Fox is resurrecting the live TV space once again this Palm Sunday with The Passion, a modern spin on the story of Jesus Christs last hours.
Aside from being the first of recent TV music events to be based on religion, The Passion is setting itself apart from other musicals like the networks own Grease and NBCs trifecta by not billing itself as a musical rather, its been described as a live spectacular spanning across New Orleans, packed with mini-movies, a plethora of sets, A-list names, not a lot of dancing, but lots and lots of singing.
Exec producer Mark Bracco of d**k Clark Productions and music producer Adam Anders, a graduate of Glee, break down The Passion forVariety heres the lowdown on the city, the music and the stars.
THE CAST:
Its been a dream, Anders says of working with the stellar cast including musical icons Trisha Yearwood (Mary) and Seal (Pontius Pilate),plusAmerican Idol alum Chris Daughtry (Judas) and Jencarlos Canela (Jesus).
Trisha was so important because shes the anchor of the show. Theyre big songs, theyre big moments Shes a legend. She has a world-class voice. Her vocals are incredible. Shes so wonderful to work with, Anders raves of Yearwood.
Of Seal, he says, He was singing next to me and I got goosebumps. For me, the opportunity to work with him is a dream come true. Beyond that, he brings such a cool element to the show. He can walk on that stage and hes really a powerful man. He has that weight to him.
As for Daughtry? He was the first guy who popped into my head for Judas, Anders admits. To actually have him be in the show, Im just so appreciative to Fox to have the guy I had in my head bring it to life. Its just so good.
THE LIVE AUDIENCE:
Foxs Grease Live! was the first recent TV musical to incorporate a live audience into the television broadcast, and The Passion is taking that interaction to the next level. Spanning across the city of New Orleans, a live procession with hundreds of people who drove across the country to carry a large cross will be a huge part of the show, which is expected to have 25,000 to 30,000 live audience-goers on site.
Explaining the level of audience interactivity to expect, Bracco says, Even outside of the procession, when the trial of Jesus happens live on the stage, theres always that moment in the story where the crowd will yell back so at that moment when Pontius yells at the crowd, itll be the crowd that yells Crucify him! Crucify him! because that is what happened in the bible. There are going to be a few moments where the thousands of the people in the park are going to become a part of the live show, just as if they were in church on Palm Sunday where there are people in church saying, Crucify him! Crucify him!
NEW ORLEANS:
New Orleans was always the city of choice for the producers behind The Passion.
Speaking of the NOLA native host, Bracco says, Tyler Perry says this better than anyone, but its a city that resurrected itself. It rose again after Katrina. We went there and the people of the city were so welcoming and wanted us to bring the show there.
THETHEME:
Its huge. Its paramount to the success of this, Anders says about the wide-ranging religious theme. Music moves people in the way nothing else can. Its a powerful medium. If you want to re-tell this classic powerful story story in a modern way, the only way to do it is through music, and then you add this music that people already love, it takes it to the next level. I think when I worked on Glee, part of the success of that show is that everybody got something that they loved from and thats something that Ive taken from there.We need to give everybody something to reflect our diverse cast and diverse audience.
THE MUSIC:
All the songs are modern hits. Theres no Christian songs. Theres no religious songs at all, Anders says of the soundtrack that includes live covers of music by Whitney Houston, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Celine Dion and more. When you go through the hits from the last couple decades, its unbelievable how many No.1 songs have religious messages.
Adam Anders,hes a genius, Bracco raves of the music producer. The scene when Judas betrays Jesus and they sing the duet by Imagine Dragons, its almost as if that song was written for that moment. The lyrics are so perfect and the songs that Adam chose, its so eerie at times. Anders adds, For me, it was all about finding the right lyrics that fit the themes. Its been a really fun process.
For more on The Passion, including exclusive behind the scenes photos, click here.
