The Buckeyes fail to make it out of the opening weekend for the fourth time under Chris Holtmann.
Ohio State’s season came to a disappointing end with a 71-61 loss to No. 2 seed Villanova in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon.
The seventh-seeded Buckeyes were led offensively by freshman guard Malaki Branham, who scored 23 points and dished out four assists. Junior forward E.J. Liddell was the only other player in double figures for Ohio State with 17 points and six rebounds in his last game with the program, while sophomore forward Zed Key pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds off the bench.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, had four players in double figures, including 20 points from fifth-year senior guard Collin Gillespie, 17 points from fifth-year senior forward Jermaine Samuels, 13 points from redshirt sophomore forward Eric Dixon and 11 points from fifth-year senior guard Caleb Daniels
Villanova now advances to the Sweet 16, where it will take on No. 11 seed Michigan in San Antonio on Thursday.
How It Happened:
- The Wildcats got on the board first with a three-pointer from Samuels just 23 seconds into the game before Liddell responded with a three of his own at the other end for the Buckeyes’ first points of the game at the 18:16 mark.
- Ohio State started just 1-of-7 from the field, which allowed Villanova to open up a 7-3 lead at the first media timeout with 15:17 remaining in the first half behind a pair of layups from Dixon and junior guard Justin Moore.
- After he was called for a foul at the other end leading to a pair of free throws, freshman guard Meechie Johnson hit a three-pointer from the edge of the logo at midcourt to cut the lead to 9-7.
- Gillespie, who hit the aforementioned free throws, scored 10 straight points for the Wildcats, leading Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann to call timeout with 12:21 left in the half while trailing 17-7.
- Fifth-year senior Kyle Young ended the 8-0 run with a putback of his own missed layup for his first points of the game. The game was then briefly stopped due to a shot clock malfunction.
- The teams exchanged buckets over the next two minutes, with Branham knocking down a midrange jumper at the 10:23 mark to make it 21-13. Liddell then hit a pair of free throws to make it a six-point game.
- Villanova opened up a 27-19 lead, but Branham cut the deficit to five with a three-pointer from the top of the key off an assist from Liddell. Daniels responded with a three at the other end on the next possession, though.
- The Buckeyes gave up three offensive rebounds to Dixon off a missed layup and then fouled him on the way up. His free throw pushed the lead back to nine with 4:44 left in the half.
- The Wildcats opened up an 11-point lead, their largest lead of the game, at the 4:10 mark with a layup from Samuels. The under four timeout was then called when Key recorded his second foul in two minutes off the bench.
- Ohio State finally ended a three-minute scoring drought with a corner three from a wide-open Branham. Samuels hit a layup and Gillespie then knocked down a pair of free throws to push it to a 12-point lead at the 1:38 mark.
- Liddell banked in a three-pointer with 24 seconds left to cut the deficit to nine, but Brown was called for a foul with 1.4 seconds remaining, allowing Samuels to hit a pair of free throws to push it to 39-28 at the break.
- Villanova opened the second half on a 7-3 run behind a jumper and three-pointer from Dixon to jump out to a 15-point lead just two and a half minutes in. He was one of four Wildcats in double figures at this point of the game, while the Buckeyes only had two in Liddell (13) and Branham (10).
- Liddell picked up his third foul of the game at the 16:12 mark, but Branham picked up the slack with him on the bench, scoring four straight points for Ohio State to cut it to 11. Young then added a layup on the next possession to make it a single-digit game.
- After the teams traded buckets, Moore knocked down a three before Branham coughed it up for his fourth turnover of the game to give possession back to Villanova down 12.
- Back in the game, Liddell hit a jumper to make it a 10-point game. He nearly had an assist on the next possession, too, as he found Key wide open under the basket, but he let it bounce off him and out of bounds.
- Following a Key free throw, Branham hit a transition three-pointer to cut the lead to six. Young then blocked a Gillespie layup, but went to the bench with 8:55 remaining after taking a hard hit while trying to pull down an offensive rebound. He did not return to the game.
- Branham hit a jumper with his foot on the line to cut the lead to four before Moore answered with a three-pointer at the other end to push it back to seven. Fifth-year senior Jamari Wheeler then cut it to two points, the closest it has been since 9-7, with a three-pointer.
- Villanova ended a two and a half minute scoring drought with a tough layup from Samuels at the 4:33 mark. After Key split a pair of free throws, Gillespie’s midrange jumper increased the lead to five at the under four timeout.
- Liddell missed the front end of a 1-and-1 then had the ball taken away from him by Samuels on the next possession. Branham missed an open three and Key was called for a moving screen to give the ball back to the Wildcats.
- With just over 90 seconds remaining, Dixon was wide open and calmly knocked down a three-pointer to give Villanova a 67-59 lead.
- Branham added a layup with 59 seconds left to trim the lead to six but Liddell was called for his fourth foul to send Villanova to the line. Samuels made both free throws to push it back to eight.
- After Liddell’s three-point attempt hit the front of the rim, Gillespie added a pair of free throws to seal the win.
With the loss, Ohio State finishes the season at 20-12 overall. The Buckeyes are one of just three Power 5 programs to win 20 games in each of the last five seasons, joining Kansas and Oregon.
Ohio State has not advanced past the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2012-13, former head coach Thad Matta’s ninth season with the program. The Buckeyes ultimately made it to the Elite 8 that season before falling to Wichita State.
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