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Akron has everything but an NCAA victory

AKRON (AP) — Akron has already reached a milestone, becoming the first team to win the Mid-American Conference Tournament three straight years. The Zips have their sights set on another goal — an NCAA Tournament victory. In seven previous March Madness appearances, Akron has yet to reach the second round. The Zips (29-5) are the 12th seed in the Midwest Region and will face Texas Tech on Friday in Tampa, Florida. “We’re ready to take that next step, and we take pride in that. We’re not going to back down from anybody. We want to make history again,” said senior forward ...

AROUND THE HORN

The heat is on for spring training PHOENIX (AP) — Bringing the heat in spring training is supposed to be about hard-throwing pitchers, not triple-digit temperatures like those that will impact Major League Baseball spring training games in Arizona for several days this week. Because of a forecasted heat wave in the Phoenix area, at least 10 Cactus League games at six different stadiums that had been scheduled for afternoon starts between Wednesday and Friday will instead begin just after 6 p.m. local time. A game Saturday between the Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers in ...

Nezbeth earns second at state

COLUMBUS — Beaver Local sophomore Jake Hughes ended a 24-year school and Columbiana County state title drought with a 2-1 tiebreaker win over Bishop Watterson sophomore Tommy Rowlands in the Div. II 157-pound weight class on Sunday at the boys state wrestling tournament at the ...

United Local’s Brown ends career as four-time placer

COLUMBUS — Rematches against the No. 1 ranked wrestlers in the state in their respective weight classes didn’t change course for two area girls wrestlers who reached the championship final on Sunday at the girls state wrestling tournament at the Schottenstein Center. United Local senior Auston Brown and East Liverpool junior Paige Cowan both had seen their finals opponents earlier in the season, but the overwhelming favorites did their job. At 125-pounds, Cowan (42-5) was pinned by Chippewa’s Kayla Moroschan in 1:59. Moroschan had a takedown at 1:37 before putting the ...

Lions a heartbeat away

BARBERTON — The Heartland Christian Lions knew the challenge of the situation they were facing. And they knew the opponent well. But unfortunately, the Hillsdale Falcons used a strong shooting performance and solid defense to dramatically sneak past the Lions, 58-57, in a Division VII ...

Nezbeth puts in the work

COLUMBUS — Six area Div. II wrestlers won their opening round matches on Friday during the first day of the state boys wrestling tournament at the Schottenstein Center. Beaver Local freshman Jordan Bates, East Liverpool junior Kyle Ingram, Beaver Local senior Bobby Buchheit, West Branch senior Beau Nezbeth, Beaver Local sophomore Jake Hughes and Beaver Local junior Evan Ours all won to advance to the championship quarterfinals. Bates, ranked first at 106 pounds by DubStat, bested Streetsboro’s John Bollinger with a pin in 2:30. Bates will get Alter freshman Blake Foucht, ...