LOS ANGELES — Ohio State’s LaQuinton Ross drained a deep 3-pointer with two seconds left to lift the Buckeyes to the Elite Eight with a 73-70 win over Arizona on Thursday night at Staples Center.
After Wildcats guard Mark Lyons scored an and-one with a layup and free throw with 21 seconds left, Ohio State set up for a final play.
Aaron Craft found a wide-open Ross well behind the 3-point line on the perimeter, and Ross calmly dropped a bomb on the Wildcats while clinching a second straight Elite Eight berth. The Buckeyes are the only team to advance to the Sweet 16 the last four years, but they were knocked out in that round the first two years before advancing to the Final Four last season.
The Buckeyes appeared to be heading to a surprising exit for much of the first half, when Arizona led by double figures. Ohio State played careful basketball — committing just eight turnovers, though they had just nine assists — and held Arizona to 39 percent shooting from the field in the second half.
Lyons led all scorers with 23 points, but the Wildcats had just one other player in double figures, Solomon Hill, who scored 16.
Ohio State had four players in double digits, led by Deshaun Thomas’ 20. Ross had 17, Craft 13 and Sam Thompson 11 for the Buckeyes.
Continue Reading: Ohio State 73, Arizona 70 (The SportsXchange)
