Buckeyes Knocked Down By Hurricanes – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 19, 2000%^$
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%^$%^$Box Score%^$%^$
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By TOM SHARP%^$
AP Sports Writer%^$
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The Miami Hurricanes are earning respect and adding%^$to the school record books with every NCAA tournament victory.%^$
Johnny Hemsley scored 24 points as Miami upset third-seeded Ohio State 75-62%^$on Sunday in the South Regional to advance to the round of 16 for the first%^$time.%^$
Miami (23-10) had never won an NCAA tournament game before last season, let%^$alone two in the same year. The loss spoiled the Buckeyes hopes for a return%^$trip to the Final Four.%^$
“Once again we are swimming in uncharted waters,” Hurricanes coach Leonard%^$Hamilton said. “It feels kind of good. Each time we win a game, each time we%^$take another step forward, we’re making history for our program.”%^$
Sixth-seeded Miami will play seventh-seeded Tulsa in the South Regional%^$semifinals Friday in Austin, Texas. Tulsa beat second-seeded Cincinnati 69-61.%^$
Elton Tyler added 20 points for Miami, and John Salmons 13.%^$
“We’re trying to build that tradition and mystique the way the Kentuckys%^$and Connecticuts have,” Hemsley said. “This is just a great step.”%^$
Although Miami won a share of the Big East regular season title, it was%^$given a No. 6 seed in the tournament. The Hurricanes weren’t happy about it at%^$the time, but haven’t let it affect them.%^$
“I don’t want to put a number on it, but if we play defense and execute%^$like we did today we can play a few more games,” center Mario Bland said.%^$
Scoonie Penn led the Buckeyes (23-8) with 19 points, eight of them in a%^$90-second span late in the game after Miami had taken a 13-point lead. Michael%^$Redd added 13 before fouling out with 4:17 left to play, and George Reese had%^$11.%^$
“It’s tough,” Penn said. “We felt we were a team that could have moved%^$on, but we didn’t play well enough today to move on and that hurts.”%^$
The smaller Hurricanes scrapped their way to a 41-26 rebounding advantage%^$and outshot the Buckeyes, hitting 26-of-51 (51 percent) to Ohio State’s%^$20-of-56 (36 percent).%^$
Miami never let Ohio State get into the offensive flow it used to route%^$Appalachian State in the first round Friday.%^$
“I think they’re every bit as good a defensive team as we’ve played all%^$year,” Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien said.%^$
Hemsley’s back-to-back 3-pointers gave the Hurricanes a 56-51 lead with 6:16%^$to play.%^$
Hemsley fired another 3-point attempt on the next possession to beat the%^$shot clock, and Mario Bland snared the long rebound. He passed to Tyler, who%^$hit a 15-footer to make it 58-51.%^$
Redd, the Buckeyes’ leading scorer, picked up two fouls in a span of 18%^$seconds and left with 4:17 to play.%^$
A basket and two free throws by Salmons made it 62-51 with four minutes to%^$go, and Tyler added a field goal to make it 64-51.%^$
Miami closed the first half with a flurry.%^$
With just seconds left, Redd picked off a pass at midcourt and soared in for%^$a dunk, which he slammed off the back of the rim. Ohio State’s Brian Brown,%^$trailing the play, got the rebound and promptly ran over Hemsley for a charge.%^$
The Hurricanes quickly inbounded and Salmons launched a long 3-pointer that%^$beat the buzzer for a 36-31 lead.%^$
“That was a big play,” O’Brien said. “What can you say? He didn’t miss it%^$on purpose.”%^$
