Buckeyes Fall In Final Four To Kansas

Buckeyes lost after giving up a 13 point lead

The Ozone - At times during the 2011-12 season the Ohio State men’s basketball team was admittedly bi-polar. On Saturday night, the Buckeyes’ split personality cost them a shot at the national championship.

OSU followed up a first half in which it led by as many as 13 points with one of its worst shooting halves of the season and watched its season slip away at the foul line in a 64-62 loss to Kansas in college basketball’s national semifinals.

After taking a nine-point lead into halftime, the Buckeyes only made eight of their 33 field goal attempts in the second half, and allowed a late 6-0 Jayhawks run to put Kansas on top and into Monday night’s national championship game where it’ll face Kentucky.

"Well, I thought we played the first half very effectively. Second half obviously we didn't shoot the ball to the level we needed to. I thought Kansas was much more active defensively, using their athleticism," said OSU Head Coach Thad Matta.

Trailing by two points with two seconds remaining, OSU Aaron Craft attempted to send the game into overtime by purposely missing the second of two free throws, but was whistled for a lane violation before attempting the would-have-been game-tying lay-up.

Craft’s ill-fated attempt was too little too late for a Buckeye team that was outscored 39-28 over the course of a second half that saw OSU forward Deshaun Thomas’ minutes limited after he picked up his third foul with 17:34 remaining in the game, and his fourth with 11:30 left.

OSU’s disaster second half was hardly predictable after a first half that saw the Buckeyes hold Kansas to just 13 points over the course of the game’s first 15 minutes and consistently lead by double-digits until a Travis Releford lay-up cut the Buckeyes’ lead to 34-25 heading into halftime.

Sullinger, Buckeyes Power Through Syracuse On Way To Final Four

The Buckeyes truly earned their place in the Final Four.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta sized up his team in the middle of the season and had it figured for an early loss when the NCAA tournament came around.

The final weekend of March Madness is next, and the Buckeyes will be there.

Jared Sullinger recovered from first-half foul trouble to score 19 points and grab seven rebounds, helping Ohio State beat top-seeded Syracuse 77-70 on Saturday to advance to the Final Four in New Orleans. The second-seeded Buckeyes will play the winner of Sunday's Midwest Regional final between North Carolina and Kansas.

"We're not going down to New Orleans for a vacation. It's a business trip," said Sullinger, who picked up his second foul 6 minutes into the game and did not return the rest of the half. "These guys have played without me before, so they know what they have to do."

Deshaun Thomas scored 14 points with nine rebounds for Ohio State (31-7), which led by eight points with 59 seconds to play and held on after the Orange cut it to three. The Buckeyes made 13 of 14 free throws in the final 68 seconds and finished 31 of 42 from the line.

Ohio State is making its first trip to the Final Four since 2007, when it lost in the national championship game to Florida. They had lost in the regional semifinals in each of the past two seasons, and Matta wasn't even sure they would make it that far after a series of unimpressive practices.

When the Buckeyes, who spent five weeks as the No. 2 team in the nation, closed out February with three defeats in five games -- including a home loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 26 -- Matta had more reason to worry.

But he got the response he was hoping for.

"That loss opened their eyes and said, 'Hey, maybe we're not as good as we think we are,' " Matta said. "Maybe it got us pointed in the right direction."

Team Effort Powers Buckeyes Past Gonzaga On Way To Sweet Sixteen

Thomas added 18 for the Buckeyes

Ohio State busted the original bracket buster.

Jared Sullinger scored 18 points, including two big baskets in the final 3 minutes to lead the Buckeyes past Gonzaga 73-66 on Saturday and into the round of 16 for the third straight year.

Deshaun Thomas also scored 18 for the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-7), while Aaron Craft added 17 points and 10 assists. Ohio State will play Florida State or Cincinnati in the East Regional semifinals in Boston on Thursday.

Gary Bell Jr. led No. 7 seed Gonzaga (26-7) with 18 points. The Bulldogs erased a 10-point deficit to tie it at 61 on a 3-pointer by Elias Harris with 4:05 remaining, but Sullinger knocked down two pretty hook shots late while the Zags went cold.

The steady play of Craft and some gritty defense in the final minutes helped Ohio State avoid becoming the third No. 2 seed to lose in less than 24 hours. Fellow heavyweights Duke and Missouri fell to upstarts on Friday from one-bid leagues.

