Team 125 in the proud history of the Ohio State basketball program ended their NIT run at home at the hands of Georgia, upset by the visiting Bulldogs 79-77 ending the Buckeye season that was rejuvenated in mid February when Jake Diebler took over as the head coach. The Buckeye season comes to a close with a 22-14 record, while Georgia improves to 20-16 and moves on to Indianapolis for the NIT Final Four. In a game that featured 13 lead changes and 5 ties, Ohio State roared back from 13 down to go up 6, only to see Georgia hit three late triples to regain the lead and when Ohio State’s last second shot for the win fell just short off the front of the iron, the heads dropped as the reality of the season ending set in. The Bulldogs shot 48% from the field and hit 10 of 25 from long range, while the Buckeyes made 46% and 7 of 19 from deep. The game was evenly played statistically for much of the night, but the Buckeye comeback midway through the second half fell just short as the Bulldogs hit key shots down the stretch to pull the upset. Ohio State assisted on 21 of 31 made buckets as they continued to share the basketball at a high level, but it just wasn’t enough on this night. In his last collegiate game, Jamison Battle led Ohio State with a game high 22 and 8 rebounds, while Bruce Thornton continued to stuff the stat sheet, adding 13 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds. Felix Okpara chipped in 12 and 7 rebounds, but just 2 points came in the second half. Roddy Gayle added 11. Georgia was led by Noah Thomasson’s 21, Blue Cain’s 17 and Frank Aslem-Ibe’s 10. 

Ohio State opened the scoring when Jamison Battle grabbed an offensive rebound and dropped it through. The Dawgs answered with a tip dunk, but quickly the other way, Bruce Thornton lobbed to Felix Okpara who finished with a monster one handed dunk. A Georgia triple gave the Bulldogs their first lead, but Evan Mahaffey’s mid-paint jumper put Ohio State back on top. Georgia scored the next four to shift back in front and after Battle went off the bounce along the right baseline for a lay-in, Georgia scored quickly the other way through a foul and at the first media timeout, Georgia led 11-8. Out of the timeout, the free throw dropped to complete the three point play and increase Georgia’s lead. The Bulldog lead jumped to 7 after a three dropped, but a midcourt turnover by Georgia led to a Devin Royal bucket at the rim as he was fouled and after the freebie fell, the three point play was completed and the Buckeyes were within 4. The Buckeyes got a defensive stop on the other end, forcing a wild shot at the end of the shot clock and quickly the other way, Roddy Gayle was fouled attacking the basket taking the game to the under 12 media timeout and Georgia leading 15-11. Gayle buried both his free throw attempts out of the break to cut the lead to 2 and following a Georgia turnover, Taison Chatman drilled a mid range jumper along the left baseline to tie the score. Georgia stopped the 7-0 run, picking off a Buckeye pass and went the other way for an easy deuce. After another Bulldog bucket, Chatman found Battle at the left block for two, but Georgia answered with another two. The Buckeyes cut the deficit back to two when Thornton lobbed to Okpara for a dunk and at the under 8 media timeout, Georgia led 21-19. Georgia came out of the timeout and used a screen to get an easy lay-in, but Thornton drilled a left wing triple to trim the deficit to 1. The Buckeyes went back in front when Gayle lobbed to Okpara for another dunk and after a defensive stop, Battle buried a three from the left wing forcing Georgia to call a timeout with Ohio State on an 8-0 run to take a 27-23 lead. Georgia ended the run with a high banking runner out of the timeout, but a Battle lob to Okpara for yet another dunk answered. Georgia proceeded to go on a 7-2 run to regain the lead with Ohio State’s lone bucket coming in transition from Gayle. Ohio State made that lead short lived when Evan Mahaffey wrapped a post to post pass to Okpara for a dunk and at the final media timeout with 1:16 to play in the first half, Ohio State led 33-32. Coming out of the timeout, Georgia scored to regain the lead, but after a Buckeye timeout, Thornton found Gayle behind the defense for a dunk. The other way, Georgia pulled down an offensive rebound and converted in the final seconds to take a 36-35 halftime lead. The Buckeyes found their shooting stroke late in the half to hit 47% of their attempts, including 2 of 9 from deep, while Georgia hit 50% and 3 of 11 from long range. Rebounding numbers were even at 17, while Georgia turned it over 6 times and Ohio State turned it over 5 times. Both teams scored 24 in the paint as it was a very even first half of basketball in nearly every area, but the pace clearly favored the visitors. Ohio State was led by Felix Okpara’s 10 and Jamison Battle had 9 and 6 rebounds. Georgia was led by Noah Thomasson and R.J. Melendez who had 7 each. 

