It wasn’t quite Bo Schembechler versus Woody Hayes, but Ohio State’s 69-68 triumph Friday was escalated because it came against rival Michigan. Basketball games between the schools seldom have the fervor of football games but are still filled with pugnacious play. There’s something special about this rivalry no matter what the sport. It’s considered a huge setback to lose. Buckeye junior, Evan Turner, sent the Wolverines packing with a buzzer beating 37 foot shot in the Big Ten quarterfinal at Conseco Fieldhouse. The top ranked Bucks erupted in celebration after Turner took an inbounds pass with 2.2 seconds on the clock and released a shot over Michigan’s Stu Douglass as time expired. The blue and maize, seeded eighth in the tournament, rallied from 13 points down in the final ten minutes. They took the lead on junior, Manny Harris’ beautiful pull-up jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining. The two point netter should have sealed the surprising win for momentum-snatching Michigan. Officials consulted replay before officially ruling Turner’s basket a good shot. Turner, the probable player of the year in men’s college hoops, finished with 18 points and 8 assists to lead the Buckeyes. The phenom is closing in on 500 points this season. Harris drained 26 points in a disappointing loss for the Wolverines.
Friday’s win jolted the Buckeyes into a semifinal Saturday showdown against Illinois. Ohio State is now 25-7 and will have a legimate chance at a number one seed in the NCAA tournament if they win the Big Ten. Ohio State was down 23-19. The Bucks struggled with consistency on offense and suffered early foul trouble. Dallas Lauderdale went to the Buckeye bench with nine minutes in the half, but Ohio State overpowered the Wolverines to recapture the lead. Jon Diebler notched eight points during a 13 point run for Ohio State. Michigan was forced to play catch-up after trailing by ten at the break. The Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes 43-34 in the second half. Turner made just one of eight shots in an ailing and inaccurate second half for the junior. John Beilein’s Wolverines chopped the Buckeye’s edge to four points on back-to-back treys by Douglass. Douglass followed up with another 3-pointer to maintain the four point deficit before Ohio State went on a 9-0 run midway through the second half.
Harris sparked Michigan’s comeback with 22 second half buckets. Thad Matta’s Bucks allowed Michigan back into the game, something Hayes surely would not accept had this been on the gridiron. The Wolverines cut the Buckeye lead to two points in the fine frantic minutes. Harris’ floating jumper over Lauderdale was the highlight of Michigan’s comeback, and unfortunately for the Wolverines, the last hurrah. Turner put an end to the short-lived Michigan jubilee. The Wolverines chose not to defend Turner on the inbounds pass from David Lighty. The Big Ten Player of the Year’s remarkable shot will go down as one of the most memorable clutch plays in history of Ohio State basketball. Turner’s 37-footer did not even touch the backboard. It was nothing but net for Evan, and nothing but awesome for the scarlet and gray. I love how Matta plays his starters for all forty minutes. That decision is a testament to the trust he has in his players. All four Buckeyes who clocked forty minutes logged double digits. The Buckeyes are a rhythmic, grinding hardwood team. They played with plenty of heart against a motivated Michigan team. If #21 is not the player of the year, it’s time to eradicate the voters.
Parting Points: It’s nice to see Minnesota go on a bit of a run. They really cranked it up a notch in overtime against Michigan State in order to advance.
The Big East final is set for Saturday—A meeting between Georgetown and WVU.
Kansas pulled away from Texas A&M to reach the finals in the Big 12.
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