DAYTON, Ohio — The West Region is in shambles. The one, three, four, five, seven and eight seeds will not be going to Los Angeles for the regional semifinals this week.
But somehow — barely, luckily, unbelievably — the No. 2 seed, Ohio State, can pack its bags.
Aaron Craft, the senior point guard from Findlay, Ohio, grew up dreaming about hitting a game-winning shot for the Buckeyes in the N.C.A.A. tournament. He lived out that fantasy Sunday when his go-ahead 3-pointer with five-tenths of a second remaining sent Ohio State past Iowa State, 78-75, and gave an already wild N.C.A.A. tournament another memorable moment.
Craft did not have thoughts of home or family or realized dreams when the ball splashed through the net. He raised his arms and yelled to his teammates to return to their full-court press.
“The first thing I thought was how much time is left and how to get a stop,” Craft said.
The arena, speckled with scarlet and gray, being only about 80 miles west of Columbus, Ohio, burst into pandemonium. Iowa State’s Georges Niang, who defended the shot, crumbled to his knees.
After a last-ditch shot by Korie Lucious fell well short, the Buckeyes surrounded Craft at midcourt. Iowa State Coach Fred Hoiberg trudged into the locker room and told his players he loved them.
On the podium for the postgame news conference, Hoiberg stared down at the box score for 12 seconds before declining to make an opening remark. He was too overwhelmed.
“What they’ve done, what they’ve accomplished, words can’t describe,” Hoiberg said of his team. “They left their heart on the floor.”
Hoiberg fashioned his team as giant slayers, loading the roster with transfers like Lucious, Chris Babb and Will Clyburn. They led the nation in 3-pointers made per game, making them a tough team to stamp out of any game. Ohio State Coach Thad Matta knew it, saying he wanted his team to build at least a 12-point lead to absorb Iowa State’s runs.
The Buckeyes did that. They had a 13-point lead, 69-56, with six minutes remaining. It did not last.
The Cyclones chipped away, chipped away, chipped away, finally tying the score at 69-69 with a layup by Lucious with four minutes remaining. Moments later, a 3-pointer by Tyrus McGee gave Iowa State its first lead since early in the second half. The mighty Buckeyes seemed to be on the ropes.
It would have been only fitting, in this combustible West region, for Ohio State to go down, too. Its path to the Final Four, following the losses of top-seeded Gonzaga, third-seeded New Mexico, fourth-seeded Kansas State, and so on, seemed clear of the predictable obstruction.
And there was 10th-seeded Iowa State, nearly muddying up the bracket yet again, if not for a key steal by Deshaun Thomas with less than a minute remaining. He was so excited by the defensive play that his leg began cramping. He hobbled back on offense and struggled to set a screen.
Craft fired up a shot at the top of the key that missed, but the rebound was tapped out of bounds by Iowa State. The Buckeyes had the ball again with 29 seconds left.
For the Cyclones, who out-rebounded Ohio State, 36-22, the last mishandled rebound was a backbreaker.
“We couldn’t corral that last rebound,” Hoiberg said. “That gave them the opportunity to hit the game-winning shot.”
More important, Craft said his first shot — while it missed — felt good out of his hands. He was not planning to take another shot, but as time wound down, Iowa State switched on the screen set by LaQuinton Ross, and Craft found himself matched up against the 6-foot-7 Niang.
He weaved in and out, drew separation and fired up a shot: his only 3-point attempt of the game.
“I didn’t have to rush it too much,” Craft said. “I was fortunate to get the shot off clean.”
He added, “Every kid dreams of situations like that.”
Matta said it was not exactly how the play was expected to unfold, but it worked out having the ball in their best player’s hands.
“We told him, let’s play for the win here,” Matta said. “It was pretty good timing on his part.”
Ohio State has won 10 games in a row. It beat Iona, the second-highest scoring team in the nation, by adapting to the Gaels’ style, showing they are not another plodding Big Ten fundamentals-centric team, but one that can run, and leap, and score.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes got back to their more familiar style of play: gritty, poised and tough-minded defensively. They turned the ball over only 9 times, while forcing 16. They shot 51 percent and scored 18 points off turnovers.
