In an effort to boost the sales of heart condition related pharmaceuticals in the Ohio market, The Buckeyes took it to the wire against Arizona. This time, LaQuinton Ross did the honors courtesy of a three point shot with 2.1 seconds remaining.
For a moment, it looked like it may be Aaron Craft doing Crafty things again. He then dished the assist of his life to Ross, who hit nothing but net and touched off yet another celebration on one side and spread dismay on the other. Ross had just committed an ill-timed foul that led to the tie, so it was also a case of instant redemption. The Wildcats threw up a pass in an attempt to get into position for a three of their own, but it was tipped and ended up in the hands of Aaron Craft, who tossed it up to run out the clock.
As a side note, I was watching the game at a friend’s house. My celebration frightened their dog. That means that the Buckeyes have now caused me to frighten two dogs in two houses within the past week. This is the kind of collateral damage that one does not hear about in the media.
Ross scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half and continues to develop into the player that Buckeye Nation expected him to be. Deshaun Thomas led the Buckeyes with 20 and Craft scored 13. The fact that three players are in double digits is a sight for sore eyes to a fanbase that watched this team struggle offensively for a large part of the year. Of course, saving it up for March is just fine with everyone, thank you.
Ohio State will take on the Wichita State Shockers at 7:05 PM EDT Saturday. Since the Sweet Sixteen win took place in front of a hugely pro-Wildcat crowd, I have a feeling there will be plenty of tickets available. There were many OSU fans there, but it was almost like an away game and not a neutral site. This was a concern for a few as OSU had the benefit of playing in front of hugely pro-Buckeye crowds in Dayton in the first two rounds. Stepping up big, across the country, in front of a largely hostile crowd should bode well for them, going forward.
Is the Final Four actually going to be a thing for this team that many had ruled out? It’s possible, but it would be nice if they could make it a little more comfortable the next time.
