Ten 3-pointers in the opening half and 16 for the game helped Akron take down Central Michigan, 92-87, to maintain a first-place lead in the MAC race.

AKRON, Ohio -- The Akron Zips used a sizzling first half to get a double-digit halftime cushion en route to a 92-87 Mid-American Conference victory over Central Michigan Friday night.

The victory gives Akron (19-4, 8-2) a firm grip on the MAC lead as the Zips have defeated two of the three teams currently within striking distance and the third, Kent State, is reeling from injuries.

It was a 3-point shootout from the outset. The Chippewas (13-10, 6-4) delivered the first punch, taking a 10-2 lead. But the Zips answered with a vengeance, going on a 32-14 run which included eight 3-pointers from a team averaging 10.9 a game on the season.

In one stretch, sophomore Antino Jackson knocked down four straight in a 16-4 burst that gave the Zips a 34-24 lead. Jackson finished with 19, but freshman Josh Williams led the pack with 22. Combined the two guards were 10-of-13 on 3-pointers alone.

"I think Jackson, one of the reasons Akron has been so successful over the last decade is they don't have just one guy who can have a big night on you,'' CMU head coach Keno Davis said.

By halftime Akron was comfortably ahead, 47-35, shooting 50 percent from the field and 58.8 percent on 3-pointers (10-of-17). The Chippewas started hot, but by the break were hitting just 41.4 percent from the field and 31.3 percent (5-of-16) on 3-pointers.

The Chippewas started the second half with a 18-5 run to grab a 53-52 lead. But the Zips countered with a 22-1 surge, hitting six 3-pointers in that stretch for a 74-54 lead with 8:21 to play.

"Both teams are similar in that we have that kind of firepower,'' Davis said. "When you go on the road, you don't want those runs to be 22-1, but 11 to 1."

Akron finished the night shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 50 percent (16-of-32) on 3-pointers. CMU shot 43.9 percent for the game, but did not come close to the Zips behind the arc, making just 10-of-32.

Brad Thiessen had his second shutout as the Lake Erie Monsters defeated the Charlotte Checkers on Friday, 1-0.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Brad Thiessen recorded his second shutout Friday as the Lake Erie Monsters defeated the Charlotte Checkers in an American Hockey League game in Bojangles Coliseum, 1-0.

Thiessen stopped 27 shots in raising his record to 5-2-2 and helping the Monsters improve to 23-16-4-3. Charlotte fell to 25-15-2-2.

Josh Anderson scored the game's only goal just 49 seconds into the second period, his 10th of the season.

Charlotte outshot the Monsters, 27-25, and each team failed on four power-play chances.

Charlotte came into the game averaging 3.14 goals per game, the fifth-best mark in the AHL.

Charlotte goaltender Daniel Altshuller stopped 24 of 25 shots in taking the loss.

LeBron James scored 30 points but the Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics on Avery Bradley's 3-pointer at the buzzer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - There are all sorts of things wrong with LeBron James and the Cavaliers right now.

A two-game losing streak is just the tip.

James scored 30 points for the first time in 13 games, but the Celtics stole a 104-103 win from the Cavs thanks to Avery Bradley's 3-pointer at the buzzer. Bradley had that chance because a loose ball off a missed free throw from Boston's Evan Turner bounced off James and out of bounds with 4.1 seconds left.

The loss, which followed a clunker in Charlotte Wednesday, came with Kevin Love going down with about two minutes left in the third quarter with a thigh bruise that kept him out the rest of the game.

James finished with seven rebounds and four assists and shot 9-of-23 from the field, scoring 13 in the fourth quarter. He was also 12-of-17 from the foul line and became the 19^th player in NBA history to go over 6,000 free throws in his career.

The best play for James came with 1:30 to go, when he crashed into Tyler Zeller in the lane and tossed in a bank shot. He made the ensuing free throw for his sixth consecutive point, which turned a one-point deficit into a 97-94 advantage.

But even he's not well right now. James has shot less than 50 percent from the field in four consecutive games. He was 0-of-5 from 3-point range against the Celtics and is now 0-of-18 from beyond the arc since he last made one Jan. 25.

That was James' 12th 30-point game this season, but his first since Jan. 11.

The Cavs have been lamenting poor play in the third quarter this week - they surrendered 30 or more to both the Hornets and Indiana Pacers in the third - and Cleveland started the second half poorly on Friday. Boston scored the first nine points, a stretch interrupted only by coach Cavs coach Tyronn Lue's timeout at 11:05 of the period.

But Cleveland recovered well enough; it was Love's injury that was the black mark.

If the Cavs are forced to play without him for a stretch, it could hurt in both the short and long term. They had only just begun to figure out how to incorporate him into the offense with Kyrie Irving and James on the court.

That's the worst part. In the shortest of terms, this was a brutal finish by a team which led by four with 7.5 seconds left and found a way to lose.

Henry Baddley and Jayvon Graves combined for 50 points as STVM defeated St. Edward.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Led by a combined 50 points from Henry Baddley and Jayvon Graves, STVM's boys basketball team defeated host St. Edward, 78-66, on Friday.

Baddley, a Butler commit, had 26 points on 11 of 14 shooting and eight rebounds to lead the Irish (14-3), ranked No. 2 in the cleveland.com Top 25. Graves had 24 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Tied with the No. 3 Eagles (11-6) at 37 after the first half, St. Vincent-St. Mary relied on its pressure defense to force turnovers and took control of the game for good with an 11-3 run early in the quarter.

