shrinking from 19 points to 10. James needs four rebounds for a triple double. When he returns, he'll come back angry.

4^th Quarter

Stats: 15 PTS, 0 RBS, 3 AST, 4-5 FG, 5-6 FT

Highlight: James barreled toward the basket and scooped one off the glass with 55.1 seconds left, pushing the Cavs' lead to nine.

Briefing: Welp, that's one way to retaliate. James made so many key plays in the final period that's it difficult to count them all. He actually tried to take his anger out on the rim with a dunk in traffic, but the ball clanged off the rim. The Raptors responded with a Terrence Ross three-ball for a 96-95 lead. Then James took over. Threes at 4:08, 3:27, and an assist on one to J.R. Smith with 2:08 to go were all huge.

Totals: 29 PTS, 6 RBS, 14 AST, 9-16 FG, 8-13 FT, 37 MIN

See a roundup of boys basketball postseason games for Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Wednesday night's boys basketball action saw tremendous performances in the sectional semifinal round, including No. 25 Cuyahoga Falls' upset against No. 5 Ellet in the Canton District.

Here is a roundup of some highlights from Wednesday's action as well as access to all of Wednesday's scores and how they shape the 64 statewide brackets.

DIVISION I

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS DISTRICT

No. 11 Lakewood 62, No. 16 Parma 58

A 24-9 second quarter helped host No. 11 Lakewood hold off No. 16 Parma, 62-58, in their sectional semifinal.

Wes Gerhardt led the Rangers with 17 points and Joe Malone added 13.

Parma's Greg Smalley had a game-high 21.

Lakewood will ravel to face No. 6 Normandy in a sectional final on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 14 Midview 60, No. 9 Rhodes 57

Read reporter David Cassilo's recap of the game.

CANTON DISTRICT

No. 25 Cuyahoga Falls 67, No. 5 Ellet 54

Visiting No. 25 Cuyahoga Falls outscored No. 5 Ellet, 42-21, in the second half of the Black Tigers' 67-54 upset win.

D'Vontay Friga led the way for Cuyahoga Falls (8-15) with 18 points, and Cameron Thomas and Tyler Adams each had 16.

Ellet played the first half in a man defense, catching Cuyahoga Falls off-guard in the first half. But the Black Tigers made a halftime adjustment to come away with the win.

"We just started attacking the basket," Cuyahoga Falls coach Rob Slone said. "I talked at halftime about drawing their big kids away from the basket and start running our sets."

Cuyahoga Falls, which started 1-13, won six of its last eight games headed into the postseason.

Ellet's Breaon Brady led all scorers with 24 points.

EUCLID DISTRICT

No. 10 Glenville 59, No. 8 Kenston 56

No. 10 Glenville outscored host No. 8 Kenston, 23-13, in the fourth quarter to win their sectional semifinal, 59-56.

Roy Hatchett led the Tarblooders with 17 points.

Kenston's Jay Weemhoff had a game-high 23 points.

Glenville will travel to No. 9 Brush for a sectional final game on Saturday at 7 p.m.

GRAFTON DISTRICT

No. 18 Strongsville 54,No. 10 Brecksville 50

No. 18 Strongsville won its fifth game of the season, upsetting No. 10 Brecksville, 54-50, in a sectional semifinal. The Mustangs travel to No. 8 North Olmsted at 7:00 p.m. Saturday for a sectional final.

Tanner Castora led the way for Strongsville with 20 points, while Derrick Toffey added 12 points and Drew Robertson had 11. The Mustangs came from behind for the victory, outscoring Brecksville, 20-12, in the final period.

Luke Cipolla topped Brecksville with 13 points while Demetrius Maddox had 11 and Matt Dimitrijevs had 10.

No. 12 Avon 53, No. 17 Amherst 52, OT

Junior D'amonte Thornton hit a three-pointer with 3.4 seconds to play in overtime as No. 12 Avon came from behind to edge No. 17 Amherst, 53-52, in a sectional semifinal. The Eagles play at No. 3 St. Ignatius at 7:00 p.m. Saturday in a sectional final.

Thornton had a strong all-around game, leading the team with 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He was backed by Nick Toth and Mario Ferguson with nine points each. Avon outscored Amherst, 14-7, in the final quarter to force the overtime.