Yet the Buckeyes knew the Bulldogs hardly are scrappy underdogs. They entered the game with 17 NCAA victories over the last 14 seasons, the same as the Buckeyes.

The 18th will have to wait until next year at least, though Gonzaga again showed the mettle that's made it perhaps the most successful mid-major program in the country.

The Bulldogs appeared to be out of it after a putback by Thomas gave the Buckeyes a 58-48 lead. Gonzaga responded with a 13-3 run capped by a 3-pointer from the corner by Harris.

Then Sullinger, who still thinks about last year's loss to Kentucky in the regional semifinals, took over. He backed down Gonzaga center Robert Sacre and hit a soft little hook shot from the right block to put Ohio State back in front.

Thomas, Buckeyes Blow Past Greyhounds On Way To Round Of 32

Thomas came up big against the Greyhounds

Ohio State used its size advantage to handle Loyola, Md., dominating the Greyhounds the way a No. 2 seed is expected to handle a 15 seed.

The Buckeyes made sure there wouldn't be a second scare at the Consol Energy Center.

Deshaun Thomas scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds -- one off his career best -- to lead Ohio State to a 78-59 victory Thursday night in the second round of the East Regional.

That was far different from top-seeded Syracuse's 72-65 victory over North Carolina-Asheville, a game that had many thinking it could be the first time a No. 16 seed beat a No. 1.

"Obviously this tournament is about advancing, and that's what we did tonight," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "I don't think we played at the level we need to. Our guys know that. Give Loyola a ton of credit for that. They came at us."

William Buford had 17 points and Jared Sullinger added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Buckeyes (28-7), who dominated the smaller Greyhounds inside, finishing with a 49-24 rebound advantage.

"Deshaun was excellent on the boards and also scoring the basketball," Sullinger said. "He pretty much carried this team. I don't think we would have won it without him."

Ohio State will play seventh-seeded Gonzaga in the third round Saturday. The Bulldogs beat 10th-seeded West Virginia 77-54.

Ohio State Pounds Rival Wolverines On Way To B1G Championship Game

(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Jared Sullinger scored 24 points to help No. 7 Ohio State defeat Michigan (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) 77-55 on Saturday in the Big Ten tournament semifinals.

Deshaun Thomas scored 22 points and William Buford added 10 for the third-seeded Buckeyes (27-6), who advanced to play No. 8 Michigan State in the final on Sunday. Michigan State defeated Wisconsin (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 14 AP) 65-52 in the other semifinal on Saturday.

The Buckeyes shot 49 percent from the field to earn a shot at their third straight Big Ten tournament title.

Tim Hardaway, Jr., led No. 2 seed Michigan with 13 points, but he made just 3 of 10 shots. Trey Burke, Michigan's other star player, scored five points on 1-for-11 shooting and had eight turnovers

The Wolverines (24-9) shot 31 percent from the field, made just 4 of 25 3-pointers and committed 18 turnovers in one of their worst offensive performances of the season.

Thomas, Buford Blow By Illinois 83-67

Deshaun Thomas scored 19 points and Ohio State (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, No. 8 AP) regained its shooting touch, rolling over Illinois 83-67 on Tuesday night to remain in the thick of the Big Ten race.

Ohio State shot 65 percent from the field.

William Buford, much maligned for his recent poor shooting, had 17 points, and Aaron Craft added 11 to go with five assists. Jared Sullinger, third in the conference at 17.5 points a game, managed just nine before fouling out.

The Buckeyes (23-5, 11-4) stayed on the heels of Big Ten leader Michigan State with three games remaining. The sixth-ranked Spartans are 11-3 in league play heading into a game at Minnesota on Wednesday night. Ohio State will visit Michigan State in the regular-season finale on March 4.

Meyers Leonard had 21 for Illinois (16-12, 5-10), which has lost six in a row and nine of 10.

The game was a dramatic turnaround for Brandon Paul, who had 43 points in Illinois' 79-74 stunner over then-No. 5 Ohio State on Jan. 10. Paul almost destroyed the Buckeyes by himself, making 11 of 15 shots from the field -- including 8 of 10 3-pointers -- and 13 of 15 free throws.

Basketball Buckeyes Fall At Michigan

Cold shooting left the Bucks with an L

More than 17 hours after Beilein showed up at the Crisler Center with doughnuts for the fans, Michigan (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) finished off a 56-51 victory over No. 6 Ohio State. (Ed. Note That gives Ohio State a 2-game losing streak against teams from TSUN)

The Wolverines (20-7, 10-4 Big Ten) are 15-0 at home and tied with the Buckeyes for second place in the Big Ten, a half-game behind Michigan State.

