See who won and lost around the OHSAA on Friday in girls basketball.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Friday's girls basketball scores from around the state, courtesy of The Associated Press:

Archbold 87, Edgerton 37

Bucyrus 38, Crestline 28

Bucyrus Wynford 61, Morral Ridgedale 60

Caledonia River Valley 59, Galion 19

Canal Winchester 54, Sunbury Big Walnut 48

Cardington-Lincoln 70, Fredericktown 43

Centerburg 41, Marion Elgin 38

Cle. Glenville 69, Cle. Max Hayes 14

Cle. Hay 78, Cle. Whitney Young 21

Cle. Rhodes 43, Cle. MLK 34

Cols. Africentric 62, Cols. Independence 28

Cols. Beechcroft 64, Cols. Whetstone 30

Cols. International 37, Cols. East 21

Cols. Northland 89, Cols. Mifflin 34

Cols. South 64, Cols. West 12

Cols. Upper Arlington 70, Grove City Cent. Crossing 30

Fairfield Christian 67, Lancaster Fisher Cath. 27

Fairview, Ky. 57, Franklin Furnace Green 15

Granville 60, Pataskala Licking Hts. 52

Grove City 47, Lancaster 28

Grove City Christian 53, Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 36

Groveport Madison Christian 42, Northside Christian 24

Hilliard Bradley 44, Thomas Worthington 37

Hilliard Darby 60, Delaware Hayes 43

Logan 52, Marion Harding 29

Marysville 49, Delaware Buckeye Valley 45

N. Robinson Col. Crawford 42, Sycamore Mohawk 34

New Washington Buckeye Cent. 72, Attica Seneca E. 53

Newark 79, New Albany 46

Newark Cath. 69, Heath 32

Reynoldsburg 58, Gahanna Lincoln 57

Richwood N. Union 72, Marion Pleasant 49

Sparta Highland 62, Mt. Gilead 28

Sugar Grove Berne Union 61, Millersport 27

Tol. Rogers 82, Tol. Bowsher 37

Upper Sandusky 54, Carey 42

Westerville S. 72, Lewis Center Olentangy 55

Worthington Kilbourne 50, Dublin Jerome 28

Hamler Patrick Henry vs. Holgate, ppd.

Without top player Jerry Higgins, No. 5 Villa Angela-St. Joseph boys basketball beats Lutheran East, 68-66.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jordan Burge certainly helped narrow the gap between the No. 13 Lutheran East boys basketball team and No. 5 Villa Angela-St. Joseph, but the experienced Vikings still prevailed. 

Despite being without standout point guard Jerry Higgins, VASJ did just enough to eke out a road nonconference victory, 68-66, Friday night. 

A Shaker Heights transfer, Burge quickly showed the kind of weapon he could be for the Falcons (2-1) this season by dropping in a game-high 27 points and helping keep the hosts in it against the defending Division III runner-up. But Lutheran East, which journeyed to a Division IV regional final last season, couldn't quite overcome a now-experienced Vikings outfit. 

"Us this year having the experience from last year in close games, we weren't rattled," said VASJ guard Will Butler, who sank four crucial free throws in the final minute to cement the visitors' victory. "We were in this last year against Beachwood, (St. Thomas) Aquinas, (Cleveland Central Catholic); this was nothing new to us. We were ready for the moment."

Burge put them to the test by consistently getting to the rim, or pulling up from behind the 3-point arc. But he missed several free throws for a Falcons team that saw a potential upset conquest evade them largely due to its work at the charity stripe. Lutheran East missed 19 free throws, with Burge failing to convert several and-1 opportunities he earned with his attacking style. 

Nevertheless, the junior forward had the Falcons in position to win, but Butler and the Vikings (2-1) continued to hang around. An 11-1 third-quarter run -- which included a Butler assist to Noah Newlon on a left-wing 3-pointer and accepting a fast-break pass from Danny McGarry for a fast-break layup -- turned a four-point Falcons lead into a six-point Vikings lead late in the stanza. 

Burge and Butler traded wing treys early in the fourth, but Lutheran East couldn't reclaim its advantage. Butler's fadeaway jumper with 1 minute, 15 seconds left gave the Vikings a 64-61 lead. Burge answered with two free-throw makes after a fast-break attempt, but VASJ forced Lutheran East's top weapon into a near-NBA-range wing 3-point try on the ensuing possession, and it misfired inside of 10 seconds left.

Nonetheless, the Falcons -- who made up for the transfer of Alex Heath to Cleveland Central Catholic by adding several imports of their own -- turned what was a 35-point VASJ romp in last season's matchup into a nail-biter.

"Jordan Burge is one of the best scorers in the state of Ohio, bottom line," Lutheran East third-year coach Anthony Jones said. "He's strong; he's powerful, can shoot the ball. We're very, very happy to have him.

"We have to play games like this. We lost a tough one in the regional finals (to Cornerstone Christian) last year and it was in a blowout. I said, 'You've gotta learn how to fight. You've gotta have more grit. You've gotta learn how to be tough.'"

Six-foot-7 sophomore Alonzo Gaffney added 17 points for VASJ, with McGarry contributing 12.

VASJ seventh-year coach Babe Kwasniak has a more seasoned team than the youthful group of 2015-16 that defied skeptics all the way to the Division III title game. But the Vikings will be without Higgins for a while.

The junior point guard sustained an ankle injury in Week 10 of the Falcons' football season and attempted to come back in the basketball team's opener against Euclid, aggravating the ailment. Kwasniak said they will not rush their play-making backcourt performer back. 

"The guy we always put the ball in his hands wasn't there. (Jerry) does everything for us. The kids know it. They know how valuable he is and what he means to our team. For them to find a way to get this done was enormous," said Kwasniak. He described Friday as being an emotional day thanks to a confluence of factors -- one being the arrest of former VASJ blue chip talent Carlton Bragg, a current Kansas sophomore who was arrested for misdemeanor battery after an alleged fight with his girlfriend. 

VASJ will host Cleveland Central Catholic next Friday, with Lutheran East set to play host to Warrensville Heights on Tuesday. 

Poor defense was at the center of the Cavs' three-game losing streak. But the team appears to have gotten those issues under control.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In the past, a meeting with the Miami Heat would be meaningful for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, as there's plenty of history between the two sides.

But those ties are thing of the past.

Dwyane Wade is in Chicago. Chris Bosh's health is keeping him sidelined. Udonis Haslem, a Heat lifer, didn't even play because of personal reasons. Miami, in full rebuild mode, had eight players dressed and the Cavaliers took advantage, cruising to a 114-84 win.

Here are five observations:

Defensive change - Poor defense was at the center of the Cavs' three-game losing streak. But they appear to have gotten those issues under control.

"We're just having each other's back," Tristan Thompson said. "Multiple efforts. I think that was something we weren't doing last week, not having each other's back. We know we're capable of doing it, we just have to do it every night."

During last week's losing skid, the Cavs were giving up 114 points on 49.8 percent from the field.

Since the loss against the Bulls, a night James proclaimed the honeymoon stage to be over, the Cavs are holding opponents to 96.6 points on 39.4 percent from the field, which ranks third best over that stretch.

It's a small sample size, with games against New York, playing the third game in four nights, and short-handed Miami mixed in. But it's a start. And it's hard to overlook DeAndre Liggins' role in the reversal.

"That pitbull mentality," Thompson said of Liggins. "Defense wins games and that's what Liggs hangs hit hat on and that's his niche in the league."

On Friday, the Cavs highlighted two players on the pregame scouting report: Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic.

Liggins, starting his second straight game in J.R. Smith's absence, took the Dragic assignment, allowing Kyrie Irving to check Wayne Ellington instead.

Dragic scored 15 points on 4-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. He also committed four turnovers, matching his assist total. In the past, Dragic has shredded Irving and the Cavs' defense. 

Tyler Johnson, the de facto point guard, scored 12 points on just 5-of-17 from the field.

Liggins carves out role - So what happens when Smith is ready to return from his hyperextended left knee, something that could happen as soon as Saturday? Has Liggins done enough to stay in Tyronn Lue's ever-changing rotation?

"Yes, he has," Lue said pointedly. "He's done a great job for us and he's a big part of this three-game winning streak we have right now. His defense and his deflections, it's contagious. The way he plays and plays hard, guys respect that. I thought it was good for Kyrie to get off the ball, not having to guard too many pick-and-rolls. Put Liggs on those point guards and move Ky off the ball. He's been great for us these last three games and I know Kyrie appreciates it."

Liggins, a two-time D-League Defensive Player of the Year, hasn't always had defense-first mentality. Back in high school, Liggins was a star at Findlay Prep in Nevada, being named a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and the sixth-best point guard in his class. 

After a quiet freshman year, Kentucky hired John Calipari as head coach and that's when Liggins' attitude changed.

