Cleveland, OH
How Alabama Basketball Plans to Counter Saint Mary’s Slow Pace
CLEVELAND –– Alabama men’s basketball is known for its lightning-quick pace. So much so that the Crimson Tide’s 78.8 possessions per game is the most in the nation.
This fast play-style has helped Alabama to create the No. 1 scoring offense (91.1 points per game) in college basketball, which has led to a placement as the 2-seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament.
The Tide survived a 90-81 scare against 15-seed Robert Morris in Cleveland on Thursday afternoon and will face 7-seed Saint Mary’s in the same Rocket Arena on Sunday.
While Alabama aims for as many possessions as possible, the exact opposite could be said about the Gaels. Saint Mary’s ranks 358th out of 364 in this category with 65.5 possessions per game. This has worked in their favor defensively as Saint Mary’s 60.5 points allowed per game is the fourth-best mark in the country.
“When we play these slower teams, it’s not really an adjustment, to be honest with you. I mean, we’re going to try to push the pace,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. “We just can’t let them get multiple shots on multiple possessions.
“We can’t get frustrated with their slow pace. I mean we may be lucky to get over 70 possessions. We’ve had multiple games this year where it’s been 80 possession games in 40 minutes. They’re comfortable playing closer to 60 possessions in the game sometimes. They’re a low-possession team, they’re very methodical, they’re very deliberate, and they’re very good at what they do. What they do, they do really well.”
Part of the reason for the Crimson Tide’s survival against Robert Morris was due to the Colonials winning 19-5 in the offensive rebounding battle. Alabama has a chance to redeem itself against the Gaels, but it will be extremely difficult as Saint Mary’s 13.9 offensive rebounds per game is good for No. 11 in the country.
This is how Alabama plans to counter Saint Mary’s slow pace.
“The emphasis is going to be on rebounding,” Oats said. “Some teams will be afraid to get in a running match with us…but they’re not. They send their three, four and five every single time, pretty much no matter what. So if we can defensive rebound, we can get some run-outs on these guys. So it’s not as if we’ve got to prepare. We just got to rebound, and we know it.”
“They’re not complicated in that they don’t run 50 different sets. They’re complicated in that they’re extremely good, and it’s hard to take them out of what they do. So they’re simplified, but good at what they do, and it’s going to take some toughness. You know, if we come in soft, we’re going to have a chance to win this game.”
Oats also emphasized that forcing tough shots will be crucial to Alabama’s success. In other words, continuing the Crimson Tide’s fast pace on offense won’t be Oats’ top priority as as keeping the Gaels on their toes will be higher on the totem pole.
Alabama forward Grant Nelson and guard Chris Youngblood are both aiming for as many possessions as possible but are also holding up Oats’ core values ahead of Sunday.
“Yeah, they obviously play a lot slower than us, so I feel like they’re going to try to slow the game down,” Nelson said. “But we saw yesterday at the beginning of the game when they played Vandy, where Vandy pushed the pace early and they got off to a good start. So we’re going to, obviously, try to play our game of basketball and push the pace on them.”
“It’s way easier to play fast when you’re getting stops, so the key is focus on getting stops and make sure we take care of the glass because they’re a great offensive rebounding team,” Youngblood said. “So the key is getting stops and taking care of the glass, and it’s easier to play fast where you’re playing off stops.”
CLEVELAND — Ohio is getting a jumpstart on winter.
Through the weekend, highs will drop with wind chills dipping into the negatives, according to Spectrum News 1 meteorologists. To help residents get out of the cold, the City of Cleveland is activating its warming centers through Monday.
Here are the warming centers that will be available:
- Michael Zone Recreation Center
6301 Lorain Ave.
(216) 664-3373 - EJ Kovacic Recreation Center
6250 St. Clair Avenue
(216) 664-4140 - Zelma George Recreation Center
3155 Martin L. King Blvd.
(216) 420-8800 - Collinwood Recreation Center
16300 Lakeshore Blvd.
(216) 420-8323
And here’s how long they’ll be open for, Saturday through Monday:
- Saturday, Dec. 13: 9:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 14: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 15: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
For overnight shelters, RTA passes can be provided to help with transportation to a nearby facility, the city said.
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Water Department truck falls into sinkhole and breaks gas line on Cleveland’s West Side
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A Cleveland Water Department truck working on a water main break in Ohio City was partially swallowed up into a sinkhole, breaking a gas line underneath the street.
The incident occurred near West 28th Street and Chatham Avenue late Thursday afternoon.
There was no fire or injuries, according to Lt. Michael Norman of the Cleveland Fire Department.
The gas company is on scene working to fix the leak.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Music legend Bob Dylan is bringing his “Rough And Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour” to Ohio in 2026, making major stops at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre on April 10, along with the Palace Theatre in Columbus on April 9 and Winsupply Theatre in Dayton on April 12.
This Ohio leg of the tour continues Dylan’s ongoing 2026 concert run in support of his 2020 release, “Rough And Rowdy Ways,” an album widely celebrated as among his finest entries in decades.
How to get tickets to see Bob Dylan in Ohio
Tickets for the upcoming Ohio concerts are selling fast, with some vendors reporting fewer than 100 tickets remaining. However, you can still get pass discounts on trusted third-party ticket platforms including Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, StubHub, Viagogo and Ticket City.
New customers can save more with these discount codes:
- Vivid Seats customers get $20 off ticket orders of $200 or more by using the code CLEVELAND20 at checkout.
- SeatGeek customers get $5 off orders of $300 or more with code TAKE5.
Here are the cheapest ticket prices currently available to the upcoming Bob Dylan concerts in Ohio, as of Dec. 11:
April 9, 2026: Columbus, OH — Palace Theatre
- Vivid Seats: $196
- SeatGeek: $194
- StubHub: $198
- Viagogo: $192
- Ticket City: $204
April 10, 2026: Cleveland, OH — KeyBank State Theatre
- Vivid Seats: $217
- SeatGeek: $282
- StubHub: $332
- Viagogo: $322
- Ticket City: $218
April 12, 2026: Dayton, OH — Winsupply Theatre
- Vivid Seats: $261
- SeatGeek: $288
- StubHub: $252
- Viagogo: $245
- Ticket City: $262
What Ohio fans can expect from Dylan’s shows
Ohio fans will experience more than just great seats. For his first date in Columbus, Dylan takes the stage at the historic Palace Theatre, a venue known for its warm acoustics and lavish 1920s-style charm.
Then comes Cleveland, where Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre will host an intimate, phone-free performance. Fans will have electronics secured in Yondr pouches to ensure a fully immersive concert experience. The embedded nostalgia of the theater pairs perfectly with Dylan’s timeless classics like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Like a Rolling Stone.”
Finally, Dayton fans can join the celebration of Dylan’s vast musical legacy at Winsupply Theatre. By choosing acoustically superior venues throughout Ohio, Dylan seems to be deliberately crafting a more personal connection with audiences, transforming each stop into a storytelling event rather than just another headlining show.
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