BUCKEYES 101

Other than the opening five minutes of the second half, the Buckeyes were in total control against Cincinnati Thursday night and earned a trip to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2007.

Ohio State took a double digit lead into the locker room at halftime, but Cincinnati stormed back to take a brief lead in the second frame. That did not last long though, as sophomore forward Jared Sullinger powered the Buckeyes to an 81-66 victory.

The Bearcats could not keep up with the Buckeyes in the first half, as Deshaun Thomas paced Ohio State in the opening 20 minutes. He finished the game with three 3-pointers and a game-high 26 points.

After Cincinnati's second-half charge, it was Sullinger who stepped up to give the Buckeyes their final lead. He finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

The Bearcats continued to foul the Buckeyes for the final two minutes, but solid free throw shooting helped Ohio State to continue to pull away.

Aaron Craft boosted the offense with 11 points in the second half. He also generated key turnovers and displayed toughness on defense. Ohio State and Cincinnati met for only the second time since the 1962 NCAA championship game.

The Buckeyes have now beaten three straight opponents with a higher seed, but they will take on the No. 1 Syracuse Orange in the Elite Eight on Saturday. Center Fab Melo was ruled academically ineligible before the tournament, and that might mean trouble for Syracuse as it tries to slow down Jared Sullinger.

 

Tags: Aaron Craft, Bearcats, Buckeyes, Cincinnati, Deshaun Thomas, Elite Eight, Jared Sullinger, NCAA, Ohio State

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