"He brung in guys like John Wall and Eric Bledsoe and he told me in order to play I had to defend," Liggins said. "Ever since then I carried that mindset with me and that edge."

That's essentially what the Cavs have told Liggins as well. They have enough scoring. He understands he's capable of doing more. But the Cavs need his defense and intangibles. Along with the occasional 3-pointer. 

He finished with five points, three blocks, one steal, two rebounds and two assists. 

Eliminating Hassan Whiteside - The Cavs opened the second half on an 11-4 spurt, building what looked like an insurmountable 18-point lead.

Unhappy with his team's effort, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra made a quick substitution at the 9:18 mark of the third quarter, yanking Whiteside, who seemed frustrated all night.

Spoelstra cited a lack of energy coming from his cornerstone player. Whiteside, who entered the game averaging a double-double (17.6 points and 14.7 rebounds) finished with eight points on 4-of-10 from the field to go with 12 rebounds and four turnovers.

"We tried to just keep a body on him and that frustrates players," Thompson said. "That frustrates me. Whenever I'm trying to go for offensive rebounds and there's always a body -- sometimes a player makes you bring your energy down. But that's what we want. We want to get him out of his game and get him frustrated."

With Whiteside in the game, Cleveland scored 144 points per 100 possessions, a stat tweeted out by ESPN's Tom Haberstroh after the game.

Iman Shumpert backing up words - Shumpert vowed to bounce back this season. He shot a career-worst 29.5 percent from beyond the arc and 37.4 percent overall during an injury-riddled 2015-16 campaign.

So he worked his butt off in the summer, tweaking his shooting motion and dropping weight to get more lift on his jumper.

"He put a lot of work in, just really trusting his shot, knowing the spots where he's going to be getting his shots," said Irving, who spent part of the off-season with Shumpert in Miami.

Shumpert scored 10 points off the bench on Friday night, connecting on 4-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range.

He has made multiple triples in seven of 20 games. Last year, he reached that mark in just 10 of the 54 games. He's also shooting 45.3 percent from long range, which ranks eighth in the league and second-best on the team.

While many attribute his early-season success to a strong summer, Lue thinks something else is playing a large role.

"I think winning," Lue said. "When you win and he was a big part of what we did, and then just accepting is role. We know he can do more with the basketball, but with Kyrie, Kevin and LeBron, we really don't need that at all times with Shump. He understands his role."

[?] [?] [?] pic.twitter.com/46lf11YkZH

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 10, 2016

Two rings - Prior to Friday's blowout, Liggins and Irving received new hardware.

Following his pregame workout, Liggins was presented a D-League title ring, one that he captured last season as a member of the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Smiling when talking about the accomplishment, Liggins told me he's going to give it to his grandma, hoping she keeps it safe for him.

As for Irving, he was handed his Team USA ring after helping the Americans win the gold medal in Rio this summer.

"Tremendous honor, it was a tremendous honor," Irving said. "Can't forget the journey of thinking about how long it's taken to even get a gold medal and let alone a USA ring. Starting on the select team, the banter with Kobe (Bryant), and getting asked to come back every single year to play for USA basketball. And for me to even join USA, it started with Coach K and guys that have come before me, it's just nothing but respect."

Browns' Joe Haden isn't showing his face much out during this brutal 0-12 season. The Browns are the butt of every joke. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Joe Haden, Cleveland's man about town, has mostly been holing up inside his house during this 0-12 skid.

"It's tough, it's super tough,'' he said. "I've never been in a situation like this where we're literally the laughingstock of every joke. I can't look at any sports net or anything and they're not saying at least he's not going to the browns, stuff like that. It's tough, it sucks and you're hearing if from everywhere. Everybody's giving it to you. There's really nothing you can do but go win.

"That's what I'm saying, there's nothing that can change this but winning, there's nothing else I can say if we go out there and lose again. Everything is all determined on winning and all determined on the scoreboard at the end of the game. until we get that changed we're going to be the laughingstocks.''

Haden doesn't appreciate all the shots the Browns are taking, including former Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart saying this week the internet show Tunein.com that the Browns would lose to college powerhouse Alabama.

"It's a smack in the face. It makes you very upset,'' he said. "That's a slap in the face, it doesn't make any sense. Alabama's a great program, they've got amazing players, they've got players that are going to play in the NFL. We've got a team full of NFL guys. Comparing college team vs. NFL team is disrespectful.

Every time Haden turns on the TV, he sees Jimmy Fallon or Stephen Colbert ripping them for 0-12 -- and for fans planning an 0-16 parade.

"Oh, man, this is terrible. This is terrible. You're talking about an 0-16 parade,'' he said. "It's very, very tough and it hits you right between the eyes because I'm on the team, there's something I can do about it and that's why I'm playing. But when you get all that talk ... the worst thing I've ever seen is us getting beat 34-0 to 'bama. Once I've seen that, there was just nothing else to talk about.''

Stephen Colbert unleashes Browns jokes

Haden, who's normally out at every Cavs game, interacting with fans and signing autographs, is spending a lot more time at home changing diapers for Joe Jr. these days.

"Oh, yeah. There's nothing to do, why would I go out? Everybody in Cleveland, they recognize me,'' he said. "I'm a professional athlete in the city of Cleveland. When it's not the season, I'm hanging out, it's just so much easier to be able to talk. But now it's really nothing to say.

"We've got to go out there, we're trying our hardest, I'm trying to get a win, I'm pushing, I'm fighting. But it's tough. It is tough. It is tough. There's nothing really to talk about about what's going on. They ask you, the fans and stuff, you just want to give em victories. You want to win some games, man, but it just hasn't come. It's just a little tough. So I don't really do too much of anything in Cleveland right now.''

Haden isn't any more fired up by the knowledge that by Sunday, it will have been 364 days since the Browns won a game - a 24-10 victory over the 49ers by Johnny Manziel no less. 

"There's no more sources of motivation, bro,'' said an exasperated Haden. "There's nothing, anything else anybody says. We keep losing all the games. You have to win a game. No other ulterior motivation can make you go harder, play harder, do anything.

"It's like we keep getting slapped in the face. Our coach, he played for them, we've got to go get a win for him. We lost 364 days in a row, we've got to get a win. We haven't won a preseason game this season, we haven't won anything. So it's really like, all right, we keep losing, we've got to go out and win. So that's the way you carry it.''
 

The Cleveland Cavaliers wore orange throwback jerseys this weekend as part of their Hardwood Classics campaign. What is your all-time favorite Cavaliers jersey style?

Brunswick selects Mark Pinzone as the next football coach replacing Luke Beal after seven seasons.

BRUNSWICK, Ohio – Mark Pinzone has been selected as the next head football coach at Brunswick.

Pinzone, who coached four seasons at Buckeye, replaces Luke Beal after seven seasons.

BUCKS FB MEN: My absolute honor 2 b ur coach these 4yrs. Thank u so much!! Can't wait 2 follow ur success!!- Forever in my heart!-coach Zone

— Mark Pinzone (@CoachPinzone) December 10, 2016

Pinzone made in a statement on Twitter: “My absolute honor 2 b ur coach these 4yrs. Thank u so much!! Can't wait 2 follow ur success!!- Forever in my heart!-coach Zone”

In each of Pinzone’s four seasons at Buckeye, the program advanced to the playoffs and won the Patriot Athletic Conference title.

Pinzone moves from Division III into I where Brunswick faces Greater Cleveland Conference opponents like title winner Solon, and region opponents Olentangy Liberty, Lorain and Medina.

Pinzone takes over a Brunswick program that finished 2-8 last season missing the playoffs and 36-36 in the past seven seasons with Beal. The Blue Devils made two playoff appearances during Beal’s tenure.

This story will be updated as remarks become available.

See related: Luke Beal parts with Brunswick football after seven seasons

Olympic hero Simone Biles tossed T-shirts to Cleveland Cavaliers fans during the Cavs game against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers fans welcomed four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles to Quicken Loans Arena during Saturday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, and the diminutive gymnast returned the favor by tossing out T-shirts to the crowd.

Biles, who was born in Columbus, won four golds and a silver at the Rio Olympic Games, and made an appearance on the Humongotron during a timeout in the first quarter of Saturday's game.

In-house announcer Ahmaad Crump hugged Biles and thanked her for her efforts on behalf of Cavaliers fans, and then invited Biles to take part in the Huntington T-shirt toss, distributing shirts to fans in the stands.

We're head over heels excited that the incredible @Simone_Biles is here tonight! [?] [?] [?] #CavsHornets || #CavsHWC pic.twitter.com/N7WPTzgDH5

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 11, 2016

The Buckeyes moved to 8-2 with a win over the Huskies on Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State didn't want to string together multiple losses coming off its game against Florid Atlantic on Tuesday night. And the Buckeyes play No. 2 UCLA in seven days.