The star of the night was a true freshman who was introduced to the fired-up crowd as "The pride of Columbus, Ohio, Trey Burke."

Burke finished with 17 points, including a game-clinching runner with 11 seconds left that helped Michigan stop a six-game losing streak to the Buckeyes.

Michigan State Handles Buckeyes, Snaps 39-game home streak

The two best coaches in the B1G.

With four minutes to play and Ohio State trailing Michigan State by eight points, Jared Sullinger went up for a basket against former AAU teammate Adreian Payne. It looked like Sullinger was hacked on his way to the rim, but a charge call sent Value City Arena into a frenzy of boos. OSU head coach Thad Matta looked daze and confused while Jared’s dad, Satch, glared at the court with his hands on his hips.

For the first time in 40 games, the Buckeyes (21-4, 9-3) fell on their home floor, 58-48, to Michigan State (20-5, 9-3), and in the process blew a chance for a two-game lead in the Big Ten standings.

Ohio State opened the game with a 9-4 lead, but both teams struggled to find a rhythm offensively. Sullinger finished with a triple-double, but not the kind he will put on his résumé. The Buckeyes’ star sophomore grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds to go with 17 points, but also turned the ball over 10 times in the loss. It did not help that Sullinger’s teammates were largely ineffective against the Spartan defense. 

Smith, Buckeyes Give Late Push Against Wolverines

(AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Lenzelle Smith Jr. once again stepped up big time for #4 Ohio State, as he scored 17 points and had a career-high 12 rebounds as the Buckeyes (19-3, 7-2) flexed its muscle inside to beat the 22nd ranked Michigan squad 64-49 on Sunday, keeping the Buckeyes in a first-place tie in the Big Ten.

Jared Sullinger added 13 points and William Buford and Deshaun Thomas both had 12 for Ohio State (19-3, 7-2), which ran its winning streak over its archrival to six straight and eight of nine.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 15 points for the Wolverines (16-6, 6-3). Trey Burke, the conference's top freshman point guard, returned to his hometown to play for the first time against Sullinger, his former high school teammate, and finished with 13 points.

The Buckeyes also extended their home-court winning streak to 38, the second-longest in the program's 100 years. Leading by three points at halftime, the Buckeyes pulled away with a 14-2 run midway through the second half. Bookended by 3-pointers by Burke, most of the points came as a result of backdoor cuts or drives. It didn't include a 3.

Buford, who was quiet throughout the first half, got it started with a driving layup. Later in the spurt he stepped in front of Burke's crosscourt pass and streaked the length of the court for a dunk.

Basketball Recap: #2 Ohio State 87, Northwestern 54

William Buford had career-highs of 28 points and five 3-pointers as No. 2 Ohio State showed off its perimeter shooting in an 87-54 victory over Northwestern on Wednesday night in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

Jared Sullinger added 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Buckeyes (13-1, 1-0), who dominated the boards 49-30. Deshaun Thomas had 16 points for Ohio State, which broke the game open with a 13-0 first-half run fueled by 3-pointers. Jordan Sibert added 12 points, all on 3s.

The conference's top two scorers, John Shurna and Drew Crawford, had miserable games. They were held to 11 and 13 points, respectively, on a combined 9-for-30 shooting. The loss was the 31st straight for the Wildcats (10-3, 0-1) in Columbus, dating to 1977.

Ohio State came in 11th in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game at 4.8. They had hit more than six in only one game, when they made 8 of 14 in a stunningly easy 85-63 rout of then-No. 3 Duke on Nov. 29. Yet they were 7 of 14 behind the arc in the first half alone Wednesday to build a lead they never lost. The Buckeyes finished 10 of 20 on 3-pointers.

Basketball Recap: #2 Ohio State 74, South Carolina 66

Thomas carried the Buckeyes with 30 pts

Ohio State coach Thad Matta might have a second career ahead as a comedian. Asked about the status of injured star forward Jared Sullinger, Matta quickly said the Buckeyes sophomore wasn't hurt, just yanked from the second-ranked Buckeyes' 74-66 win over South Carolina on Saturday for shoddy defense.

"He had no problems, we just sent him to the showers," Matta told the room of stunned media.

