After an implausible postseason climb, Ohio fell off a Rocky Top.
Tennessee dominated on both sides of the ball and was too much for the Bobcats to handle. The Volunteers beat Ohio 83-68 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last Saturday at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.
Junior Tommy Freeman's game-high 23 points were not nearly enough as Tennessee shot 57 percent from the field and outscored Ohio 58-12 in the paint.
They were able to impose their will in that area and did a terrific job of that
Ohio coach John Groce said. I thought that was the biggest difference in the game.
Tennessee's tall and athletic backcourt bothered D.J. Cooper and Armon Bassett all day. J.P. Prince and Scotty Hopson attacked Ohio's guards on ball screens and made it tough to get around.
Whenever a Bobcat found a way to the paint, two or three Tennessee defenders collapsed - which forced other guys to try to make plays.
We put the ball in the hands of their forwards Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. We didn't want those guards making plays. I didn't think they could beat us by trying not to let those guys get to the ball screen.
The Volunteers held a double-digit lead for most of the second half, but the Bobcats did not go quietly. Ohio closed to within 50-45 after a Freeman 3-pointer with 12:59 to play.
But the Volunteers answered every Bobcat run. A 3-point play and a layup from Prince extended Tennessee's lead back to 64-49.
Bassett never found a rhythm. After carrying Ohio's scoring load for much of its postseason run, the junior tallied just seven points on 2-for-10 shooting from the field.
They knew that Armon liked to get to the paint distribute the ball
Cooper said. So the coach and the staff over there did a real good job of keeping us out of the paint.
Despite the loss, Ohio had an extended run through the postseason after a turbulent year.
The team began the season by suspending Bassett, junior forward DeVaughn Washington, sophomore guard Steven Coleman and freshman guard Jay Kinney in the preseason for violating team rules.
Ohio suspended Washington for five games later in the season for the same offense and dismissed Kinney in February.
After losing their first four Mid-American Conference games, the Bobcats finished with a 7-9 MAC record and were the No. 9 seed in the conference tournament.
The Bobcats won the tournament and clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. As a 14-seed, they beat No. 3 Georgetown in for their first tournament win since 1983.
Throughout the postseason, Groce and his players said they used doubt from outsiders as motivation.
Groce said the NCAA Tournament was a learning experience, and he has work to do to get better for next year.
We're excited about the run that we had and very grateful for the opportunity
Groce said.
But realize that we also have a long way to go.
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Sports
Vince Nairn
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Ohio forward DeVaughn Washington dunks March 20 in Providence, R.I. Ohio lost 83-68. (Alex Goodlett | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