Amherst was led by Rees Rua with 17 points. Adam Srnis hit four 3-pointers to add 12 points for the Comets and Casey McConihe added 11. McConihe had a shot at the buzzer to win the game, but it fell short.

Check out scores from games statewide here.

Take a look at how Wednesday's action shaped all 64 statewide brackets.

Check out a roundup of girls basketball postseason games for Wednesday, March 4, 2015

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Girls basketball postseason play heated up on Wednesday with teams trying to earn a spot in the district finals.

Among them was Windham, who defeated Villa Angela-St. Joseph to remain undefeated.

Here's a look at some of the highlights of Wednesday's girls basketball action.

DIVISION III

NORTH RIDGEVILLE DISTRICT

No. 3 Richmond Heights 49, No. 2 Elyria Catholic 31

Read reporter Mark Kern's recap of the game.

No. 1 Gilmour 70, No. 2 Independence 37

Read reporter Mark Kern's recap of the game.

RAVENNA DISTRICT

No. 3 Garrettsville Garfield 63, No. 2 Pymatuning Valley 40

No. 3 Garrettsville Garfield will play No. 1 Newton Falls on Saturday at 1 p.m., at Ravenna in the district final.

DIVISION IV

CRESTON DISTRICT

No. 1 Mapleton 56, No. 2 Mogadore 45

No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas 50, No. 2 Columbia 49

ORWELL DISTRICT

No. 2 Windham 57, No. 1 Villa Angela-St. Joseph 43

Led by an 18-8 advantage in the second quarter, No. 2 Windham advanced to the Division IV Orwell District final by defeating No. 1 Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 57-43.

Jessica Isler made 18 free throws and led undefeated Windham with 23 points.

Three Villa Angela-St. Joseph players led their team with 10 points each.

Windham will play Cuyahoga Heights in the district final on Saturday at 4 p.m.

No. 1 Cuyahoga Heights 45, No. 2 Maplewood 24

Check out scores from games statewide here.

See how Wednesday's results impacted the 64 district brackets statewide.

The Cavs are 20-4 since Jan. 15.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love propelled the Cavaliers past the Raptors, 120-112, Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Here is a capsule look at the game after a dvr review of the Fox Sports Ohio telecast:

Surging: The Cavs (39-24) have won two in a row and, since Jan. 15, are 20-4.

Struggling: The Raptors (38-23) have lost six of seven.

Climbing the board: The Cavs sit fourth in the Eastern Conference -- but are a whisker from second. Their winning percentage of .619 trails the .623 of Chicago (38-23) and Toronto. Nobody will catch Atlanta (40-12, .800).

Head-to-head advantage: The Cavs won the season series against Toronto, 3-1. They went 2-0 at Air Canada Centre.

Significant absence: The Raptors were without All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry (rest). Lowry is averaging 18.0 points, 7.0 assists and 4.6 rebounds.

Refusing to break: The Cavs traveled an interesting, entertaining path to victory.

With 6:13 left in the third quarter, J.R. Smith's follow gave the Cavs a 72-53 lead. Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr said: "Cavaliers are almost ready to take the life out of (the Raptors).''

Instead, the Raptors pulled within 84-74 by the end of the quarter and kept coming.  With 8:15 remaining in the fourth, Lou Williams' 3-pointer pushed Toronto in front, 93-91 -- its first lead since the first quarter.

The sellout crowd erupted, but the Cavs didn't panic. They eventually closed the game on a 13-5 run.

Much appreciated: The Boston Celtics played a role in the Cavs' triumph.

On Tuesday night in Cleveland, the Celtics were flattened by the Cavs, 110-79. The mismatch enabled Cavs coach David Blatt to rest his starters; none played more than 26 minutes.

The rest paid huge dividends late in the second of the back-to-backs. If the Cavs had been forced to work hard Tuesday, they probably would not have possessed the juice in their legs offensively to keep pace with the Raptors.       

Overcoming themselves: The Cavs won despite allowing 69 second-half points. For the game, Toronto shot 54.4 percent (43-of-79) from the field.

Three Raptors scored 25-plus: Jonas Valanciunas (26), Lou Williams (26) and DeMar DeRozan (25).   

The way it ought to be: The Cavs won because they have LeBron, Irving and Love -- and the Raptors don't.

Cleveland's Big Three combined for 77 points, 23 assists and 18 rebounds in 112 minutes. The trio combined to shoot 24-of-43 (55.8 percent) from the field; each player was above 50 percent.