So Saturday's game against Connecticut was about as must-win as a December nonconference game can be.

The Buckeyes won, 64-60, avenging a 20-point loss at UConn last year and making sure they didn't go skidding into next weekend's game against the Bruins.

Ohio State and UConn were tied at 54 at the final media timeout with 2:40 left. It's December, but whatever happened next was going to have a major impact on the season and tell you a lot about the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes built a 62-54 lead from there on good defense and free throws. UConn had the ball down four with nine seconds left, and Ohio State forced two bad shots at the end to come away with the win.

Trevor Thompson had the best game of his Ohio State career. The junior center led the Buckeyes with 17 points and 17 rebounds. JaQuan Lyle had 16 points, Jae'Sean Tate had 13 and Ohio State survived shooting 2-of-18 from 3-point range.

UConn put together a 10-0 run that spanned both halves, and built a lead that got up to as much as eight. It took Ohio State some time to claw back, but the Buckeyes put together a methodical, three-minute 7-0 run and took a 49-47 lead on a pair of Thompson free throws with 8:01 left.

That was the Buckeyes' first lead in 13 minutes.

What it means

Ohio State (8-2) got a win it needed to have coming off a loss to Florida Atlantic. The Buckeyes have one more major nonconference tilt left, but guaranteed at least a split in four games against Providence, Virginia, UConn and UCLA.

Mental lapse before half

Here's a sequence that's a microcosm of Ohio State's season:

The Buckeyes called timeout with 32 seconds left in the first half to draw up what they hoped would be the final shot. They looked confused, could never find the right look and settled on a forced Loving jumper that missed the rim.

UConn came down the other end, and Ohio State somehow lost Jalen Adams, the Huskies' leading scorer. Adams hit a wide open 3-pointer at the buzzer to send UConn into the break with a 34-32 lead.

That didn't undo all of the good the Buckeyes did in the first half, and there was some, but that's the kind of quick mental lapse that's plagued Ohio State all year.

The Buckeyes led 12-4 in the early going, but then went cold from the field. UConn climbed back in it with Ohio State mired in a 2-for-14 stretch in the middle of the half. The Huskies took a brief 19-18 lead with 7:05 left.

Ohio State regained the lead on a personal six-point run from Thompson and led the rest of the half until Adams' 3-pointer.

What's next?

Ohio State has a week off before playing No. 2 UCLA next Saturday in Las Vegas. Tip-off set for 3 p.m., and the game will be televised on CBS.

The road finally caught up to Mount Union on Saturday as the Purple Raiders fell to host Mary Hardin-Baylor in the Division III semifinals, 14-12.

MIKE SCHOEFFEL
Special to The Plain Dealer

BELTON, Texas -- For the first time since 2004, Mount Union won't be in the NCAA Division III national championship.

The Purple Raiders fell to undefeated Mary Hardin-Baylor (14-0), 14-12, in a national semifinal game Saturday. Mary Hardin-Baylor will face Wisconsin-Oshkosh (13-1) in the Division III national championship game, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in Salem, Virginia on Friday at 7 p.m. It's Mary Hardin-Baylor's first appearance in the national title game since 2004, when it defeated Mount Union in a national semifinal.

Mount Union's loss also means there will be a new Division III national champion this season. The Purple Raiders won last year's title by defeating St. Thomas, 49-35, giving fourth-year head coach Vince Kehres, son of long-time Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres, his first national championship.

"I felt like this year's team overachieved to some degree," said the younger Kehres. "We lost a lot from last year's team. We had a young, inexperienced team coming back this year and to battle back from the loss earlier this year, and to go on the road today and show our resiliency with our backs against the wall, I couldn't be prouder."

• Game summary

The loss on Saturday afternoon was a historic one for the Purple Raiders, who entered the game winners of 114 consecutive road games, including three in these playoffs, a D3 first. Mount Union's last road defeat came to Albion, 34-33, in the 1994 postseason. Mary Hardin-Baylor, meanwhile, extended its winning streak to 14 games. It's the longest in the 18-year history of the program.

"We have tremendous respect for Mount Union and all of their accomplishments," said Mary Hardin-Baylor head coach Pete Fredenburg. "But we also take a lot of pride in what we've been able to accomplish. We haven't gotten to the Stagg Bowl, but we've been knocking on the door. For one reason or another, we've fallen short. We addressed it and worked our tails off to get better. It's an incredible step for our program."

Mount Union's first-ever game in the state of Texas was a defensive struggle from the start. The Purple Raiders trailed 14-6 with 4:23 remaining in the fourth quarter when quarterback Dom Davis scored on an 8-yard scramble. The two-point conversion failed, leaving Mount Union trailing 14-12 without much time to spare.

The Purple Raiders' comeback hopes were dashed when Mary Hardin-Baylor defensive lineman Ajay Fanene intercepted a screen pass with just over two minutes to play in Mount Union territory. Mount Union forced a fourth-and-long on the Crusaders ensuing drive, but Mary Hardin-Baylor converted on a fake punt pass to seal the victory with 40 seconds left on the clock.

"I wish I could take credit for calling that play, but little number 32 [punter Baylor Mullins] made that call," said Fredenburg. "If I would have had the option to call it, I probably wouldn't have. It was a spur of the moment thing, and it just happened to work out."

Mount Union took a 3-0 lead after kicker Alex Louthan hit a 30-yard field goal with 8:08 left in the first half. The Crusaders scored the first touchdown of the game when Mary Hardin-Baylor quarterback Blake Jackson launched a Hail Mary that was tipped by T.J. Josey and caught in the end zone by Wykeyhe Walker with 3:47 to play in the half.

"I thought I had thrown a touchdown to T.J.," said Jackson. "When I saw it was Wykeyhe, I was like 'Man, what happened?'"

Louthan hit another field goal -- this one from 32 yards -- to counter Jackson's bomb and make it 7-6 at the break.

However, Jackson scored the eventual game-winning touchdown with 1:53 to play in the third, when he capped a 14-play, 4:55 drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak. The Crusaders led 14-6 at that point.

Jackson led Mary Hardin-Baylor in passing and rushing. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 159 yards. He also rushed 19 times for 87 yards. Mount Union running back B.J. Mitchell rushed 31 times for a game high 137 yards. Adam Mihoci led the Mount Union defense with 14 tackles, two for loss.

In the press conference after the game, a composed and gracious Kehres answered questions from the media and looked for the silver lining in what was Mount Union's first two-loss season since 1994.

"I'm so proud of our effort," said Kehres. "Give credit to Mary Hardin-Baylor. They out-executed us out there a little bit today. I think we overachieved to some degree this season."

Then he added: "We'll be back."

(Mike Schoeffel is a freelance writer in Austin, Texas)

The vote here went to the most explosive player of a team that won the head-to-head matchup with the No 2 finisher and also ended its season stronger -- Clemson's Deshaun Watson.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Deshaun Watson of Clemson got my Heisman vote.

I think he runs through the bad dreams of Ohio State coaches the way he zig-zags across the film screens in the coaching room as they prepare to face the dual-threat Clemson quarterback in the College Football Playoff semifinal on New Year's Eve.

Louisville's Lamar Jackson won the vote announced on ESPN Saturday night.

Why not Jackson?

Watson was a narrow choice on my ballot over Jackson, mainly because Clemson won the head-to-head meeting in a shootout.

Watson was responsible for more touchdowns, 5-3, with all of his in the air and two of Jackson's three were delivered by his own legs. Jackson had more total offense.

I went with the winning team and factored in the additional pressure Watson faced as the quarterback of a national runner-up last season who was back for another try.

Jackson plays football at a basketball school. It's just not the same pressure.

Also, Louisville lost its last two games, to Houston, which really hadn't already arrived as a great power, as it was hyped to be during most of the season, and its final game, the rivalry game to Kentucky.

I like a hot team with hot stars in November or December, because that is the measure of a team and player's growth.

Why Barkley and not Samuel or Peppers?

I try to place a Big Ten player on my ballot because I know regional prejudice is high in other sections of the country. 

I went with Penn State's Saquon Barkley for third place over Michigan's Jabrill Peppers and Ohio State's Curtis Samuel. Only Peppers was invited to New York for the award ceremony.

Barkley was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Although quarterback Trace McSorley was the bigger name in the Big Ten Championship Game comeback against Wisconsin, but for year-long effort, I leaned to Barkley.

He shared the Chicago Tribune's Silver Football award for the Big Ten's best player, voted on by league coaches, with Ohio State's inconsistent quarterback J.T. Barrett.

Samuel, the starting H-back, got the better of the more lauded Peppers in the de facto elimination game for the CFP, a double-overtime classic.

Peppers was not that effective in the wildcat and had no Charles Woodson play as a kick returner in a big game. Michigan's Woodson is the only primarily defensive player to win the Heisman.