THE PASSION | "Home" | FOX BROADCASTING We need a sign to let us know this was real. Photo: Michael Becker / FOX
Did you wake up Palm Sunday thinking, Why yes, American Idol"s Chris Daughtry covering that one Evanescence banger in character as Judas is a thing I"d definitely like to see today? Or does the idea of Saint Peter belting Hoobastank bring on a deep nostalgia for the early "00s you"ve been hiding all this time? Perfect! Because Tyler Perry"s The Passion delivered all that and then some. Jesus Christ Superstar it was not; what happened semi-live on the streets of New Orleans Sunday night can only be described as the karaoke night of Avril Lavigne"s dreams a smorgasbord of vaguely Christian hits from the early "00s that have aged about as well as Scott Stapp. Here are just a select few of the weirdest covers to happen to Fox since Glee bit the dust.
Hoobastank, "The Reason"As if denying Jesus three times wasn"t enough, Peter poured on the salt with some Hoobastank.
Creed, "With Arms Wide Open"Nothing says you"re one last meal away from being crucified like Creed.
Evanescence, "Bring Me to Life"We never pegged Amy Lee for a Judas, but Daughtry has us reevaluating a lot of things right now.
Train, "Calling All Angels"Sorry, was Pat Monahan himself not available to play Jesus?
Lifehouse, "Broken"In the span of two hours, Trisha Yearwood covered Whitney Houston, Jewel, Jason Mraz, and Lifehouse a miracle only Jesus" mom could perform.
Oh yeah, and this happened:
Tears for Fears, "Mad World"Did you find it kind of funny that Seal (!) played Pontius Pilate? Not as funny as this.
THE PASSION | "Mad World"
After deciding Jesus" fate, Pontius Pilate (Seal) performs "Mad World" LIVE on The Passion.
Posted by FOX on Sunday, March 20, 2016
Katy Perry, "Unconditionally"We personally would"ve picked something from Perry"s Christian singer-songwriter years for Jesus" big Resurrection song, but sure, this works.
Watch Jencarlos Canela as Jesus perform Katy Perry"s "Unconditionally" in The Passion.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) NYC Premiere Red Carpet "Amy Adams" Interview [HD]
Which Constantine star has joined Supergirl as an alien villain? What was Stan Lees response to learning Iceman is gay? Who is writing The Dark Knight Returns IV? Will we see a crossover episode for The Arrow, Flash and Legends of Tomorrow? How does Old Man Logan pay tribute to Frank Millers The Dark Knight Returns? All that and more in this edition of Superhero Bits.
Supergirl faces Red Tornado in a new promo for the next episode.
Karen Gillan says well get more of Nebula and Gamoras relationship in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
This Batman baby is ready to take on the Man of Steel.
Stan Lee was surprised to learn that Iceman is officially gay in the new X-Men comics.
Heres a fanmade poster for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Did you catch all these easter eggs and references in theGorilla Warfareepisode of The Flash?
Frank Miller wants to write a Nancy Drew-likeCarrie Kelly detective spin-off for kids.
Gotham was nominated for a couple of American Society of Cinematographers awards.
Due to the amount of graphics and images included in Superhero Bits, we have to split this post over THREE pages. Click the link above to continue to the next page of Superhero Bits.
Kentucky vs Duke Full game NCAA basketball 2015 / 11.17.2015
Jamal Murray didnt so much sit in his locker room cubicle at the Wells Fargo Arena, as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, a Gatorade towel covering his entire head, his eyes red, his voice barely audible.
Shots I normally make, I didnt, he whispered. I didnt make shots.
There was disbelief in his soft voice, as if the freshman guard couldnt really imagine that this was it, that Kentuckys basketball season had come to such an abrupt end, stopped in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament by a 73-67 loss to Indiana in a second round game of the East Region.
Murray paused, and it looked for a minute as if he was going to say something else, but then he just couldnt. His head lowered again. His face disappeared beneath the towel.
It was that kind of Saturday for this Kentucky basketball team at Wells Fargo Arena. Nothing seemed right or in rhythm or the way it was supposed to be. There was no flow. The nations No. 1 team in terms of offensive efficiency could never find a rhythm, could never find itself.
Credit Indiana. The Big 10 champs stepped to the defensive plate. They cut off any attempts UK made at establishing a post game. While Tyler Ulis played valiantly, the first-team All-American finishing with 27 points, Indiana made Murray work for every one of his 16 points. He missed eight of his nine three-point attempts. As a team, UK missed 12 of 16 threes.
I felt like we had some open looks, said Derek Willis, who missed his only two shots. They just didnt go down.
