Providence, RI (My Sportsbook) - The 14th-seeded Ohio University Bobcats will try to continue their Cinderella run today, as they lock up with the sixth- seeded Tennessee Volunteers in the second round NCAA Tournament at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The victor of this Midwest Regional matchup will advance to the Sweet 16 next week and meet either Georgia Tech or Ohio State.
After just one round it is hard to call any team a Cinderella, but considering Ohio's situation, the label is certainly fitting. As just the No.9 seed, the Bobcats won four straight games to claim the Mid-American Conference Tournament and their spot in the Big Dance. That alone was a remarkable feat considering the team went just 7-9 in conference play during the regular season. Ohio continued its magical run on Thursday, as it knocked off third- seeded Georgetown, 97-83, in convincing fashion. It was quite a performance from the Bobcats, who won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1983.
The Vols meanwhile, were snubbed on the seeding considering their record and quality wins, but were able to put that behind them and defeat 11th-seeded San Diego State, 62-59, in first-round play on Thursday. It was a hard fought win for Tennessee, which is one victory away from its third Sweet 16 appearance in the last four years.
The all-time series between the two schools is knotted at 2-2, with the Bobcats taking a 72-70 decision in the most recent meeting in 1987.
Ohio shot a blistering 58.2 percent from the field, including an impressive 13-of-23 performance from long range, as they knocked off Georgetown on Thursday. The Bobcats also did a nice job of icing the game at the foul line, converting on 20-of-26 attempts. Armon Bassett continued his terrific run with 32 points after averaging 29.0 ppg in the MAC Tournament. D.J. Cooper added 23 points and eight assists, while DeVaughn Washington registered a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards. Bassett, who played in the NCAA Tournament with Indiana, leads the team with 17.4 ppg for the season. Cooper, the MAC Freshman of the Year, is another weapon for the Bobcats and he has recorded 13.4 ppg, to go with team highs of 5.9 apg and 91 steals. Washington tacks on 11.2 ppg and 5.3 rpg, while Tommy Freeman pitches in with 10.1 ppg.
Three-point shooting made the difference on Thursday, as Tennessee went 8- of-17 from downtown compared to just a 3-of-18 effort by SDSU in a 62-59 decision. Both teams shot an identical 38.5 percent from the floor, but the Vols were far more successful from beyond the arc. Melvin Goins and J.P. Prince each scored 15 points to lead the way for Tennessee, while Wayne Chism and Bobby Maze had 11 points apiece. For the season, Chism and Scotty Hopson are tied for the team-lead in scoring at 12.4 ppg, with Chism grabbing a team- best 7.0 rpg as well. The Vols are a fairly deep squad and look for them to use that to their advantage today.
