Buckeyes Hang Tough, Fall to Huskies – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/27/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 27, 1999
Box Score
%^$ ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Jim Calhoun and Connecticut like being in the%^$Final Four so much, they decided to stay awhile.%^$
In their first trip to the national semifinals, the Huskies and Richard%^$Hamilton stopped Ohio State’s amazing run of upsets and held off a late surge%^$by the Buckeyes for a 64-58 victory Saturday.%^$
No, it wasn’t easy, but UConn’s journeys in the NCAA tournament never, ever%^$are. Leading by 10 points with less than 12 minutes left, the Huskies managed%^$to hold on.%^$
Think Calhoun cares? Crushed by heartbreaking losses so many times, he’s%^$delighted to finally get a shot at his first national title.%^$
“That sounds awfully good,” Calhoun said, soaking in the words%^$”championship game.” “Can you say it again please?”%^$
Seeking redemption for all those great Connecticut teams this decade whose%^$March hunger went unrequited, the Huskies (33-2) play the winner of the%^$Duke-Michigan State game Monday night.%^$
Hamilton had 24 points in one of the best games of his career, including a%^$hanging, double-clutch jumper that stopped the Buckeyes’ comeback attempt in%^$the final two minutes.%^$
“One thing my father always told me was, stay relaxed,” Hamilton said.%^$Assistant coach Karl Hobbs “always tells me, This could be your last 40%^$minutes of the year.’ They’ve been telling us that every game since we started%^$in the NCAA tournament.”%^$
OSU point guard Scoonie Penn, hounded by defensive specialist Ricky Moore,%^$was 3-for-13 with 11 points. Michael Redd had 15 points for the Buckeyes%^$(27-9), who couldn’t duplicate the upset heroics that got them past St. John’s%^$and Auburn.%^$
“This was a long, tough season and I am very encouraged and very proud,”%^$Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien said. “We had a terrific season and hopefully we%^$will build from here.”%^$
Penn and O’Brien, who resurrected the program from an 8-22 season after%^$coming from Boston College, fell just short in their bid to play leading roles%^$in one of the biggest comeback stories in college basketball history.%^$
Incredibly, it was O’Brien’s 19th consecutive loss to Calhoun and the%^$Huskies, going back to his years at Boston College.%^$
UConn point guard Khalid El-Amin recovered from his 0-for-12 game against%^$Gonzaga with 18 points and six assists. But it was Hamilton, the quick, crafty%^$slasher, who gave Calhoun the kind of performance he’s probably always dreamed%^$of in the Final Four.%^$
“They seized that moment,” Calhoun said, referring to his talented guards.%^$”I told them before the game that this was our moment, and they made the plays%^$of the moment.”%^$
Hamilton’s biggest basket came just as the Buckeyes were trying to cut%^$UConn’s lead to less than six points. Alone on the perimeter with Redd,%^$Hamilton drove to the foul line and sank a sensational, double-clutch jumper%^$that went it as the shot clock sounded.%^$
The Buckeyes, who came back from a 10-point deficit in the first half,%^$scrambled to do it again. But after Penn hit 2-of-3 free throws, Hamilton%^$blocked Penn’s 3-point shot. Redd missed a 3-pointer, and Penn threw up a%^$desperation airball as the Huskies maintained a 63-58 lead with 25 seconds%^$left.%^$
Moore, who shut down Michigan State’s Mateen Cleaves and Stanford’s Arthur%^$Lee this season, rarely was more than an arm’s length away from Penn.%^$
“I was hoping he would get up off me or turn his head the wrong way,” said%^$Penn, wearing No. 35 because his usual No. 12 got lost somehow. “He did a%^$great job on me the whole game.”%^$
The Huskies lost in a regional final in 1990, 1995 and 1998 and have never%^$gotten this far in the NCAA tournament. Now, a tough team rollicking with%^$confidence seems determined to forget the ghosts of Christian Laettner, North%^$Carolina, UCLA and Mississippi State, all recent postseason enemies.%^$
With El-Amin as their emotional leader – a quick, pudgy player-coach who%^$runs all over the floor – the Huskies fear no one.%^$
“I don’t think anyone fears Duke,” said El-Amin, asked to look ahead to%^$the potential opponent. “No one will be scared of Duke if they win.”%^$
UConn led 51-41 with 11:48 left on a layup by Rashamel Jones off an%^$alley-oop pass from El-Amin. It followed a wild miss by Penn, who forced a%^$driving layup on one of the rare occasions when Moore gave him just the%^$slightest bit of room.%^$
Ohio State cut it to 59-55 on a free throw by Penn with 2:53 left. But the%^$Buckeyes, whose 27-9 record is one of the biggest turnarounds in the sport’s%^$history, were crushed by Hamilton’s jumper.%^$
El-Amin, the heart and soul of the Huskies whose first name means “Sword of%^$God,” ran to halfcourt and leaped into the arms of Jones as Calhoun motioned%^$for them to calm down.%^$
Ohio State put an emphatic stamp on the first half with two blocks and some%^$trash talk in the final seconds. Ken Johnson swatted Edmund Saunders with 1.1%^$seconds left, and Hamilton forced up a shot on the inbounds play and was%^$blocked by Jason Singleton as the Huskies led 36-35 at halftime.%^$
Penn ran over and bumped chests with Singleton, but Hamilton took exception.%^$A referee separated the players, and Penn ran off the court – but not before%^$pointing and shouting in the direction of Hamilton.%^$
Using their frantic defense to run out on fast breaks, the Huskies stunned%^$Ohio State with a dizzying 14-3 run to take a 32-22 lead with 7:19 left in the%^$half. Hamilton had nine points during the sprint, but the most sensational play%^$came from El-Amin.%^$
After stealing the ball, El-Amin pushed it ahead and split two defenders%^$near halfcourt. As he approached the foul line, he whipped a laser-like pass%^$behind his back to Kevin Freeman for a layup and three-point play.%^$
The Buckeyes went on an 11-0 run, including a dunk by Redd and layups by%^$Brian Brown – on a sensational pass from Redd – and by Singleton off a steal.%^$
%^$ By KEN BERGER
%^$AP Sports Writer