Some Wildcats said Indiana played UKs pick-and-roll differently and that was a factor. Others, including Ulis, dismissed that as a determining factor.
We had defensive breakdowns, Ulis said. Thats where we lost the game.
And you couldnt help thinking back to six days before, after Kentucky had beaten Texas A&M in a overtime to win the SEC Tournament, when John Calipari, changed out of his suit and tie, predicted that his team would rise and fall with the play of his frontcourt. It plays well, UK advances. It doesnt, UK goes home.
Thats just the way it is, Calipari said.
He was right, of course. Indianas freshman center Thomas Bryant scored 19 points. Kentuckys trio of Alex Poythress, Skal Labissiere and Marcus Lee combined for 14.
And yet, despite five offensive fouls in the first half and six for the game and despite its inability to grab a groove, Kentucky held tightly to the rope for nearly 35 minutes. With 7:44 left, the score was tied at 50. Each team had made 19 of 45 shots for 42.2 percent. It was weird almost. Then the rope started to slip.
A possession later, Willis missed a three-pointer from his favorite spot, just to the left of the key, a spot where hes nearly automatic. At the other end, Indiana freshman O.G. Anunoby made his 13th three-pointer of the entire season. Indianas lead was just 56-50 but it had the feel of fate being sealed.
In the back of our minds, we knew things had to go just right for this Kentucky team. This wasnt last years overpowering edition. It wasnt the lock down defensive team of Calipari past. Instead, it was a team that found ways to accentuate its strengths, to play well enough down the stretch to give its fans reason to believe more was in store.
But then it was over, just like that, with a loss to a border rival, one game short of the Sweet 16, something that had not happened to the previous five UK teams Calipari had taken to the tournament.
Outside the locker room, former players Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Harrison, Tayshaun Prince and Ramon Harris stood and talked. Inside, there wasnt much talking. There were sad faces and bleary eyes and blank stares. Isaiah Briscoe sat in a chair, his legs up against the locker, just sitting, thinking.
Over at his locker, Murray had pulled the towel off his head and onto his shoulders. Someone asked about what he would remember about the fun he had playing with Ulis, with this team, especially over the final weeks.
Im going to miss playing basketball with these guys, he said softly. Its done. Our season is done.
NEW YORK -- Forecasters are predicting less snow around the Tri-State area from a storm on the first day of spring Sunday, but some spots could still see a few inches.
On Long Island, the National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Nassau and western Suffolk counties and a winter storm watch for eastern Suffolk from noon Sunday until 6 a.m. Monday, reports CBS New York.
Philadelphia is also expected to get a dusting of snow on Sunday evening, reports CBS Philly.
Forecasters in northern New England say as much as 2 inches of snow could fall along the coast and less inland as the storm moves out to sea.
The forecast calls for a mix of light rain and snow developing early Sunday afternoon before changing to snow later in day. It will continue through Sunday night before tapering off Monday.
A trace to 2 inches of snow is expected for much of the area, with higher amounts possible on Long Island and southern Connecticut.
The highest totals are predicted for far eastern Long Island, where 4 to 6 inches of snow is possible.
As a precaution, the New York City Department of Sanitation has issued a snow preparedness alert ahead of the storm. The alert is effective as of 10 a.m. Sunday, according to officials.
But for what it"s worth, the snow probably won"t stick around for long. The forecast is calling for temperatures to be in the 40s Monday and Tuesday before climbing above normal later in the week.
2010 NCAA Basketball Regional Semi Finals Butler Syracuse By: PTI | Los Angeles | Published:March 9, 2016 1:12 pm (Caron is) a perfect example to all the young kids growing up in tough neighborhoods to never give up on your dreams, Wahlberg said. (Source: AP)
Actor Mark Wahlberg is teaming with US basketball player Caron Butler to develop a movie about his life.
The 44-year-old Ted star will produce a film based on Carons memoir Tuff Juice: My Journey From The Streets to The NBA, reported USA Today.
(Caron is) a perfect example to all the young kids growing up in tough neighborhoods to never give up on your dreams, Wahlberg said.
When someone like Mark Wahlberg tells you that your life could be a movie, you listen, Butler added.