It wasn't that Peppers had only one interception in his career, which came in The Game, of all places. A big part of that was opponents' reluctance to throw at the linebacker/cornerback.

It was significant tome that the pursuing Peppers couldn't run down Barrett, who is not Braxton Miller fast, on a 41-yard scramble in the fourth quarter.

For his part, Samuel made the killer plays in the two overtimes in the Buckeyes' 30-27 comeback victory. Ohio State gained 50 yards on its two touchdown drives then. Samuel gained 41 of them.

But he was simply too limited on touches all year to move him past Barkley.

The Sugar Hill Gang performed 'Rapper's Delight' during halftime of the Cavaliers vs. Charlotte game on Saturday. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Legendary rappers The Sugar Hill Gang performed their signature hit "Rapper's Delight" during halftime of Saturday's Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte Hornets game at Quicken Loans Arena.

The performance was part of Cleveland's Hardwood Classics Night that saw the team wear orange throwback jerseys from the 1983-87 seasons for the second consecutive home game.

The team also re-played Friday's sensational music video send-up of Rick Astley's 80s hit "Never Gonna Give You Up," while in-arena video tributes harkened back to the franchise's days at the Richfield Coliseum with images of John "Hot Rod" Williams, World B. Free, Mark Price and Brad Daugherty.

Now what you hear is not a test...we have The Sugarhill Gang in the house tonight! #CavsHWC pic.twitter.com/CKXd0ua36j

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 11, 2016

St. Edward finished second as a team at the 2016 Walsh Jesuit Ironman wrestling tournament.

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – Two Ironman champions live under the same roof.

Brecksville coach Todd Haverdill thinks it is more rare than two brothers winning state wrestling championships.

Freshman Julian Tagg and sophomore Gabriel Tagg each won championships Saturday night at Walsh Jesuit’s annual Ironman tournament. They were Northeast Ohio’s lone champions at the event, in its 23rd year, which pulls wrestlers from New Jersey to California.

Blair Academy of New Jersey won the overall team standings with 196 points. St. Edward finished second, and the Bees were second behind the 106-pound freshman, Julian Tagg, and his 113-pound sophomore brother.

“It really doesn’t hit you that you have two brother champs until they won,” Haverdill said. “They’re two totally different kids in their approach to the sport. At the end of the day, I think it’s pretty special to have two kids who sleep in the same bedroom and have Ironman titles.”

Monroeville had a pair of brothers win Ironman crowns, Logan and Hunter Stieber, and they went on to wrestle in Ohio State. Most recently, Anthony and Zahid Valencia of St. John Bosco (Calif.) won championships as brothers in 2014.

The Tagg’s feat highlighted a Saturday night championship round that saw Brunswick’s Aaron Naples reach the finals at 195. The senior, also an all-district defensive end for the Blue Devils, lost in the finals to Jacob Warner of Washington, Ill., via 7-0 decision.

Naples finished sixth last year at the OHSAA state championships.

“It’s definitely a lot harder of a tournament,” Naples said. “Every match, you have to worry about a good kid from all over. It’s all going to be a state semifinal- or state final-level match.”

The Eagles reached their second-place team total behind the efforts of third-place finisher Bryce Andonian (120), sixth-place Matt Kazimir (126), fourth-place Allan Hart (132), sixth-place Cody Howard (195) and third-place Jared Campbell (220).

Campbell reached the state finals last year. So did Elyria heavyweight Kevin Vough, who beat Seth Janney of Malvern Prep (Pa.) for third place.

Elyria had three wrestlers reach the medal stand, including sixth-place Mick Burnett at 106 pounds and fifth-place J.T. Brown at 182.

The Tagg brothers were Brecksville’s only wrestlers in the championships on Saturday. Gabriel finished eighth at this event last year as a 106-pounder. He finished second in the state at that weight, and needed an extra period Saturday to fend off St. John Bosco’s Jesse Vasquez via pinfall.

“He never stopped wrestling,” said Julian, who embraced him following the finish. “He did what I told him to do. He never stopped.”

The older brother listening to the younger one?

“He tries to listen to me,” Gabriel said. “Usually he does.”

Haverdill characterized the older Gabriel as the stronger, controlled grappler. That’s what helped him earn the pin in extra time.

Meanwhile, the coach called his freshman, “long and lanky and wrestles an open style.”

It helped him score a 7-5 win against Lucas Byrd of Cincinnati La Salle.

“They just won the biggest high school tournament there is to win,” Haverdill said. “I think it validates that hard work pays off. I think this is a heck of a way to gain some confidence in terms of how good they really are.”

CLICK HERE FOR FULL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS.

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.

Strong first half play by Kent State overcomes sloppy second half as the Golden Flashes still win over NJIT on Saturday.

KENT, Ohio -- Kent State used a near-flawless first half to help them overcome a sloppy second half while still defeating New Jersey Institute of Technology, 87-71, Saturday evening in KSU's Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.

After committing just seven turnovers in the opening half, the Golden Flashes finished with 22. That allowed the Highlanders to close what was once a 23-point lead down to nine, 64-55, before the Flashes woke up long enough to build enough of a cushion to win.

Jaylin Walker had a 19-point opening half in just 15 minutes of play. Yet he was only the partial catalyst to Kent's 47-30 halftime lead over NJIT. Defensively, Kent forced nine turnovers, and was relentless on the glass at both ends of the court.

Combined with solid 3-point shooting (6-of-14) and some deft passing, the Highlanders were kept on their heels trying to contain the Golden Flashes.

And still this is a team searching to find itself. Coach Rob Senderoff went 11 deep, getting some kind of production in the stats sheet from each one. And this was with Rosel Hurley and Danny Pippen injured and not able to play.

The challenge was not to lose focus and keep the Highlanders reeling for another 20 minutes. Kent was not up to that challenge as the Flashes had their turnover woes. But continued strong play on the glass, 39-32, along with forcing the Highlanders into their fair share of miscues as well with 18, was enough to lift KSU to 7-3 on the season.

Women first: In the opening game of the doubleheader, Kent State's women earned a 75-60 victory over Youngstown State to lift KSU to 6-4 on the season under first-year coach Todd Starkey. Kent held the Penguins to 39.7 percent shooting for the game and forced 15 turnovers.

Offensively the Golden Flashes shot 46.4 percent from the field and had four players in double figures, including McKenna Stephens with 17 points.

"We're ready to go,'' she said. "We can't wait for conference."

Ohio State pulled out a must-have 64-60 win over UConn on Saturday night. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Thad Matta didn't have a rah-rah speech for the timeout that preceded the biggest 2-minute, 40-second stretch of the Ohio State basketball season thus far.

Tied at 54 with Connecticut in a must-have game, here's what Matta's message was:

"Honestly it was, we've worked on this, we've been in this situation before," Matta said. "We wanted to make sure we were getting shots at the basket, that we were executing at a high level, making them make decisions defensively. At the other end, challenging and rebounding shots."

Not exactly something to make you go run through a wall. It was simple.

This Buckeyes team needs simple. Simple got them a win.

Ohio State went on a 8-0 run after the timeout, not allowing a UConn field goal until there were 26 seconds left. The Buckeyes didn't exactly light things up on the offensive end, but they did go 10-for-12 from the the free thrown line and missed only one field goal during that stretch.

During the same stretch, UConn went 2-for-8 from the field and turned it over twice.

The Buckeyes (8-2) came away with a 64-60 win that was needed, but not necessarily pretty, and that told us some things about the team.

"We thought about Tuesday night (a loss to Florida Atlantic)," sophomore guard JaQuan Lyle said. "We felt like were in the same situation and didn't make smart plays in crunch time, and tonight I feel like we did. Me myself, I didn't turn the ball over, so that's a plus. We all stayed focused, made winning plays and made smart plays."

Lyle started the crucial series by pilfering the ball from UConn guard Jalen Adams, who finished with 19 points and gave Ohio State problems all game. He's probably the best individual talent Ohio State has played so far this season.

The steal led to a breakout for Lyle, who missed a layup that was rebounded by Trevor Thompson. Thompson was fouled, made both free throws and Ohio State was off rolling in that final stretch.

That's how the bulk of those final 160 seconds played out for Ohio State. There was nothing earth-shattering in there, other than more proof that this is going to be a defense-first team when it's going right, and that's what's going to full the offense on most nights.

Ohio State center Trevor Thompson had 17 points and 17 rebounds in the Buckeyes' win over UConn on Saturday.Paul Vernon, Associated Press 

You can win that way.

"It was a big game," Matta said. "They're all big. I was proud that they did a decent job of getting back. The biggest thing is we defended in the second half, (UConn shooting) 54 percent in the first half was unacceptable."

The Huskies shot 35 percent in the second half.

