Saturday, December 19, 2015, the Ohio State Buckeyes upset the No. 4 Wildcats of the University of Kentucky.
Ohio State’s coach, Thad Matta, was recently named the winningest coach in the school’s history. This season, however, he and the team have faced a few setbacks, having suffered five losses, four of which were consecutive. Going into the game versus the Wildcats, the Bucks were 5-5 and were unranked. The Wildcats were ranked fourth in the nation, and had a 9-1 record.
The first half of the game was dominated by the Buckeyes. With 7:41 left in the half, Ohio State led UK 31-17. The half was brought to a close with a three-point buzzer beater by the Buckeyes’ own JaQuan Lyle, which brought the score to 37-25, in favor of the Buckeyes. The double-digit lead was just what the Bucks needed to force the win later in the game.
At the start of the second half, Ohio State maintained their lead, but UK managed to bring it down to only 10 points, rather than the 12 point lead they held at the half. At this point, Ohio State had 41 points, and the Wildcats had 31. With 11:35 left in the game, the score was 51-39, still in favor of the Buckeyes. Their lead was back at 12 points, and the Wildcats were running out of time to pull off a win.
After a few minutes passed, the Wildcats found themselves fighting back, and they managed to bring their score to 49 points, just 10 below that of the Bucks, with only 7:59 left in the game. Both teams surged ahead, and the score was brought to 63-60, with the Wildcats catching up to the Buckeyes.
The end of the game was a nail-biter. Ohio State managed to score 74 points, while the University of Kentucky fell short, with only 67 points at the final buzzer. The loss brought the Wildcats’ record to 9-2, and the Buckeyes’ record up to 6-5. The Buckeyes needed the success to inspire them to keep fighting for wins, in what has been a rather challenging season.
We wish both teams the best of luck as their seasons continue. Go Bucks!