Im excited to take the next step towards sharing my story with an even larger audience and its a blessing to have someone as well-known and respected as Mark Wahlberg by my side.
A timeline for the project is yet to be revealed, but Caron said they have already started to draw up a list of their top picks for writers and actors,it would be a dream if Creed star Michael B Jordan portrayed him onscreen.
I think he would do a great job sharing my story, he said.
Caron suffered through a tough childhood in Racine, Wisconsin, where he became a drug dealer at 11-years-old. He eventually turned his life around and started playing professional basketball in 2002, going on to play for the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers, among otherteams.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Angel Rodriguez took over after Miami blew a 21-point lead midway through the second half, hitting a big 3-pointer with 72 seconds remaining and scoring 28 points to lead the third-seeded Hurricanes over Wichita State 65-57 on Saturday to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Miami (27-7) made it that far three years ago under Jim Larranaga, in his fifth season as head coach. Sheldon McClellan finished with 18 points and Davon Reed had 10 for the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes will play either Iowa or Villanova next weekend in Louisville in the South Region semifinals.
Fred VanVleet and Shaquille Morris each had 12 points and Ron Baker 11 for the 11th-seeded Wichita State (26-9), which put on a furious rally in the second half of a bruising game, taking a 43-42 lead with 10:24 to go.
After Baker"s 3-pointer gave Wichita State its first lead, Ja"Quan Newton had a slam dunk to put Miami back on top and McClellan scored eight straight points for some separation.
McClellan nearly gave it away, though, when he failed to convert a lob from Rodriguez with 2:59 left and Miami clinging to a 55-51 lead.
Rodriguez came back with a stunning hook off the glass for a 57-53 lead with 2:05 left and followed with his clutch 3 from the wing.
With their fans cheering "We shock! We shock!" the Shockers erased the daunting deficit with another gutsy performance in the second.
Zach Brown hit a 3 and VanVleet followed with a steal and another 3, both baskets in a span of 11 seconds, and Morris" hook in the lane off a steal by Baker closed the gap to nine with nearly 16 minutes left, plenty of time for a comeback for the team that won a play-in game then upset sixth-seeded Arizona.
Baker then set up Markis McDuffie for a 3 and Morris set a perfect screen on Rodriguez at the top of the key to free VanVleet for a driving layup through the paint.
Larranaga was whistled for a technical after protesting a call as the Hurricanes struggled to hold their edge. That margin finally disappeared when Baker drained a 3 for a shocking 43-42 lead.
Much of the focus figured to center on the performance of the backcourts featuring four seniors -- VanVleet and Baker against Rodriguez and McClellan. The Miami duo is a tad older, but the Shockers had more tournament experience.
Age took over at the start and came through at the end.
Rodriguez was 7 for 7 for 16 points in the opening half, scoring 11 points in the first eight minutes as Wichita State struggled to find any room to shoot, missing its first five 3-pointers and hitting only 1 of 12 shots.
It got much worse as the Hurricanes gave the Shockers a big taste of their own medicine. The top defensive team in the nation was torched for 12-of-15 shooting in the first 12 minutes as Miami outscored the Shockers 18-0 in the paint and forced seven turnovers, gaining a 21-point lead on a scoop by McClellan at 8:27.
VanVleet set up Baker for a 3 from the wing to start an 11-0 Wichita State run and the Shockers clamped down defensively, forcing five turnovers while holding the Hurricanes scoreless for more than five minutes.
Yale keeps it close but falls to Duke 71-64
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Grayson Allen had 29 points, including five 3-pointers, to help Duke fend off a furious rally by Yale and advance to the Sweet 16 with a 71-64 victory on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament.
Brandon Ingram added 25 points and five rebounds for the defending champions, who will play the winner of top-seeded Oregon and St. Joseph"s.
Yale Bulldogs guard Anthony Dallier drives against Duke Blue Devils guard Derryck Thornton during the second half of a second round game of the 2016 NCAA Tournament March 19, 2016, in Providence, RI.
USA Today Sports
The West Region"s No. 4 seed, Duke led by as many as 27 points in the battle of the brainy schools before seeing that dwindle to just three points with less than a minute to play.
Yale came close to forcing a needed turnover, but eventually had to foul. Duke connected on four of its final five free-throws to close out the game.