This UConn team was short-handed and in foul trouble. This wasn't the Huskies team that beat Ohio State by 20 in Storrs, Conn., last year. This isn't a season-altering win because there's too much ahead of Ohio State and not enough of a track record to tell you it can win the big games it needs to.

That starts next Saturday against No. 2 UCLA and into Big Ten play in a few weeks.

But this game would have been a season-altering loss, a sign that again Ohio State couldn't beat the best teams on its nonconference schedule and a possible springboard into another disappointing season.

Winning a nonconference game like that is important when it comes to sorting through resumes around NCAA Tournament time. Losing streaks, especially ones that start against Florida Atlantic, stick out.

UConn was picked to finish second in the American Athletic Conference. This could end up being a nice win for the Buckeyes.  Ohio State guaranteed itself at least a split of its big nonconference games this year against Providence, Virginia, UConn and UCLA.

The Buckeyes were far from perfect, shot poorly and were buoyed offensively by a 26-of-34 night from the free throw line. Outside of a very solid 17 points and 17 rebounds from Thompson, they weren't consistently taking it to UConn.

But they buckled down in those final 160 seconds, and pulled out a win they needed to have.

"Coach Matta told us the game is not over, we're not gonna lose this game," Thompson said. "So we just came into the second half with that confident mentality. We had 20 minutes to play, we had to give it everything we've got."

See who won and lost around the OHSAA on Saturday in girls basketball.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Saturday's girls basketball scores from around the state, courtesy of The Associated Press:

Akr. East 37, Akr. North 29

Akr. Hoban 65, Cle. Hts. Beaumont 29

Akr. Manchester 46, Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 41

Alliance Marlington 59, Can. South 35

Amanda-Clearcreek 50, Lancaster Fairfield Union 48

Amherst Steele 56, N. Ridgeville 49

Ansonia 54, Yellow Springs 48

Antwerp 54, Gorham Fayette 27

Arcadia 48, Bloomdale Elmwood 42

Arlington 99, Ada 24

Austintown Fitch 74, Youngs. Ursuline 65

Avon 36, Avon Lake 33

Baltimore Liberty Union 61, Ashville Teays Valley 29

Barberton 54, Canal Fulton Northwest 29

Barnesville 38, Richmond Edison 27

Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 65, Elmore Woodmore 48

Bedford 56, Cle. Hts. 42

Bellaire 47, Bridgeport 29

Bellbrook 70, Franklin 45

Bellevue 63, Ashland 42

Berea-Midpark 49, Lakewood 45

Berlin Hiland 77, Millersburg W. Holmes 19

Beverly Ft. Frye 34, Linsly, W.Va. 23

Bloom-Carroll 58, Cols. Hamilton Twp. 16

Botkins 52, Houston 47

Brookfield 73, Youngs. Liberty 32

Bryan 45, Edgerton 21

Cadiz Harrison Cent. 64, Brooke, W.Va. 61

Caldwell 55, Bellaire St. John 49

Can. Glenoak 59, N. Can. Hoover 55

Can. McKinley 55, Massillon Perry 45

Carlisle 45, Middletown Madison Senior 42

Castalia Margaretta 71, Huron 28

Centerville 37, Kettering Fairmont 35

Chillicothe 62, Clarksville Clinton-Massie 31

Chillicothe Huntington 55, Chillicothe Zane Trace 29

Cin. Clark Montessori 58, Cin. Country Day 32

Cin. Glen Este 45, Milford 43

Cin. Indian Hill 45, N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor 36

Cin. Mariemont 37, Cin. Wyoming 26

Cin. Mt. Healthy 43, Fremont Ross 41

Cin. Oak Hills 64, Cin. Colerain 24

Cin. Purcell Marian 65, Middletown Fenwick 44

Cin. Seven Hills 48, Lockland 22

Cin. Summit Country Day 62, Cin. Christian 31

Cin. Sycamore 49, Hamilton 37

Cin. Turpin 46, Cin. Walnut Hills 43

Circleville 64, Circleville Logan Elm 49

Cle. Cent. Cath. 43, Cle. VASJ 38

Cle. St. Joseph 39, Massillon Washington 35

Clyde 53, Oak Harbor 48

Coldwater 67, Spencerville 24

Collins Western Reserve 60, New London 43

Cols. Africentric 70, Cols. Centennial 24

Cols. DeSales 44, Dublin Jerome 34

Cols. Ready 56, Cols. School for Girls 17

Danville 62, Mansfield St. Peter's 43

Day. Carroll 60, St. Bernard Roger Bacon 48

Delta 53, Genoa Area 49

Dover 64, Byesville Meadowbrook 32

E. Cle. Shaw 71, Lorain 52

E. Palestine 49, Wellsville 42

Eaton 46, Day. Oakwood 38

Fostoria St. Wendelin 49, Vanlue 17

Franklin Middletown Christian 76, Day. Horizon Science Academy 11

Fremont St. Joseph 67, Sandusky St. Mary 48

Ft. Loramie 61, Sidney Fairlawn 6

Ft. Recovery 44, Jay Co., Ind. 34

Garrettsville Garfield 51, Ravenna SE 49

Gibsonburg 61, Northwood 38

Girard 57, Campbell Memorial 23

Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 50, Wooster Triway 30

Granville Christian 58, Cols. Wellington 23

Green 57, Uniontown Lake 37

Greenfield McClain 31, Washington C.H. 28

Groveport-Madison 53, Hilliard Darby 41

Hanoverton United 36, Mineral Ridge 28

Hartville Lake Center Christian 59, Hudson WRA 33

Hilliard Bradley 49, Hilliard Davidson 39

Huber Hts. Wayne 71, Beavercreek 52

Hudson 43, Cuyahoga Falls 40

Jackson Center 51, Anna 25

Kalida 43, Delphos Jefferson 38

Kenton 79, Van Buren 36

Kidron Cent. Christian 41, Loudonville 36

Kings Mills Kings 44, Loveland 37

Lebanon 58, Xenia 32

Leetonia 32, Lowellville 16

Lexington 35, Tiffin Columbian 29

Lima Shawnee 56, Ft. Jennings 52

Lisbon David Anderson 76, Sebring McKinley 21

Lodi Cloverleaf 68, Peninsula Woodridge 36

Louisville 49, Beloit W. Branch 48

Louisville Aquinas 56, Warren JFK 39

Lucas 49, Mansfield Christian 46

Lyndhurst Brush 49, Mayfield 34

Macedonia Nordonia 47, Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 24

Mansfield Madison 44, Sandusky 41

Mantua Crestwood 52, Rootstown 40

Maple Hts. 77, Warrensville Hts. 30

Mason 68, Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 31

Massillon Tuslaw 60, Orrville 52

McConnelsville Morgan 47, Dresden Tri-Valley 44

McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley 61, McComb 27

Mechanicsburg 66, Spring. Cath. Cent. 18

Medina Buckeye 41, Fairview 29

Miami Valley Christian Academy 42, Cin. Woodward 34

Miamisburg 58, Springfield 48

Milan Edison 51, Vermilion 40

Minerva 55, Alliance 9

Mogadore 68, Atwater Waterloo 46

Monroeville 44, Greenwich S. Cent. 33

Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 80, Bucyrus 44

Mt. Orab Western Brown 52, Georgetown 27

N. Baltimore 63, Tol. Maumee Valley 38

N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 50, Struthers 42

N. Ridgeville Lake Ridge 32, Can. Cent. Cath. 30

Napoleon 49, Liberty Center 36

Navarre Fairless 68, Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley 61

Nelsonville-York 46, Wheelersburg 34

New Hope Christian 26, Delaware Christian 25

New Knoxville 46, Sidney Lehman 32

New Lebanon Dixie 39, Brookville 34

New Madison Tri-Village 62, New Paris National Trail 31

Newcomerstown 38, Strasburg-Franklin 27

Newton Falls 40, Warren Champion 21

Newton Local 50, Bradford 24

Norton 53, Akr. Springfield 24

Norwalk 64, Mansfield Sr. 56

Ottoville 78, Bluffton 36

Oxford Talawanda 61, Morrow Little Miami 50

Pandora-Gilboa 58, Miller City 42

Parma 69, Cle. John Marshall 24

Philo 63, Zanesville W. Muskingum 42

Poland Seminary 76, Leavittsburg LaBrae 51

Portsmouth Notre Dame 50, New Boston Glenwood 45

Ravenna 52, Akr. Coventry 41

Reading 66, Cin. Finneytown 36

Reedsville Eastern 58, Jackson 44

Richfield Revere 71, Kent Roosevelt 36

Ridgeway Ridgemont 43, Mt. Gilead 34

Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington 39, Felicity-Franklin 26

