March Madness Day 7, Part 2

Wichita State 70, Ohio State 66
Wichita looked like the better team for the first 29 minutes of this game. They were more aggressive, shot much better, and attacked the glass with abandon. Ohio State was totally thrown off of their game. They settled for outside shots and didn't hit any of them. They weren't making the hustle plays. And they found themselves down 20 points with 11 minutes to play.

Then things switched, and Ohio State started looking like the favorite again. They drove, they attacked, and they started matching Wichita State's effort. Wichita dealt with a couple injuries and massive foul trouble. They tightened up just a little bit, and they allowed Ohio State to get within 4 points with about 2 mintues to play. The question at this point was, could Wichita State make just enough plays to hold off the fast charging Buckeyes.

The answer was yes. A three point shot, a falling over 5-footer in the lane, and a couple free throws were enough to make sure Ohio State couldn't get close enough to attempt a shot to tie or take the lead. In the end, the Ohio State University simply dug themselves too deep a hole before they finally found themselves offensively. If they could have stayed within 12-15 points, they would have won this game. They couldn't, so Wichita State moves on to the Final Four.