Ohio State's NCAA Tournament life may well have been on the line in Los Angeles on Wednesday and the Buckeyes held on by a heartbeat.
The Buckeyes surged out to a 14-point lead at halftime off an 8-for-8 start from 3, but USC charged back to tie the contest with 67 seconds left.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 52 | 35 | 87 |
| USC | 38 | 44 | 82 |
An incredible effort from Ohio State's guards and clutch free-throw shooting was enough to cling on, however, as the Buckeyes (16-13, 8-10 Big Ten) defeated the Trojans (14-14, 6-11) 87-82 on the road for a Quad 1 victory.