Riverside Stebbins 48, Fairborn 32

Rocky River Magnificat 70, Shaker Hts. Hathaway Brown 54

Russia 53, Maria Stein Marion Local 33

Salem 56, Carrollton 50, OT

Sandusky Perkins 60, Port Clinton 20

Sidney 54, Troy 31

Solon 68, Medina 44

Spring. Greenon 45, Spring. NW 36

Spring. Kenton Ridge 75, St. Paris Graham 49

Springboro 60, Clayton Northmont 39

St. Henry 76, Union City Mississinawa Valley 44

Streetsboro 47, Mogadore Field 44

Strongsville 54, Shaker Hts. 49

Sugarcreek Garaway 67, Malvern 56

Sullivan Black River 50, Lorain Clearview 48

Swanton 39, Maumee 29

Tallmadge 43, Copley 24

Tol. Christian 50, Lakeside Danbury 44

Tol. Ottawa Hills 37, Tol. Emmanuel Baptist 24

Trenton Edgewood 54, Harrison 22

Tuscarawas Cent. Cath. 57, E. Can. 49

Urbana 51, Bellefontaine 41

Ursuline Academy 62, Cin. Winton Woods 24

Versailles 67, Casstown Miami E. 29

W. Chester Lakota W. 75, Cin. Princeton 35

W. Jefferson 49, Cols. Bexley 14

W. Lafayette Ridgewood 38, Magnolia Sandy Valley 27

W. Liberty-Salem 87, Spring. NE 41

Wadsworth 54, N. Royalton 44

Warren Howland 54, Canfield 38

Washington C.H. Miami Trace 58, Hillsboro 29

Waverly 63, Portsmouth Clay 60

Waynesfield-Goshen 81, Cory-Rawson 27

Waynesville 65, Day. Northridge 23

Wellington 62, Brooklyn 48

Wilmington 49, Lees Creek E. Clinton 28

Worthington Christian 54, Gahanna Cols. Academy 30

Youngs. Boardman 49, Canfield S. Range 33

Youngs. Valley Christian 61, Garfield Hts. Trinity 34

Zanesville 41, New Philadelphia 34

Zanesville Maysville 76, New Lexington 19

Proctorville Fairland 46, Seaman N. Adams 31

S. Webster 39, Belpre 23

Boyd Co., Ky. 61, Albany Alexander 58, OT

Logan 59, Stewart Federal Hocking 37

Racine Southern 46, Athens 41

Wellston 51, Williamsport Westfall 36

Ontario 51, Bellville Clear Fork 27

Shelby 69, Mt. Vernon 63

Chardon NDCL vs. Parma Padua, ppd.

Brecksville brothers Julian and Gabriel Tagg won championships Saturday at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman wrestling tournament. See how they fared, along with Brunswick senior 195-pounder Aaron Naples.

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Brecksville brothers Julian and Gabriel Tagg won championships Saturday at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman wrestling tournament. See how they fared, along with Brunswick senior 195-pounder Aaron Naples. The three were Northeast Ohio's last standing grapplers to reach the finals.

Here are team standings and results from the first-, third- and fifth-place matches Saturday at Walsh Jesuit.

Team standings (top 10, plus Northeast Ohio)

1. Blair Academy (N.J.) 196, 2. St. Edward 127.5, 3. Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) 118, 4. St. Paris Graham 116, 5. Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) 115.5, 6. Malvern Prep (Pa.) 109.5, 7. Brecksville 87.5, 8. Olentangy Liberty 85, 9. Nazareth Area (Pa.) 79.5, 10. Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 78.5, 11. Massillon Perry 74, 18. CVCA 55, 18. Elyria 55, 25. Wadsworth 42, 29. Brunswick 36, 50. St. Ignatius 16, 52. St. Vincent-St. Mary 15, 57. Lake Catholic 13.5, 63. Walsh Jesuit 12, 69. Archbishop Hoban 8.

Championship-round results (ordered in first place, third-place and fifth-place matches)

106 pounds: Julian Tagg (Brecksville) def. Lucas Byrd (Cincinnati La Salle), 7-5; Jacob Decatur (CVCA) def. Nick Incontrera (Blair Academy), 3-2; Ryan Chauvin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) def. Mick Burnett (Elyria), injury 1:39.

113: Gabriel Tagg (Brecksville) pinned Jesse Vasquez (St. John Bosco, Calif.), 4:42; Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy) def. Dylan D’Emilio (Genoa), 6-3; Joey Melendez (Montini Catholic, Ill.) def. Brakan Mead (Olentangy Liberty), 6-4.

120: Bea Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) def. Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic), 6-4; Bryce Andonian (St. Edward) pinned Dack Punke, 4:50; Julian Sanchez (Genoa) def. Michael Madara (Blair Academy), 3-1.

126: Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) def. Joe Silva (Highland, Prep, Fla.), 7-3; Anthony Madrigal (Oak Park and River Forest, Ill.) def. Real Woods (Montini Catholic, Ill.), 5-3; Jordan Decatur (CVCA) def. Matt Kazimir (St. Edward), 4-3.

132: Zackary Donathan (Mason) def. Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham), 3-1; Zachary Sherman (Blair) def. Allan Hart (St. Edward), 8-2; Grant Willits (Pueblo, Colo.) pinned Gary Joint (Lemoore, Calif.), 3:32.

138: Moises Guillen (Perrysburg) def. Cole Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.), 7-5; Malcom Robinson (Blair Academy) def. Grant Aronoff (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.), 4-2; Anthony Cheloni (Marmion Academy, Ill.) def. Gage Grunden (Defiance), 4-2.

145: Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) pinned Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.), 2:46; Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.) def. Dom Demas (Dublin Coffman), 6-2; Jake Brindley (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) def. Quinn Devaney (McDonogh School, Md.), 3-2.

152: Quentin Hovis (Poway, Calif.) def. David Carr (Massillon Perry), 5-2; Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty) def. Julian Ramirez, 2-1; Hunter Willits (Pueblo, Colo.) def Anthony Artalona (Tampa Preparatory School, Fla.), 3-2.

160: Georgio Poullas (Canfield) def. Andrew Merola (Blair Academy), 7-4; Hunter Bolen (Christianburg, Va.) def. Ryan Thomas (St. Paris Graham), 3-2; Erich Byelick (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) def. Joe Koontz (Massillon Perry), 10-0.

170: Mikey Labriola (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) def. Ryan Karoly (Malvern Prep, Pa.), 6-3; Emil Soehnlen (Massillon Perry) def. Trevor Lawson (Olentangy Liberty), 3-1; Bryce Rogers (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) def. Casey Cornett (Simon Kenton, Ky.), 3-2.

182: Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) def. Travis Stefanik (Nazareth Area, Pa.), 17-9; Jared Ball (Hilliard Darby) def. Kaden Russell (St. Ignatius), 12-1; J.T. Brown (Elyria) def. Trevor Nichelson (Ashland-Greenwood, Neb.), 4-1.

195: Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) def. Aaron Naples (Brunswick), 7-0; Kavan Sarver (St. Paris Graham) def. Danny Salas (St. John Bosco, Calif.), 3-2; Nick Mosco (Blair Academy) def. Cody Howard (St. Edward); injury 0:00.

220: Chase Singletary (Blair Academy) def. Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.), 4-2; Jared Campbell (St. Edward) def. Jeffrey Allen (Amherst County, Va.), 3-1; Dylan Thorp (Oak Harbor) def. Ben Sullivan (National Trail), 6-4.

285: Niko Camacho (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) def. Trenton Lieurance (Broken Arrow), 3-2; Kevin Vough (Elyria) def. Seth Janney (Malvern Prep, Pa.), 6-2; Jake Levengood (Vacaville, Calif.) def. Austin Gillham (Sultana, Calif.), 1-0.

Here are Saturday's boys basketball results from around the OHSAA, courtesy of The Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Saturday's boys basketball results from around the OHSAA, courtesy of The Associated Press.

