Breaking; Georgia Bulldogs beat Ohio State, advance to NIT Final Four

The Georgia Bulldogs maintain a winning mindset, demonstrated by their recent triumph over Ohio State with an impressive score of 79-77 on the road. With this victory, they have secured themselves a spot in the NIT Final Four and will await to face either Seton Hall or UNLV – depending on Wednesday’s game result – at Butler University’s Hinkle Field House in Indianapolis come April 2nd. The team presently boasts a record of 20-16.

Despite doubts about their qualification for college basketball’s second-tier tournament, the Bulldogs have progressed through what is possibly the most difficult bracket in the competition by defeating Xavier, Wake Forest and Ohio State en route to reaching the semifinals. Tuesday night’s victory over Ohio State at Value City Arena – a venue capable of holding nearly 19,000 fans where they faced an enthusiastic crowd – was undoubtedly their biggest challenge yet.

Discover

Despite a ferocious 17-0 surge that put Ohio State ahead by six points with less than five minutes left in the game, Georgia’s Bulldogs persevered. Blue Cain and Noah Thomasson nailed consecutive three-pointers to erase the deficit before securing two crucial plays within the last 36 seconds of play to seal their triumph on this four-night away stretch.

During a video conference call from the Bulldogs’ victorious locker room, Georgia second-year coach Mike White expressed his admiration for his team: “We’re definitely one-of-a-kind. We possess both resiliency and consistency which is something to be proud of. Despite facing an arduous situation in our previous game, tonight’s environment was even more challenging.”

After relocating hotels due to a power outage on Sunday, the Bulldogs traveled straight from Winston-Salem, N.C. to Columbus. Despite missing two starters and with their esteemed center Russ Tchewa only managing five minutes in the first half while feeling ill, they pressed forward into Tuesday night’s game – ultimately finishing with just one rebound for him personally.

It was not a concern as Frank Anselem-Ibe, the backup center stepped up by playing for 28 minutes and scoring 10 points with 10 rebounds. The bench of Georgia continued their trend of outscoring opponents by recording a score of 22-17 in this match too.

However, it was Thomasson and Cain who effectively caused the Buckeyes’ frustration towards the end of the game despite their initial dominance. In a pivotal moment with only 36 seconds left on the clock, Thomasson expertly maneuvered within range while being closely guarded by towering freshman defender Devin Royal who stands at an imposing height of 6-foot-6. Employing his trademark shimmy moves as a southpaw player, he convincingly feinted to his right before nimbly sidestepping back to his left before attaining perfect balance for launch; executing a superb high-arcing jump shot from 17-feet that elegantly slotted into net without touching any rim or tip-off fingers en route like poetry in motion!

After securing a slim lead of 77-76, Georgia pressured Jamison Battle from Ohio State into taking an obstructed three-point shot. Despite being the Buckeyes’ top scorer with 22 points and a dozen made shots behind the arc, he missed this crucial attempt. Cain capitalized on his prime position as he claimed one of his eight rebounds in-game and drew contact for a foul call within mere moments.

Despite only attempting 24 free throws throughout the entire season with a success rate of 62.5%, Cain surprised everyone by sinking both shots, propelling his team to a lead of 79-76. Furthermore, he achieved a career-best score of 17 points which was second best on the team after Thomasson’s impressive achievement of scoring21 points.

Georgia was able to hold onto their lead with the missed second free throw attempt and subsequent 3-point miss from Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton, leaving them unable to score again before time ran out. Their final attempted shot at the buzzer bounced off of the rim.

Thomasson, a graduate transfer from Houston who previously played at Niagara Falls, shared “I’ve encountered similar scenarios in the past. That’s precisely why Coach White recruited me here. During my time at Niagara Falls, I successfully scored several buckets during critical moments. The key is to persist with shooting.”

Georgia has played 18 games that were decided by a single possession in the last five minutes, with 13 of them being in the final half-minute. Their record improved as they won ten out of their previous eighteen and eight out of thirteen such matches respectively, securing both records at present.

Thomasson and Cain weren’t the sole heroes of the game as Anselem-Ibe contributed greatly with a double-double after relieving Tchewa. This was not his first time helping lead Bulldogs to victory, having done so in a previous away win against South Carolina’s top-25 team this season. Additionally, freshmen Dylan James helped keep their hopes alive with a crucial 3-pointer while DeLoach had an impressive record off the bench going 3-for-3. Demary grabbed six rebounds and RJ Melendez scored seven points alongside deflecting two Ohio State passes before adding on one steal and dunk – all accomplished within just twelve minutes of playtime!

Due to injuries sustained by former starters Jabri Abdur-Rahim (ankle) and RJ Sunahara (knee), all the contributions made were crucial.

Anselem-Ibe stated that their team puts in a lot of effort and supports one another. Despite his career high being only 12 points, the entire team steps up to face challenges together. The coaches provided helpful instructions on how to defend against opponents, which they successfully executed.

As a result, they made it to the Final Four. And don’t downplay their success by dismissing them as simply playing in the NIT tournament if you’re talking about Bulldogs.

White expressed the magnitude of their situation by stating, “It’s a significant challenge that we are taking very seriously. Despite being ranked low in the SEC, our program holds itself to higher expectations and standards. With some improvement on finishing close games, there is potential for us to compete at a higher level and qualify for additional tournaments.” White admires his team’s character as they play with gratefulness and appreciation while capitalizing on each opportunity presented before them- an enormous accomplishment in itself.