The Ohio State men’s basketball team didn’t do quite enough to make the NCAA Tournament, but it’s still playing in the NIT Tournament that kicked off on Tuesday night.
The Buckeyes received a No. 2 seed for the tournament and got quite the test from the Cornell Big Red but were able to make just enough plays down the stretch to pull out a hard fought 88-83 victory on Tuesday night.
It wasn’t the prettiest game, and at times it looked like the Buckeyes weren’t quite as motivated as they were down the stretch of the regular season, but they did enough with the sands of the hourglass running out to notch the first round win.
Jamison Battle and Roddy Gayle Jr. led OSU in scoring, both posting 17 points each in the winning effort. Felix Okpara (16) and Devin Royal (13) also finished in double figures in the winning effort.
Ohio State didn’t have a banner day shooting the ball and had episodes of looking a bit disinterested, but it was able to make the plays when it counted and had a decisive advantage on the boards, 51-32. That and the disparity at the free throw line made the difference.
On to the next one. #Team125 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/ymQQkLFmhv
— Ohio State Hoops 🌰 (@OhioStateHoops) March 20, 2024
With the win, OSU will now advance to face the winner of No. 3 seed Virginia Tech and Richmond. That game will also take place inside Value City Arena.