BTN.com staff, March 17, 2012

Aaron Craft scored 17, grabbed three rebounds and handed out 10 assists to help Ohio State past Gonzaga 73-66 on Saturday in Pittsburgh in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State was trailing when Jared Sullinger converted a field goal with 3:35 to go to give it a lead it would not relinquish. The Buckeyes also got solid contributions from William Buford, who scored 13 and Deshaun Thomas and Sullinger, who each scored 18.

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EAST REGIONAL: #2 OHIO STATE 73, #7 GONZAGA 66: BOX | AP RECAPSCOREBOARD

FINAL RECAP: Aaron Craft scored 17, grabbed three rebounds and handed out 10 assists to help Ohio State past Gonzaga 73-66 on Saturday at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State (29-7) was trailing when Jared Sullinger converted a field goal with 3:35 to go to give it a lead it would not relinquish. The Buckeyes went into the locker room with the momentum and came out of the second half flying as well. Ohio State trailed 35-30 late in the first, but went on a 22-7 run over the next 7:47 to take a 10-point lead. There were nine lead changes, as neither team could take control of the game. The Buckeyes shot 47 percent from the field (25-of-53). Ohio State was on fire from beyond the arc during the game, shooting 38 percent (9-of-24). The Buckeyes also got solid contributions from William Buford, who scored 13 and Deshaun Thomas and Sullinger, who each scored 18. Gary Bell had 18 points, pulled down five rebounds, handed out five assists, went 5-of-9 from the field, and shot 3-of-5 from long range for Gonzaga (26-7) in the loss. The Bulldogs struggled from the floor, shooting 39 percent (22-of-57). Gonzaga also got double-digit performances from Kevin Pangos, who scored 10 and Elias Harris, who scored 16.

HALFTIME RECAP: Aaron Craft scored 10 points and dished out seven assists as No. 7 Ohio State leads Gonzaga 39-37 at the half. Craft and Deshaun Thomas are leading the way for the Buckeyes. Craft shot 4-of-5 from the field. Thomas scored 12 points and shot 5-of-8 from the field. Ohio State was trailing 35-30 before the Buckeyes went on a 9-2 run to take the lead late in the half. The Bulldogs applied the pressure in the first half, earning second-chance opportunities with eight offensive rebounds, to just two for Ohio State. Gonzaga's Sam Dower had a big first half, with nine points and six rebounds.

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