Brandon Sherrod led the 12th-seeded Bulldogs with 22 points. Justin Sears added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Yale used a 15-0 run to cut what had been a 23-point halftime deficit to 54-47 with 11:38 left. Duke, which sizzled early offensively, missed eight consecutive shots during the spurt.
Duke then lost some of its rebounding presence when big man Marshall Plumlee had to go to the bench after being called for his fourth foul with just under 9 minutes to play.
Yale got the lead all the way down to 60-53 on a dunk by Sherrod before Plumlee was re-inserted into the game.
Allen scored on a layup, and then after a Bulldogs" turnover, Ingram got free and drilled a 3-pointer from the wing that got the lead back up to 65-53.
Yale kept chipping away and a tip-in by Justin Sears off a missed free throw by Sherrod made it 67-64 with just 39 seconds to play.
Leading 69-64, Duke missed on a one-and-one opportunity, but Yale couldn"t capitalize on its next possession.
Allen was fouled and he calmly knocked in a pair of free throws.
Yale came out energized and briefly took a 13-12 lead.
That momentum was short-lived.
The Blue Devils hit seven of their first 10 shots and went 9 for 15 from the 3-point line in the half as it opened up as much as a 27-point lead.
Duke spread out the Bulldogs on defense and took care of the ball with only two turnovers.
Yale did get some open looks on its end, but couldn"t match Duke"s accuracy. The Bulldogs were just 1 for 11 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes.
Indiana tops Kentucky 73-67
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Kentucky had the stars. But Indiana had more toughness -- and that"s why the Hoosiers are headed back to the Sweet 16.
Thomas Bryant scored 15 of his 19 points in the final eight minutes, Yogi Ferrell had 18 and fifth-seeded Indiana beat Kentucky 73-67 Saturday to earn a spot in the Sweet 16.
Indiana Hoosiers center Thomas Bryant dunks the ball against Kentucky Wildcats forward Alex Poythress in the second half during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament March 19, 2016 in Des Moines, IA.
USA Today Sports
The Hoosiers (27-7) will return to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2013 despite losing starting guard Robert Johnson to an apparent left ankle injury late in the first half.
Indiana took control with a 17-4 run to go up 10 with four minutes left. Tyler Ulis and Alex Poythress pulled Kentucky within 69-67 on free throws, but Bryant hit two from the line with 10 seconds to go to seal the win.
Ulis scored 27 points for Kentucky (27-9), which suffered its earliest NCAA Tournament exit since 2008 -- when it lost to a Marquette team then led by current Indiana coach Tom Crean.
Jamal Murray added 16 for the Wildcats, but he was just 1 of 9 on 3s.
The Hoosiers won this one with resilience more than anything else.
Indiana went on a 9-2 run with Ferrell on the bench after he picked up his third foul. Ferrell quickly went back in, and the Hoosiers pushed their lead to 62-52 on a Bryant dunk.
An O.G. Anunoby block and another Bryant dunk proved huge for the Hoosiers -- especially after Troy Williams fouled Ulis from 3-point range to give Kentucky life.
It had been four years since these once-longtime rivals had faced each other; a Sweet 16 game that Kentucky won 102-90 on its way to a national title.
This one had the feel of an Elite Eight-type matchup from the opening basket.
Still, Indiana was lucky to go into halftime ahead 33-32.
Johnson went to the locker room with five minutes left after hitting a pair of early 3s, and Ferrell took 12 minutes to knock down a bucket.
Kentucky looked set to run away with it too, especially after Murray followed a Ulis 3 from the "March Madness" logo with a dunk. But the Wildcats went nearly five minutes without a basket to close the first, allowing the Hoosiers to inch out in front.
Indiana pushed it to six before Murray and Ulis 3s pulled Kentucky even at 38-all. But that would prove to be Murray"s last made 3, and an Anunoby 3 with 6:53 left put the Hoosiers back on top, 56-50.
Williams had 13 for Indiana.
Niang leads Iowa State past Little Rock 78-61
DENVER -- Georges Niang scored 28 points and Iowa State watched Josh Hagins closely in the second half of a 78-61 win over Little Rock in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
The No. 4 seed Cyclones (23-11) advanced to their second Sweet 16 in three years. They will play the Virginia-Butler winner in Chicago next weekend.
