Ohio State True Freshman Wins 174 Pound National Title
Patrick Jones via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The remarkable run for Ohio State true freshman Myles Martin came to end in the 174 finals at the 2016 NCAA wrestling finals, completing the ultimate goal — a national title. Martin, the 11 seed, made his way to finals only to face the 1 seed Bo Nickal of Penn State for the 4th time this season, losing all 3 of their previous matchups.

The first period began with a fast pace fury as Martin scored the first takedown with in 20 seconds. The rest of the period would take place on their feet with both wrestlers attempting a couple of shots each.

Nickal chose down to start the second and earned an escape to tie the match at 2 w 1:47 to go. Nickal scored his first takedown seconds later to take a 4-2 lead but Martin would cut the lead to 1 with an escape. With :25 seconds left in the period, Martin threw Nickal to his back for a huge 6 point move to take a 9-4 lead.

Martin would chose down to begin the 3rd and final period and would escape to take a 10-4 lead with 1:40 left in the match. Nickal got a takedown with 1:10 left to cut it to 10-6 and Martin escaped to make it 10-7. Martin gave up a stall point late, but won his first national title 11-9.

The post Ohio State True Freshman Wins 174 Pound National Title appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State's Myles Martin wins NCAA wrestling championship
Dan Vest via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Only a true freshman, Myles Martin is an NCAA champion.

Nobody expected him to wrestle this season. Nobody expected him to make the NCAA finals as a true Freshman 11-seed. Certainly nobody expected him to defeat Bo Nickal after losing three times to him during the regular season. Nobody that is except for Myles Martin, his coaches, and his teammates. He did all of those things. And now Myles Martin is an NCAA champion as a true freshman.


Martin jumped out to a 2-0 lead early but Nickal battled back to take a 4-2 lead in the second. Then Martin hit a body lock off of a double-leg attempt and took Nickal straight to his back for a six point move. Martin would hold on and take the match 11-8 to earn his championship.

Ironically Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan was criticized in some circles for pulling Martin's redshirt this season. Looks like he may have known what he was doing.

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NCAA Tournament 2016: March Madness Saturday TV schedule
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State's relegated to NIT action, but there's still plenty of other exciting games to watch until tomorrow.

Here. We. Go. Following yesterday's day for the ages, just 32 teams remain after two incredible days of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Sixteen of them will do battle Saturday, for our third full day of March Madness. Your bracket may already be toast, but fret not; Ohio State's still alive in the postseason -- sorry Michigan and Michigan State -- as they play host to the Florida Gators Sunday at 12 p.m. on ESPN.

Three of the number one seeds do it up this evening. You won't want to miss a second of the action.

How to Watch


Every NCAA Tournament game is available on CBS and CBS' March Madness app. But if you're on the go, you're covered too.

SBNation.com outlines all the different ways to consume the games (great for those of you at brunch or with preexisting weekend obligations) below:


Your smartphone should have you covered.

The NCAA has provided a full breakdown of all the games, along with tip-off times, location and how to catch it on TV. Check that out here.

And just in case, CBS also has a complete live schedule of all games and which TV network they'll be aired. You can see that here.

Saturday TV schedule

Time TV Location Region Game PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST//REPORTER
12:10p CBS Providence South (3) Miami-Florida Hurricanes vs. (11) Wichita State Shockers Ian Eagle/Chris Webber/Len Elmore//Evan Washburn
After Conc. CBS Providence West (4) Duke Blue Devils vs. (12) Yale Bulldogs Eagle/Webber/Elmore//Washburn
5:15p CBS Des Moines East (4) Kentucky Wildcats vs. (5) Indiana Hoosiers Jim Nantz/Grant Hill/Bill Raftery//Tracy Wolfson
6:10p TNT Denver Midwest (4) Iowa State Cyclones vs. (12) Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas//Jamie Erdahl
7:10p TBS Raleigh Midwest (1) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (9) Butler Bulldogs Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner//Lewis Johnson
After Conc. CBS Des Moines South (1) Kansas Jayhawks vs. (9) Connecticut Huskies Nantz/ Hill/ Raftery//Wolfson
After Conc. TNT Denver Midwest (3) Utah Utes vs. (11) Gonzaga Bulldogs Catalon/Lappas//Erdahl
After Conc. TBS Raleigh East (1) North Carolina Tar Heels vs. (9) Providence Friars Harlan/Miller/Bonner//Johnson
How's the LGHL bracket challenge going?


You can see how the Land-Grant Holy Land March Madness bracket contest stands here.

Take your Saturday to the next level with all this basketball hotness -- even consider begging out of your honey-do list so you can crack a cold one and enjoy the Madness. Just one more day before the Buckeyes attempt to survive and advance. May as well enjoy the big boy tournament until then.

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Joey Bosa's laid back off the field but relentless on it
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Teams will miss out if they mistake Bosa's off-the-field persona for how hard he'll work on the gridiron.

Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa was the first person to take the podium on Day 3 of the NFL Combine. With little else to listen too, most media members in attendance descended onto Podium C to hear the top 5 draft pick talk about his skillset, his NFL potential, and ... his personality.

