Ohio State put on a show on Sunday in second round action of the NCAA Tournament, blowing out the George Mason Patriots by 0ver 30 points, 98-66. The Buckeyes looked nearly unstoppable in the game, shooting a very high percentage from the floor and displaying the balance that has brought them to this point in the year. David Lighty was particularly notable, posting a game-high 25 points on 7-7 shooting from three.
George Mason got off to fast start, opening up an early 9-point lead before Ohio State founds its rhythm. Then the blitz was on, with the Buckeye players taking turns knocking down an array of outside jumpers and powering the ball up inside. Lighty’s third trey put Ohio State in the lead with 13 minutes left in the first, and a nice Craft-to-Sullinger play got the show started for the rest of the way.
Ohio State’s success in the first half was driven by intense defensive pressure, shutting down the penetrate-and-dish approach that was adopted early by the Patriots. Lighty continued to assert his presence, moving down low for a power move to the hoop that was followed by a Sullinger basket to extend the lead to 11. The Buckeyes continued to poor it on as the half came to a close, raining in three after three to open up a 25 point margin before the buzzer sounded for the break.
Overall in the first, Lighty led all scorers with 17 on 5-5 shooting from three, while Sullinger contributed 13. The team shot 75% from downtown (9-12) and 63% from the field, compared to George Mason’s mark of just under 40%. In addition to the senior leadership of Lighty, Dallas Lauderdale also played more minutes that usual in the first, helping to shut down the lane and force George Mason outside.
The second half was more of the same, and the lead stood at 30 with 11 minutes to go in the game. Aaron Craft had notched his 10th assist by that point, and the three-point barrage continued, with Buford hitting two in a row, followed by Deshaun Thomas, then Buford again, and then Diebler for an and-1 bomb that resulted in a 4-point play.
Ohio State truly made it look easy in this game. The teamwork, shooting, and defensive intensity all were impressive for the Scarlet & Gray (or Scarlet & Red, if you’re Gus Johnson). Both the overall field goal percentage and three-point percentage stood around 61% by the end of the contest, and Aaron Craft had racked up 15 assists for the day. Even Eddie Days saw some action at the end of the game and got himself on the scoreboard with a made free throw. The amazing shooting was great to see, but perhaps just as nice was the fact that the points came off 23 assists for the team.
Ohio State next takes on a very young but talented Kentucky team in Sweet 16 action. The Wildcats defeated West Virginia to advance to play the Buckeyes, and we’ll take a look at Coach Calipari’s squad later in the week as we prep for the game. Thad has stated that this year and this team have been more fun for him than any other, and it has certainly been fun to watch. We’ll see if the strong play can continue against one of basketball’s royalty in UK.
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