The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 81-73 in the second round of the NIT on Saturday, March 23, at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Since Jake Diebler took the helm at Ohio State following the dismissal of Chris Holtmann in February, the Buckeyes have shown marked improvement, winning six of their last eight regular-season games. Their only defeats during this stretch were to No. 2 Purdue at home and to unranked Minnesota on the road.
Photo Cred: 24/7 Sports
Ohio State’s poor performance in January and February under Holtmann knocked them out of contention for March Madness, leaving the Big Ten Tournament as their only path to the postseason. However, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by No. 13 Illinois. Despite this, the Buckeyes’ strong finish earned them a spot in the NIT, where they beat Cornell Big Red in the first round before facing Virginia Tech on March 23. Virginia Tech took an early 7-0 lead, but Ohio State quickly caught up and took the lead for good with 6:13 left in the first half.
A jumper by forward Jamison Battle at the 3:36 mark extended their lead to seven points, and a dunk by Devin Royal at the 2:29 mark pushed the lead to double digits. The Buckeyes led 36-26 at halftime. Ohio State maintained its advantage in the second half, with guard Bruce Thornton and Battle capitalizing on Virginia Tech turnovers and missed shots. The Hokies closed within six points midway through the half, but a three-pointer by guard Dale Bonner kept Ohio State ahead.
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Photo Cred: Land Grant Holy Land
Virginia Tech narrowed the gap to four points with eight minutes remaining, but Ohio State managed to extend their lead again through Virginia Tech fouls and poor shooting by the Hokies. In the final five minutes, the Hokies came within three points after Lynn Kidd made two free throws following a foul by Roddy Gayle Jr. However, Virginia Tech’s lack of discipline and subsequent fouls allowed Ohio State to secure the win. Ohio State will next face the Georgia Bulldogs at Value City Arena on Tuesday, March 26. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