Then Matta acknowledged the joke and Sullinger's bone bruise in his left foot. Ohio State's coach was just glad he could laugh a little bit since his leading scorer wasn't more seriously hurt.

"We think he'll be fine," Matta said. "We're just happy there wasn't a break in there."

Still, Ohio State (10-1) showed it could succeed with Sullinger sidelined. Deshaun Thomas had a career-high 30 points and William Buford added 17 as Matta collected his 200th win in nine seasons with the Buckeyes.

"We had to get a little juice into us," Thomas said. "We made some mistakes on offense in the first half with turnovers and that's not us. So we just put a little fire and juice into us."

That looked as if it might be hard once Sullinger left the game. The Buckeyes were trailing 33-29 at the half and had appeared a step slower than the Gamecocks (4-6).

The Buckeyes used a 20-8 charge in the second half to take control.

Thomas got the run started with a jumper. Lenzelle Smith Jr. had a basket and a 3-pointer to put Ohio State in front for good, 41-37. Thomas added a 3-pointer and finished the surge with a short jump shot for a 49-43 lead.

Basketball Recap: #2 Ohio State 82, USC Up State 58

Thomas was excellent last night

Everyone was pleased with how All-America forward Jared Sullinger played in his first game back after missing two because of back spasms.

Everybody but Sullinger, that is.

Deshaun Thomas scored 23 points and No. 2 Ohio State welcomed back Sullinger in an 82-58 victory over South Carolina Upstate on Wednesday night.

"I was terrible tonight," he said with a laugh after collecting a workmanlike 12 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes. "I was tired. Taking two weeks off is a killer."

The 6-foot-9 sophomore wasn't cleared to play until earlier Wednesday. He had missed the Buckeyes' win over Texas-Pan American and Saturday's 78-67 loss at No. 13 Kansas.

Coach Thad Matta said Sullinger played just about the way he expected.

"I thought he did a pretty decent job," Matta said. "He hadn't played since the Duke game (an 85-63 rout on Nov. 29). To get him out there and get him moving, he knew he was going to be rusty and probably a little bit winded. But now that gives him some confidence to get back (to where he was) and to go to work."

Sullinger received polite applause when he entered the game at the 14:37 mark of the first half. He took his time getting into the pace of the game.

"Sullinger looked like all really good players," Spartans coach Eddie Payne said. "He had quiet production. He had 12 and 10 and didn't seem like he did a whole lot."

It was Sullinger who suggested to Matta that he not start.

Basketball Recap: #2 Ohio State 67, #13 Kansas 78

The absence of Sullinger was too much

Kansas and Thomas Robinson took full advantage of Sullinger's absence inside to score 21 points, and newcomer Kevin Young came off the bench to add a career-high 14 for the Jayhawks (6-2), who extended their winning streak to 47 games over nonconference opponents at Allen Fieldhouse.

William Buford had 17 of his 21 points in the second half for Ohio State (8-1), which was playing on the road for the first time this season. Deshaun Thomas added 19 points.

"When you make mistakes, Kansas is so good, they're going to make you pay, and we made some key mistakes," Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said. "Our guys competed -- just made mistakes down the stretch."

It was more publicly known that Sullinger was a question mark, but he wasn't ruled out until just before the game, when his balky back simply wouldn't loosen up.

"As I told Coach Self when we shook hands before the game, 'Merry Christmas'" Matta said.

"I don't think his exact words were, 'Merry Christmas,'" Self said with a grin. "I think there were some other words in there, maybe describing the holiday."

"I don't think you put an asterisk with the win," Self added. "Ohio State can certainly say, and rightfully so, 'Jared didn't play.' And we know he didn't play, and they're a much better team with him. We wanted him to play. But just because he plays doesn't guarantee anything."

Basketball Recap: #2 Ohio State 85, #3 Duke 63

Sullinger and co. looked fired up

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was asked about an Ohio State player and almost chuckled.

"I wasn't focused on each of their guys," he said. "I was trying not to lose by 30."

It was that kind of night for the Blue Devils (No. 3 AP).

Jared Sullinger scored 21 points and three teammates were close behind as No. 2 Ohio State roared out to an 11-0 lead and never looked back in rolling to an 85-63 victory Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Buckeyes fans chanted "overrated" at the Blue Devils in the final minute.