"It was very important for us because once we force turnovers, we knew we'd come back and score. And we were able to just open the lead up from there," Baddley said.

The Irish forced eight St. Edward turnovers in the half, including five in the third quarter to grab the lead for good. Graves and Baddley combined for 16 of STVM's 23 points in the third quarter.

"When you've got senior leadership, you can do some good things," STVM coach Dru Joyce said. "Every game, (Henry's) getting better and better. He's understanding more and more what the team requires in that leadership role."

Jack Sullivan led the Eagles with 21 points, all of which came from behind the 3-point line. St. Edward hit 14 3-pointers as a team, shooting 46.7 percent from the field.

But the Irish's pressure defense disrupted St. Edward's offense early in the third quarter and the Eagles never regained the lead after STVM's 11-3 run.

"It is uncharacteristic of us. It's kind of been our bread and butter is taking care of the basketball and getting, whether it's a good shot or not, at least getting a shot in the halfcourt," St. Edward coach Eric Flannery said. "I think their speed and athleticism really bothered our guards a little bit. They were actually trapping us and kind of doing what we do to other teams. They were giving us a taste of our own medicine and I don't think our guys responded really well to that tonight."

STVM had a 32-22 lead after the first quarter, highlighted by 11 points from Baddley. But the Irish's offense struggled in the second quarter, scoring just five points.

Both teams play against on Saturday as STVM will host Columbus Walnut Ridge and St. Edward hosts Euclid.

As the East Tech boys basketball team celebrated its 68-65 win Friday night vs. Glenville for the Senate Athletic League championship, one person was briefly missing.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – As the East Tech boys basketball team celebrated its 68-65 win Friday night vs. Glenville for the Senate Athletic League championship, one person was briefly missing.

Markell Johnson slowly walked to center court at the East Learning Center in Cleveland with an ice bag in hand. He scored 49 points, including all 16 for the Scarabs (17-3) in the fourth quarter.

“I’ll probably pass out when I get in the car,” said Johnson, who lifted East Tech – No. 9 in the cleveland.com Top 25 – to its third straight Senate crown.

Check back later for video highlights and reaction.

Highlight of Markell Johnson's 22-point first half. pic.twitter.com/TZgpFDKwJ5

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) February 6, 2016

All three have come against Glenville (11-6), a rival coach East Tech coach Brett Moore set a standard for his program to chase.

“I love them and I hate them at the same time,” he said. “When I first started, that’s who I was gunning for.

“Anything we need, they help us out if they’ve got it and vice-versa. But when we step in between these lines, it’s all-out war.”

Nowhere was that more evident than Johnson.

The 6-foot-2 junior guard drew a foul in the final 2.6 seconds while trying a leaner behind the 3-point arc. Johnson, who has college offers from schools as big as Ohio State, hit all three free throws. Glenville nearly sent it into overtime on Christian Guess’ half-court heave that just missed off the side of the rim.

Johnson’s trip to the free-throw line in the final sequence was one of many. He took 21 free throws, making 15 of them, including 10-of-13 in the fourth.

“He’s a phenomenal talent and I’m blessed as a coach to coach a player of that caliber,” Moore said. “Everything he has coming to him in the future, he worked for that.”

Each time Johnson charged toward the basket, an unforgiving defense awaited him. Johnson fell to the floor hard times in the fourth quarter alone, causing a cramp in his calf muscle.

“This isn’t for my knee,” he said of his ice pack.

Johnson grabbed his knee on one of his falls, too.

The worst, he said, came after trying for a dunk that Glenville defenders denied with a foul in the fourth quarter. Johnson hit the floor and laid in front of the basket support system for about a minute.

He said the dunk was an attempt to answer Guess’ thunderous one-handed slam that helped rally Glenville in the fourth.

“When he dunked on my teammate, I thought, ‘What is he doing?’” Johnson said. “I tried to go back at them. That’s my teammate, but dang that was a crazy dunk.”

Johnson didn’t answer immediately, but he eventually got one. Any time he or Guess reached the rim successfully, it brought the packed crowd watching from both sides of the court to its collective feet.

Guess, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward, led Glenville with 17 points. Teammate Joshua Manningham added muscle inside with 10 points and eight rebounds. Guard Jerome Wright finished with 12, including two baskets that tied the score late. Wright scored on a putback in the final 20 seconds that led to Johnson’s winning points.

“This is the best one for me, winning my third team in a row,” Johnson said. “It’s my favorite team that I’ve played with. We have a lot of flaws, but we’re building up.”

Friday’s game marked the last chance both teams had to sculpt their resumes before coaches finalize their seeding votes for the upcoming district tournaments. East Tech moved down to Division II and will play in the Stow District, while Glenville resides in the Division I Euclid District.

Area coaches have until Saturday to vote in their respective districts and will finalize brackets on Sunday.

All Johnson and his teammates cared about Friday was their city championship. They each wore “3-peat” shirts while receiving their Senate League trophy. Johnson finally joined them, but then immediately looked for his mother, Sabrina Johnson.

“She texted me all day,” he said, “blowing my phone up.”

He finally embraced her after a long day.

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

East Tech's 62-40 victory against John Hay at the East Professional Center in Cleveland didn’t start in such a convincing fashion. It ended with seniors Corrione Cardwell, Shantell Bostic and Morgan Daniel all scoring in double figures.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – East Tech girls basketball coach Melvin Burke captured the Scarabs’ Senate Athletic League championship victory Friday night in one thought.

