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#20 Ohio State 78, LSU 76 (final)

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Finally a couple of game highlights on ESPN News. I was waiting for this yesterday, and couldn't understand why they didn't show some of the game.

A top-20 team remains undefeated with a 20-3 run to end the game, winning on a late 3-pointer, and they had no game clips until this morning. That was hard to understand since the game was on an ESPN pay-channel.
 
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BB73 said:
Finally a couple of game highlights on ESPN News. I was waiting for this yesterday, and couldn't understand why they didn't show some of the game.

A top-20 team remains undefeated with a 20-3 run to end the game, winning on a late 3-pointer, and they had no game clips until this morning. That was hard to understand since the game was on an ESPN pay-channel.
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You see, Duke's thrashing of Sister's of the Poor U is much more important. FWIW, LSU is definately a tournament team. That squad is going to be very dangerous as the year goes on. Quality win on our part.
 
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1/1/06

OHIO STATE 78 | LSU 76

OSU rally sinks LSU

Sylvester’s trey caps comeback from 15 down in final minutes

Sunday, January 01, 2006
Bob Baptist

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
20060101-Pc-D1-0500.jpg
</IMG> NEAL C . LAURON | DISPATCH Matt Sylvester celebrates after sinking a winning three-point basket in the waning seconds for Ohio State.


Memo to the Ohio State fans who left Value City Arena before the game ended:
Don’t go away early anymore, because your team doesn’t.

Fifteen points behind LSU with less than six minutes remaining and seemingly without an answer for the Tigers’ size and athleticism along the front line, the Buckeyes miraculously outscored them 20-3 in the final 5:36 yesterday and won 78-76 when — who else? — Matt Sylvester made a three-point shot from the left corner with 5.5 seconds remaining.

The Buckeyes then adroitly defended LSU’s final possession, taking the Tigers out of what they had planned and forcing a missed three-pointer by 6-foot-9, 310-pound Glen "Big Baby" Davis with two seconds left. A tip by Tyrus Thomas just before the final horn was long and what was left of the announced crowd of 16,136 went nuts, as did the players and coaches.

"Boy, what a game. I’m still a little bit numb," coach Thad Matta said after the No. 21-ranked Buckeyes (10-0) willed another come-frombehind win two weeks after rallying past Iowa State in Des Moines, Iowa.

"I give credit to our guys. We had several chances to crack and pack our tent and go home. To their credit, they kept playing."

Terence Dials led Ohio State with 24 points, tying his season high. But the comeback was authored by the guards, who applied the pressure and made the plays that overcame deficits of 73-58 with less than six minutes remaining and 76-66 with 2½ minutes to go.

"We stuck together in hard times," said Je’Kel Foster, who scored seven of his 12 points in the final 5:36. "I couldn’t have better teammates. We were down 10 with maybe three minutes left. Everybody was gasping for air. We just found a way to get it done."

Foster’s three from the right wing with 2:26 to play began a 12-0 run to the wire in which the Buckeyes made four of their seven threes for the game — two by Sylvester and one apiece by Foster and Jamar Butler. Sylvester and

Ron Lewis scored 14 points apiece.

The Buckeyes also forced a crucial turnover when LSU freshman point guard Ben Voogd, whom they hounded down the stretch, apparently lost track of time after the Tigers (7-4) inbounded the ball with 13 seconds left on the shot clock.

Voogd’s oversight led to a hurried air ball by Davis and gave the Buckeyes, trailing 76-75, possession with 22.4 seconds left.

LSU coach John Brady lamented his team’s lack of a seasoned point guard. Junior Tack Minor was lost to knee surgery on Thursday.

"It’s not Christmas. It’s New Year’s. So maybe we just gave them the game, really," Brady said.

"But I’m not going to say Ohio State wasn’t doing anything because they’re a wellcoached, experienced team. What we don’t have just really showed its head in the last two or three minutes of the game."

Out of a timeout with 19.2 seconds remaining, Ohio State ran a play designed to get a shot for either Dials or Foster. But Foster was doubleteamed as he tried to dribble into the paint and nearly lost the ball before somehow getting it to Sylvester in the corner.

Sylvester may have beaten Illinois with a last-second three-pointer last season, but on this play was "quite honestly the third option," Matta said. Sylvester came into the game shooting only 31.4 percent from the field and had made only 4 of 16 three-point attempts this season.

"I really give credit to my teammates because (they) have been telling me all year, ‘Keep shooting the ball.’ Especially Je’Kel," Sylvester said.

"Hopefully, it’ll keep rolling from here."

After an exchange of timeouts, LSU tried to get the ball in the hands of guard Darrel Mitchell for its last shot, "but they did a nice job of not letting (him) catch the ball on the run," Brady said.

The ball instead went to Davis, who led all scorers with 25 points. He dribbled upcourt before hoisting a three from the deep left wing over Dials’ outstretched arms.

Ohio State won despite 18 turnovers because it committed only one in the last 7:58. It won despite LSU getting 16 offensive rebounds because the Tigers had only five in the second half and scored the last of their 19 second-chance points with 16:36 remaining.

"We were able to withstand — somehow, some way — the areas that we felt we had to do a good job (in) to win this game, and that was rebounding and taking care of the basketball," Matta said. "I think we played about as bad as we possibly could play in the first half. We did a better job in the second half, and once again we made some tremendous threes down the stretch."

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Sunday, January 01, 2006
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Thad Matta has the boys on track and playing alot like a Jim Tressel coached team. The team never panicks and makes clutch play after clutch play. A great win for us and we'll realize that more as the year goes on and LSU makes alot of noise in the SEC.

Was anyone else out there screaming for zone defense mid way through the first half or was I alone?! Finally we went to it late in the game and started to even up the rebounds that kept them to one shot at the end and allowed us to make that comeback. I think we should play more zone and be very active on the perimeter.
 
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Also went to the game, kind of on the spur of the moment -- first time at VCA, and thought that the crowd was really solid. As far as Peach's question, I didn't see people hitting the exits early. From where I was (400 seats), it looked like just about everyone stayed put.

We're still not where the UK and Dook crowds are as far as cheering when we need something -- it's still a little passive in the sense that everyone waits for the team to make a move before bringing the noise. However, the crowd got loud and became a factor whenever the team gave it a little spark of hope.

LSU's point guard definitely got rattled late, and I think that the noise was a factor there. People were also down hard on the refs. Those of you at home screaming at them were joined by a lot of us at the game. They were definitely aware that we didn't agree with their take on things AT ALL.

Overall, it was an amazing game to go to...one of those "I-can't-believe-what-I-just-saw" kind of events. Matta deserves a huge amount of credit for the coaching job he did.
 
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I've been off "The Planet" for a few days now and haven't been able to comment on this game, but I think it's important to realize how well Matt Sylvester played late in this game.

I've been one of the bigger critics of his in the first nine games, and for that reason, felt he deserves praise when it is due. It wasn't just the last shot, either. He played an all around better game than he has all year late in this one.

I'm hoping it's the boost he needs to get his confidence back.
 
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he played awful in the first half...couple of real ugly shots and turnovers. I hate when he gives a quick head fake from behind the arc and then steps just inside and throws up a brick. And the entry pass he threw off the guy's hip was awful.

despite that, OilerBuck is right...he played much better down the stretch. and he definitely has a level of coolness about him when the game gets to crunch time. can't put a price on senior leadership like that.
 
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Credit Syl for making the clutch shots and passes when it counts. He definitely had a strong second half. If we could only get him to not take offbalanced shots and make lax passes I would put him up with the other seniors.
 
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