Iowa State Cyclones forward Georges Niang looks for an outlet pass against Arkansas Little Rock Trojans forward Mareik Isom in second half action during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Pepsi Center on March 19, 2016 in Denver, Colorado.
USA Today Sports
Niang, the winningest player (97) in Cyclones history and Iowa State"s only two-time All-American, was simply too much for the 12th-seeded Trojans (30-5) of the Sun Belt.
For the second straight game, Hagins had just two points at halftime.
Unlike last time, when he went off for 29 more in a double-overtime win against Purdue, Hagins added just six after the break.
Led by Roger Woods" 19 points, the Trojans kept things close for much of the first half, and Kemy Osse"s 3-pointer pulled Little Rock to 26-24.
Niang responded by doing all of the heavy work in a 10-0 spurt that helped the Cyclones grab control for good.
He sank a 3-pointer from the top of the circle, marking his 43rd consecutive game in double figures. Then he drove through the lane for a layup followed by another 3-pointer that barely fluttered the net.
Matt Thomas chipped in 16 points for Iowa State, which led 40-28 at halftime.
The Cyclones opened the second half on a 13-5 run that included a nifty drive and two free throws by Niang, who honed his hardwood skills going up against future 76ers big man Nerlens Noel during two years of high school and countless summer AAU practices.
Those skills have helped him turn around Iowa State"s basketball program.
And his presence prevented the Trojans from completing another big comeback like they did 48 hours earlier when they erased a 13-point deficit in the final 3 1/2 minutes to force overtime against Purdue, the fifth seed in the Midwest bracket.
This time, Little Rock trailed 65-52 with 3:49 left - and Hagins had just hit his first 3-pointers sandwiched around a finger-roll bucket by Niang.
Once again, there was a buzz in the Pepsi Center during the timeout.
The Boilermakers made the mistake of matching up with Little Rock"s quick guards down the stretch, which was a strategy the Trojans welcomed. It"s something the Cyclones didn"t do. For one thing, they don"t have a deep enough bench.
So, they stayed "big."
And Little Rock soon wilted.
Brogdon leads Virginia past Butler 77-69
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Malcolm Brogdon scored 22 points and Virginia used some hot second-half shooting to beat Butler 77-69 on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Anthony Gill added 17 points and Marial Shayok finished with 12 for the top-seeded Cavaliers (28-7).
Virginia shot 73 percent after halftime, hitting 14 of its first 16 shots of the second half, and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years. It will face Iowa State (23-11) on Friday in the Midwest Regional semifinals in Chicago.
Virginia Cavaliers guards Devon Hall, left, and Malcolm Brogdon celebrate in the final minute against the Butler Bulldogs in the second half during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament on March 19, 2016 in Raleigh, N.C.
USA Today Sports
Andrew Chrabascz scored a season-high 25 points for ninth-seeded Butler (22-11). Roosevelt Jones pulled the Bulldogs within 72-69 by hitting the first of two free throws with 36.2 seconds left.
He missed the second, Shayok pushed Virginia"s lead back out to four with a free throw with 28.3 seconds left and Kellen Dunham"s 3-pointer with 12 seconds to go bounced off the iron.
Jones finished with 18 points, but Dunham, the Bulldogs" leading scorer at 16.5 points, was held to eight -- his lowest-scoring game since he also had that many in a loss to Providence on Dec. 31.
Mike Tobey added 10 points for the Cavaliers, who took over a tight game and seemed to hit everything in the second half. They repeatedly found ways to get the ball into the paint and convert during a 28-12 burst midway through the half that gave them the lead for good.
Shayok started the run with six straight points, and Virginia hit seven layups or dunks before Gill came through with the shot of the night with just under 6 minutes to play.
He hit a falling-down jumper in the lane through contact from Chrabascz, and then knocked down the free throw that followed to give the Cavaliers their largest lead at 64-55.
That offensive surge stood as a stark contrast to a first half that bore several signs of trouble for the Cavaliers, who trailed 25-23 at the break.