“I told the girls this is the most successful sloppy game I’ve ever had,” he said.

The 62-40 victory against John Hay at the East Professional Center in Cleveland didn’t start in such a convincing fashion. It ended with seniors Corrione Cardwell, Shantell Bostic and Morgan Daniel all scoring in double figures.

The effort propelled East Tech, No. 7 in the cleveland.com girls basketball Top 25, to its third straight Senate League crown.

Check back later for video highlights and reaction.

Shantell Bostick 9 pts, 3 assists. Corrione Cardwell 10 pts, 3 steals. They hooked up here. pic.twitter.com/N2TPElKpXQ

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) February 5, 2016

“We could have gotten four, but I was happy with three,” Daniel said.

They received a trophy that Burke tried not to break as he took pictures afterward. The girls put on T-shirts that read “3-peat.”

“From the era of Barbara Turner and those girls who started this off for us, it feels really good to continue,” Burke said.
“Three in a row puts in the category of the old Scarabs, who had a state championship in 2002.”

East Tech’s third straight Senate title is the league’s longest run since the school won six straight from 1998-2003.

Cardwell supplied a game-high 22 points, plus six rebounds and four steals to help the Scarabs separate themselves midway through the second quarter.

“Our team just realized we could do way more better,” Cardwell said.

“We just had to get the jitters out,” added Daniel, who scored 13 points with three 3-pointers.

Cardwell, who transferred to East Tech from St. Martin de Porres for the first of its three Senate runs, is headed Eastern Michigan after this season. Bostick, who added 12 points and seven assists Friday, will leave for North Carolina A&T.

The Scarabs (15-4) were unbeaten during the Senate’s regular-season schedule. They were regular-season champs for a third straight year.

John Hay (15-6), which finished second to the Scarabs in the Senate League regular season, had two players in double figures. Freshman guard Lauren Tere scored a team-high 15 points, while 6-foot junior forward Angel Cannon added 14 points and eight rebounds.

The Hornets next play Saturday at Warren Harding. Its only prior Senate loss came Jan. 15 at East Tech, 72-51.

The Scarabs, who were disqualified last season from postseason play for playing a 23rd game, will play Tuesday at Canton McKinley. They then hosts Columbus Africentric on Feb. 13.

East Tech will play only 21 regular-season games this season. Burke took no chances.

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley knocked down a game-winning corner 3-pointer over Iman Shumpert to steal a victory from the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning 104-103 Friday night at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley knocked down a game-winning corner 3-pointer over Iman Shumpert to steal a victory from the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning 104-103 Friday night at The Q.

After overcoming a seven-point deficit with five minutes left with LeBron James putting together a 13-point fourth quarter, the Cavaliers bumbled away a four-point lead with seven seconds left.

Cleveland (35-14) has lost two straight.

J.R. Smith, who had 20 points and five treys before fouling out, came up with a huge offensive rebound on a missed James 3-pointer with 24 seconds left with the Cavaliers up three. Boston was forced to foul Irving and the guard connected on both free throws to put his team up five with 18.6 seconds remaining.

But the Cavaliers did little right after that.

The Celtics wasted 10 seconds trying to find a 3-point shot, with Bradley finally missing badly from the top of the key. But the carom went to Jared Sullinger, who found Jae Crowder in the corner for Crowder's only basket of the night, a 3-pointer that returned the lead to two points.

Irving was fouled and made both free throws with 7.5 left. After a timeout, the Celtics got the ball to Evan Turner on the baseline, who made the layup while being fouled by Smith with four seconds left.

Turner missed the free throw, but Timofey Mozgov was shoved under the basket by Marcus Smart, couldn't control the rebound and the ball skimmed against James on its way over the baseline. Boston ball with 3.1 left.

The Celtics scrambled again to find Isaiah Thomas for a shot, but the ball bounced to Bradley in the left corner, whose shot over Shumpert easily beat the clock and fell through as the buzzer sounded.

Boston (30-22) has won eight of nine.

Irving registered 19 points and six assists.

It was the first time the Celtics stepped into the not-so-friendly confines of Quicken Loans Arena since Game 2 of last spring's first-round playoff series.

Kelly Olynyk was hit with a barrage of boos upon entering the game with 4:24 left in the opening quarter, a reminder of his tangle with Love in Game 4 last April that shelved the power forward with a dislocated left shoulder. Many believe that cost the Cavaliers of a NBA title.

Olynyk wasn't responsible for Love's newest injury, which came with a collision with Smart as Love was working toward the basket without the ball. Love stayed down for a few minutes before hobbling to the bench. He sat for about a minute and then limped to the locker room with the help of an arena security officer.

The team later announced that he suffered a thigh bruise and would not return. His night ended with 10 points and five boards in 22 minutes.

The game looked like it was going to be a breeze for Cleveland. Smith started the off by hitting a 3-pointer and then a long two, scoring the team's first five points. He felt so good that on his next attempt, he shot a one-legged, off balance corner three that missed a little long.

A couple possessions later James stole the ball and took off for the races with Bradley on his hip slapping at his arm and the ball. James still managed to convert the layup and draw the foul. Then it was Love's turn. He faced up Jonas Jerebko in the post. He pump-faked, getting him to jump in the air and Love went around him to finish with a two-handed dunk to put the Cavaliers up 14-2.