His first words as he took the stage, "What's up?". It was early, people were still taking their seats, and Bosa was trying to open the floor for the barrage of questions for which he prepared. He seemed at ease behind the mic, answering question after question about his suspension at the beginning of 2015 and his ejection late in the season.

Perhaps one of the more defining questions was about whether he plans on going by 'Joe' as he enters the next phase in his life. Bosa was quick to reply, "No, I never see myself as a Joe. Maybe once I'm 50 I'll be Joe. Old man Joe."

He may be headed to the NFL, among some of the strongest and toughest men in the sport, but Bosa is still only 20 years old, and wont even be able to buy a celebratory beer -- legally -- until mid-July. He comes from an NFL legacy, and first round draft picks is a growing tradition -- one he hopes to pass down to little brother, and future Buckeye, Nick Bosa -- and one that people assume he wants to pass down to his future offspring.

On whether or not he feels pressure to produce and raise first round defensive ends, "Never really thought about that. Got to marry a tall, athletic girl and breed football players, I guess." The room erupted in subtle laughter, with the first pull quote worth quip of the day.

Shortly thereafter, he was asked about his calm demeanor in front of the media -- a usually tough group, that can chip away at a prospect's confidence --, Bosa admitted he felt at ease comparatively, "Yeah. I haven't been in front of you guys in a while. After meeting with a bunch of NFL coaches, you guys are nothing."

The defensive end noted that when he does meet with teams, he's trying to show them who he is as a person, "I don't have to change. I think I'm a likable guy. Right now, I'm focused on what's important and that's football. Just being alone and focusing just on this. When the time comes, I'll do what I have to do."

The real problem, is that people will question his off-field personality as an indication of the effort level he'll bring on the field -- and with Joey Bosa, these personas differ greatly.

His goal is to just let his work ethic and performance on the field show teams more than anything he could say, "I'm just handling what I can control. Been training as hard as I possibly could. I'm gonna just try to do as well as I can on every event."

Among one of the more rehearsed answers by prospects, Bosa's seemed the most genuine when asked what specifically he needs to improve on as he heads to the pros, "Everything. There's always room for improvement, so I'm going to continue to work on every aspect of my game and continue to improve."

Fittingly, the last question of his time with the media, was whether he was concerned teams would see him as too laid back. Bosa wasn't concerned with the perception he gives off the field, "I don't know. It's who I am. It's my personality."

Throughout his time at Ohio State, Bosa has been compared to Spicoli from the movie 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High', a flick that was released 13 years before the DE was even born. Their look and surfer-esque vernacular are certainly similar, but Bosa has a switch that flips the second he laces up his cleats -- one that shouldn't be overlooked when he's making people laugh on the sidelines.

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Vote now: Cedar Point, Buckeyes football game, Put-in-Bay lead in Ohio Bucket List poll - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Vote now: Cedar Point, Buckeyes football game, Put-in-Bay lead in Ohio Bucket List poll
cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio – What's on your Bucket List, Ohio? * Taking a roller coaster tour of Cedar Point. * Watching the Ohio State Buckeyes play at the Horseshoe. * Hopping the ferry to Put-in-Bay for island fun. Those are the top contenders after the first ...


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Turnaround Was Bittersweet For Buckeyes - College Hockey News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Turnaround Was Bittersweet For Buckeyes
College Hockey News
ST. PAUL, Minn. — After falling to Minnesota 4-2 in the Big Ten semifinal, the Buckeyes quietly slinged their bags onto a metal platform truck. After tossing his on the top, freshman Mason Jobst, the OT hero of Thursday's win, stood in front of the ...
With both teams' season on the line, Buckeyes taking another crack at Gophers1500 ESPN
Gophers Rally Past BuckeyesMinnesota Hockey Magazine
Floodgates open in third period, Gophers top Ohio State for Big Ten title game berthMinneapolis Star Tribune
OSU - The Lantern -Land-Grant Holy Land -Eleven Warriors
all 24 news articles »

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Martin and Snyder head to National Championship Matches after Day 2 of NCAA Nationals
Patrick Jones via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State entered the semi final round of the 2016 NCAA wrestling tournament with a chance to get 4 guys into Saturday nights finals and a shot a repeating as national champion only to have great disappointment fall upon them.

In the first match of the semi final round, defending 125 pound champion Nathan Tomasello wrestled a very passive, “not to lose” match and it cost him. Tomasello, who typically uses his offense to rack up points on his way to wins, attempted only 2 shots in 7 minuets of regulation wrestling against Iowa’s Thomas Gilman. Gilman scored an escape in the second and Tomasello escaped to start the third to leave the match tied at 1-1 heading into overtime. Early in overtime Gilman got in on a shot on Tomasello and put the Buckeye sophmore right to his back and scored the fall in OT to secure his spot in the finals. Tomasello will wrestle in the consolation semi finals in the morning before either wrestling for 3rd/4th with a win or 5th/6th with a loss.

