Cancer Takes Life of Former Buckeye Dave Sorenson – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 10, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio–Dave Sorenson, who lettered in basketball at Ohio State from 1968-70, died of cancer Tuesday in his hometown of Findlay, Ohio. He was 54.
Sorenson was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes. He led Ohio State in scoring and rebounding as a junior (23.6 ppg and 10.6 rpg) and again as a senior (24.2 ppg and 9.0 rpg).
He was the team captain as a senior and a three-year Varsity O letterwinner. Sorenson’s distinguished career includes being named honorable mention All-American as a junior in 1969, twice being named All-Big Ten Conference, helping the Buckeyes win the 1968 Big Ten Championship and hitting the game-winning basket against Kentucky that sent the Buckeyes into the 1968 NCAA Final Four.
He scored 1,622 points, a total that ranked second to Jerry Lucas’ total (1,990) when Sorenson graduated and still is eighth all-time at OSU. He also grabbed 761 career rebounds, again second to Lucas (1,411) at the time and still ranks seventh in OSU history. His career scoring average of 21.1 points per game ranks fifth at OSU and his career 9.9 rebounds per game ranks sixth.
Services will be held from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Friday at the Coldren Crates Funeral Home on Sandusky Street in Findlay. Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Evangelical Freedom Church, located on the corner of 568 and 236 three miles outside Findlay.
Dave Sorenson’s Ohio State career highlights
Three-year Varsity O letterwinner, 1968-70
Team captain, 1970
Two-time team Most Valuable Performer, 1969-70
NCAA Southeast Regional Most Outstanding Performer, 1968
Ranks eighth at OSU with 1622 points and seventh with 761rebounds
Twice named All-Big Ten Conference, 1969-70
Career averages of 21.1 ppg and 9.9 rpg rank fifth and sixth,respectively, at OSU
Starting center on Big Ten championship and Final Four team,1968
Dave Sorenson Career Statistics YEARS GP FG FGA PCT. FT FTA PCT. REB. AVG. PF PTS AVG. 67-68 29 196 329 .596 82 115 .713 289 10.0 85 474 16.3 68-69 24 217 398 .538 133 171 .778 255 10.6 72 567 23.6 69-70 24 223 403 .553 135 162 .833 217 9.0 76 581 24.2 TOTALS 77 636 1,130 .563 350 448 .781 761 9.9 233 1,622 21.1
