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LGHL Ohio State can’t corral Georgia in 79-77 season-ending NIT loss
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Ohio State can’t corral Georgia in 79-77 season-ending NIT loss
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State’s season ends at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs.
After Ohio State’s second-round win over Virginia Tech On Saturday night, head coach Jake Diebler made it a point to say that there would only a handful of teams left playing basketball by Tuesday night, and he’s glad that his team is one of them.
“Come Tuesday night, there aren’t going to be many teams playing college basketball still, and we’ll be one of them. And we have earned that.”
Indeed, there were just 24 teams remaining between the NCAA Tournament and the NIT, but that number shrunk again Tuesday — starting with Ohio State’s game vs Georgia.
Ohio State was without Scotty Middleton for a third consecutive game Tuesday night, as the team determined he was not prepared to play after being home with family for over a week dealing with a personal matter. Bruce Thornton was listed as questionable with a lower leg injury, but went through full warmups and did not look limited pre-game.
With a trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse on the line for the NIT Semifinals, Diebler stuck with the same starting lineup the Buckeyes have leaned on all season long — Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Jamison Battle, Evan Mahaffey, and Felix Okpara. Second-year head coach Mike White rolled with a starting five of Noah Thomasson, Blue Cain, Silas Demary Jr., Dylan James, and Frank Anselem-Ibe.
Cain, a freshman guard from Knoxville, Tennessee, scored five of Georgia’s first 11 points as the Bulldogs took an 11-8 lead into the first media timeout. As most teams have tried to do, Georgia was putting multiple defenders on Thornton when he tried to find a screen to get himself open. The Buckeyes weren’t doing a very good job moving to get in position for Thornton to find them out of the double, and the offense sagged a bit because of it.
The Buckeyes momentarily tied the game at 15 on a Taison Chatman baseline jumper with just under 11 minutes left in the half, but Georgia outscored Ohio State 6-4 over the next four-plus minutes to take a 21-19 lead into the under-eight media timeout. Thornton and Gayle combined for two points through the first 13 minutes of Tuesday night’s game.
The teams took turns going at each other’s necks for the final six minutes of the first half, with the lead changing hands six times over the final six minutes. Demary Jr. missed a layup with four seconds remaining, but nobody boxed him out and the freshman guard was able to grab his own rebound and score to put the Bulldogs up 36-35 at halftime.
Okpara led the Buckeyes with 10 points in the first half on 5-of-7 shooting. Six different Bulldogs chipped in at least four points, with Thomasson leading all of them with seven on 3-of-7 shooting.
First half team stats almost identical, with Ohio State shooting 46.9% in the first half and Georgia shooting 50%. Both teams had 17 rebounds total and four offensive rebounds each. Ohio State was 2-of-9 from beyond the arc, Georgia was 3-for-11.
Georgia came out spicy hot to start the second half, outscoring Ohio State 10-2 over the first 3:09 to take a 46-37 lead — its largest of the game to that point. A screen moved Okpara onto Thomasson — not the best matchup — and the graduate senior buried a three over his outstretched arms to put Georgia up nine points, causing Diebler to use a timeout and regroup.
Shortly thereafter Georgia stretched its lead out to 12 points, which was the biggest deficit Ohio State had faced in the entire NIT. But when things looked bleak, Zed Key sparked an 8-0 run. The senior playing in his (likely) final home game grabbed the rebound off a missed Dale Bonner three and scored through contact, drawing the foul from James and completing the three-point play. After Devin Royal blocked RJ Melendez, Battle hit a three, and on the very next possession Thornton found Key below the basket for a dunk to make it 51-47 with 13:47 remaining — Ohio State cut the lead from 12 to four in less than two minutes.
The Bulldogs responded to Ohio State’s run with one of their own, going on a 9-0 run in 64 seconds to push the lead back to 60-47. Ohio State was getting a lot of good looks below the basket, but were also giving up a ton on the glass on the other end. Georgia was out-efforting Ohio State around the basket and the scoreboard reflected it.