The second Buckeye up in the semifinals was sophmore Bo Jordan. In what was billed as Jordan Bowl 4, Jordan took on cousin and Wisconsin Badger Isaac Jordan. Like the previous 3 matches, the elder Jordan, Isaac came out the victor, 5-4. Isaac used a late reversal to score the victory over his former high school teammate. Like Tomasello, Jordan will wrestle in the morning in the consolation semi finals.

In what is the surprise of the tourney, Buckeye freshman Myles Martin continued his remarkable run in the 174 pound bracket with an 8-2 win over Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State. Martin will face the number 1 seed Bo Nickal of Penn State in the finals. Nickal beat the Buckeye Frosh 11-5 in their dual meet match back in early February and then pinned Martin in the B1G wresting tourney 2 weeks ago.

The last Buckeye to take the mat Friday night was super sophmore and current world champion Kyle Snyder. Snyder made the move to heavyweight after taking off his redshirt to come back and help the Bucks try to win a team title for a second consecutive year. Snyder used 4 takedowns to secure a 10-6 win over Ohioian Ty Walz of Virginia Tech. Snyder used a fall, technical fall, and major decision on his way to his semi final match and will move on to face defending champion Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State in what is arguably the match of the finals on Saturday night. This will mark Snyder and Gwiazdowski’s second return trip to NCAA finals.

Stop back tomorrow for a rundown of the finals and a complete recap of the wrestling Bucks weekend, including placement match results.

The post Martin and Snyder head to National Championship Matches after Day 2 of NCAA Nationals appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Badgers women's tennis: Second-ranked Buckeyes sweep UW - Madison.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Badgers women's tennis: Second-ranked Buckeyes sweep UW
Madison.com
3-ranked Di Lorenzo picked up victories for the Buckeyes. Kowase knocked off Maria Avgerinos by a score of 6-3, 6-4. Niehaus defeated Lauren Burich, 6-4, 5-7, 10-7. Finally, Di Lorenzo handed Chypyha just her second loss of the season by a score of 7-5 ...
Hurricanes scores inspiring victory over second ranked BuckeyesTennis World - the place for Tennis News and Tennis Tournament

all 3 news articles »

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Fairmont grad Waterman contributing for Buckeyes - MyDaytonDailyNews
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Fairmont grad Waterman contributing for Buckeyes
MyDaytonDailyNews
A spate of injuries, including Waterman's, forced OSU coach Kevin McGuff to start four guards around 6-3 center Alexa Hart much of last season when the Buckeyes finished third in the Big Ten standings then lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.


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NCAA Wrestling Championships: Penn State takes big lead on Day 2
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team posted a perfect Friday night at 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships in New York’s Madison Square Garden and finds itself on the brink of yet another NCAA National Championship. Head coach Cael Sanderson’s squad was unbeaten in five national semifinal bouts as well as consolation action in session four of the three-day event. Penn State’s five semifinalists roared through the session perfectly, going 5-0 with a pin and a tech fall while the Nittany Lions picked up a sixth All-American with a perfect run through consolation action. The Nittany Lions lead the team race

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Ohio State hockey's season ends with 4-2 loss to Minnesota
Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


After last night's emotional overtime win versus Michigan State, Minnesota took down the Buckeyes in the semifinal of the Big Ten Tournament

If you just took the first two periods of this game, Ohio State played a whale of a game. Coming off last night's overtime win over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal, the Buckeyes looked energized in the first two period's of tonight's contest versus regular season conference title holders Minnesota. They played evenly with the Gophers and took a 1-0 lead into the second intermission.

In the third period, it all came apart as Minnesota took the game 4-2. Minnesota scored all four of their goals in the final frame as Ohio State just seemed to run out of energy after the prior night's longer than regulation affair. Minnesota, coming in rested having received a bye for being one of the top two seeds via the conference's regular season standings, looked a little rusty and couldn't keep up with the energetic Buckeyes early.

Things really looked to be heading Minnesota's way early when Dakota Joshua received a five minute major and game misconduct for a questionable hit along the boards, but Minnesota couldn't generate any offense on that powerplay, and almost immediately after OSU found a way to kill it with no damage done, Kevin Miller put Ohio State on the boards on a rebound at 13:01. Ohio State would hold off the Gophers, who still couldn't get anything going, and take that 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Nick Schilkey hit a crossbar that almost made it 2-0, but in the second, Minnesota looked to finally start looking like the team that won the regular season Big Ten title. Schilkey's missed opportunity soon after Miller's goal would prove to be costly. Minnesota wouldn't be able to put up a goal in the second, but started taking control, especially with Hudson Fasching's line controlling play mercilessly when they took the ice. The Gophers led in shots, 13-8, in the second but even that didn't show how much the rested Gophers were starting to take over.

