Homepage / Sports

Oden Leads Ohio St. To First-Round Rout

POSTED: 9:20 pm EDT March 15, 2007

(Sports Network) - Freshman sensation center Greg Oden scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, as Ohio State rolled into the second-round of the NCAA Tournament with a 78-57 victory over Central Connecticut State.

Jamar Butler added 17 points, going 5-of-6 from beyond the arc for the top- seeded Buckeyes (31-3), who moved on to face either eighth-seeded BYU or ninth-seeded Xavier in the South Region on Saturday.

Ron Lewis tallied 13 points for the Big Ten champions, who showed their dominance early by scoring the opening eight points, on the way to an 18th consecutive victory. Ohio State ended 11-of-20 from three-point range.

Javier Mojica scored 19 points for the Blue Devils (22-12), who were Northeast Conference regular season and tournament champions. Joe Seymore and Tristan Blackwood each had 12 points, while Jemino Sobers finished with 10 for CCSU.

Butler drained a pair of threes and Oden's tip-in made it 8-0 just over three minutes into the game before Seymore hit a three-pointer for CCSU. However, the Buckeyes continued the sharp shooting, with Lewis hitting consecutive three-pointers before Butler nailed another for a 17-3 margin.

Ohio State was never threatened in the opening half, which ended with a three- pointer from Daequan Cook, bringing the Buckeyes to a 38-17 cushion going into the locker room.

The Buckeyes didn't give the Blue Devils much hope of an upset in the final 20 minutes, sustaining a double-digit advantage until the final buzzer. Butler drained a pair of threes in just over a minute span to widen the margin to 46-22.

A Seymore three had CCSU within 57-41 midway through the half, but an Oden free throw and another long distance shot from Lewis stemmed the tide. A three by Ivan Harris moved the advantage to 76-51 with just over two minutes remaining.

Game Notes

The Blue Devils had won 16 of their last 17 games. They are 0-3 in the NCAA Tournament...Ohio State's last loss was January 9 on the road versus Wisconsin.

Links We Like

Sponsored Content
Try these meals that are low in fat and salt and high in fiber can reduce the risk for high cholesterol, hypertension, and heart disease. More

If you find yourself longing for greener work pastures, don't immediately go looking for the first exit ramp off of your chosen career path. More

Before you splurge on that pricey remodeling project, beware. It may not pay you back when it's time to sell. More

If you're looking to save on your next new vehicle, a low sticker price is just one aspect. Consider all the costs and make the right decision. More

Sponsored Links

Consumer Info


Sponsored Content Provided by ARA

Sports Sunday Question

With the UConn men being left out of the big dance, are you less interested this year in the NCAA Tournament? E-Mail Us!

Your Name:
Your Hometown:
Your Email Address:
Your answer to Sports Sunday's Question of the Week: