Ohio does what Ohio State couldn’t, wins NCAA Tournament game
The Ohio Bobcats outdid their in-state rivals from Columbus by winning an NCAA Tournament game with an upset of Virginia.
The madness in March Madness has seemed to center around the Ohio schools this year. Ohio State couldn’t get the job done, getting knocked off by 15-seed Oral Roberts in the first round, but the Ohio Bobcats took care of business in a big way.
A big second-half rally helped the Bobcats knock off Virginia 62-58, eliminating the defending national champions in the first round, pulling off a shocker at Assembly Hall. Ben Vander Plas led the way for Ohio, scoring 17 points in the win, including back-to-back threes in the second half to put the Bobcats ahead for good.
Ohio Bobcats upset Virginia in March Madness
Bobcats’ star Jason Preston was a point of emphasis for Virginia, which made an effort to keep him from taking over the game, which worked to a degree as Preston recorded just 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting. Preston did find a way to impact the game with his all-around play, grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing out eight assists to come close to delivering a triple-double.
The Cavaliers played a very clean game, turning the ball over just three times, but they never were able to get going on the offensive end. Tony Bennett’s team shot just 35.6 percent from the floor, failing to gain enough separation from the Bobcats to put the game out of reach, leaving the door wide open for an upset.
The win also offers a potential path to the Sweet 16 for Ohio, which is a true Cinderella candidate thanks to the breakout play of Preston, a legitimate NBA prospect. The Bobcats are set to square off with Creighton on Tuesday, a team that looked vulnerable for most of their win over UC-Santa Barbara this afternoon, so there is a prime opportunity here for Ohio to wear the glass slipper and extend their stay in the March Madness bubble for another week.
Next. 20 biggest upsets in the history of March Madness. dark
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