In the third, the dam broke and Christian Frey's solid play up to that point couldn't rescue the tired Buckeyes. Tyler Sheehy scored the Gophers first goal on a two on one just 1:36 into the third period. Just under four minutes later, at 5:20 of the third, Leon Bristedt laid a perfect pass between two Ohio State defenders to hit Vinni Lettieri's stick and he put it top right corner over Frey to give the Gophers a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

At 11:11 of the third, Minnesota made a wish and gave themselves a 3-1 lead with Sheehy forcing a turnover and hitting Taylor Cammarata who put it home. But that wouldn't be all for the Gophers. Sheehy found Cammarata again, who put it between the legs of Frey to make it 4-1 at 16:38 of the third. David Gust would add one for the Buckeyes to make it 4-2, but it would be for naught as that would be as close as the Bucks would get.

Ohio State just couldn't find a way to keep up with the more rested and talented Minnesota team after the first two periods. The Gophers won the regular season conference title for a reason and they showed why in the third period tonight. OSU did the absolute best they could and prevented the Bucks from getting a shot at Michigan for the Big Ten Tournament title.

Minnesota takes on Michigan for the conference title, while the Ohio State hockey season ends on a sour note. The team is young and shouldn't be losing much next year. They could and should be better, possibly challenging for one of the top three spots in the conference if everything breaks correctly.

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Will Keita Bates-Diop play vs. Florida? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Will Keita Bates-Diop play vs. Florida?
cleveland.com
Ohio State was 21 of 23 from the free-throw line against Akron, and lately the Buckeyes have been much better from the line than they were early in the season -- when free throws might have cost them some games. Watch the video to hear Matta talk about ...

and more »

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Buckeyes offer in-state defensive end - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes offer in-state defensive end
247Sports
What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you stay in the loop – take a few seconds to sign up for our FREE OSU newsletter now!) Ohio State has offered the 6-foot-5 and 250-pound Taylor. “They just offered him,” Springfield coach Maurice Douglass told ...

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Ohio State pistol makes it a three-peat, embarrasses every other school
Chuck McKeever via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


We're running out of fingers to put championship rings on.

"The championship marks the fourth time Ohio State has won a national title in open team competition."

- OhioStateBuckeyes.com


It's starting to feel really, really unfair. The Ohio State pistol team just claimed its third consecutive national title, the eighth in program history. For those keeping score at home, that's two Buckeye teams currently boasting three-peats, with the pistol squad joining the women's rowing boats as the most dominating forces in their respective sports.

Look, when you're beating out schools like Army and Navy in shooting sports, it's hard not to be just a little bit proud. I'm beginning to think that if some sort of Red Dawn situation were to occur in the U.S., the invading force would be making a huge mistake coming anywhere near Franklin County. Ohio State students have mastered the arts of shooting and boating, and it'd be hard not to like their chances. (The only foreseeable problem would be an invasion originating in East Lansing. Not sure we'd be able to fend that one off.)

The national championship is the first for head coach Donna Knisley in her current role, although she was an assistant during all seven previous title runs.

"Who would be surprised if they ended up in the CFP next January?"

- Ted Miller, ESPN.com


Trying to project who will claim spots in the college football playoff is essentially a fool's errand. Still, that doesn't make it any less fun! ESPN.com took an early shot at its predictions this week, and perhaps somewhat surprisingly took Ohio State to fill the fourth spot. Writer Ted Miller drew parallels to last year's Alabama team, given that the Crimson Tide had big questions at a few notable positions heading into the 2015 campaign, a problem the Buckeyes will be intimately familiar with by the time the 2016 season kicks off -- Urban Meyer's squad returns just six starters, having lost just about every productive skill player outside of J.T. Barrett.

It's an enticing thought. You may remember Ohio State claiming the national title in the 2014 season despite having the proverbial snowball's chance for most of the season. Meyer's team seems to do a whole lot better with the chase than with the grind, and it's certainly more exciting as a fan to watch the team climb the standings than to spend a whole season biting fingernails hoping to withstand the onslaught and keep the top spot.

Miller's comparisons match the 2015 Tide with the 2016 Buckeyes, but he doesn't stop there. Auburn enters the 2016 season in a position similar to 2015 Oklahoma, while this year's Baylor might resemble last year's Clemson. Miller also thinks Ole Miss, with their veteran QB and questions at wide receiver, might just do what Michigan State did last season.

"When I meet with these teams, they always [say], 'We feel you were underutilized,' and I always smirk when I hear that, but we have so many threats at Ohio State."

- Nick Vannett, via Matthew Florjancic, WKYC.com


One of those talented skill position players that Ohio State will have to do without in 2016 is tight end Nick Vannett. Vannett, like so many Buckeye TEs before him, didn't see a whole lot of touches, but made the most of the ones he got. Now, as he preps for hearing his name called in April's NFL Draft, he's trying not to let his touchdown-less senior season bother him too much. Vannett felt that his workouts and interviews with teams during the NFL Combine and on Ohio State's pro day were a great chance to showcase his talents.

