Just one game, whole lot of fun
Well that's how it's done. If you're only going to have one conference game on a night, make it as good as that 73-70 Ohio State-Maryland game.
Maryland looked like world-beaters to start, jumping out to a 14-2 lead where Maryland's size matched up with a bunch of mid-range jumpers that had the Buckeyes reeling from the tip.
But Bruce Thornton was absolutely spectacular, going for 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists while playing all 40 minutes. He also had three steals and a block.
Thornton is as quintessentially college basketball as any player in the last decade. He held his team together despite foul trouble, and a 1 of 7 shooting night from John Mobley.
Game winner, bank breaker, dance maker
But as good as Thornton was - what an absolutely brutal way to end a ball game where both teams played well. Just a possession or two before, Derik Queen was blocking a Thornton floater and drawing a foul at the other end to take a one point lead.
So when Thornton's long contested three banked off glass and went in, Terrapins world-wide probably shook their head and wanted to get back in their shells.
But for Ohio State, that shot might be the difference between the Buckeyes making the NCAA Tournament or not. The Buckeyes add another top-20 win to go with its win at Purdue, win against Kentucky on a neutral floor, and a Texas win to start the season. Those quality wins and a favorable end of season schedule should have Ohio State leaning towards the right side of the bubble. 6-2 should be more than doable for Ohio State's final eight games of the season. That would leave Ohio State at 22-11, and almost a lock for the NCAA Tournament and probably a half decent seeding.
Julian Reese en fuego
Shout out to Reese who has been dominant for Maryland in the last four games. He was great again against Ohio State, scoring 24 points on just 9 shot attempts. He was 10 of 11 from the free throw line and he's making a strong push for All-Big Ten selecting.
Oh and he added 13 rebounds for that clean double-double. He almost single-handedly knocked Illinois into a slump and he's continuing to pick on teams that don't have dominant bigs to hold up against him.
Tomorrow's (ONLY AGAIN!) Game of the night!
Another single header tomorrow as #7 Purdue hosts USC in Mackey Arena for the first time.
USC is full of the wing length and play style that has given Purdue some troubles in the past. Should be a decent game, certainly if Purdue comes out slow like it did against Iowa or Indiana in the last two games.
As always, check out Boiler Upload for all your Purdue releated content.