And then the third member of The Big 3 joined in on the act. Bradley closed out on Irving who was wide open for a three at the top, but Irving spun, alluding Bradley to find himself open for a midrange jumper he knocked down. Cleveland had an early 15-point lead, but never looked as efficient on offense again. Boston chipped at the margin to go into the half down six.

The terrible starts to third quarter continued. Lue was forced to call a timeout 55 seconds into the third after Boston went on a mini 4-0 run. After the timeout, the Celtics punched in five more unanswered to take their first lead of the game.

Lue subbed out Irving and Love three minutes into the quarter. He hinted before the game that he would do something like that if they got off to another slow start.

"If we come out flat or we don't come out with the energy, I got to do a better job of getting the fresher guys in and then bringing those guys back again," he said.

His plan worked. From there, the Cavaliers outscored the Celtics 24-13 to go into the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead. But Cleveland lost momentum, settling for contested looks without proper ball movement. Boston found success inside, then ran a series of high screens to free Thomas and Bradley, taking a seven-point lead with 3:18 to go.

Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points and Evan Turner came off the bench for 19 points and 12 rebounds.

On deck

The Cavaliers will get another shot at knocking off the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. On Dec. 4, the Pelicans beat the Cavaliers 114-108 in overtime at Smoothie King Center.

Cleveland Indians have third base questions ... Gio Urshela? Juan Uribe? Lots of Tribe notes.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Can the Indians count on Giovanny Urshela to play third base?

With the glove, absolutely. At the bat ... well ... we don't know.

If the Tribe had power hitters in the outfield, then they could go with a younger version of a smooth-fielding Jack Hannahan at third base. But fans know about Michael Brantley being out at least for the first month of the season because of shoulder surgery. It could be longer.

The projected opening day outfield is Lonnie Chisenhall (RF), Abraham Almonte (CF) and Rajai Davis (LF). Those three combined for 20 homers last season. The Indians are looking to platoon at some position in the outfield. Tyler Naquin could make the team, but he's not a power hitter.

That's why it would help the Tribe to have someone at third base who can drive in some runs.

ABOUT THE DEFENSE

On June 9, the Tribe promoted Urshela from the minors. Five days later, Francisco Lindor came up from Columbus. The goal was to stabilize the left side of the infield.

A story by Ben Lindbergh in Grantland (now defunct) discussed how the Indians went from "the worst-fielding team in modern history" in early May to one of the best in the majors by the end of the season.

Four big moves happened:

1. Lindor replaced Jose Ramirez at shortstop.
2. Urshela replaced Chisenhall at third base.
3. Chisenhall took over in right field for Brandon Moss and others.
4. Almonte replaced Michael Bourn in center.

Fangraphs.com rated the Tribe as the second-best defensive team in the American League. The World Series champion Kansas City Royals were first.

That's why the Indians are hoping Urshela can hit enough to hold down third base.

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2015?

It's very hard to judge Urshela's performance last season. He was leading the Venezuelan winter league with a .398 batting average (43-of-108) when he injured his knee. He didn't have surgery, but the injured knee required time to recover. He played only five spring training games in 2015.

Urshela opened at Class AAA Columbus, but hurt his back. He missed three weeks.

The Indians probably should have kept Urshela longer in the minors, but the Cleveland situation was such a mess. The pitchers were justifiably discouraged by the problems with the defense. Manager Terry Francona believed the Lindor/Urshela promotions would help the team, even if they struggled to hit.

It took 100 at-bats, but Lindor began to find his swing. By the end of the season, he was a .313 hitter (.835 OPS) with 12 HR, 51 RBI in 99 games.

What about Urshela?

• He was a .253 hitter at the All-Star break. That was in 103 plate appearances.
• After the All-Star break, he batted .208 in 183 plate appearances.
• He batted only .207 vs. righties, compared to .275 vs. lefties.
• The final totals were .225 (.608 OPS) with 6 HR and 21 RBI.

Until 2015, Urshela had been healthy since signing with the Indians in 2009. Then came the knee, the back and he had a shoulder issue late in the 2015 season.

In 2014, Urshela batted a combined .280 (.865 OPS) with 18 HR and 84 RBI between Class AA and Class AAA. So there is a reason to believe he can be respectable at the plate.

Urshela is only 24, so there is reason for optimism.

IS HE READY?

The Indians intend to contend for a playoff spot in 2016. One of the questions hanging over the team is Urshela. Can they count on him now?

They don't know. On the roster right now, the other third base option is Jose Ramirez. His best position is second base. He is considered the team's utility infielder for 2016.

Ramirez batted only .219 (.631 OPS) with 6 HR and 27 RBI last season. He was awful in the spring and sent back to the minors. He eventually returned and batted .259 after the All-Star break.

Urshela is better defensively at third, and it's doubtful Ramirez would supply a lot of offense.

The Indians are excited about Yandy Diaz, who played third and hit .315 with 7 HR and 55 RBI for Class AA Akron last season. But he's not ready to open the 2016 season in Cleveland.

The 24-year-old Diaz is fascinating, a Cuban defector who has played only two years of pro ball in the U.S. He could be a prospect who moves up quickly.

ABOUT JUAN URIBE

The questions hanging over Urshela is why the Juan Uribe rumors keep popping up. He'll be 37 on March 22. He's a very wide body, 245 pounds on a 6-foot frame.

Uribe batted .253 (.737 OPS) with 14 HR and 43 RBI with three teams last season. He had nine errors in 92 games at third. In 2014, he was a .311 hitter (.773 OPS) with 9 HR and 54 RBI for the Dodgers.

