Welp, that was about as ugly as it gets for the Ohio State basketball team. Somehow, someway, the Buckeyes came into an NCAA Tournament that needs little motivation and buildup and played about as flat as it can be, losing to No. 15 seed Oral Roberts 75-72 in overtime.
There was trouble from the get-go. The Golden Eagles scored the first seven points of the game before Ohio State decided to get things going. The Buckeyes went on a run to take mild control of the game midway through the second half, but then went through a dry spell on offense and allowed too many open shooters on defense, then headed to the locker room down by three points.
You kept waiting for that switch to flip, but it never really did. The entire second half was played within a six-point margin, and despite having multiple opportunities to win it, the Buckeyes couldn’t make the plays they needed. From key missed free throws to far too many turnovers, to a lack of effort for loose balls and rebounds, the team that should have won did.
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) March 19, 2021
Now, it’s time to turn the page to spring football in Columbus and think about what could have been. A team that put an extraordinary winning streak together in what had been known as the toughest league in the country will now end its season with a lot of really good wins, but too many close losses in extremely meaningful games. Something was just off with this team down the stretch of games, and that issue surfaced yet again when it mattered most.
Sadly, OSU now becomes just the ninth No. 2 seeded team in the history of the NCAA Tournament to be bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the first round by a No. 15 seed.
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