The Cavs improved to 23-4 when the Big Three scores 60-plus.

Kingazingzing: LeBron -- no newsflash here -- was fantastic, notching game-highs in points (29) and assists (14) and grabbing six rebounds in 37 minutes.

The King saved his best for money time, scoring 15 of Cleveland's 36 in the fourth quarter. He also had three assists. (In the final 90 seconds of the third, LeBron made two of Cleveland's three baskets and assisted on the other.)

In an 88-second span of the fourth, LeBron scored eight. He sank two free throws at 4:54 and a 3-pointer at 4:07 and 3:26.

The triple at 4:07, from the right wing, was released over the outstretched arm of Terrence Ross with 2.1 on the shot clock. It gave the Cavs a 105-99 lead.

In the final minutes, after no other Cav had been able to contain reserve guard Williams, LeBron accepted the challenge and did. Williams scored 21 in the fourth, 19 of which came in the first 8:45.

More of the same: LeBron has played 52 games this season. In all 52, he has been any combination of slapped/hacked/grabbed/pushed/shoved on at least one drive to the hoop without drawing a whistle.

One of the missed calls Wednesday was egregious. Midway through the fourth quarter, LeBron beat Ross off the dribble and lifted off. The King's dunk attempt rattled out -- but only because Ross blatantly pushed him into the stanchion. Somehow, all three referees missed it.

Carr said: "Why do you have three guys out there if none of them can see what's going on? You might as well have nobody out there.''   

Oh, no, you don't: With 18.8 seconds remaining in the third, LeBron was grabbed and dumped by 7-foot center Valanciunas on a power move down the lane.

The nearest referee had no choice but to call a foul.

Carr said: "That's not a basketball play.''

Valanciunas extended a hand to assist LeBron from the floor, but the King disgustedly waved him off.

Carr said: "I don't blame (LeBron). You're going to try to tackle me, then you're going to help me up? Get away from me.''

The referees reviewed the play and assessed Valanciunas a flagrant-1. LeBron missed both free throws, but, with the Cavs still in possession, he made a layup to close the scoring in the quarter.

KI on fire: Irving scored 26 (on 9-of-17 shooting) and had eight assists in 41 minutes. Irving had his way with Lowry's substitute, Greivis Vasquez, and anybody else who attempted to check him.

Irving, a highlight package waiting to happen on most nights, out-did even himself with 10:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Coming off a screen from right to left, Irving drilled a 21-footer from beyond the top of the key -- left-handed. Because he could.

The Cavs led, 86-80.

Fox Sports Ohio play-by-play voice Fred McLeod said: "Somehow, some way....If you were playing H-O-R-S-E, you would not have matched that shot.''

Fast fact: Irving is 20-2 in regular-season games since Jan. 15. He did not play in losses at Indiana (Feb. 27) and at Houston (March 1). His East team lost in the All-Star Game (Feb. 15).

Love in the air: Love needed just 10 shots from the field to score 22. He made six field goals and six free throws. Oh, by the way: He grabbed 10 rebounds.

3-ball payoff: The Cavs were a catch-and-shoot problem for the Raptors, bagging 15-of-36 (41.7 percent) from beyond the arc. The 15 successes are the most allowed by the Raptors this season.

Love and James Jones each went 4-of-7, LeBron 3-of-6 and Smith 3-of-8. Irving was 1-of-5.

LeBron's and Irving's ability to dribble-penetrate opened the floor for spot-ups.

Long-distance layups: All of Jones' field-goal attempts Wednesday came from 3-point range. He finished with 14 points in 21 minutes. In his past eight games, "The Champ'' has knocked down 17-of-32 (53.1 percent) from beyond the arc.

Finally: The Cavs had 27 assists on 40 baskets and posted a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Playing in front of a raucous crowd, against the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference, a game that looked like it had the makings of another Cavs' rout turned into a playoff-caliber slugfest.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James called Wednesday's game a barometer for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Playing in front of a raucous crowd, against the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference, the game looked like it had the makings of another Cavs' rout, but it quickly turned into a playoff-caliber slugfest.

The undermanned Raptors, playing without All-Star starter Kyle Lowry (rest), trailed by 19 points at one time in the third quarter. But they rallied, even taking the lead at the eight-minute mark of the fourth.