After Georgia pushed the lead out to 13, the Buckeyes punched back, putting together another 7-0 run and making it 64-60 with 7:38 remaining. Battle — maybe seeing the sand tumbling to the bottom of then hourglass when he looked up at the scoreboard — knocked down a three in transition and then made a great cut for a dunk, which was fed from Felix Okpara for his first assist of the day.
As was the story for the whole day, Ohio State withstood Georgia’s run and then laid a haymaker on the Bulldogs in the form of a 17-0 run. After falling behind 64-53 on a Thomasson triple, the Buckeyes strung together 17 consecutive points over the next 5:01 to take a 70-64 lead with 4:50 remaining. Georgia then answered with back-to-back triples from Cain and Thomasson to tie things up 70-70, until Battle ran through traffic and slammed one down on top Cain to take back the lead, 72-70. By the under-four media timeout with 1:51 remaining, Ohio State had reclaimed a 76-75 lead.
It came down to the wire, and ultimately Ohio State’s leaky defense that plagued them for most of the evening was their undoing in the final two minutes, giving up a crucial basket to Thomasson with 34 seconds left and ultimately falling, 79-77. The Buckeyes put together an impressive run to take control late, but Georgia remained composed, punched back, and landed the final blow to end the Buckeyes’ season.
If you weren’t around on Tuesday night to catch Georgia beat the Buckeyes at home and end their season (and NIT run), here are a few key moments and plays from the Bulldogs’ second-biggest win over Ohio State in the past 15 months:
Ohio State’s biggest deficit against Virginia Tech was seven points, when the Hokies jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first few minutes. The Bulldogs matched that on Tuesday night, getting a three-pointer from Thomasson 3:12 into the game to put Georgia up 15-8 early in the first half.
Georgia was middle of the pack in the SEC this season shooting from beyond the arc, as they made just under eight per game and their 34.3% mark as a team was seventh in the conference. They got two early ones from Cain and Thomasson to put them in the driver’s seat.
With Ohio State trailing 19-15, Taison Chatman shot faked on the baseline, got a defender to bite, and then dished off to Battle below the basket for an easy layup to get the Buckeyes back within two with 9:38 remaining in the first half.
The basket also marked 2,000 career points for Battle — an astounding benchmark to reach, even in five seasons.
With Ohio State trailing 23-22 and 5:24 remaining in the game, Gayle was double teamed by Cain and Thomasson and Cain popped the ball in the air, away from Gayle. However, Mahaffey was nearby and alertly snagged the ball out of the air and flipped it back to Gayle on top of the three-point line.
Before Georgia could collect itself and re-set its defense from the loose ball scrum, Gayle tossed up a lob to Okpara, who slammed it home to give the Buckeyes a 24-23 lead.
After a Roddy Gayle dunk put Ohio State up 35-34 with 34 seconds remaining, Georgia held the ball for the final shot of the half. They forced Demary into taking a contested layup, which he missed, but nobody boxed out the shooter and Demary was able to put his own miss back in to make it 36-35 Georgia at halftime.
Jake Diebler was forced to use a timeout when Okpara got switched onto the smaller and quicker Thomasson and the Bulldogs’ guard buried a triple to put Georgia up, 46-37. It was Georgia’s largest lead of the game to that point.
After Georgia went up by 13 with just over 12 minutes remaining, the Buckeyes strung together buckets from Gayle and Thornton to get back within seven in just under two minutes.
But with the crowd roaring and feeling the momentum swinging back, Royal lunged out and fouled Thomasson shooting a three — awarding him three at the line and a great opportunity for Georgia to silence the crowd and stifle momentum. Thomasson — a 61% free throw shooter — hit one of three to make it 61-53 with 10:24 remaining.
The Bulldogs went up by 11 once again, but Ohio State used a 17-0 run to take a 70-64 lead with 4:50 remaining. Georgia got back-to-back three points to tie things up, but Thornton dropped in a scoop layup with 2:02 left to put the Buckeyes back up, 76-75.
After Bruce Thornton’s layup that would’ve put Ohio State up three went strong off the glass and came back to Georgia, Thomasson nailed a clutch three-pointer from the left wing to put the Bulldogs up 77-76 with 36 seconds remaining.
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Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State’s season ends at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs.