If the Indians do sign Uribe, he will join veterans Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis as right-handed hitters who are more effective against lefties than right-handed pitching.

ABOUT WALT WILLIAMS

My column about former Indian Walt Williams drew several meaningful emails. I wrote about how my friend Frank Sarmir and I became buddies with Williams in 1973. He was a Tribe outfielder, we were high school seniors.

FRANK SARMIR wrote: "In retrospect, our friendship with him and his invitation to hang out in the Detroit hotel room seem unbelievable. But at the time it seemed totally natural to me and seemed totally natural for him, as an African-American man, to spend time with some white teenage fans. This story is emblematic about how professional sports have changed in our lifetime ... an era never to be recreated."

PAT MCAULAY wrote: "Your story about Williams reminded me of a game in 1973 in which Walt broke up a no hitter against Stan Bahnsen of the White Sox with 2 outs in the ninth inning and the Indians trailing. He slapped a ground ball past Bill Melton (who later played for the Indians) who had come off of back surgery the previous year and couldn't even put a dive on the ball as it went by him."

PHIL BARTH wrote: "I was in the sixth grade and the Indians had a basketball team that would tour and play local teams during the winter.  They came to our high school and played the local legends (and of course the Indians crushed our local legends). ... Walt Williams stood on the floor and signed autographs and talked with people. He talked with me for a while. I know I got other autographs that night, but Walt just seemed like he really enjoyed signing and talking to the fans."

MELINDA HANKINS wrote: "My family had season tickets from 1968-77. Walt was one of the players we got to know. He was everything you said. A wonderful person who was taken from us much too soon. He may not have had the advantages or talents that some players have, but compared to those he stood ten feet tall."

• Terry's Talkin' Browns
• Terry's Talkin' Cavs

Someone's losing streak is going to end tonight when the New Orleans Pelicans (18-31) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (35-14).

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Someone's losing streak is going to end tonight when the New Orleans Pelicans (18-31) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (35-14). The Cavaliers have dropped their last two and the Pelicans have let their last three go.

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM 1100, 87.7 La Mega.

Last game: Celtics guard Avery Bradley hit game-winning three to beat the Cavaliers 104-103 on Friday.

Cavaliers' probable starting lineup: 6-3 Kyrie Irving (17.3 ppg, 4.1 apg), 6-6 J.R. Smith (12.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 40% 3-pt range), 6-8 LeBron James (25.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 6.3 apg), 6-10 Kevin Love (15.9 ppg, 10.5 rpg) and 6-10 Tristan Thompson (7.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg).

Pelicans' probable starting lineup: 6-1 Norris Cole (9.4 ppg, 3.1 apg), 6-6 Bryce Dejean-Jones Bradley (7.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg), 6-7 Alonzo Gee (4.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg), 6-11 Anthony Davis (23.4 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.4 bpg) and 7-0 Omer Asik (3.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg).

Dec. 4: New Orleans defeated Cleveland in overtime, 114-108 in The Big Easy.

Injuries for Cleveland: Kevin Love (thigh) is probable and Matthew Dellavedova (hamgstring) is doubtful.

Injuries for New Orleans: Quincy Pondexter (knee), Tyreke Evans (knee) and Eric Gordon (finger) are out.

Cavaliers' next opponent: On Monday at 7 p.m. the Cavaliers will welcome in the Sacramento Kings. It will be the first time these two teams will have faced off this season. Fox Sports Ohio will have the game.

To get you ready for the big game, here's a rundown recent Super Bowl stories posted on cleveland.com.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

To get you ready for the big game, here's a rundown recent Super Bowl stories posted on cleveland.com:

Are you the person who didn't realize Super Bowl 50 is Sunday? 

Super Bowl week officially began Monday with opening night (previously known as media day). 

If you're into the Xs and Os of the Super Bowl, Foxsports.com has the key matchups broken down, complete with a powerpoint display.

Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow gave his take on Cam Newton and Peyton Manning reaching Super Bowl 50. 

If Super Bowl 50 is Peyton Manning's final game, he won't be the first to exit after the big game.

Who are the greatest Ohio football players ever to play in the Super Bowl? We created an All-Ohio team.

The Super Bowl has had its share of odd moments over the years. We picked eight of the oddest.

Sports Illustrated is telling the stories behind some of the most memorable Super Bowl moments. 

Bud Shaw, Chris Fedor and Michael Reghi made their Super Bowl 50 bold predictions.

Famous Clevelanders have something to say about Super Bowl 50, too.

There are no shortage of angles to bet on when it comes to the Super Bowl. We collected some of the most interesting prop bets for this year's game.

Dennis Manoloff shared his Super Bowl 50 picks, as well as a handful of side bets.

If you just have to know how the Super Bowl is going to turn out, Tecmo Bowl has already determined who will win.

These are top free agent guards and centers in the NFL this coming offseason.

Former Cleveland State player Norris Cole had his number retired before the Vikings played the Oakland Grizzlies Saturday afternoon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The defense was there as Cleveland State shut down high-scoring Oakland guard Kay Felder. But the Grizzlies still had enough firepower to top the Vikings, 67-57, Saturday afternoon in the Wolstein Center.

Felder finished with 13 points, his lowest total of a season in which he's averaged 25.2 per game. Felder had scored 20 or more points in all but two games before Saturday.

The Vikings got 19 points from Demonte Flannigan, but little else from his teammates. Oakland finished with four players in double figures.

