With Aaron Craft’s last-second shot, No. 2 Ohio State remained the lone high seed left in the NCAA tournament’s most-busted bracket.
Craft made a 3-pointer with a half-second left, and Ohio State escaped Dayton – a place of Buckeye heartaches – with a 78-75 victory over Iowa State on Sunday.
Ohio State (28-7) needed Craft’s only 3-pointer of the game – an arching shot over 6-foot-7 defender Georges Niang from the top of the key – to avoid yet another upset in the oh-so-wild West Regional. Four of the top five seeds fell fast and hard in the first weekend.
Craft left the Buckeyes in position to fritter away a late lead, then saved them in the final second.
“I tried to stay as poised as possible,” Craft said. “Missed a lot of shots I normally make, layups and free throws. Got a mismatch, took the ball, and it went in.”
Ohio State’s 10th straight win sent the Buckeyes into the round of 16 for the fourth straight year, a school record. They’ll play sixth-seeded Arizona on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Tenth-seeded Iowa State (23-12) overcame a late 13-point deficit by hitting 3s – the Cyclones’ specialty – but wound up beaten by Craft’s lone basket from behind the arc. The plucky point guard helped Iowa State take it to the closing seconds by missing the front end of a pair of one-and-one chances.
He also missed a jumper with 30 seconds left, but the Cyclones knocked the ball out of bounds going for the rebound. The Buckeyes spread the floor for the final play, which ended with Craft flinging it up.
Deshaun Thomas led Ohio State with 22 points, and Craft had 18. LaQuinton Ross scored 10 straight for the Buckeyes as they built that second-half lead.
Korie Lucious led Iowa State with 19 points. He didn’t come close on a final heave after Craft’s winner.
Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg was unable to make an opening comment during the postgame news conference, the pain of the defeat etched all over his face.
“We played our hearts out,” Will Clyburn said. “It was a tough game and he made a tough shot. He made a great play.”
The Buckeyes escaped Dayton – the scene of a couple of a couple recent NCAA tournament disappointments – as the lone high seed left in the West.
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