After Ohio State’s second-round win over Virginia Tech On Saturday night, head coach Jake Diebler made it a point to say that there would only a handful of teams left playing basketball by Tuesday night, and he’s glad that his team is one of them.
“Come Tuesday night, there aren’t going to be many teams playing college basketball still, and we’ll be one of them. And we have earned that.”
Indeed, there were just 24 teams remaining between the NCAA Tournament and the NIT, but that number shrunk again Tuesday — starting with Ohio State’s game vs Georgia.
Ohio State was without Scotty Middleton for a third consecutive game Tuesday night, as the team determined he was not prepared to play after being home with family for over a week dealing with a personal matter. Bruce Thornton was listed as questionable with a lower leg injury, but went through full warmups and did not look limited pre-game.
With a trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse on the line for the NIT Semifinals, Diebler stuck with the same starting lineup the Buckeyes have leaned on all season long — Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Jamison Battle, Evan Mahaffey, and Felix Okpara. Second-year head coach Mike White rolled with a starting five of Noah Thomasson, Blue Cain, Silas Demary Jr., Dylan James, and Frank Anselem-Ibe.
Cain, a freshman guard from Knoxville, Tennessee, scored five of Georgia’s first 11 points as the Bulldogs took an 11-8 lead into the first media timeout. As most teams have tried to do, Georgia was putting multiple defenders on Thornton when he tried to find a screen to get himself open. The Buckeyes weren’t doing a very good job moving to get in position for Thornton to find them out of the double, and the offense sagged a bit because of it.
The Buckeyes momentarily tied the game at 15 on a Taison Chatman baseline jumper with just under 11 minutes left in the half, but Georgia outscored Ohio State 6-4 over the next four-plus minutes to take a 21-19 lead into the under-eight media timeout. Thornton and Gayle combined for two points through the first 13 minutes of Tuesday night’s game.
The teams took turns going at each other’s necks for the final six minutes of the first half, with the lead changing hands six times over the final six minutes. Demary Jr. missed a layup with four seconds remaining, but nobody boxed him out and the freshman guard was able to grab his own rebound and score to put the Bulldogs up 36-35 at halftime.
Okpara led the Buckeyes with 10 points in the first half on 5-of-7 shooting. Six different Bulldogs chipped in at least four points, with Thomasson leading all of them with seven on 3-of-7 shooting.
First half team stats almost identical, with Ohio State shooting 46.9% in the first half and Georgia shooting 50%. Both teams had 17 rebounds total and four offensive rebounds each. Ohio State was 2-of-9 from beyond the arc, Georgia was 3-for-11.
Georgia came out spicy hot to start the second half, outscoring Ohio State 10-2 over the first 3:09 to take a 46-37 lead — its largest of the game to that point. A screen moved Okpara onto Thomasson — not the best matchup — and the graduate senior buried a three over his outstretched arms to put Georgia up nine points, causing Diebler to use a timeout and regroup.
Shortly thereafter Georgia stretched its lead out to 12 points, which was the biggest deficit Ohio State had faced in the entire NIT. But when things looked bleak, Zed Key sparked an 8-0 run. The senior playing in his (likely) final home game grabbed the rebound off a missed Dale Bonner three and scored through contact, drawing the foul from James and completing the three-point play. After Devin Royal blocked RJ Melendez, Battle hit a three, and on the very next possession Thornton found Key below the basket for a dunk to make it 51-47 with 13:47 remaining — Ohio State cut the lead from 12 to four in less than two minutes.
The Bulldogs responded to Ohio State’s run with one of their own, going on a 9-0 run in 64 seconds to push the lead back to 60-47. Ohio State was getting a lot of good looks below the basket, but were also giving up a ton on the glass on the other end. Georgia was out-efforting Ohio State around the basket and the scoreboard reflected it.
After Georgia pushed the lead out to 13, the Buckeyes punched back, putting together another 7-0 run and making it 64-60 with 7:38 remaining. Battle — maybe seeing the sand tumbling to the bottom of then hourglass when he looked up at the scoreboard — knocked down a three in transition and then made a great cut for a dunk, which was fed from Felix Okpara for his first assist of the day.