It was their lowest-scoring opening half since they were held to 21 points in the first 20 minutes of a loss at Virginia Tech on Jan. 4, and their first halftime deficit since a loss at Miami on Feb. 22.
Selden, Ellis send Kansas past UConn 73-61
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Wayne Selden Jr. and Perry Ellis carried Kansas on a sweet romp to the round of 16, combining for 43 points in a 73-61 victory by the Jayhawks over Connecticut in the second round on Saturday to hand Kevin Ollie"s his first NCAA Tournament loss as head coach of the Huskies.
Selden had 22 points and seven rebounds, Ellis scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds and the No. 1 overall seed Jayhawks (32-4) advanced to the South Region semifinals on Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky, to play the winner of the Hawaii-Maryland game on Sunday.
Kansas Jayhawks guard Wayne Selden Jr. dunks the ball in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament Mar 19, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa.
USA Today Sports
Selden and Ellis combined to shoot 17 for 27 from the floor, shooing away the disappointment of second-round defeats in each of the last two years.
Sterling Gibbs had 20 points for the No. 9 seed Huskies (25-11), who fell into an irreparable deficit that reached 24 points in the first half.
After winning the 2014 national championship in Ollie"s second season as a No. 7 seed, the Huskies returned two years later with the hope of repeating that run. They simply couldn"t stop Kansas on this night, though. The Jayhawks did everything better, well enough to endure an ugly second-half stretch of their own.
With 1:38 left, the time for tricks arrived. Devonte" Graham dribbled furiously into the UConn end and lobbed a pass over Jalen Adams. Selden caught it with one hand and slammed the ball through the net in the same motion for a 67-52 lead, sending the Jayhawks into a frenzy.
Selden has been a beast in his junior-year NCAA Tournament, after averaging 2.5 points on 4-for-21 shooting over his first four games on the big stage. He had 14 points in 19 minutes against Austin Peay in the first round.
Ellis, the smooth senior power forward still aiming for an appearance beyond the round of 16 since being eliminated there by Michigan his freshman year when the Jayhawks were a No. 1 seed, hit 20-plus points for the sixth time in seven games. The Jayhawks were a No. 2 seed for their second-round losses the last two years.
The first NCAA Tournament meeting between these traditional powers with 89 appearances and seven titles between them was a one-sided show.
Thousands of Jayhawks fans made the easy drive up Interstate 35 from Kansas, packing Wells Fargo Arena with their blue jerseys, T-shirts and jackets for the chance to cheer in person the team chasing its first national championship since 2008. One of the few, true favorites entering this wide-open field, the Jayhawks have more experience and depth than their last two squads that suffered early eliminations.
The Huskies fell behind by as many as 11 points in the first half of their first-round victory over Colorado, but the Jayhawks are just a different caliber team than the No. 8 seed Buffaloes. Kansas had scoring surges of 16-0 early and 19-0 late to cruise into the intermission in full control.
The third-best 3-point shooting team in the country entering the game at 42.5 percent, Kansas made six of its first nine tries from behind the arc. When the jumpers didn"t fall the long arms of Landen Lucas, Ellis and Selden were there to snag most of the rebounds for a 25-11 advantage in the first half.
Ellis spent a few minutes on the bench early in the game for treatment on his left knee, but the joint didn"t appear to bother him at all after that. Jamari Traylor had a couple of commanding blocks in the paint to fire up the Kansas bench and crowd during the 19-0 spurt. The Huskies missed 12 straight shots during that stretch that lasted 7:08 and pushed the lead to 40-16.
The Huskies were all out of sorts in their half-court offense. Daniel Hamilton was hounded anytime he was inside the arc, forcing multiple off-kilter shots and finishing 4 for 14 for 11 points with eight rebounds and six assists. Rodney Purvis had 17 points but went just 2 for 7 from 3-point range.
March Mismatch: Gonzaga tops Utah 82-59
DENVER -- Leave the buzzer-beaters and heart-stoppers to the other guys.
For Gonzaga, these are the March Mismatches.
The Bulldogs, looking like something much different than an 11 seed, rolled over No. 3 Utah on Saturday, 82-59 behind 22 points from Eric McClellan and a 19-point, 10-rebound effort from Domantas Sabonis.
