Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Poor machine maintenance blamed for fire at Akron business
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Indians add 7 players to 40-man roster
Body with gunshot wounds found in Canton Township creek
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
The proposed new LeBron mural doesn't do it for me
Akron Zips:
Two blowouts, one night
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Hey, somebody's gotta stick up for the Browns
Kent State Sports:
Singletary update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Muslim McCarthyism & Death Prayers
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Norma asks if Barkitecture is still at Stan Hywet.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Second chance escapes Wolverines once OSU gets coach's message
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008
COLUMBUS: Ohio State coach Thad Matta called a timeout with 16:34 left in the second half after Michigan connected on its second consecutive 3-point shot to go ahead by five points Tuesday night at the Value City Arena.
Forward Othello Hunter could see the fire in his coach's eyes during that timeout. ''He just sat us down and yelled at us,'' Hunter said. ''And you could see it in his eyes he meant business.''
The Wolverines (5-17, 1-9) weren't supposed to be in the game against the Buckeyes (16-7, 7-3), but someone forgot to tell them that.
After an unexpected and disappointing loss to Iowa, another Big Ten Conference also-ran, the Buckeyes were lucky to escape Tuesday with a 65-55 win in a game that proved a lot closer than the score would indicate.
The pesky Wolverines led for almost 27 minutes of the game courtesy of the Buckeyes' sloppy play for much of the first half. By the time intermission rolled around, Michigan not only held a one-point lead, but was hanging with OSU on the boards as well.
''It was calm. We weren't playing our best, but we also knew that we had another 20 minutes to play,'' said OSU guard David Lighty (12 points, four rebounds and two steals). ''We came out, showed up and really trusted the system that we
have.''
Well, it wasn't quite that easy, as the Buckeyes continued to struggle into the second half before turning things around.
Matta said part of the problem was Michigan and what his team needs to expect after its success the past two years.
''Our guys have to understand that we're going to everybody's best shot,'' he said. ''That's what happens when you win the Big Ten two years in a row.''
What he said at halftime and during subsequent second-half timeouts apparently hit home, because the Buckeyes' energy and performance improved — significantly.
As a team, they shot 50 percent from the floor in the second half with five players finishing in double figures. More tellingly, they dominated the boards in that time. They went into the break leading that category 15-14 but ended 34-24 and limited the Wolverines' second-chance opportunities.
''We really came together towards the end,'' Lighty said. ''We had a new defense and whenever coach put his fist in the air, that meant get a stop. We needed to get a lot of stops and that's what we did.''
It wasn't exactly like that, Matta said. ''My damned fist would be up all the time if it were that easy.''
The pivotal player in the effort had to be Hunter, who finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, including a couple of thunderous dunks that awakened a home crowd that had been lulled to a state of near sleep.
''I think that Othello has a great focus and great energy in what he was about tonight and what he needed to do,'' Matta said. ''We weren't rebounding the ball well in the first half and he had some huge rebounds for us down the stretch.''
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz.
COLUMBUS: Ohio State coach Thad Matta called a timeout with 16:34 left in the second half after Michigan connected on its second consecutive 3-point shot to go ahead by five points Tuesday night at the Value City Arena.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