And, for all that effort, they are barely alive, moving on to their fourth consecutive Round of 16, which, in this region, after this game, could not feel sweeter.
But somehow — barely, luckily, unbelievably — the No. 2 seed, Ohio State, can pack its bags.
Aaron Craft, the senior point guard from Findlay, Ohio, grew up dreaming about hitting a game-winning shot for the Buckeyes in the N.C.A.A. tournament. He lived out that fantasy Sunday when his go-ahead 3-pointer with five-tenths of a second remaining sent Ohio State past Iowa State, 78-75, and gave an already wild N.C.A.A. tournament another memorable moment.
Craft did not have thoughts of home or family or realized dreams when the ball splashed through the net. He raised his arms and yelled to his teammates to return to their full-court press.
“The first thing I thought was how much time is left and how to get a stop,” Craft said.
The arena, speckled with scarlet and gray, being only about 80 miles west of Columbus, Ohio, burst into pandemonium. Iowa State’s Georges Niang, who defended the shot, crumbled to his knees.
After a last-ditch shot by Korie Lucious fell well short, the Buckeyes surrounded Craft at midcourt. Iowa State Coach Fred Hoiberg trudged into the locker room and told his players he loved them.
On the podium for the postgame news conference, Hoiberg stared down at the box score for 12 seconds before declining to make an opening remark. He was too overwhelmed.
“What they’ve done, what they’ve accomplished, words can’t describe,” Hoiberg said of his team. “They left their heart on the floor.”
Hoiberg fashioned his team as giant slayers, loading the roster with transfers like Lucious, Chris Babb and Will Clyburn. They led the nation in 3-pointers made per game, making them a tough team to stamp out of any game. Ohio State Coach Thad Matta knew it, saying he wanted his team to build at least a 12-point lead to absorb Iowa State’s runs.
The Buckeyes did that. They had a 13-point lead, 69-56, with six minutes remaining. It did not last.
The Cyclones chipped away, chipped away, chipped away, finally tying the score at 69-69 with a layup by Lucious with four minutes remaining. Moments later, a 3-pointer by Tyrus McGee gave Iowa State its first lead since early in the second half. The mighty Buckeyes seemed to be on the ropes.
It would have been only fitting, in this combustible West region, for Ohio State to go down, too. Its path to the Final Four, following the losses of top-seeded Gonzaga, third-seeded New Mexico, fourth-seeded Kansas State, and so on, seemed clear of the predictable obstruction.
And there was 10th-seeded Iowa State, nearly muddying up the bracket yet again, if not for a key steal by Deshaun Thomas with less than a minute remaining. He was so excited by the defensive play that his leg began cramping. He hobbled back on offense and struggled to set a screen.
Craft fired up a shot at the top of the key that missed, but the rebound was tapped out of bounds by Iowa State. The Buckeyes had the ball again with 29 seconds left.
For the Cyclones, who out-rebounded Ohio State, 36-22, the last mishandled rebound was a backbreaker.
“We couldn’t corral that last rebound,” Hoiberg said. “That gave them the opportunity to hit the game-winning shot.”
More important, Craft said his first shot — while it missed — felt good out of his hands. He was not planning to take another shot, but as time wound down, Iowa State switched on the screen set by LaQuinton Ross, and Craft found himself matched up against the 6-foot-7 Niang.
He weaved in and out, drew separation and fired up a shot: his only 3-point attempt of the game.
“I didn’t have to rush it too much,” Craft said. “I was fortunate to get the shot off clean.”
He added, “Every kid dreams of situations like that.”
Matta said it was not exactly how the play was expected to unfold, but it worked out having the ball in their best player’s hands.
“We told him, let’s play for the win here,” Matta said. “It was pretty good timing on his part.”
Ohio State has won 10 games in a row. It beat Iona, the second-highest scoring team in the nation, by adapting to the Gaels’ style, showing they are not another plodding Big Ten fundamentals-centric team, but one that can run, and leap, and score.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes got back to their more familiar style of play: gritty, poised and tough-minded defensively. They turned the ball over only 9 times, while forcing 16. They shot 51 percent and scored 18 points off turnovers.
And, for all that effort, they are barely alive, moving on to their fourth consecutive Round of 16, which, in this region, after this game, could not feel sweeter.
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