NBA star LeBron James had a front-row seat for the rout, but he was booed loudly when he walked to his courtside seat with Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade. That was about the only time the fans expressed any dissatisfaction with anything on the court.

"This basketball team is special," Sullinger said.

The Buckeyes (7-0) never trailed, weathering a Duke rally in the first half and then leading by 20 for most of the second half.

"Sometimes you just get your butt kicked," said Krzyzewski, who said his young team appeared tired.

Austin Rivers had 22 points and Mason Plumlee 16 for the Blue Devils (7-1), coming off wins over ranked opponents Michigan and Kansas in their previous two games.

William Buford scored 20, Deshaun Thomas 18 and Aaron Craft 17 for the Buckeyes, who gave the Big Ten a 4-2 edge in the conference matchups. Craft also had eight assists and five rebounds and was a terror on defense.

Basketball Recap: #3 Ohio State 73, Wright State 42

Sullinger back to work

Preseason All-American Jared Sullinger scored 19 points to go with nine rebounds in leading No. 3 Ohio State to a 73-42 win over Wright State on Friday night in the Global Sports Shootout. William Buford added 13 points for the Buckeyes. Point guard Aaron Craft had 10 points and just one turnover in 28 minutes in the opener for both teams.

A.J. Pacher had 13 points and Reggie Arcenaux 11 for Wright State, which was 19-14 a year ago, but doesn't have a player on the roster with more than a year of experience with the Raiders. It seemed as if OSU was bigger, and quicker, as they went 26 of 38 at the free-throw line compared to Wright State's 10 of 15.

The Buckeyes must replace three starters from last year's Big Ten regular-season and tournament champion (34-3) that won its first 24 games and was ranked No. 1 before losing 62-60 in the NCAA regional semifinal to Kentucky. This year's roster includes only one senior (Buford), one junior, and 10 sophomores and freshmen.

Up by 14 at the break, the Buckeyes pulled away on field goals by Buford, Deshaun Thomas and Sullinger to push the lead to 40-20. Buford, the Buckeyes' second leading scorer a year ago, added two more baskets in the 10-0 spurt. The lead hovered around 30 for most of the second half as both teams emptied their benches and the Buckeyes led 34-20 at the half, with Sullinger picking up nine of his 13 points at the line.

Buckeye Seniors Take Their Last Fall

When Brandon Knight let the ball go from his hands, with less than 10 seconds in the game, Buckeye fans shuddered with the possibility of a loss to our beloved Buckeyes. Aaron Craft would be guarding, so we knew we could trust him to try and make a play. So when Knight let the ball go, and the ball made that dreadful "swoosh" noise, we all knew, truly, that our season was done. 


Of course, when bad things like that happen, there is always that small glimmer of hope. So when we inbounded it with about 6 seconds left in the game, we all were thinking the same thing "Please let some Madness magic come to this team". Buford was 2 for 19 on the night. He ended up taking the shot that would careen off the rim, and be knocked away before anyone else could try and make a put-back.


Ohio State's Jon Diebler hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 60 with 21 seconds remaining, but rather than call timeout Kentucky coach John Calipari opted to trust his players.

Knight, who knocked down a winner in Kentucky's second-round victory over Princeton, drove to his right then hit a silky 15-foot jumper. Ohio State coach Thad Matta has called this team a special one capable of getting the program back to the Final Four for the first time since 2007. Yet it ended with the Buckeyes trudging off the floor in disbelief. Sullinger led Ohio State (34-3) with 21 points and 16 rebounds, but the Buckeyes fell in the regional semifinals for a second straight season. Sullinger said in the aftermath he expects to return for his sophomore year, if only to wash out the taste of a bitter end to an otherwise spectacular season.

"I'm definitely coming back next year," Sullinger said. "I need to work on a lot of things. I have to come back. I'm coming back to win."

Buckeyes Pay Wisconsin Back With Interest

Sullinger and the Buckeyes get revenge

Diebler lived up to his "Threebler" nickname Sunday, by hitting 7 of 8 shots behind the arc while scoring 27 points, as Ohio State (29-2, 16-2 Big Ten) set NCAA Division I records by making 14 of 15 3-pointers (93.3 percent) and hitting 14 in a row -- after missing the first. Still hurting from their first loss of the year, a 71-67 setback at Wisconsin on Feb. 12, the Buckeyes unleashed their best game of the season -- shutdown defense at one end and 68-percent shooting from the field at the other.