CSU celebrated former Viking Norris Cole, retiring his number in the rafters of the Wolstein Center. He and fans were treated with the surprise appearance of former Miami teammate LeBron James, along with some of his current New Orleans Pelicans teammates.

In the mid-court ceremony with head coach Gary Waters and CSU President Ronald Berkman, Cole thanked them all.

"I was able to grow academically, physically and on the court," Cole said. "I was able to grow as a man. I think it's pretty cool to see my name and number go up."

The current edition of the Vikings has struggled this season, primarily because of the transfers of three players. Trey Lewis (Louisville), Anton Grady (Wichita State) and Bryn Forbes (Michigan State) left in the last two seasons to play at bigger schools.

This was not common when Cole played. But the guard did say he could not see himself taking advantage of that current rule.

"The guys got their degrees, so I'm happy about that,'' Cole said of Lewis and Grady. "I believe this team and this season would be a lot different for Cleveland State if those guys who transferred out had stayed.

"I would not feel that kind of pressure (to transfer),'' he said. "I would stay at Cleveland State. I love Cleveland State. I'm always pro-Clevealnd State."

Cole led CSU to its last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009, then played with James and the Heat when they won NBA championships in 2012 and 2013. He  joined Franklin Edwards and Ken McFadden as the only men to have their jerseys in the rafters.

Cole was joined later in the afternoon by Kailey Klein, who led the CSU women to the NCAA Tournament twice, in 2009 and 2010, and had her number retired as well. She is the first CSU women's player to have that honor.

Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers -- playing without Matthew Dellavedova and Kevin Love -- snapped their two-game losing streak, beating the New Orleans Pelicans, 99-84. 

Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 29 points while LeBron James added 27 points. 

The Cavs (36-14) will return to The Q on Monday night to play the Sacramento Kings. 

Scoring Summary:

End of 3rd Quarter - Cavs lead Pelicans, 74-70. Kyrie Irving leads the way with 21 points. LeBron James has added 18 points. J.R. Smith has chipped in with 15 points -- all coming from three-point range. The Pelicans are led by Norris Cole, who has 24 points. 

End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs lead Pelicans, 54-43. Kyrie Irving has a game-high 19 points. J.R. Smith has added 12 points. The Pelicans are led by Anthony Davis' 12 points. Norris Cole has added 10 points. 

End of 1st Quarter - Cavs lead Pelicans, 28-20. J.R. Smith leads the Cavs with nine points. LeBron James has added eight points. The Pelicans are led by Anthony Davis, who has eight points. 

Kevin Love and Matthew Dellavedova will be sidelined for tonight's game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kevin Love and Matthew Dellavedova will be sidelined for tonight's game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Love suffered a left quad contusion in last night's 104-103 loss to the Boston Celtics. He exited late in the third quarter. It will be Love's first missed game of the season.

Timofey Mozgov will start at center and Tristan Thompson will slide to the power forward spot.

This will be the third consecutive game Dellavedova misses with a sore left hamstring. The Cavaliers have dropped both games he's been idle.

Both players will be reevaluated Sunday to gauge their status for Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings.

Berea-Midpark girls basketball falls at home to Westlake, 56-44.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Westlake girls basketball team believes sprinkles are for winners and Saturday broke out the small pieces of confectionery on the road after winning its second straight Southwestern Conference title.

Westlake earned the achievement after defeating conference rival Berea-Midpark, 56-44, and earning its third title since 2009.

“We earned every bit of it right now,” Westlake coach Chip Weiss said. “It was a grind and the best part about it is that these kids never gave up. We weren’t ranked nothing this year and as the defending champs coming back in we were determined to prove to everybody we we’re there. I really think that our main focus was this tonight. It was a great victory for us and a fun way to get it done.”

Westlake, ranked No. 6 in the cleveland.com Top 25, finished two games shy of going undefeated. The Demons earlier losses came against Amherst and Lakewood by an average of one-point. Berea-Midpark finished as the conference runner-up.

Westlake’s trip on Saturday was the second meeting between the two teams. The Demons won the first game on their home floor, 43-22, by controlling the tempo.

On Saturday it was the same case as Westlake's defense made it difficult for the Titans in the first half. Westlake also made some key plays on offense and forced the Titans into mistakes leading 30-21 after the first half.

“Most of our shots we’re off this game and they just wouldn’t go in,” Berea-Midpark sophomore guard Jada Marone said.

But by the third quarter, shots started to fall for Berea-Midpark cutting the deficit and tying the game at 33 in the third quarter. Marone led the charge scoring eight of her total 16 points.

But before the quarter could end, Westlake's Taylor Hood would give the lead back to the Demons with a layup before the buzzer.

Senior guard Zoranne Host, the latest 1,000-point club member, opened the final quarter draining a 3-pointer to give the Titans a 36-35 lead. She finished with 13 points after the Demons captured the momentum led by back-court mates Rachel Essig and Taylor Hood. Essig and Hood each finished with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

“When the posts are getting locked down, its key for the guards to step up and that’s what they did,” senior forward Monica Fury said. “They did great, they finished and it’s awesome to have guards like that. You can’t ask for anything more.”

Turnovers and missed shots late in the quarter for the home team soon put the game out of reach.

“You have to give a lot of credit to Westlake,” Berea-Midpark coach Kevin Braaten said. “The seniors played great, made a lot of great plays. I thought we played extremely hard and Westlake was little better than us tonight.”