Anna 56, New Knoxville 33

Ashtabula Edgewood 60, Middletown Madison Senior 42

Bainbridge Paint Valley 52, Southeastern 46

Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 47, Old Fort 41

Bedford 80, Bowling Green 57

Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 48, Waynesfield-Goshen 45

Botkins 68, Ridgeway Ridgemont 52

Brunswick 63, Warrensville Hts. 38

Caledonia River Valley 43, Delaware Buckeye Valley 40

Canal Winchester 61, Wellston 48

Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 78, Lancaster Fisher Cath. 32

Canfield S. Range 62, Girard 35

Carrollton 51, Uhrichsville Claymont 43

Casstown Miami E. 48, St. Paris Graham 47, OT

Castalia Margaretta 68, Monroeville 45

Centerville 57, Springboro 30

Chillicothe Huntington 47, Chillicothe Zane Trace 46

Chillicothe Unioto 64, Piketon 56

Cin. Hills Christian Academy 45, Cin. Seven Hills 29

Cin. St. Xavier 70, Cin. Hughes 63

Cin. Taft 88, Cin. Winton Woods 59

Cle. St. Ignatius 81, Erie McDowell, Pa. 60

Cols. Africentric 65, Cols. Centennial 55

Cols. Hartley 48, Bloom-Carroll 43

Cols. Mifflin 56, Dresden Tri-Valley 39

Cols. South 49, Johnstown-Monroe 47

Cols. Wellington 56, Patriot Preparatory Academy 46

Columbiana Crestview 54, Rockford Parkway 44

Columbus Grove 54, Lima Bath 39

Cooper, Ky. 54, Cin. Elder 43

Cory-Rawson 54, Fostoria St. Wendelin 45

Delphos St. John's 48, Elida 45

Dover 58, Cle. Max Hayes 22

Dublin Jerome 66, Washington C.H. Miami Trace 59

Dublin Scioto 51, Marysville 40

E. Liverpool 45, Brooke, W.Va. 42

Fairfield Christian 65, Sugar Grove Berne Union 38

Frankfort Adena 56, Williamsport Westfall 41

Fredericktown 40, Marion Elgin 36

Fremont Ross 60, Tiffin Columbian 56

Gahanna Lincoln 72, Whitehall-Yearling 54

Galion Northmor 57, Cardington-Lincoln 33

Gallipolis Gallia 63, Bethel-Tate 53

Garrettsville Garfield 55, Brookfield 47

Granville 51, Heath 46

Greenfield McClain 46, Jackson 38

Grove City Christian 115, Millersport 44

Groveport-Madison 53, Hilliard Darby 41

Haviland Wayne Trace 100, Paulding 50

Hilliard Bradley 66, Mt. Vernon 37

Hundred, W.Va. 53, St. Clairsville E. Richland Christian 28

Jamestown Greeneview 51, Lees Creek E. Clinton 35

Jeromesville Hillsdale 99, Sullivan Black River 85

Johnstown Northridge 48, Newark Licking Valley 32

Leavittsburg LaBrae 71, Bristol 51

Lexington 50, Marion Pleasant 48

Lima Cent. Cath. 70, Tol. Scott 68

Lima Perry 67, Delphos Jefferson 45

Lima Shawnee 59, Bluffton 37

Lima Temple Christian 59, Arlington 45

Mansfield St. Peter's 54, Mansfield Sr. 48

Massillon Washington 64, Louisville 60

Medina 66, Wadsworth 57

Millbury Lake 60, Delta 48

Nelsonville-York 38, Amanda-Clearcreek 36

New Hope Christian 59, Milford Center Fairbanks 57

Norwalk St. Paul 50, Fremont St. Joseph 44

Oak Hill 62, Pomeroy Meigs 40

Ohio Deaf 29, Ky. School for the Deaf, Ky. 23

Oldenburg, Ind. 47, Cin. DePaul Cristo Rey 18

Ottawa-Glandorf 54, Findlay Liberty-Benton 37

Pataskala Watkins Memorial 59, Utica 42

Pemberville Eastwood 52, Defiance Tinora 39

Pettisville 68, Montpelier 57

Plain City Jonathan Alder 48, Marion Harding 35

Portsmouth Clay 70, Manchester 64

Racine Southern 49, Bidwell River Valley 48

Reading 51, Hamilton Ross 34

Richwood N. Union 82, Galion 61

Rittman 84, Mogadore Field 73

Rossford 51, Defiance 43

Sandusky 63, Mansfield Madison 51

Sandusky St. Mary 67, Port Clinton 53

Shadyside 72, Belmont Union Local 64

Sparta Highland 54, Howard E. Knox 39

Spencerville 66, Ft. Jennings 55

Spring. Emmanuel Christian 38, Granville Christian 36

St. Henry 71, Union City Mississinawa Valley 41

St. Marys Memorial 70, New Bremen 49

Struthers 63, New Middletown Spring. 53

Sycamore Mohawk 46, New Washington Buckeye Cent. 44

Temperance Bedford, Mich. 80, Bowling Green 57

Tontogany Otsego 50, Metamora Evergreen 42

Tree of Life 48, Groveport Madison Christian 42

Tuscarawas Cent. Cath. 53, Sugarcreek Garaway 49

Uniontown Lake 48, New Philadelphia 39

Upper Sandusky 74, Shelby 65

Van Buren 63, Miller City 54

Vandalia Butler 64, Day. Christian 49

Versailles 70, Covington 42

W. Unity Hilltop 45, Stryker 43

Wapakoneta 57, Sidney 38

Warren Champion 63, Newton Falls 52

Westerville S. 51, Cols. Eastmoor 41

Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 50, Tol. Waite 33

Wooster 64, Ontario 43

Youngs. Boardman 61, Poland Seminary 56

Youngs. Ursuline 54, Austintown Fitch 38

Akr. Hoban 46, Can. Glenoak 42

Athens 78, Chesapeake 47

Proctorville Fairland 71, Huntington, W.Va. 65

Saint Joseph Central, W.Va. 71, Ironton 59

Portsmouth 47, Waterford 44

Pittsburgh Obama, Pa. 56, Tol. Rogers 51

Cols. DeSales 76, Day. Thurgood Marshall 44

Day. Dunbar 75, Cols. Briggs 39

Day. Ponitz Tech. 67, Cols. West 45

Thomas Worthington 64, Day. Meadowdale 55

Can. Heritage Christian 58, Hebron Lakewood 56

New Concord John Glenn 80, Bay Village Bay 74

The Tigers put defensive pressure on Stow early and came through in the clutch for a 41-34 win.

STOW, Ohio – The Stow girls basketball team came into Saturday evening hoping to extend its early season winning streak and remain undefeated in its home opener.  

Suburban League National Division rivals Twinsburg (3-1, 3-0) had other ideas. The Tigers put defensive pressure on Stow early and came through in the clutch for a 41-34 win.

The game got off to a slow start for both teams, as they committed to trapping their opponents and taking away the passing lanes.  The result was very few baskets for either side in the first quarter and also a handful of turnovers for both teams.  There were nine turnovers combined in the first quarter alone.

“The reason it was a slow start is because this two really good defensive teams and they have two different styles of defense, but Stow always plays defensively well and their style works for them,” said Twinsburg coach Julie Solis.

The offensive struggles and ball handling problems continued in the second quarter. Stow ended up committing four more turnovers in the second quarter, while the Tigers committed three.  At halftime, it was 12-9 in favor of Twinsburg. 

“I do think in the first half we were offensively slow," Solis said. "I thought in the first half we were running through our offensive sets slow, which makes it easier to guard.  That’s something we did talk about.  We talked about penetration.  I thought we were a little passive and timid of offense."

Things picked up in the second half as both teams came out and were able to execute better.  The Bulldogs found offensive life in the form of forward Theresa Parr, who scored six points in the third quarter and was able to lead Stow to its first lead of the game at the end of the third quarter, 25-22.  The Bulldogs were able to put pressure on Twinsburg and knocked away several passes, as well as stripping several Tigers players to build up some momentum offensively.  Twinsburg had seven turnovers in the third quarter.

The Tigers quickly responded back thanks to the scoring of guard Jailyn Reed.  The Tigers guard poured in seven points in the fourth quarter and was able to lead Twinsburg to the impressive road victory against a conference rival.

“I thought Jailyn did a great job on both ends," Solis said. "She started attacking the basket in the second half and she really hasn’t been doing it that much this year.  She has the capabilities with her body control to be able to get to the basket."

The Bulldogs (2-1, 2-1) were just unable to executive their offensive sets when it mattered.  They missed open jump shots, weren’t able to convert on driving lay-ups, were hounded relentlessly by Tigers’ defenders and saw a number of passes poked away by Twinsburg, resulting in points at the other end. 

Stow finished the game with 20 turnovers.  The Tigers were able to hold Stow to 33 percent shooting for the game.  Twinsburg was also successful at running the Bulldogs off the three-point line, as Stow attempted just seven 3-point shots the entire game and only made one.

“Obviously it’s big," Solis said. "We’re trying to take it one game at a time and we have a tough road ahead of us here. It’s a big win and the kids are excited and the kids really focused and practiced this week to try and get it and they were able to capitalize."

The Tigers' leading scorers were Reed, who had 16 points on six-of-nine shooting from the floor; and combo guard/forward Dasja Anderson with 13 points. 

Stow was led by Parr, scored 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the floor. Guard Emily Andrassy had 10 points.

Twinsburg will try to keep the momentum going by hosting Wadsworth on Wednesday. Stow will take on Hudson, also on Wednesday.