As was the story for the whole day, Ohio State withstood Georgia’s run and then laid a haymaker on the Bulldogs in the form of a 17-0 run. After falling behind 64-53 on a Thomasson triple, the Buckeyes strung together 17 consecutive points over the next 5:01 to take a 70-64 lead with 4:50 remaining. Georgia then answered with back-to-back triples from Cain and Thomasson to tie things up 70-70, until Battle ran through traffic and slammed one down on top Cain to take back the lead, 72-70. By the under-four media timeout with 1:51 remaining, Ohio State had reclaimed a 76-75 lead.
It came down to the wire, and ultimately Ohio State’s leaky defense that plagued them for most of the evening was their undoing in the final two minutes, giving up a crucial basket to Thomasson with 34 seconds left and ultimately falling, 79-77. The Buckeyes put together an impressive run to take control late, but Georgia remained composed, punched back, and landed the final blow to end the Buckeyes’ season.
If you weren’t around on Tuesday night to catch Georgia beat the Buckeyes at home and end their season (and NIT run), here are a few key moments and plays from the Bulldogs’ second-biggest win over Ohio State in the past 15 months:
Thomasson’s triple puts Georgia up a touchdown (sorry, wrong sport)
Ohio State’s biggest deficit against Virginia Tech was seven points, when the Hokies jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first few minutes. The Bulldogs matched that on Tuesday night, getting a three-pointer from Thomasson 3:12 into the game to put Georgia up 15-8 early in the first half.
Georgia was middle of the pack in the SEC this season shooting from beyond the arc, as they made just under eight per game and their 34.3% mark as a team was seventh in the conference. They got two early ones from Cain and Thomasson to put them in the driver’s seat.
Battle reaches 2,000 career points
With Ohio State trailing 19-15, Taison Chatman shot faked on the baseline, got a defender to bite, and then dished off to Battle below the basket for an easy layup to get the Buckeyes back within two with 9:38 remaining in the first half.
The basket also marked 2,000 career points for Battle — an astounding benchmark to reach, even in five seasons.
Gayle loses it, sticks with the play to put Ohio State up 24-23
With Ohio State trailing 23-22 and 5:24 remaining in the game, Gayle was double teamed by Cain and Thomasson and Cain popped the ball in the air, away from Gayle. However, Mahaffey was nearby and alertly snagged the ball out of the air and flipped it back to Gayle on top of the three-point line.
Before Georgia could collect itself and re-set its defense from the loose ball scrum, Gayle tossed up a lob to Okpara, who slammed it home to give the Buckeyes a 24-23 lead.
Demary Jr. gives Georgia the lead at halftime
After a Roddy Gayle dunk put Ohio State up 35-34 with 34 seconds remaining, Georgia held the ball for the final shot of the half. They forced Demary into taking a contested layup, which he missed, but nobody boxed out the shooter and Demary was able to put his own miss back in to make it 36-35 Georgia at halftime.
Thomasson gives Georgia its biggest lead of the game
Jake Diebler was forced to use a timeout when Okpara got switched onto the smaller and quicker Thomasson and the Bulldogs’ guard buried a triple to put Georgia up, 46-37. It was Georgia’s largest lead of the game to that point.
Royal fouls Thomasson beyond the arc, hands Georgia three at the line
After Georgia went up by 13 with just over 12 minutes remaining, the Buckeyes strung together buckets from Gayle and Thornton to get back within seven in just under two minutes.
But with the crowd roaring and feeling the momentum swinging back, Royal lunged out and fouled Thomasson shooting a three — awarding him three at the line and a great opportunity for Georgia to silence the crowd and stifle momentum. Thomasson — a 61% free throw shooter — hit one of three to make it 61-53 with 10:24 remaining.
Buckeyes use 17-0 run to take the lead, Georgia ties it back up
The Bulldogs went up by 11 once again, but Ohio State used a 17-0 run to take a 70-64 lead with 4:50 remaining. Georgia got back-to-back three points to tie things up, but Thornton dropped in a scoop layup with 2:02 left to put the Buckeyes back up, 76-75.
