Arizona beats Ohio state 73-58 in third round
PORTLAND, Ore. — Guard Gabe York came off the bench to knock down five 3-pointers and lift fifth-ranked Arizona to a 73-58 victory over Ohio State in an NCAA Tournament third-round game Saturday at Moda Center.
York scored a season-high 19 points and guard T.J. McConnell had 19 points, six assists, six rebounds and five steals for the No. 3 seed Wildcats (33-3), who ran their winning streak to 13 games.
Forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson contributed 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Arizona, which advances to the West Regional at Los Angeles next Thursday.
Forward Sam Thompson scored 18 points for Ohio State (24-11). Guard D’Angelo Russell collected nine points, six rebounds and six assists for the Buckeyes but made just 3 of 19 shots from the field, including 1 of 7 from 3-point distance.
York revived a moribund Arizona offense by sinking four 3-pointers in the first 10 1/2 minutes of the second half, breaking open a tight game and providing some breathing room for the Wildcats.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by York and a follow dunk by Hollis-Jefferson pushed Arizona in front 41-34 with 15 minutes left. York drained another 3 for a 46-36 lead with 11:45 to play. Another York bomb hiked the advantage to 52-39 with 9:15 remaining. The Buckeyes never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.
Arizona struggled against Ohio State’s zone in the first half, sinking just 10 of 31 shots, but still held a 26-25 advantage at halftime. Forward Stanley Johnson and Hollis-Jefferson combined for four points on 1-for-12 shooting.
Ohio State hung in early despite the slow start by Russell, who missed his first four shots and went scoreless for the first 10 minutes. Russell had five assists but just five points on 2-for-11 shooting through the first 20 minutes.
The Buckeyes, packing it in with a 2-3 zone and daring the Wildcats to shoot from the perimeter, led 21-15 with six minutes left in the half.
The Buckeyes went cold, though, and Arizona outscored them 11-4 the rest of the half to take a one-point lead into intermission.
NOTES: G Gabe York was 0-for-2 in 28 scoreless minutes in Arizona’s 93-72 second-round win over Texas Southern on Thursday. … Arizona and Ohio State met in the 2013 West Regional semifinals. LaQuinton Ross’ 3-pointer with two seconds left was the difference in a 73-70 victory by Ohio State. … Coaches Thad Matta of Ohio State and Sean Miller of Arizona were assistants on Herb Sendek’s Miami (Ohio) staff during the 1994-95 season.
