The Ohio State Buckeyes soundly defeated the UCSB Men's basketball team 68 - 51, ending the Gauchos' March Madness run. The Gauchos (20 - 10) attacked early and often the stout OSU (28 - 7) defense, but were routinely rejected in their attempts to finish at the rim.
Dallas Lauderdale led OSU with eight blocked shots, and altered a few more in the lane. Consensus All-American candidate Evan Turner was held to nine points on 2-of-13 shooting, but still managed ten rebounds and five assists. However, it was the hot perimeter shooting of Jon Diebler that sealed the Gauchos' fate, as he connected on 7-of-12 from behind the 3-point line en route to 23 points. William Buford finished with 16 points, including several acrobatic slashes to the rim. Lauderdale also pulled down 12 rebounds, while David Lighty dished off six assists.
Orlando Johnson led the Gauchos with 20 points, keeping the score respectable by scoring from the perimeter and in the post. Senior James Powell capped off his Gaucho career with 11 points, including a solid 3-of-7 from the 3-point line. Greg Somogyi contributed six points, six rebounds, and two blocked shots, while altering numerous other Buckeye shots.
Despite the loss, the Gauchos enjoyed a memorable season, winning the Big West regular season and tournament championships, qualifying for the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2002. They send off seniors Paul Roemer and James Powell on a winning note, while building towards a bright future with most of the team returning next season. Go Gauchos!
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