"Just to get to work out with them...that's what I've been waiting for," Vannett said, per WKYC's Matthew Floranjic. He's certainly got the measurables to succeed at the next level, standing 6'6 and weighing 220 pounds. Despite Ohio State's system not favoring big stats for tight ends, there's little doubt that Vannett will be taken in the first three or four rounds, given how much he's impressed during the pre-draft process. Recent history is on his side, too. Jeff Heuerman, to whom Vannett played second fiddle for a few years, was taken by the Denver Broncos in the third round of last year's draft, and while an ACL injury sidelined him for his rookie campaign, he's looking to break out this season. If he finds the right team, Vannett is more than capable of doing the same.


STICK TO SPORTS

• Smoking indoors in Ohio back???
• Some good music from PHOX, a band from B1G country.
• Ugandan mountain gorillas will brighten your day.
• Pope Francis will debut on Instagram tomorrow. The comments on his photos should get pretty interesting.

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OSUWBB: Buckeyes Open NCAA Tournament With Win Over Buffalo
Charles via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


After a disastrous end to the regular season and Big Ten Tournament, the Ohio State women’s basketball team got back on the court looking to show that they were the team that was viewed as a threat to make the Final Four. The nearly two weeks since their last game was good for OSU, giving them time to really work on things in practice and giving Ameryst Alston a chance to heal after spraining her wrist in the win over Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament. While Alston has been cleared to play by the doctors, the OSU coaching staff elected to keep her out of this game, starting Shayla Cooper in her place. (Above image courtesy of Ohio State athetlics)

Buffalo scored the first five points of the game and even after Asia Doss got Ohio State on the board the Buckeyes couldn’t draw closer until midway through the first quarter when back-to-back baskets by Alexa Hart and Cait Craft briefly made it a one point game. The Bulls would push the lead back to three before a pair of three pointers by Doss triggered a 19 to 0 run that put the Buckeyes up 27-11 with less than a minute to go in the first. Buffalo would only manage to hit a free throw for the rest of the quarter which was followed by Kelsey Mitchell’s third three pointer which gave OSU a 30-12 lead after the first ten minutes.

Buffalo scored the first five points of the second quarter on the way to an 8 to 2 start that pulled them within a dozen. Ohio State responded with 7 unanswered to extend their lead to 39-20 at the midpoint of the quarter. Following a basket and a free throw by the Bulls, the Buckeyes closed the half on a 9 to 0 run to take a 48-23 lead into the locker room.

Ohio State scored the first nine points of the second half to extend their lead to 57-23 four minutes into the third quarter. Buffalo finally got their offense going and slowly but steadily chipped away at the OSU lead. The Bulls outscored the Buckeyes 21 to 13 over the last six minutes of the third quarter but Ohio State still held a comfortable 70-44 lead heading into the final ten minutes.

The Ohio State defense got a bit sloppy in the fourth quarter, most likely due to a combination of having lesser used players on the floor and the commanding lead that the Buckeyes enjoyed. The OSU offense continued to roll though as the Buckeyes cruised to an 88-69 win.

Ohio State shot 52% from the field and 47% from three point range on the game. Their free throw shooting was embarrassing though as the Buckeyes went 14 of 26 from the charity strip. OSU did a nice job of moving the ball, recording 19 assists on 33 made baskets. After allowing Buffalo to make 4 of their first 5 shots, the Ohio State defense clamped down, limiting the Bulls to only 4 makes on their other 28 shots in the first half; Buffalo would shoot 30% from the field and 32% from outside for the game. The OSU defense recorded 10 shots and forced 16 turnovers while narrowly losing the rebounding battle, 47 to 45.

Kelsey Mitchell led Ohio State with 27 points while dishing out 6 assists and getting a block; she did commit 5 turnovers though and it would be nice to see that number drop. Shayla Cooper put on a good performance while starting in place of Alston, scoring 17 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and adding 3 assists and 2 steals. Asia Doss added 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists and only committed one turnover. Alexa Hart put up 7 points, grabbed 5 points, and made life tough inside for the Buffalo offense as evidenced by her 5 blocks. Makayla Waterman had a very nice day coming off the bench with 6 points and a team high 8 rebounds.

Ohio State stumbled into the tournament, losing 3 of their last 4 and struggling early in their one win while Buffalo entered this game on a roll with a surprising run through the MAC Tournament. Thus, while the Bulls weren’t a top tier opponent, this was still and important game to see if the Buckeyes had managed to get things back on the right track. It is safe to say that the two weeks of practice really paid off for the Buckeyes who looked pretty sharp on offense and displayed an improved defense. The OSU defense was impressively aggressive the first half, forcing turnovers and really limiting Buffalo’s ability to get the ball inside. Putting up 88 points was nice to see without Ameryst Alston out there, she should be back on the court for the next game. There is still room for improvement, especially at the free throw line and in playing tough defense for the full forty minutes. Still, this is how you want to start the NCAA tournament.

Ohio State will take on 6 seed West Virginia on Sunday in the second round. The Mountaineers survived a tougher than expected battle against 11 seed Princeton today.

The post OSUWBB: Buckeyes Open NCAA Tournament With Win Over Buffalo appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State women's basketball routs Buffalo, 88-69, in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are moving on to a 2nd round matchup against West Virginia on Sunday.

