Ohio State faced a heartbreaking defeat in their first NCAA Tournament game under head coach Jake Diebler, narrowly losing to TCU with a final score of 66-64. The loss was sealed by a failed last-second play that left the Buckeyes” fans devastated.
With just 4.3 seconds remaining, TCU“s Xavier Edmonds scored a crucial basket to give the Horned Frogs the lead. Ohio State quickly called a timeout to devise a strategy for the final play, hoping for a chance to either tie or win the game.
However, the execution fell short when Bruce Thornton found himself in a tough position. Instead of aiming for a longer pass to initiate the play, Thornton inbounded the ball to Christoph Tilly, who swiftly returned it to Thornton. By the time the ball was back in his hands, the clock was running low, and two TCU defenders were closing in on him. This forced Thornton to attempt a desperate shot from halfcourt, which ultimately missed.
In his postgame remarks, Diebler expressed the team”s intention to have the ball in Thornton”s hands for the final possession, allowing him the freedom to make a decision, whether to pass to teammates Amare Bynum or Devin Royal or to take the shot himself. Video evidence suggested that Royal might have been in a position to take a shot if Thornton had opted to pass, but time constraints made it uncertain if a successful shot could have been made before the buzzer.
“We got the ball to Bruce on the run,” Diebler stated. “We had two outlets down the floor for a throw ahead. I was watching him with the ball, so it was hard to see if those guys were open or not. I thought TCU corralled the ball well, and maybe that limited his ability to get the ball down the floor,” Diebler added. He emphasized that the goal was to get the ball to Thornton quickly and provide him options to either shoot or pass.
Despite the situation, Ohio State was out of timeouts, meaning even if Thornton had made it across halfcourt in time, they could not have called a timeout to set up a better play. Reflecting on the final play, Thornton mentioned that he simply ran out of time, given the need to traverse the length of the court while being guarded closely by TCU.
Thornton believed that the Buckeyes” inability to secure key defensive stops earlier in the game, particularly in the first half where TCU outscored them 39-24, contributed significantly to their loss. “We just didn”t get the stop that we needed. It”s hard with the time, with a full court shot and four seconds left,” he said. “It wasn”t the look I wanted, but they cupped the ball. They did a good job cupping the ball. It”s just hard to get three dribbles on the other side of the court when somebody just guards you full court,” Thornton explained.
Ultimately, Ohio State”s NCAA Tournament journey concluded in the Round of 64, leaving fans and players to reflect on a season marked by both promise and disappointment.
