Ohio State men's basketball fights back but falls to TCU in NCAA Tournament 66-64
Quick thoughts on the Buckeyes going one-and-done in March Madness after storming back from a 15-point halftime deficit
COLUMBUS — Ohio State was the first team bounced from the full field of 64 in the NCAA Tournament, but the Buckeyes fought back from a 15-point halftime deficit before falling short on Thursday afternoon.
Bruce Thornton’s halfcourt short was off-target at the buzzer and the No. 8 seed Buckeyes lost 66-64 to No. 9 TCU in Greenville, S.C.
We will have full coverage from South Carolina, but here are quick thoughts on the end of Ohio State’s season.
• Tied at 64, TCU got an inside bucket to take the lead with 4.3 seconds to play. Ohio State didn’t get a great look at the end as Thornton inbounded with a short pass, got the ball back, took four dribbles while tightly defended and launched a shot with his foot on the halfcourt line, the ball leaving his hands with 1 second on the clock. It wasn’t close.
Ohio State famously beat Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament 16 years ago while inbounding with just 2.2 seconds left. Evan Turner caught the ball on the move, took two dribbles, got well past the halfcourt line and swished a 35-footer that he released with 0.2 seconds on the clock. It takes perfection, but Ohio State didn’t come close to executing.
• The rally to make it a game was impressive, though, especially since it came without much from Thornton, the program’s all-time leading scorer who didn’t make a shot from the field in the second half until there were 35 seconds left. John Mobley Jr., Amare Bynum and Devin Royal led the second half push, as Ohio State made seven straight shots at one point, with the Buckeyes taking their biggest lead at 55-50.
• Down the stretch the Buckeyes missed seven straight shots to let TCU back in it. But Thornton hit maybe the biggest shot of his illustrious OSU career, drilling a covered 3-pointer after a ragged offensive set, to tie the game with 35 seconds to play. Clutch shot.
• TCU came in averaging seven 3-pointer per game and made seven in the first half alone. The Horned Frogs were 7-of-13 from three in the first half, while the Buckeyes were just 2-of-11. TCU’s defense bothered the Buckeyes, who worked so hard on offense to get shots, they then didn’t get hands up on TCU shots on the other end.
That changed in the second half, as TCU was 2 of 10 from three and Ohio State was 4 of 12.
• Ohio State’s bench offered little. Gabe Cupps scored the only bench points, making one open 3-pointer. The bench played 17 total minutes and went 1 for 4.
• Meanwhile, all five OSU starters scored in double figures. Mobley led the way with 15, Royal had 14, Bynum had 12 and Thornton and Christophe Tilly each had 10.
• Ohio State finishes the season at 21-13. This was Ohio State’s 36th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and the sixth time it lost its first game.
As Doug suggested before the game, the better coach won.
Ohio state needs to move on from Diebler. He is clearly in over his head but my guess is that they will instead extend him two more years. Gene Smith absolutely destroyed OSU men’s basketball when he fired Matta and then hired the last two coaches.