Thomasson knocks down a big three to put Georgia up with 36 seconds left
After Bruce Thornton’s layup that would’ve put Ohio State up three went strong off the glass and came back to Georgia, Thomasson nailed a clutch three-pointer from the left wing to put the Bulldogs up 77-76 with 36 seconds remaining.
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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs Georgia: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs Georgia: Game preview and prediction
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes will look to punch their ticket to Indianapolis for the NIT Final Four.
After wins over Cornell and Virginia Tech, The Ohio State men’s basketball team (22-13 overall, 15-4 at home) finds itself one win away from earning a trip to Indianapolis and Hinkle Fieldhouse for the NIT Final Four.
Standing in the way of the Buckeyes will be the No. 4 seed Georgia Bulldogs (19-16 overall, 5-6 on the road).
Georgia took down No. 5 seed Xavier 78-76 in the first round and defeated No. 1 seed Wake Forest 72-66 behind 21 points from Justin Hill. Hunter Sallis, the leading scorer for Wake Forest, missed this contest with an ankle injury, and Georgia took advantage, going up early on the Deacs and never relinquishing the lead.
Jamison Battle notched his first double-double of the season against Virginia Tech, pulling down 10 rebounds to go along with his 21 points. Battle is just six points from 2,000 in his career and will look to accomplish that historic feat against Georgia tonight in front of the home fans.
With his 21 points, Battle also joined Thornton as the only other Buckeye to score 500 or more points this season. This is the first season in which multiple Buckeyes have scored 500 points in the same season since Jared Sullinger, Deshaun Thomas, and William Buford all reached the mark during the 2011-12 season. Roddy Gayle Jr. is just 25 points away from 500 points this season as well.
Felix Okpara has blocked a shot in 41 consecutive games, which is the longest streak in program history. He passed Ken Johnson, the Big Ten’s all-time leader in blocked shots. The sophomore center followed up a 16-point showing against Cornell with 13 against Virginia Tech, making it the first time this season he has scored in double digits in back-to-back games.
Ohio State freshman wing Scotty Middleton has missed both NIT games, as he has been home dealing with a personal matter, but he is back with the team and active for this contest, giving the Buckeyes a full availability sheet.
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Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
Georgia is led into this one by senior guard Noah Thomasson, who is averaging 12.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Senior guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim is averaging 12.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Illinois transfer R.J. Melendez is averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Senior guard Justin Hill and freshman guard Silas Demary Jr. are both averaging 9.6 points per game. Hill averages 3.2 assists per game, and Demary also averages 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Senior center Russel Tchewa is averaging 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Georgia shoots the three-ball at 33.6 percent on the season and is a 72.3 percent free-throw shooting team.
For Ohio State, sophomore guard Bruce Thornton is averaging 15.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Battle, the graduate transfer from Minnesota, averages 15.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Battle shoots 43.3 percent from three-point range, the top number in the Big Ten. Battle’s former team bowed out if the NIT on Sunday afternoon, falling to Indiana State 76-64.
Sophomore guard Roddy Gayle is averaging 13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Okpara averages 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The sophomore big man from Lagos, Nigera is second in the Big Ten with 2.4 blocks per game.
The three-headed scoring monster has been effective for the Buckeyes this season, especially when Thornton is at his best in terms of facilitating and running the offense.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25355330/usa_today_22813796.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
This is bound to be a close battle, as both teams will be looking to lock up a spot in the Final Four in Indy and play at Hinkle Fieldhouse next Tuesday.
The Buckeyes got a little banged up after the Virginia Tech game, with Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle both suffering injuries in the game. Gayle appeared to re-injure his wrist that was initially hurt in the Big Ten Tournament. Thornton tried to split a double team and took a knee to his lower leg, and did not return to the game. However, coach Jake Diebler said on Monday they are both healthy and ready to go for the quarterfinal matchup.
I think the Buckeyes have enough offensive power to pull away in this contest late to win. Georgia ranked No. 7 in the SEC in defense, giving up 74.4 points per game, and Ohio State has scored 80-plus in both NIT games thus far.
It will be a close game because Georgia shoots it well enough to stay close, but Ohio State wins and heads to Indianapolis.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 65.6%
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN Plus
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justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes will look to punch their ticket to Indianapolis for the NIT Final Four.