Berea-Midpark (16-4 overall, 15-3 SWC) will host its final regular season game on Monday against nonconference opponent Medina. Westlake's (20-2, 16-2) next game will be the start of the playoffs against Midview at home on Feb. 13.
“There are two seasons: the regular season and the postseason,” Weiss said. “We’ve just got to stay focused like we have been, let nature do its course, keep playing and doing the best job we can.”

Contact Nathaniel Cline via email (ncline@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@nathanielcline).

The Packers' iron-man QB and the Rams' sterling offensive tackle head a class that includes Ken Stabler, Marvin Harrison, Kevin Greene, Dick Stanfel, Tony Dungy and former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After a nine-hour session behind closed doors, eight more men were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday, led by Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre.

At 6-7 and 320 pounds, Orlando Pace arrived from Ohio State as a dominating offensive tackle and was just that for the Rams during their Super Bowl seasons -- eventually named to the All-2000s NFL Team.James A. Finley, AP file 

Favre, an 11-time Pro Bowl selection who played a record 302 games at the position -- primarily for the Packers but also with Atlanta, the Jets and Minnesota -- heads the class that includes former 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo, Jr. from Youngstown, former Ohio State and St. Louis tackle Orlando Pace, coach Tony Dungy, linebacker/defensive end Kevin Greene, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, quarterback Ken Stabler and guard Dick Stanfel.

The new honorees were chosen from a list of 18 finalists who had been determined earlier by the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Selection Committee. Five nominees were eliminated in the final vote: players Terrell Davis, Joe Jacoby, John Lynch and Kurt Warner, and coach Don Coryell.

Earlier Saturday, the selection committee reduced the list of 15 modern-day finalists by cutting Terrell Owens, Edgerrin James, Steve Atwater, Alan Faneca and Morten Anderson.

The Class of 2016 were introduced during "NFL Honors," a two-hour primetime awards special on CBS.

The new honorees will be formally enshrined on Saturday, Aug. 6 in Canton.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

St. Ignatius gave Columbus Northland its first home loss in 91 games.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — St. Ignatius' boys basketball team handed host Columbus Northland its first home loss in 91 games with a 70-65 win on Saturday.

Matthew Davet had 20 points to lead St. Ignatius (12-4), ranked No. 6 in the cleveland.com Top 25. Ryan Berger scored 14 points and Deven Stover added 12 for the Wildcats.

Northland (18-2) had just 33 points in the first three quarters before scoring 32 in the fourth quarter.

Northland forward and Harvard commit Seth Towns led all scorers with 36 points and hit 15 free throws.

The Wildcats will host Cleveland Heights on Friday.

LeBron James scored 27 points and snapped an 0-for-18 skid in 3-pointers during the Cavaliers' win over New Orleans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - If there's one thing this city has proved when it comes to sports, it's that the good people of Cleveland can wait. They've had no other choice for the last five decades.

That's kind of where things are right now with LeBron James and the Cavs, who outlasted the scuffling New Orleans Pelicans 99-84 to snap a two-game slide.

For as badly as the organization and its fans wanted the Cavs to immediately look like a legitimate challenger to the Warriors after the dismissal of David Blatt, they're just not there yet under new coach Tyronn Lue.

They'd shown some strides, sure (a shellacking of the Spurs, albeit without Tim Duncan, last week helped), but the up-tempo offense and ball sharing Lue demands of James and Kyrie Irving, et al requires more work.

It doesn't help that Kevin Love (bruised thigh) might miss another game or two, or that the All-Star break arrives after Wednesday's game. With Love out, Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov start with James in the frontcourt - a highly effective trio that started for most of Cleveland's playoff run last year, but one that also played a slow, grind-it-out style.

James lamented the coming of the All-Star Game earlier in the week, when he was talking about the break occurring at a time when the Cavs could use the practice.

He was right.

"I was thinking about it last night and it's been tough," Lue said. "Credit to our guys, they've been trying to do the right thing and only having two practices makes it tough. We've only had two full practices, lot of games, lot of back-to-backs, games every other day, so I want to give these guys credit for trying to do the right thing.

"I think the most important thing is it has to become habit. You can't think about how you want to play and say how you want to play, it has to become natural and it has to become instinctive. We haven't gotten to that point yet."

The Cavs arguably already have the most talent in the league. General Manager David Griffin will try to add to it over the next two weeks in a trade. The hope for the Cavs is that their immensely talented players can make Lue's style a habit.

It's gonna take a couple weeks (or months) to get there.

As for James, he finished with 27 points, eight assists, and three rebounds in 37 minutes - marking his 14^th consecutive game of at least 20 points against New Orleans. He shot 11-of-20 from the field and 2-of-5 from 3-point range, snapping two unfavorable streaks.

His first of two 3-pointers broke an 0-for-18 drought, and the second trey marked his first game of two or more 3s since Jan. 12, a slide that spanned 13 games.

James also shot 50 percent or above for the first time in four games.

"Just talking to LeBron, just shoot them with confidence," Lue said. "When you get rhythm shots, draw and kicks, take the first shot. It's a tougher shot when you have the ball in your hand, you dribble and step back, those are tough shots. If you catch the ball and shoot it in rhythm, I think it's a great shot for him.

"I've been in situations where, in Boston we were playing the Eastern Conference Finals, we were up three games to two, he came in [and] made six threes that game, so, I mean, it's not like he can't shoot threes. It's just having confidence to step up and shoot it and take it."