Plenty was made about James' shooting struggles last season, the one bit of kryptonite. He shot just 30.9 percent from long range, his second-lowest career mark, and looked frustrated at times. This season, he's shooting 36.5 percent. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With Kevin Love dealing with an achy back, Channing Frye away from the team, J.R. Smith trying to regain his rhythm after a two-game absence and Kyrie Irving fighting tired legs on the second night of a back-to-back, LeBron James hopped in his supersized phone booth, tossed on his cape and delivered his finest regular-season performance of the year, carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers to a fourth straight win.

Here are five observations:

Another fast start - On the second of a back-to-back, the Cavs needed to get off to a fast start. They did, racing out to a 10-point advantage, 36-26, at the end of the first quarter.

"It was big for us," Love said. "Obviously we don't want to have that kind of look in the third quarter, but we wanted to set the tone early, especially on our home floor. We felt like we came out, had our coverages right. Came out firing, were super aggressive and I think that carried over throughout."

The Cavs scored at least 30 points in the first period for the fifth straight game and have now outscored the opposition in the opening period in six consecutive, establishing themselves as one of the best starting teams in the league.

"I think more than anything, we're distributing and sharing the basketball," Love said of the early success. "It's not just one guy or a couple guys, it's really all five of us on any given night. Guys can light it up and guys come in and we're not losing a step."

Love has been at the center of the early-game plan. The offensive focal point, Love scored 11 points on 5-of-7 from the field, with plenty of his work coming in the post.

In all, the Cavs scored 14 of their 36 in the paint, shooting 71.4 percent against the Hornets, a team that entered the night ranked fifth in defensive efficiency. They assisted on 11 of the 15 made shots.

Heavy legs - Irving didn't have it on Saturday night, something head coach Tyronn Lue knew prior to the game against Charlotte.

"He was tired," Lue said. "He didn't have his legs. Kevin was still moving stiff and Bron said he got us."

Irving still tried to put his mark on the game. He scored 11 points overall, shooting 4-of-13 from the field, snapping a streak of 12 consecutive games scoring at least 20 points. He also dished out four of his five assists in the first quarter, helping the Cavs build that early lead.

"You just have to accept the emotions, accept the frustration, accept what your body feels like and coach did a great job of getting me some easy buckets and getting me some post-ups, but I tried not to force it," Irving admitted. "Just tried to use my footwork as much as possible. Speed wasn't all the way there tonight, a little fatigued, especially in the legs, but like I said, just goes back to leaning on my teammates and them doing a great job of just picking me up in situations like this."

No showdown - Irving's fatigue prevented the usual point guard fireworks show.

Kemba Walker did his part, scoring 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

"Kemba is a great player," Lue said. "We tried everything. We tried to blitz him. We tried to switch. We tried to show. I mean, he just attacked us in every way and he turned the corner a lot on our blitzes, which opened up the floor and got guys open 3s. So he's a tough cover for us. We just tried to mix it up and keep him off balance."

Walker is a tough cover on any night. But with Irving having heavy legs...forget it. Walker took advantage early, going 4-of-4 from the floor with Irving as the primary defender. Shortly before the end of the first half, Lue switched up his defense, putting the longer, defensive-minded Liggins on Walker, which led to a turnover and blocked shot on back-to-back possessions.

Coming out of halftime, Lue went back to his customary starting group, with Irving guarding Walker again.

It went poorly. Walker broke down the Cavs' defense with relative ease. In the first four-plus minutes, Walker had five points and two assists, as the Hornets trimmed the Cavs' 15-point halftime edge to four.

That's when Lue called for Iman Shumpert.

"(Kyrie) had a tough matchup with Kemba and having to go through all those pick-and-rolls," Lue said. "I wanted to get Shump in there and put him on Kemba and then bring Kyrie back when (Ramon) Sessions came in the game."

3-point rise - Hornets head coach Steve Clifford used the word "hopeless" when asked pregame about the challenge of defending Cleveland. Turned out to be foreshadowing. At least, against James. 

"He was phenomenal," Clifford said. "When he's shooting the ball like that, there's nothing you can do, other than blitz and that's what he wants you to do. Then he'll really make you look bad."

That he did, finishing with 44 points on 17-of-24 from the field, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. He added 10 assists, nine rebounds, three steals and one block.

The gaudy numbers aren't anything out of the ordinary. Except for one. The five 3-pointers. He last hit five in November, 2015 against Milwaukee.

"I have the ability to make 3s," James said. "It doesn't drive my game. Teams sag off me or tempt me to shoot, I gotta go up and knock them down. I gotta keep defenses at bay and keep them off balance throughout the whole game where they're just not keying in on my drive or keying in on my postups."

Plenty was made about James' shooting struggles last season, one piece of kryptonite.

He shot just 30.9 percent from long range, his second-lowest career mark. This season, he's shooting 36.5 percent.

"It's always a rhythm thing for me at times, you know, so I'm just in a really good rhythm right now," James said.

Added Irving: "On nights like this, it just makes him a lot harder to guard, which I'm always amazed to see. Some teams decide they have to live with something, going under his screens and for me, when he's knocking those things down he's impossible to guard."

A little help - James was the star, reaching another milestone. But perhaps equally important for the Cavs was the minutes with him on the bench.

Late in the first quarter, during his three-and-a-half-minute rest, the Cavs' outscored the Hornets, 13-6. During that period, Love tallied five points while Iman Shumpert continued his sizzling outside shooting, canning two key triples.

The Cavs had the same success in the third, outscoring Charlotte, 8-3, while using another non-LeBron lineup.

There have been times this season the Cavs would've faded without James. Not Saturday. Outscoring the Hornets, 21-9, in those critical minutes played a big role in the double-digit win.

Shumpert helped, finishing with a season-high 16 points. 

LeBron James scored 44 points and the Cavs won their fourth straight on Saturday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James scored his most points this season on the night he became the first forward in NBA history to reach 7,000-career assists.

Because why not?

James erupted for 44 points and the Cavs beat the Charlotte Hornets 116-105 on Saturday night. Cleveland's won four straight after losing three in a row and the Hornets saw their own three-game winning streak end.

Five Cavs scored in double-figures, including Kevin Love (22 points, six rebounds) and Tristan Thompson (13 points, 12 rebounds).

The 44 points were James' most in a regular-season game since he dropped 61 on the Hornets on March 3, 2014, when he was a member of the Heat. It was James' highest-scoring game of any kind since he scored 44 in Game 1 of the 2015 Finals against the Warriors.

James, who played center for large stretches in the second and fourth quarters because of the absence of Channing Frye, was a sharp 17-of-24 from the field and 5-of-10 from 3-point range. He added nine rebounds and 10 assists in a team-high 43 minutes.

James is the only player ever to compile 27,000 points, 7,000 rebounds, and 7,000 assists. On Friday he moved past Elvin Hayes into ninth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. This was his fourth game of 30-or-more points this season.

James finished off the Hornets with a strong drive to the hoop with 27.8. Marco Belinelli tried to hog tie him, but James flipped it up and in and converted the free throw for an 11-point advantage. He played 80 minutes and scored 71 points in the Cavs' two wins this weekend.

Kyrie Irving had an off night, shooting 4-of-13 for 11 points. He had trouble guarding Charlotte's Kemba Walker, who led the Hornets with 24 points.

And yet with his first of two 3-pointers Saturday, Irving joined James and Mark Price as the third Cav with at least 600 3s. He snapped the three-game streak he shared with James and Love of scoring at least 20 points in the same game. Irving's personal streak of 12 games with at least 20 points also came to an end.

The last Cleveland trio to score 20 points apiece in three consecutive games was Austin Carr, Bingo Smith and John Johnson in February, 1972.

Iman Shumpert scored 16 points off the bench and continued his torrid shooting from 3-point range. He entered the game ninth in the NBA with a .453 shooting percentage from long range, and was 4-of-6 on 3s against the Hornets.

"Shump's play has been great for us," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "Just shooting the basketball, attacking the basket with straight-line drives or quick drives getting to the basket.

J.R. Smith returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two games because of the minor knee injury he suffered Monday in Toronto. Smith, who entered the game on an 8-for-42 shooting slump, scored six points on 2-of-6 shooting (all 3s) in 32 minutes.

Smith had been complaining about a sore left knee before it buckled under him when he landed after a shot in the first quarter against the Raptors.

"I think the biggest thing for J.R. was just getting the MRI and seeing that it was negative," Lue said. "No structural damage. That's a sigh of relief, especially when you think something's going on with it. And once you get past that and understand you can't damage it anymore, you just got to play through a little pain, then I think it's refreshing to the player."

The Cavs shot 68.3 percent (28-of-41) in the first half and led by as many as 19. They finished a season-best 57.5 percent shooting, besting their previous high of 55.4 percent from the night before against Miami.

Cody Zeller added 17 points for the Hornets and Belinelli chipped in 15 off the bench.

NEXT: The Cavs host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The same two teams play Wednesday in Memphis.