After wins over Cornell and Virginia Tech, The Ohio State men’s basketball team (22-13 overall, 15-4 at home) finds itself one win away from earning a trip to Indianapolis and Hinkle Fieldhouse for the NIT Final Four.
Standing in the way of the Buckeyes will be the No. 4 seed Georgia Bulldogs (19-16 overall, 5-6 on the road).
Georgia took down No. 5 seed Xavier 78-76 in the first round and defeated No. 1 seed Wake Forest 72-66 behind 21 points from Justin Hill. Hunter Sallis, the leading scorer for Wake Forest, missed this contest with an ankle injury, and Georgia took advantage, going up early on the Deacs and never relinquishing the lead.
Jamison Battle notched his first double-double of the season against Virginia Tech, pulling down 10 rebounds to go along with his 21 points. Battle is just six points from 2,000 in his career and will look to accomplish that historic feat against Georgia tonight in front of the home fans.
With his 21 points, Battle also joined Thornton as the only other Buckeye to score 500 or more points this season. This is the first season in which multiple Buckeyes have scored 500 points in the same season since Jared Sullinger, Deshaun Thomas, and William Buford all reached the mark during the 2011-12 season. Roddy Gayle Jr. is just 25 points away from 500 points this season as well.
Felix Okpara has blocked a shot in 41 consecutive games, which is the longest streak in program history. He passed Ken Johnson, the Big Ten’s all-time leader in blocked shots. The sophomore center followed up a 16-point showing against Cornell with 13 against Virginia Tech, making it the first time this season he has scored in double digits in back-to-back games.
Ohio State freshman wing Scotty Middleton has missed both NIT games, as he has been home dealing with a personal matter, but he is back with the team and active for this contest, giving the Buckeyes a full availability sheet.
Preview
Georgia is led into this one by senior guard Noah Thomasson, who is averaging 12.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Senior guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim is averaging 12.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Illinois transfer R.J. Melendez is averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Senior guard Justin Hill and freshman guard Silas Demary Jr. are both averaging 9.6 points per game. Hill averages 3.2 assists per game, and Demary also averages 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Senior center Russel Tchewa is averaging 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Georgia shoots the three-ball at 33.6 percent on the season and is a 72.3 percent free-throw shooting team.
For Ohio State, sophomore guard Bruce Thornton is averaging 15.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Battle, the graduate transfer from Minnesota, averages 15.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Battle shoots 43.3 percent from three-point range, the top number in the Big Ten. Battle’s former team bowed out if the NIT on Sunday afternoon, falling to Indiana State 76-64.
Sophomore guard Roddy Gayle is averaging 13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Okpara averages 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The sophomore big man from Lagos, Nigera is second in the Big Ten with 2.4 blocks per game.
The three-headed scoring monster has been effective for the Buckeyes this season, especially when Thornton is at his best in terms of facilitating and running the offense.
Prediction
This is bound to be a close battle, as both teams will be looking to lock up a spot in the Final Four in Indy and play at Hinkle Fieldhouse next Tuesday.
The Buckeyes got a little banged up after the Virginia Tech game, with Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle both suffering injuries in the game. Gayle appeared to re-injure his wrist that was initially hurt in the Big Ten Tournament. Thornton tried to split a double team and took a knee to his lower leg, and did not return to the game. However, coach Jake Diebler said on Monday they are both healthy and ready to go for the quarterfinal matchup.
I think the Buckeyes have enough offensive power to pull away in this contest late to win. Georgia ranked No. 7 in the SEC in defense, giving up 74.4 points per game, and Ohio State has scored 80-plus in both NIT games thus far.
It will be a close game because Georgia shoots it well enough to stay close, but Ohio State wins and heads to Indianapolis.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 65.6%
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN Plus
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 80, Virginia Tech 75
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LGHL Defensive adjustment, rebounding shorten Ohio State women’s basketball’s season
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Defensive adjustment, rebounding shorten Ohio State women’s basketball’s season
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
After a strong start, Sunday’s final score shows a tale of diminishing returns for the Buckeyes.