Eric McClellan, Kyle Wiltjer, Domantas Sabonis, Kyle Dranginis, Silas Melson and Josh Perkins of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrate from the bench late in the second half against the Utah Utes during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men"s Basketball Tournament at the Pepsi Center on March 19, 2016 in Denver, Colorado.
Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images
This was a wire-to-wire effort even more impressive than their 16-point win over Seton Hall in the first round.
Next up for the Zags (28-7), a game against Syracuse or Middle Tennessee in the Midwest Regional.
Kyle Wiltjer had 17 for Gonzaga, and went 3 for 4 from 3-point range.
This game was billed as a battle of big guys, between the 6-foot-11 Sabonis and Utah"s 7-footer, Jakob Poeltl. That fizzled. Poeltl finished with five points and four rebounds. He got in foul trouble early -- drawing his first when Sabonis spun to the baseline and left Poeltl grabbing to prevent the dunk.
On Utah"s first possession of the second half, Poeltl posted up and tried the hook. Sabonis, who had a block and two steals to go with his 22nd double-double of the season, redirected it and the ball never got to the glass.
A few minutes later, McClellan converted a steal by Kyle Dranginis into a layup and a three-point play to push Gonzaga"s lead to 20.
From there, this was a pick-your-score runaway -- the only drama involving when Mark Few would give his eight-man rotation a break and let some of the walk-ons and others get a piece of the action. For the record, that came with 1:39 left, and by then, Gonzaga fans were booking their tickets to Chicago for next Friday"s game.
This has not been an easy season for Few"s team, and the trials and tribulations have been spelled out in detail on a behind-the-scenes documentary airing on HBO: "The March to Madness," that chronicled Gonzaga"s seven-loss regular season, the season-ending injury to star center Przemek Karnowski and the struggle simply to make the tournament for the 18th straight year.
The documentary is over. The march goes on. It"s Gonzaga"s second straight Sweet 16 appearance and, at this rate, it"s not impossible to think even bigger. For all its success over the past two decades, Gonzaga has never made the Final Four.
No. 1 seed UNC pulls away to beat Providence 85-66
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Brice Johnson had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 1 seed North Carolina pulled away from foul-hit Providence 85-66 on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Joel Berry II added 15 points for the East Region"s top seed, which found itself in a fight well into the second half against the Friars" high-scoring duo of Ben Bentil and Big East player of the year Kris Dunn. But the Tar Heels (30-6) stepped up their offensive efficiency, attacked the paint and started cashing in at the line as the fouls piled up for Providence (24-11).
North Carolina Tar Heels forward Brice Johnson shoots the ball over Providence Friars forward Ben Bentil in the first half during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at PNC Arena Mar 19, 2016 in Raleigh, N.C.
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Justin Jackson scored on a drive to start an 8-0 run that broke a 41-all tie, and then Johnson scored six straight points in the 10-0 burst that put the Tar Heels up 17 with 6 1/2 minutes left.
North Carolina shot 61 percent after halftime and 53 percent for the game, and made 19 of 21 free throws -- 15 of 16 after halftime. And that was enough to help the Tar Heels advance to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year after two straight opening-weekend exits.
Dunn had 29 points for the ninth-seeded Friars, though he sat much of the first half with two fouls and picked up his fourth while trying to strip Johnson in the lane with 8:44 left. Bentil fouled out on a rebound attempt with 7:23 left, finishing with 21 points.
No other Providence player reached double figures.
Providence shot 40 percent, but made 6 of 23 3-pointers and missed nine free throws -- costly missed chances for a Friars team relying largely on two scorers to try to keep pace with the Tar Heels" deep attack.
While Johnson and Berry led UNC"s offense, the Tar Heels also got 15 points from Jackson, 13 from Isaiah Hicks and 12 from Marcus Paige in the kind of wear-you-down-and-pull-away formula that pushed them to a No. 1 seed.
Providence came to North Carolina searching for its first NCAA Tournament win since 1997. It got one on Rodney Bullock"s last-second basket to beat Southern California, and then stayed right with the Tar Heels through the first half to trail just 34-30 at halftime.
Dunn"s steal and dunk even gave the Friars a 36-34 lead early in the second half, but the Tar Heels eventually settled in and started pulling away.
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