TCU Beats Ohio State 66-64 In a Thriller As the Magical Run Of Bruce Thornton Ends

TCU beat Ohio State 66-64 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs hit 7 three-pointers in the first half. They also had a very active defense and great offensive rebounding. The Buckeyes went 1,440 days without an NCAA Tournament appearance. That was a quick exit.

TCU played so well in the first half of this game that it made Ohio State look out of place. The active defense employed by the Horned Frogs flummoxed the Buckeyes. Plus, when they did miss a shot, which was not often, they got the offensive rebound. That said, Ohio State came all the way back in the second half. Do you think TCU has much of a chance in the next round?

TCU and Ohio State Scoring Summary

The first half of this game hurt the Buckeyes. They trailed TCU 39-24 as the Horned Frogs rained down three pointers and frustrated the Buckeyes when they were on offense. It seemed the Horned Frogs always had a hand in the passing lane and always double-teamed Ohio State.

There is not much to the scoring summary for the first half. TCU went on a separate 8-0 and 11-0 runs. Bruce Thornton made a three-pointer to start the scoring. After Ohio State jumped out to a 3-0 lead, it was all downhill from there. Thornton only had 10 points, and most Buckeyes scored relatively few points. The Horned Frogs were led in scoring by Micah Robinson, who had 18 points. Xavier Edmonds had 16 points.

The second half started with a 4-0 run, as TCU started 0-of-7 from the field. The Buckeyes played better, more active defense, but needed to make three-pointers. However, they did not fall. TCU had several marquee wins this season. Wins included victories over Florida, Wisconsin, and Iowa State. They were a real threat coming in for the Buckeyes. Ohio State needed to hit three-pointers, especially in the second half, but they were just not falling.

It got worse for TCU as their opening shooting drought stretched to 1-of-11. Ohio State finally hit a couple of big three-pointers, both from John Mobley Jr. The Buckeyes went on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to three. However, the Horned Frogs then hit a three-pointer to re-establish a 6-point lead.

Gabe Cupps scored the first points off the bench for Ohio State and hit a huge three-pointer for the Buckeyes to close the game to 49-47 with 8:40 left. Ohio State took a 51-50 lead with a little more than seven minutes left in the game. Ohio State came all the way back. They went on a 15-1 run to take a 55-50 lead.

TCU came back, and the game went back and forth. The Horned Frogs made a layup with just four seconds left, and Thornton missed a three-pointer from halfcourt.

Player Of the Game

The player of the game was Edmonds for the Horned Frogs. He finished with 13 points in the first half, where he basically could not miss. And he scored the winning basket. The best player on the team, David Punch, got in foul trouble in the first half with two fouls. He bounced back in the second half. The cream rises to the top.

For Ohio State, it is important to point out that Thornton did not have a good game. He scored only 10 points and scored his first points of the second half with 2:08 remaining in the contest.

Turning Point

The turning point of this game was at the end of the game. The game was tied at 64 with 30 seconds left after a three-pointer from Thornton. The turning point happened with four seconds left in the game as Edmonds made a layup.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Horned Frogs won this game 66-64. They built a 15-point first-half lead. Ohio State gets credit for coming all the way back to take the lead in the second half. Edmonds was the player of the game, and he hit the winning layup, which was the turning point of the game.

TCU moves on in the tournament to, in all likelihood, take on Duke for the right to move on to the Sweet 16. The season for Ohio State is over, and so is the career of Thornton. He is one of only 22 players in all of college basketball to stay at one school for all four years. He was a four-time captain of the Buckeyes.

Parting Shots

This is a sad game. TCU won a hard-fought game 66-64. They move on. The Buckeyes’ season has ended, and so has the career of Thornton. Ohio State gets credit for coming back to take the lead in the second half, but TCU was leading at the end of this game; that’s what matters.