Things couldn’t have started any better for Ohio State women’s basketball on Sunday. The Duke Blue Devils were stifled offensively, frustrated defensively and the Buckeyes continued to exploit the young visiting side. Then it all went wrong. Here’s how lack of adjustment and a continued thorn in the Buckeyes’ side has Ohio State looking to next season.
Entering the final NCAA Tournament game of the weekend in Columbus, a storyline was the experienced Buckeyes facing a young Blue Devils team. Looking at the five players who played the most for each side this year, Ohio State’s roster averaged 41 more college appearances than Duke.
It showed in the first 15 minutes of the game.
Ohio State jumped out to a 12-4 lead, stretching it to 10 points by the end of the first quarter. Look in the details of the quarter and it reeked of Buckeyes dominance. Of Duke’s 10 points scored, six of them came from the free throw line, and after forward Reigan Richardson hit a midrange jumper with 8:05 left in the quarter, the Blue Devils couldn’t muster another made shot from the field until 6:53 left in the second quarter.
Head coach Kevin McGuff’s group benefited from an opponent playing man coverage. Players found space in behind the defense, and the Buckeyes owned a 26-to-6 points in the paint first half advantage.
Even with all the post success, the Buckeyes were outrebounded 10-to-7 in the first 10 minutes, but considering the five forced turnovers for the home side, it didn’t really impact the game. After all, the height and size advantage of Duke was likely going to end in a negative rebounding margin for Ohio State. Then things began to unravel.
It began offensively with Richardson propelling the Blue Devils. After hitting two three-point shots, the lead was trimmed to 11 points and the Buckeyes went cold, taking just two shots in the final two minutes of the first half.
A nine-point Duke run gave Ohio State a four-point lead heading into halftime, and the rest of the game was an attempt to hang on.
For Ohio State, forward Cotie McMahon did everything she could to propel the team. In the third quarter, the sophomore scored nine of the Buckeyes’ 14 points. The Buckeyes kept going into the paint.
“As the game wore on, we really got out of sync on offense,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “And Duke was playing really good defense, so they had a hand in that.”
The Blue Devils knew that the Buckeyes wanted to go into the paint, and Ohio State gave the ACC side exactly what they expected. Layup attempts by McMahon and Taylor Thierry stopped falling, and whistles weren’t blowing on the inside shots.
All-in-all, the Buckeye offense became one dimensional. It was a move by design for the Blue Devils.
“I think they were obviously keying on the three-point line, so our counter to that is to kind of spread ‘em out and attack,” said McGuff. “I think that was working for awhile. Then when we did get some opportunities at the three-point line, we weren’t connecting.”
By the end of the third quarter, Ohio State had only eight three-point attempts in total — none of which came in the second quarter. It wasn’t until 14 seconds remaining in the game that guard Jacy Sheldon hit a three, the lone make from deep all game. No makes came for Rebeka Mikulášiková, Celeste Taylor, Rikki Harris or Thierry. Bench shooter Emma Shumate never saw a minute on the court.
Rebounding also got worse.
Each quarter, Duke out-rebounded Ohio State by five. The Buckeyes ended the day with 20 rebounds, compared to 38 for the opposition. The continued offensive moves to the basket drew attention from the Blue Devils. Plus, with Ohio State attacking the basket, missed shots had three Duke players and sometimes only one Buckeye available to battle, with the rest outside the arc waiting to get back on defense.
While experience benefited the Buckeyes, and propelled its quick start, it was complacency against a young team committed to its strategy that ended the Scarlet and Gray’s season.
“They made mistakes, but they kept playing hard, and they’re very athletic and they made enough plays to win the game,” said McGuff.
Richardson, one of the lone starting upperclassmen for head coach Kara Lawson, seemingly willed the Blue Devils to victory. The guard had 10 points, four rebounds and no turnovers in the final 10 minutes. A 24-point quarter against 13 for Ohio State, with each quarter of scoring less than the last. Richardson’s 28 points and seven rebounds move Duke to the Sweet Sixteen.
Now, what’s left for Ohio State are questions that won’t be answered until at least November.
Continue reading...
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
After a strong start, Sunday’s final score shows a tale of diminishing returns for the Buckeyes.