Freshman Jared Sullinger had 22 points just weeks after accusing a Wisconsin fan of spitting in his face as he left the floor at the Kohl Center. He had told several people that he not only wanted to beat the Badgers, but that he wanted to beat them by 50 points. It wasn't that big of a blowout, but they did defeat the Badgers by 28 in the 93-65 win. William Buford added 18 points and David Lighty 13 for the Buckeyes, who won their 22nd straight home game while dropping Wisconsin to just 4-5 in Big Ten road games this season.

Ryan had been the focal point for many fans in a capacity crowd of 18,809 who felt he had disrespected the Buckeyes after the first meeting when he said, "We won the game. Deal with it."

Josh Gasser had 17 points, Jon Leuer 16 and Keaton Nankivil 10 for the Badgers (23-7, 13-5). Jordan Taylor, who had scored 21 of his 27 points to lead the comeback in the second half of the first meeting, was limited to eight points on 2-of-9 shooting. He was shadowed throughout the game by Ohio State freshman Aaron Craft.

Diebler, Buckeyes Clinch Share Of Big Ten Championship

Threebler!

Whether wide open, fading away from a defender or with a bad look at the basket with a hand in his face, Ohio State's Jon Diebler had one of those games in which he just couldn't miss.


The kid was on absolute fire Tuesday night at Penn State, draining 10 3's for tying a conference record. Diebler had a career-high 30 points and set a school record with 10 3-pointers Tuesday night to lead top-ranked Ohio State to an 82-61 rout of Penn State to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title.

Diebler went 5 of 6 from behind the arc in the first half as the Buckeyes (28-2, 15-2) built a 15-point halftime lead and never let up. There wasn't much talk afterward about tying for the title -- a loss by No. 6 Purdue at Iowa on Saturday or an Ohio State win over No. 10 Wisconsin on Sunday would give the Buckeyes the title outright.

Penn State is now falling fast on the chances of going to the NCAA tournament this year, and they'd better find their footing quickly, otherwise their feet will be on the couch watching March Madness on the TV. 


Senior Talor Battle scored 18 points in his final regular-season home game for Penn State (15-13, 8-9).

Thomas, Buckeyes Blow Up Hooisers

We've said on here that to win a championship this year, DeShaun Thomas would have to step up and be a key player. Yesterday, he did just that.


Deshaun Thomas, last year's Indiana Mr. Basketball, came out of a slump with 22 points to lead Ohio State (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 2 AP) past Indiana 82-61 on Sunday. Thomas scored all the points during a 14-3 first-half run that spanned 3:36 and turned the game into a rout. He had managed just 13 points in his last seven games. Thomas, who Indiana coach Tom Crean had tried to recruit after he had verbally committed to Ohio State, was the story for the Buckeyes in the first half. He gave them a lift after starters Jared Sullinger, David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale got in early foul trouble.


Indiana, which hasn't beaten a Top 25 team on the road in more than nine years, led 8-7 after Derek Elston scissored through the lane for a layup at the 16:35 mark, but didn't score again for almost 8 minutes until Elston scored again on a short jumper.


William Buford added 15 points and Jon Diebler had 11 for the Buckeyes, who could ascend to No. 1 next week after top-ranked Duke lost at Virginia Tech on Saturday night. The defeat was Indiana's sixth in a row to Ohio State.


The victory helped Ohio State maintain a one-game lead in the Big Ten with two games remaining -- at Penn State on Tuesday night and home against Wisconsin on Sunday. It was Wisconsin that hung the first loss on the Buckeyes on Feb. 12 in Madison.

Lighty Brings Buckeyes Back

Jared & Buckeyes were able to rely on Lighty

David Lighty scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half and William Buford had all 17 of his in the first to lead Ohio State (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 2 AP) past Illinois 89-70 on Tuesday night, an impressive bounce-back game after two recent losses for the Buckeyes.


The Buckeyes never trailed after tying it 2-2, building a 15-point lead at halftime and then trading runs with the Illini, but eventually pulling off the win 89-70.

Ohio State shot 53 percent from the field to end Illinois' string of 37 consecutive games holding an opponent under 50 percent. The last team to reach 50 percent was also Ohio State, which shot 53.1 against the Illini on Feb. 14, 2010.


Buford, though, was the chief reason the Buckeyes pulled away. He had 17 points to go with two assists, feeding Diebler for a 3 from the right corner at the buzzer to send the large crowd into intermission with a sustained roar.