Source: all-breaking-news.com
Ohio State had barged its way to the East Regional unlike any other team that reached the Round of 16. But after two other top seeds, Pittsburgh and Duke, made sooner-than-predicted exits, the Buckeyes found themselves at the center of a scarlet-and-gray bulls-eye in the East Region.
In a thriller that came down to the final buzzer, Ohio State joined the ranks of the favorites to fall, victims of a 62-60 defeat to fourth-seeded Kentucky at the Prudential Center in a classic that will be recalled for years in Lexington.
Its hard, Matta said. I mean, I have to be honest with you, as I told them, I dont know what to say after the game.
While an interior battle between Kentuckys rugged forward Josh Harrellson and the Ohio State standout Jared Sullinger commanded attention, the night came down to a jumper by the guard Brandon Knight with 5.4 seconds left to secure the win.
Harrellson led Kentucky with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Sullinger scored 21 points and added 16 rebounds to lead the Buckeyes.
After Jon Diebler tied the game at 60-60 with 21.2 seconds remaining on a dead-on 3-pointer, Kentucky opted not to call a time out. Knight led a furious push down the court, opted not to curl around a screen and pulled up for an open look on the right side.
As his teammates jumped on the courtside tables, Knight celebrated by showing the crowd the Kentucky printed across his jersey. The Wildcats (28-8) will play No. 2 North Carolina (29-7) on Sunday in the East regional final.
I just thank God for being able to make shots like that, Knight said. And just when it comes to crunch time, a couple of seconds left and the game on the line, I focus in and make sure I am making the right decisions.
The Buckeyes (34-3) had crushed No. 16 Texas-San Antonio and No. 8 George Mason by an average of 30.5 points. In fact, they looked so convincing that a joke circulated that they were the states best basketball team, not the Cleveland Cavaliers of the N.B.A.
Incredible season, said Matta, whose only good news might have come afterward when Sullinger, a freshman, promised to return to Columbus next season. Incredible run for us. These guys, I told them Ive never had a team like this.
Still, despite receiving the top over all seed, Ohio State drew perhaps the most difficult route to the Final Four of the No. 1 teams. And the Wildcats, perhaps undervalued with their seed, presented a very different challenge from Ohio States two prior tournament games.
But Kentucky was shorthanded after five rotation players, including four starters, picked up two fouls by halftime. With the game tied at 30-30 at intermission, the Wildcats had 11 team fouls to Ohio States 2.
Although the Wildcats managed to stay in the game, their foul trouble created an intriguing subplot, limiting the versatile forward Terrence Jones to 25 minutes. Foul trouble or not, Coach John Calipari has used a limited bench all season.
They are fouling too! Calipari, who was assessed with a technical in the second half, screamed repeatedly at the officials.
Harrellson and Sullinger banged bodies in the paint and tussled for rebounds and loose balls. Harrellson, who was averaging 7.3 points a game, added some zest to the matchup in the first half by ferociously spiking a ball off Sullinger as he fell out of bounds, the type of schoolyard move that might have caused of fight had it not occurred in the N.C.A.A. tournament.
But Kentuckys biggest shot came from one of its quietest performers. Although Knight hit a game-winner over 13th-seeded Princeton in the Round of 64, he shot just 3 for 10 from the field Friday.
Every shot I shoot I want to go in, Knight said. I dont really see it as pressure. Sometimes you miss those shots. Sometimes you make them.
The Wildcats pulled ahead by 60-57 on a sidelines-out-of-bounds play after a timeout with 41.8 seconds to play, with Deandre Liggins kissing a runner off of the backboard. Diebler responded with a big shot of his own, making way for Knight.
As he sat in the Wildcats locker room, even the matter-of-fact Knight said he was unsure whether he would be able to fall asleep because of the excitement. But the Buckeyes locker room, a few steps down the hallway, was stunned silent after Ohio State became the latest heavyweight to go down.
It hurts just because we felt we could make a run at a championship, Diebler said. I mean, we had a great run. But it does hurt to kind of end like this.
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