With that, we present No. 5 Ohio State (24-8) vs. Holtman will have Ohio State ready and Gonzaga should be ready for a battle.
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Gonzaga outlasted No. 13 UNC Greensboro 68-64 behind 19 points and 13 rebounds from Johnathan Williams. Johnathan Williams and Josh Perkins combined for 41 points. The Buckeyes, who have four senior starters, also need to win their next four games in order to make their first Final Four trip in 25 years. “Players win games, and they did that”.
“I think our focus will continue to just remain on doing what we can to improve every day and be at our best”, said Otzelberger.
The teams combined to launch 71 3-point attempts, tying an NCAA Tournament record. The late-season success includes marks of 7-2 in February and 3-0 in March.
Defensively, Villanova was tops in the Big East, limiting teams to just 59 points per game on 38 percent shooting and just 28 percent from behind the three-point arc. They won their first tournament game in program history defeating Miami 74-71 in the first round, before falling to Stanford 66-65 in the next round.
This is actually the second meeting between the teams as they squared off in the PK80 Invitational early in the season. That is possible, especially because the Bulldogs struggled while playing at a much slower pace than they would have liked against the Spartans. Losing to San Diego State, which barely ranks in the top 100 of the RPI, might have cost the Zags one or two seed lines in the tournament. With coach Chris Holtman taking over for Thad Matta in June expectations in Columbus were uncertain for this season.
Notes: SDSU had its 11-game winning streak snapped.
Retherford, who’s won three national championships and 91 straight matches since his last loss in the 2014 tournament, put on an offensive clinic with a 16-1 win in his first bout and then pinned his way into the quarterfinals by fastening Maryland’s Alfred Bannister to the mat in just 2:29. Junior Mike Daum averaged 23.8 points per game and 10.4 rebounds this season. Totals 24-63 12-14 73. Daum is joined on the double-figure scoring list by teammates David Jenkins with 16.1 points and Reed Teelinghuisen with 12.
Halftime – Tied 43-43. The sophomore forward is a true stretch four, hitting almost 49 percent of his 3-pointers this season.
Getting Bates-Diop involved in the offense early is critical. Degen knocked off No. 13 Colton McCrystal of Nebraska, 9-5, in the opening round before falling 7-5 to No. 4 Troy Heilmann of North Carolina.
The sharpshooter finished with 22 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals, but what he will be remembered for the most was the and-one three, which secured the win for the Buckeyes.
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Jones said some of Arizona State’s greatest wrestlers were from OH, and Penn State’s Sanderson said his college coach at Iowa State – Bobby Douglas – recruited well in OH and Sanderson’s roommate, Joe Heskett was from Ohio.