There was no threat of a cinderella showing up in Columbus on Friday, as the Ohio State women's basketball team breezed through its first game in the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes defeated Buffalo, 88-69, at St. John Arena.

Sophomore All-America candidate Kelsey Mitchell did Kelsey Mitchell things, scoring 27 points and dishing out six assists to lead an Ohio State team that was without senior co-captain Ameryst Alston.

Alston, suffered a right wrist injury in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals against Rutgers, was in uniform but did not play. It is hoped that the fourth-leading scorer in program history will be available on Sunday when the Buckeyes take on 6th-seeded West Virginia.

In addition to Mitchell, the pair of junior Shayla Cooper and sophomore Asia Doss stepped up in Alston's absence. Cooper contributed 17 points and seven rebounds, while Doss added 16 points, eight boards, and five assists.

In a losing effort, All-MAC guard Joanna Smith scored 23 points.

Buffalo came out fired up early, jumping to a quick 7-2 lead. Smith knocked down her first three-point attempt and center Cassie Oursler got two quick buckets.

While Mitchell, fourth in the country in scoring, started the game off 0-for-6 from the floor, the four other starters all scored to trim the lead to 11-8 at the midway point of the first quarter. Doss helped pick up the slack for Alston, knocking down back to back threes to propel Ohio State to a 14-11 lead. The Detroit native scored nine points in the first ten minutes, and the home team never looked back.

Mitchell got her first points of the game with 2:42 remaining in the quarter. A deep three from the top of the arc capped a 12-0 run in just a minute and a half for a 20-11 advantage. The Cincinnati product then banked a runner, splashed another triple, got a transition layup, and knocked down one last three. The rout was officially on.

The Buckeyes finished the quarter on a 22-1 run for a 30-12 lead, shooting over 50 percent from the field, blocking six shots, and forcing six Buffalo turnovers. Mitchell overcame her slow start to lead all scorers with 13 points.

In the second quarter, the Bulls ended a 9-minute scoring drought from the field, scoring eight of the first ten points. Smith knocked down another three, as did freshman Courtney Wilkins.Four straight points by Cooper, a layup on a beautiful dime from Mitchell to junior Kalpana Beach, and a three from Cooper set the lead at 39-20 midway through.

Buffalo again closed the quarter ice cold, going four and a half minutes without a bucket, as the Buckeyes went to the locker room with a 48-23 lead. Mitchell led all scorers with 17 points, while Cooper added 11 and Doss 10. Smith led the Bulls with 11 points of her own.

Buffalo's struggles on the offensive end continued into the second half, as they went over four minutes without scoring a point. By the five-minute mark of the third quarter, Doss, Cooper, and sophomore Alexa Hart had powered Ohio State out to a 59-28 lead.

While the scarlet and gray continued to shoot over 50 percent from the floor, Buffalo saw its percentage dip below 25 percent. But Smith kept playing hard despite the deficit, outscoring the rest of her teammates. The Mississippi native had 23 of the Bulls' 44 points after three quarters. Mitchell's 24 paced the Buckeyes to a 70-44 lead headed to the final ten minutes.

The Bulls actually won the fourth quarter, 25-18, but it mattered little in the final outcome. Mitchell made one last triple before exiting the game with just over two minutes remaining, as Ohio State shot better than 52 percent for the game.

The Buckeyes move on to play West Virginia in the round of 32 on Sunday. The program is 12-0 all-time against the Mountaineers.

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Michigan State, Ohio State advance in the NCAA women’s tourney
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Aerial Powers scored 27 points, Jasmine Hines added 24 and fourth-seeded Michigan State pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat No. 13 seed Belmont 74-60 on Friday in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. Later, No. 3 seed Ohio State handled No. 14 seed Buffalo, 88-69. [ MORE: Big Ten women’s scoreboard | NCAA women’s scoreboard | NCAA.com interactive bracket | BTN YouTube videos | Big Ten women’s hoops on Twitter] On Saturday, it’s No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 15 Iowa (1:30 p.m., ESPN2) No. 11 Purdue vs. No. 6 Oklahoma (1:30 p.m., ESPN2), and No. 9 Indiana vs. No.

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Bulls trail Buckeyes 48-23 at half - WKBW-TV
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Bulls trail Buckeyes 48-23 at half
WKBW-TV
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) - After jumping out to a 7-2 lead against 3-seed Ohio State, 14-seed Buffalo struggled as the Buckeyes imposed their will and used a 22-1 run to open up a 48-23 halftime lead over the Bulls. Kelsey Mitchell, who ranks fourth in the ...

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Top100 QB set to see Michigan, Buckeyes - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Top100 QB set to see Michigan, Buckeyes
247Sports
2018 Top100 quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson will visit Michigan next Monday for three days, and then head to Ohio State for a couple more. "I'm really excited to see both places," Thompson-Robinson told Wolverine247. "I've been to both before, but ...


