Jojo Doria

Pittsburgh, PA

Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas chipped in with 18 points each and Aaron Craft chalked up a double-double as the Ohio State Buckeyes survived the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 73-66, to book their place in the Sweet Sixteen Saturday at CONSOL Energy Center.

The Buckeyes advanced to their fourth Sweet Sixteen appearance in the last six years after overcoming a resilient Bulldogs team in their NCAA tournament East Region third-round showdown.

The dynamic frontline duo of Sullinger and Thomas once again rose to the occasion as they combined for 36 points and anchored the Buckeyes defense throughout the ballgame. Craft also ran the Buckeyes offense efficiently, recording 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting and 10 assists.

Coming off a 77-54 win over West Virginia in the second round, Gonzaga looked sharp in the early going as they built a 27-20 lead with over seven minutes left in the first half. Ohio State used a late spurt to get within two points of the lead before intermission, however and took over in the seconf half.

Powered by Gary Bell, Jr. (18 points) and Elias Harris (16 points), the resilent Bulldogs got within two points on a three-point jumper by Harris with 4:05 minutes left but the Buckeyes scored 10 straight points to seal the victory.

The win catapulted the Buckeyes to a chance at advancing to Elite 8 for the first time since 2007. Ohio State will next face the winner of the Cincinnati-Florida State duel Sunday.

 

Ohio State Survives Gonzaga