The two teams traded buckets, but James was the difference, erupting for 15 of his game-high 29 points in the final quarter to fend off Toronto and inch closer to the second spot in the East after a 120-112 win.

Here are five observations on the Cavs' win:

Big Three - The Raptors entered the night as the highest-scoring team in the Eastern Conference, averaging 104.5 points. The Cavs knew in order to keep pace it would take a big effort from their best three players. And that's exactly what Cleveland got. 

In the first half, as James was focused on other areas of his game, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love carried the offense. Love, the versatile and skilled power forward, scored 13 points on 5-of-6 from the field. He also had a game-high seven rebounds. Love finished with another double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Irving attacked the paint and finished in traffic as he scored 12 points in the first half. When the defense started to collapse on his drives, Irving found open shooters, dishing out five assists. He ended the night with 26 points and eight assists.

The final 12 minutes belonged to James. Picking himself off the ground after getting tackled by Toronto's Jonas Valanciunas in the third quarter, James came off the bench with the Cavs clinging to a one-point lead and put his fingerprints all over the outcome, scoring or assisting on 21 of the Cavaliers' final 25 points.

The talented trio combined for 77 points, 23 assists and 18 rebounds. It's tough to beat the Cavs with that kind of production, especially with Toronto missing its second-leading scorer.

The Others - As good as the Big Three was on Wednesday night, the Cavaliers got plenty of help, and needed it with the Raptors catching fire from three-point range, hitting seven of their last nine, and making 13-of-14 from the free throw line in the latter part of the game.

When the playoffs roll around the Cavs will need contributions from other players. As good as San Antonio was last year, dismantling Miami with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker leading the way, Patty Mills and Boris Diaw made key contributions. When James was in Miami, Mike Miller won a playoff game against Oklahoma City. Ray Allen's corner three-pointer was the final bucket in a Game 6 comeback against the Spurs. It takes a team.

That's what James was missing in his first stint with the Cavs. It's not the playoffs yet, and that stage has been known to cripple the best, but Wednesday's story can't be told without including J.R. Smith and James Jones. 

Lou Williams had just buried another three-pointer, giving the Raptors a two-point edge with under eight minutes remaining. The crowd was into it and the Raptors were brimming with confidence. The Cavs needed to answer.

James drew the defense, found an open Smith and the cold-blooded sharpshooter buried the shot, giving the Cavs a one-point lead.

Then came Jones, a player James has petitioned for since the beginning of the season. There were less than six minutes left and Greivis Vasquez had just split a pair of free throws. The game was tied and all eyes were on James.

Instead of forcing the action, something he did too often in Sunday's loss against the Rockets, James found his buddy at the three-point line and Jones delivered, giving the Cavs the lead for good.

It shows trust and growth. It also shows the Cavs have players who can rise in the big moments beyond James, Irving and Love.

While James made many of the plays in the fourth quarter and finished the night with 29 points, including 15 in the final quarter, Smith and Jones made the biggest shots.

Pushing the right buttons - Cavs head coach David Blatt has left me scratching my head a few different times, but he deserves credit for a gutsy decision. With 5:50 left in the fourth quarter, Blatt pulled Love, who had the hot hand early.

Technically Tristan Thompson entered for Love. But the real decision was to keep Jones in the game as the power forward in a small-ball lineup.

On the very first offensive possession, Jones hit the go-ahead three. He had an important steal a few possessions later just because he was in the right place on defense, which is something James believes is often overlooked with Jones.

Blatt also brought Matthew Dellavedova's minutes down to nine. The Cavs coach has made some smart calls with the rotation lately and deserves credit for getting a relatively new group playing together quickly with very little practice time.

Tough return - Thompson scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds the last time he played in Toronto. He had averaged 12.6 points and 9.0 rebounds in the last two seasons at the Air Canada Centre. It's home for him, an opportunity to play in front of friends and family.

Wednesday night wasn't the return he was hoping for. Thompson, who admitted Tuesday night he still gets plenty of attention when he returns to his home country, played 19 minutes. He scored zero points and had one rebound. He had very little impact

Meanwhile, Valanciunas, the player taken one spot after Thompson in the 2011 NBA Draft, scored 26 points, the most since Jan. 12, and grabbed 11 rebounds for his 17^th double-double. He gave Toronto the kind of interior presence it has been missing during the second half of the season.