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Buckeyes offer in-state defensive end - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes offer in-state defensive end
247Sports
What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you stay in the loop – take a few seconds to sign up for our FREE OSU newsletter now!) Ohio State has offered the 6-foot-5 and 250-pound Taylor. “They just offered him,” Springfield coach Maurice Douglass told ...

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With both teams' season on the line, Buckeyes taking another crack at Gophers - 1500 ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


With both teams' season on the line, Buckeyes taking another crack at Gophers
1500 ESPN
Thanks to an overtime goal by Buckeyes freshman Mason Jobst off a rebound coughed up by Michigan State goalie Jake Hildebrand, Ohio State gets one more crack at their nemesis this season. The Buckeyes were the only team beaten four times by the ...
Big Ten tournament Men's hockey | Florida trip put Buckeyes on right courseColumbus Dispatch
Gopher Hockey: Minnesota to Face Ohio State to Keep Season AliveThe Daily Gopher
Big Ten Football Q&A: Does Ohio State Deserve to Be the B1G's Favorite?Bleacher Report
USCHO (blog) -Eleven Warriors
all 64 news articles »

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Vote in our 16-player Buckeyes bracket: Cleveland Sports March Matchups - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Vote in our 16-player Buckeyes bracket: Cleveland Sports March Matchups
cleveland.com
The winner of the Buckeyes Bracket will be matched against the winner of the Browns Bracket in our Final Four, with the winner there meeting the winner of the Cavs and Indians Brackets in the championship showdown. The voting here will run through the ...


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Ohio State baseball opens home slate against Hofstra
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are finally playing in familiar surroundings this weekend.

After fifteen games away from home, the Ohio State baseball team will finally be taking the field in the friendly confines of Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus this weekend. At 8-6-1 through roughly a quarter of the season, the Buckeyes could use some home cooking as they tune-up to begin conference play.

Ohio State spent the past four games in the desert taking on UNLV. The series split between the two clubs was a microcosm of what has gone right for the Buckeyes thus far in 2016, as well as the areas that are still in need of improvement.

"We're not happy with a split, but that's all that we could do coming into tonight's ball game," head coach Greg Beals said Tuesday night. "We need to clean up our defense and support our pitching staff, and I know we are capable of playing quality defense."

Beals' squad had no trouble scoring runs against the Rebels, particularly in Saturday's 20-run explosion. Troy Montgomery, Ronnie Dawson, Tre' Gantt, and Brady Cherry all had solid weekends.

Montgomery and Dawson combined to go 12-for-34 at the plate in the series (.353 average) and drive in 10 runs. Dawson hit three home runs, while Montgomery went deep once. Cherry, who is showing strong in his freshman season, was 6-for-18 (.333) with five RBIs of his own.

Gantt, who is coming off offseason labrum surgery got his first extended playing time of the season, making a start at DH and two in right field in place of Jacob Bosiokovic, who is nursing a hamstring injury. Gantt responded by going 5-for-12 (.417) at the plate, with three doubles and three RBIs.

On the mound, Saturday, starter Adam Niemeyer put together his best start of the 2016 campaign to date, tossing six innings of two-run, four-hit balls, striking out seven and issuing just one walk. Niemeyer's command has been spot on in 23 innings, as the redshirt sophomore righty has fanned 24 and given up just three walks en route to a 1.09 WHIP.

Friday starter Tanner Tully suffered his first loss of the season, giving up five runs, four earned, while striking out seven and walking two in seven innings. Freshman Ryan Feltner also had a rough day on the bump Tuesday, walking six in his four innings, surrendering five runs in a no-decision.

Ohio State is about to embark on a stretch of 13 straight games either at home or within the state of Ohio, and Big Ten play is just a week away. The Buckeyes begin the home slate this weekend hosting Hofstra for a three-game series.

"It's going to be nice to go back home and play in front of our home crowd after spending a month on the road," Beals said. "It's going to be nice to go back to Bill Davis Stadium."

Let's take a look at the Pride.

Hofstra Pride (5-11, Colonial Athletic Conference)


Hofstra did not mess around when starting the season, playing three games apiece against national power Texas A&M and a solid Missouri team. The Pride lose all six of those games, and have played .500 baseball ever since.

A .500 mark seems about right for John Russo's club, as they have outscored opponents by just four runs thus far in the season.

Three players to watch in Hofstra's lineup are senior first baseman Ryan Karl, sophomore center fielder Steven Foster, and freshman catcher Vito Friscia. Karl leads the team with a .311 batting average and .492 slugging percentage, with six doubles, a homer, and six RBIs.

Foster, who was a preseason All-CAA selection, is currently hitting .295 and leads the team with six stolen bases. A season ago, Foster led the Pride with a .351 average.

Friscia is experiencing similar success early in his first season, batting .306 and sporting a team-best .534 on-base percentage.

On the bump, a trio of righties will take the ball over the weekend. Senior Alec Eisenberg is improving over his junior season, holding opponents to a .234 batting average and sporting a 3.32 ERA. After pitching in the Cape Cod League over the summer, the Scarsdale, New York native is 1-3 and has 16 strikeouts against 11 walks in his 21.2 innings.