Georgia opened the second half scoring, taking advantage of a Buckeye turnover to convert for two and after an Okpara jump hook fell, Georgia hit a three to go up 4. Another Ohio State turnover turned into two the other way and after another Bulldog triple dropped, Jake Diebler took a timeout at the 16:51 mark with Georgia opening up a 46-37 lead, having outscored the Buckeyes 10-2 in the opening minutes of the second half. The Buckeyes cut into the lead and stopped an 8-0 Dawg run when Royal buried a jumper just below the stripe, but a dunk on the other end answered. A Georgia triple increased the lead to 12 before Zed Key grabbed an offensive rebound and scored through contact. His free throw completed the old-fashioned three point play and cut the lead to 9. The Buckeyes got a bit closer when Battle knocked down a three from the right point and after a Georgia miss, Thornton found Key for a dunk and Georgia took a timeout with the crowd coming to life as Ohio State had scored 8 straight to cut the Bulldog lead to 51-47 with 13:37 left to play. Out of the break, Georgia regained control, going on a 9-0 run to go up 13. After Gayle split a pair of free throws to end the run, Thornton drilled a three to cut back into the lead. Following a Bulldog turnover, Gayle took a Thornton pass at the rim for two and with a media timeout after a Buckeye foul on a three attempt, Georgia led 60-53 with 10:24 to play. The 6-0 Buckeye run was stopped when Georgia knocked down 1 of the 3 free throw attempts, but after a Buckeye miss, Georgia drilled a three to go back up 11. Thornton got to the rim for two to trim the lead and after a defensive stop, Battle buried a three after an offensive rebound and suddenly Ohio State was within 6. An Okpara offensive rebound and kick to Battle for a dunk got the Buckeyes closer and with 7:38 to play at the media timeout, Georgia’s lead was sliced to 64-60 with Ohio State having scored the last 7. Ohio State’s continued their run, getting to within 2 when Thornton hit a pair of free throws and regained the lead when Dale Bonner drilled a three from the right corner and Jake Diebler called a quick timeout with 5:31 to play and Ohio State on a 12-0 run to take a 65-64 lead. More Buckeyes out of the timeout. After a defensive stop, Bonner got out in transition and flushed it home as the crowd at the Schott was electric. After a Georgia turnover, Battle drilled a three and Ohio State was up 6. The 17-0 run was stopped by a pair of Georgia threes and the lead was erased in a flash as the game was knotted at 70. The Buckeyes ended the quick 6-0 Dawg run when Battle went hard to the rim for a flush. Georgia tied it again with a runner off the window, but A Gayle mid-paint jumper dropped to put Ohio State back ahead. A Georgia triple put the Bulldogs up again, but Thornton got to the rim with the euro step to put Ohio State back in front and when the final media timeout was called at the 1:51 mark of the game, Ohio State led 76-75. The Buckeyes got a defensive stop out of the timeout, but a miss on the other end gave the ball back to Georgia with less than a minute to play. The Dawgs hit a jumper with 35 seconds to play to shift ahead by 1 and after an Ohio State miss, the Buckeyes had to play the foul game. Both free throws dropped and Georgia led by 3. Georgia fouled to keep the Buckeyes from taking a three and Thornton went to the stripe and made the first but missed the second. After Georgia corralled the rebound, Bonner took the ball away and Jake Diebler took a timeout with 10.1 seconds to play and Georgia leading 79-77. Out of the timeout, Thornton took a clean look from three from the top, but it was too strong off the back iron and the ball clanged out of bounds off the Dawgs with 1.2 seconds to play giving the Buckeyes one last chance. After a Georgia timeout, Jake Diebler drew up a play with Battle coming off a screen but his three attempt for the win from the left point fell just short, ending the Buckeye season. 

It was not the ending they envisioned, but give this group a lot of credit. They battled to the very end and fell just short of moving on. While it’s extremely disappointing for the season to end, this team deserves all the kudos Buckeye fans can give after facing all the adversity they faced this season, they fell an eyelash short of making the NCAA tournament and when asked to continue their season in the NIT, they were all in and competed until the final horn. They could have packed it in when their coach was fired, but a rejuvenated energy led by new head coach Jake Diebler fed life back into the team and the program and gives reason for a lot of hope heading into next season. There’s a lot of disappointment in that locker room to see the season end, but for much of the group, the future is very, very bright. Having said that, a lot of thanks to outgoing seniors, Jamison Battle and Dale Bonner.  Although their stay in Columbus was short, they both certainly left their mark and legacy on this program. A huge thank you to Zed Key if indeed his time in Columbus is complete (he has the option to return for one last year), what a ride it was. His energy and passion for Ohio State basketball was evident and will not soon be forgotten. Now the offseason begins and it should be an active one. Ohio State will welcome in a pair of freshmen and likely will look to the portal for reinforcements and time will tell if any of the current roster decides to go elsewhere, but the core of Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara and others are certainly a great foundation to begin what should be an exciting ride in 24-25. Until then, thank you Team 125, it was a fun last couple months. 

When Ohio State next hits the floor, it will be in early November as Team 126 will debut with some of the same and some new faces.  

-Jason Harris