The Cavaliers broke a two-game losing streak, while extending New Orleans' skid to four games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Someone's losing steak had to end Saturday night. The Cleveland Cavaliers found a way in the fourth quarter to make sure it wouldn't be the New Orleans Pelicans'.

The Cavaliers broke a two-game skid with a 99-84 victory. New Orleans has lost four in a row.

Kyrie Irving scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the first two quarters. LeBron James supplied 27 points and eight assists. He was also 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, snapping his run of 18 misses from beyond the arc.

J.R. Smith continues to play at a high level. He drained six treys and scored 20 points.

With New Orleans (18-32) hovering around, Irving and James made the right amount of plays in the fourth to extend the Cavaliers' lead to 12. The Pelicans were held to 14 fourth-quarter points after putting together a 27-point third.

Former Cleveland State basketball standout Norris Cole started the second half torching the Cavaliers hours after his alma mater retired his jersey. He scored his team's first 12 points of the half. When Anthony Davis provided the next four points, New Orleans found itself down five midway in the quarter. They nipped away, entering the fourth quarter down four.

The Pelicans never got any closer, as James and Irving went for nine and eight points respectively in the quarter to wipe away any upset chance.

Anthony Davis had 24 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.

Initially, the game had the feel of a bounce-back night after Friday's stunning loss to the Celtics. Cleveland went up by as many as 15 in the second quarter, but could never create more distance.

In the first James used an Anderson Varejao screen and Ryan Anderson came out to help reluctantly. James flew right past the big man and went in for a vicious one-handed jam. No one dared contest what would have been a posterizing moment.

Tristan Thompson grabbed 15 rebounds, although he went scoreless. Davis constantly yelled at the referees, complaining that Thompson was over his back.

Bryce Dejean-Jones shot an air ball with three minutes left in the half and the ball was sailing out of bounds. With the ball already out of play, Thompson raced over and tipped the ball back in bounds before it landed out. He had 11 boards in the first half.

Cleveland (36-14) was without Kevin Love (quad contusion) and Matthew Dellavedova (hamstring). It was Love's first missed game on the season and Dellavedova sat out his third consecutive game.

Head coach Tyronn Lue alerted media members before the game that Timofey Mozgov would start at center and Thompson would slide to the power forward spot. David Blatt would never reveal his starting lineup if one of his starters couldn't go out of fear of giving the opponent a competitive advantage.

"I don't care," Lue said about revealing his starters. "We still got to play the game."

Varejao got 25 minutes of playing time and was effective, with 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two assists -- far more important than his two points.

On deck

On Monday at 7 p.m. the Cavaliers will welcome the Sacramento Kings. It will be the first time these two teams will have met this season. Fox Sports Ohio will have the game.

A second half barrage of 3-pointers lifted Toledo to victory over Kent State, which allowed the opposition over 80 points for the second straight game.

KENT, Ohio -- Too much firepower from the Toledo Rockets led to a third straight loss for Kent State, 82-67, Saturday night in the M.A.C. Center as the Golden Flashes continue to search for answers.

"We're being tentative out there,'' KSU guard Galal Cancer said.

All three setbacks have come without the services of two of their top four scorers, guards Xavier Pollard and Jaylin Walker, who are lost for the season to foot injuries, and with point guard Kellen Thomas in a 7-for-29 shooting slump.

Kent's defense was solid in the first half, and the rebounding as well. But with no perimeter firepower to speak of, the opposition just throws up a zone, hugs up to Kent's post players inside and dares the rest to shoot.

Add in 11 halftime turnovers -- primarily from players trying to make up for the missing -- and Kent (15-8, 6-4) was fighting themselves and the Rockets (14-9, 5-5).

"With how we guarded in the first half, we needed to be up,'' Kent head coach Rob Senderoff said.

But Toledo built a 31-26 lead at halftime, when 6-11 center Nathan Boothe, the leading scorer in the MAC, already was in the books with 10 points. Then early in the second half, the Rockets suddenly could not miss. Combined with some foul trouble for the Flashes, Toledo's lead quickly jumped to 47-33 with 15:57 to play.

A timeout for Kent came with UT 6-for-6 shooting in the second half including 4-for-4 on 3-pointers. With 11:55 to go, the Rockets' lead was up to 58-43.

Amazingly, Kent had only missed one shot from the field to that point. But where the Rockets were 7-of-9 on 3-pointers, Kent's 2-for-2 behind the arc was not keeping up. As much as Kent has missed Pollard and Walker, its defense has withered as well.

"That's why we were winning games,'' Senderoff said. "We were defending at a high level. We have got to play better."

Some defense emerged late for Kent, cutting a 17-point deficit down to 70-60 with 4:58 to play. But the most encouraging sign in that stretch was that KSU's leading scorer, Jimmy Hall, was on the bench.

He returned at the last media break with Kent still down 10, and immediately forced up a tough shot. But Toledo converted a 3-point play on its next possession, and that effectively closed out the game.

Boothe finished with 27 points with Jon Williams adding 17. The plus for Kent, if it can continue, is that the Flashes got double-figure scoring games from guards Galal Cancer (19) and Deon Edwin (15) to go with 16 points from Hall.

The Rockets finished the game 12-of-19 on 3-pointers, including 9-of-11 in the second half. They shot 58.7 percent from the field for the game after shooting just 40-percent in the opening half.

Kent shot 58.6 percent from the field in the second half, and 49.1 percent for the game, but it was not enough.