Sophomore Chris Weiss, who appeared in the field more than on the mound as a freshman, has had his struggles on the hill in 2016. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 5.09 ERA despite yielding just a .229 opponent batting average and a 1.30 WHIP.

Bookending the weekend will be senior Bowie Matteson, who spent his first two years of college at a school (Boston University) that did not even field a baseball team. The righty is 1-1 with a 2.49 ERA in his first season as a full-time member of the rotation. Matteson has been very effective with his command, limiting opponents to a .247 batting average and just three walks.

With Northwestern traveling to Columbus to kick off Big Ten play next weekend, establishing some momentum at Bill Davis Stadium against Hofstra is key to Ohio State kicking its struggles to the curb.

Game times and probable pitching matchups


Friday, March 18th, 5:05 p.m. ET

Tully (2-1, 3.42 ERA) vs. Eisenberg (1-3, 3.32)

Saturday, March 19th, 3:05 p.m. ET

Niemeyer (1-1, 4.30) vs. Weiss (1-1, 5.09)

Sunday, March 20th, 1:05 p.m. ET

John Havird (0-1, 4.98) vs. Matteson (1-1, 2.49)

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Making the List: Evan Turner
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Ohio State University is in the NIT. The last time they were in the NIT, 2008, they won it all. That was a thrilling win for us who recall it. They beat the University of Massachusetts 92-85. And even though the score reflects only a seven point difference – the Buckeyes actually dominated that title match.

It seems to me, in the spirit of the Tournaments, that I should pick a player on that winning team for Making the List. That person cannot be anyone other than Evan Turner. This is by no way a reflection of the others on that squad. The Buckeyes were loaded with top talent that year: There was David Lightly, Kosta Koufos, Jamar Butler, and Othello Hunter.

In that Championship game Evan would score 20 points, have six rebounds, four assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. None of those statistics would lead that game for a Buckeye. But that, truly, is a moot point. It is what Evan represented that year to the Buckeyes, and during his stay in Columbus as a whole.

Evan was born in Chicago, Illinois and would be big his whole life (having being born at 10 lbs.). He would be a teammate of fellow NBA player Iman Shumpert on a team in the Eighth Grade. Evan was a spectacular player – gathering notice as early as his sophomore year in High School from Division I Schools who would be salivating in the prospect that he’d be playing for them once his senior season was completed. Schools such as Wisconsin, Indiana, TTUN, *ichigan State, Illinois, Notre Dame, Marquette, and Texas A&M had him in their plans. But his decision came down to the Buckeyes. His father was living in Columbus, Ohio whom he visited loyally every summer since he was ten years old.

FRESHMEN YEAR


Turner as a freshmen averaged 27.1 minutes per game, 8.5 points, and 4.4 rebounds. As the season ended he would be second for the Buckeyes in assists and third in steals. On January 19, 2008 against the Tennessee Volunteers he would record his first double-double on a 20-point, 10-rebound performance. The Buckeyes would win the NIT Championship in his Freshmen Year.

SOPHOMORE YEAR


As a sophomore, Turner was named player of the week three times during the 2008–09 Big Ten season: December 8, 2008, February 2, 2009, and February 9, 2009. On February 26, Turner became the only Big Ten player selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) as a Top 15 finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy. As a guard/forward for the Buckeyes he’d lead the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Evan would also lead the Big Ten Conference in scoring as a sophomore.

Oddly he would not be chosen as a preseason All-Big Ten Conference player, though he would be the only player picked as a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media at the end of the regular season. He would contribute on the 2009 Junior USA World University Championships team, winning a Bronze Medal with a 6-1 record.

JUNIOR YEAR


This would be the year that a ton of accolades came his way. He would begin the season on the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season preseason second-team All-American list. FOX Sports put him on their preseason All-American fifth team. He would be named on the watch list for the Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year – with 50 other players.

His nickname “The Villain” opened that year with confidence. He recorded the first triple-double by a Big Ten player since January of 2001. It would be the second time ever in the history of The Ohio State University men’s Basketball program (Dennis Hopson being the first). He would be injured his Junior year and sit out nearly two months. He would return by earning his fourth Big Ten Player of the Week award on the same day after leading his team to wins over two ranked conference foes. He would help the Buckeyes this year to winning the Big-Ten Tournament Championship Game with 31 points and being named the Tournament Most Valuable Player.

In his stay in Columbus Evan was a Consensus First Team All-American (2010), 2010 National Player of the Year winner along with the Naismith, Robertson, Wooden, AP, NABC, TSN, and Fox Sports Awards.

And, who can forget this quintessential Evan Turner moment?

What else can be said?

Evan Turner is one of the greatest players ever to don a Scarlet and Gray uniform for the Ohio State University. There simply is no debate. Without question he deserves to be a member of our Making the List that is growing more and more each week. Evan Turner is a star that will be discussed in Buckeye Lore decades from now just as members of that 1960 Championship Team is today.

The post Making the List: Evan Turner appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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