Offensive rebounds - On Feb. 8 against the Los Angeles Lakers the Cavs gave up a whopping 19 offensive rebounds. That started a tough stretch where they went seven straight games losing the offensive rebounding battle. While it didn't impact the outcomes of games, giving up second chance points consistently can come back to haunt teams in April, May and June.

The Cavs had two more offensive boards than Toronto on Wednesday night, making it the fourth game in a row they have held the edge on the offensive glass.

It's tough enough for opposing defenses to try to keep the Cavs from scoring once. They entered the night eighth in points per game, averaging 102.5. With the level of talent on the floor, the spacing and the ball movement, opponents can't afford to give Cleveland second and third chance opportunities. They will eventually make the defense pay. 

Ohio State freshman D'Angelo Russell put together another solid shooting night in the Buckeyes' second straight comeback win. Watch video

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Maybe D'Angelo Russell had a case of bus legs. Or was it plane legs? Whatever it was, Ohio State's hectic travel schedule to get to Wednesday's Big Ten road finale against Penn State had an effect on the Buckeyes' freshman guard.

Ohio State planned to fly here Tuesday night, only to get grounded about 100 miles away due to bad weather. Then came a bus trip through the Pennsylvania woods, and surely not such optimal road conditions, to get the Buckeyes were they needed be in time for Wednesday's game.

* Why there were symptoms of an early NCAA Tournament exit in Ohio State's 77-67 win over Penn State

That added travel gave Russell time to think. Time to stew, really.

"It made me so mad. I just had this fuel built up," Russell said after scoring 28 points in a 77-67 Ohio State win. "I was preaching to the team before we went out there ... we went through all of this to come up here and get a win. We can't lose. If we lose, we're gonna really be mad."

Maybe Russell came out a little too fired up. He missed four of his first five shots, three of the nine he shot in the first half. The Buckeyes as a whole shot the ball poorly in the first half and found themselves down at the break for the second straight game.

Russell's poor shooting started to make his strong performance against Purdue last Sunday look more like an aberration than a resounding end to the shooting struggles that plagued the freshman over the previous four games.

Then came the second half.

D'Angelo Russell has his shot back. And it couldn't have come at a better time for the No. 23 Buckeyes.

Here's what Russell did the four games leading into the win over Purdue:

* 4-for-14, 30 percent in a win over Penn State.

* 4-for-13, 30 percent in a loss to Michigan State.

* 6-for-15, 40 percent in a loss to Michigan.

* 3-for-9, 33 percent in a win over Nebraska.

Then it was 9-for-19 (47 percent) and 28 points in a come-from-behind win over Purdue. Then 8-for-16 (50 percent) and 28 more in Wednesday's comeback win over the Nittany Lions.

There's a simple answer for how Russell lost his shot in the first place. He didn't.

When you're as confident as Russell, you never really lose it.

"It was him kinda finding his groove," Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said. "The thing I talk about with him is finding the equal push and finishing high on his follow-through, and not short-arming it. When he does that he's pretty effective."

But it's more than that. There's another reason Russell has found another gear over the last two games when Ohio State needed it most.

"I just got that 'It' about me, I can't really explain it. It just comes. I can't really explain it," Russell said. "I know when my team needs me, and I know when Coach puts me in that position to take over. He runs a specific play that I know means 'get a bucket for us.' I just take advantage of it."

No need in trying to explain, D'Angelo. The Buckeyes will take "It" anyway they can get "It."

Wednesday was just another example of what "It" looks like.

Penn State gets on a quick 8-0 run to take nine-point lead early in the second half? Russell scores 14 points as part of a 21-4 run that erases the lead.

He shoots 5-for-7 from the field in the second half, 4-for-5 from three. He doesn't miss from the 14:30 mark of the second half until he front-rims a transition three with 8:33 left -- making five straight in the process.

"If he hits that three in transition ... I thought that thing was going in. He was special tonight," Matta said.

Special this time because Russell has grabbed onto the role he needs to play for this team. If you asked him about being the man in December, he'd probably deflect the question. But there's no point in shying away from it now.

Everyone knows who he is and knows that whatever Ohio State does in March will be directly linked to what Russell does.

"He took over the game. That was the difference," Penn State coach Pat Chambers said.

Russell knows it.

"I know I can get hot at times ... It's just confidence. When you have confidence, can't nobody tell you nothing," Russell said. "Today was just a little glimpse of it."