Buckeyes Bounced By Hoosiers, 83-69 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 11, 2004
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Bracey Wright scored 20 points and A.J. Moye added 19 Thursday as Indiana kept its postseason hopes alive with an 83-69 victory over Ohio State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
The Hoosiers (14-14), winning for just the third time in their past 11 games, also got a big lift from a pair of former walk-ons. Ryan Tapak scored six points and had a career-high 11 assists, while Mark Johnson added a career-high 13 points.
Indiana will play No. 12 Illinois in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Ohio State (14-16) was led by Terrence Dials with 22 points and J.J. Sullinger with 18 as the Buckeyes finished the season with their second straight loss. It’s the first time in six years Ohio State will not play in the postseason.
The Buckeyes had reached the Big Ten title game each of the past two years, beating Iowa to win the title in 2002 and losing to Illinois last year.
The game turned to Indiana’s favor after coach Mike Davis pulled Wright, the Hoosiers’ top scorer, with 6:29 left in the first half and Ohio State leading 31-20.
Tapak, Johnson and reserve Mike Roberts then sparked a 21-4 run to give Indiana a 41-35 lead at halftime.
Ohio State rallied to tie the score at 58, but Johnson’s 3-pointer with 8:15 left started a 10-0 run that gave Indiana control. The Buckeyes never got closer than eight the rest of the way.