Things couldn’t have started any better for Ohio State women’s basketball on Sunday. The Duke Blue Devils were stifled offensively, frustrated defensively and the Buckeyes continued to exploit the young visiting side. Then it all went wrong. Here’s how lack of adjustment and a continued thorn in the Buckeyes’ side has Ohio State looking to next season.
Entering the final NCAA Tournament game of the weekend in Columbus, a storyline was the experienced Buckeyes facing a young Blue Devils team. Looking at the five players who played the most for each side this year, Ohio State’s roster averaged 41 more college appearances than Duke.
It showed in the first 15 minutes of the game.
Ohio State jumped out to a 12-4 lead, stretching it to 10 points by the end of the first quarter. Look in the details of the quarter and it reeked of Buckeyes dominance. Of Duke’s 10 points scored, six of them came from the free throw line, and after forward Reigan Richardson hit a midrange jumper with 8:05 left in the quarter, the Blue Devils couldn’t muster another made shot from the field until 6:53 left in the second quarter.
Head coach Kevin McGuff’s group benefited from an opponent playing man coverage. Players found space in behind the defense, and the Buckeyes owned a 26-to-6 points in the paint first half advantage.
Even with all the post success, the Buckeyes were outrebounded 10-to-7 in the first 10 minutes, but considering the five forced turnovers for the home side, it didn’t really impact the game. After all, the height and size advantage of Duke was likely going to end in a negative rebounding margin for Ohio State. Then things began to unravel.
It began offensively with Richardson propelling the Blue Devils. After hitting two three-point shots, the lead was trimmed to 11 points and the Buckeyes went cold, taking just two shots in the final two minutes of the first half.
A nine-point Duke run gave Ohio State a four-point lead heading into halftime, and the rest of the game was an attempt to hang on.
For Ohio State, forward Cotie McMahon did everything she could to propel the team. In the third quarter, the sophomore scored nine of the Buckeyes’ 14 points. The Buckeyes kept going into the paint.
“As the game wore on, we really got out of sync on offense,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “And Duke was playing really good defense, so they had a hand in that.”
The Blue Devils knew that the Buckeyes wanted to go into the paint, and Ohio State gave the ACC side exactly what they expected. Layup attempts by McMahon and Taylor Thierry stopped falling, and whistles weren’t blowing on the inside shots.
All-in-all, the Buckeye offense became one dimensional. It was a move by design for the Blue Devils.
“I think they were obviously keying on the three-point line, so our counter to that is to kind of spread ‘em out and attack,” said McGuff. “I think that was working for awhile. Then when we did get some opportunities at the three-point line, we weren’t connecting.”
By the end of the third quarter, Ohio State had only eight three-point attempts in total — none of which came in the second quarter. It wasn’t until 14 seconds remaining in the game that guard Jacy Sheldon hit a three, the lone make from deep all game. No makes came for Rebeka Mikulášiková, Celeste Taylor, Rikki Harris or Thierry. Bench shooter Emma Shumate never saw a minute on the court.
Rebounding also got worse.
Each quarter, Duke out-rebounded Ohio State by five. The Buckeyes ended the day with 20 rebounds, compared to 38 for the opposition. The continued offensive moves to the basket drew attention from the Blue Devils. Plus, with Ohio State attacking the basket, missed shots had three Duke players and sometimes only one Buckeye available to battle, with the rest outside the arc waiting to get back on defense.
While experience benefited the Buckeyes, and propelled its quick start, it was complacency against a young team committed to its strategy that ended the Scarlet and Gray’s season.
“They made mistakes, but they kept playing hard, and they’re very athletic and they made enough plays to win the game,” said McGuff.
Richardson, one of the lone starting upperclassmen for head coach Kara Lawson, seemingly willed the Blue Devils to victory. The guard had 10 points, four rebounds and no turnovers in the final 10 minutes. A 24-point quarter against 13 for Ohio State, with each quarter of scoring less than the last. Richardson’s 28 points and seven rebounds move Duke to the Sweet Sixteen.
Now, what’s left for Ohio State are questions that won’t be answered until at least November.
Continue reading...