ncaa, tennesse, kansas, ohio
ST. LOUIS — Tennessee did it to No. 1 Kansas and to No. 2 Kentucky, and here Friday night, they did it to perhaps the best player in college basketball, Ohio State’s Evan Turner.
The Volunteers, a mystery all season because of suspensions and uneven performance, rose up in a big game and managed to make just enough plays to win.
The sixth-seeded Volunteers stopped Turner twice in the final seconds when he tried to get his team even with a 3-point basket. As a result, Tennessee defeated the second-seeded Buckeyes, 76-73, in the Edward Jones Dome to advance to the Midwest Region final.
Turner tried to hit the tying 3-pointer from the corner, but he was short with about three seconds to play. He got the ball back near the top of the key, but his 3-point attempt was blocked by Tennessee’s J. P. Prince.
Turner lay on the floor, unhappy he did not get a foul called. He stalked off the floor without congratulating the Volunteers, whose jubilant fans roared with approval.
In what was most likely his last college game, Turner scored 31 points. Wayne Chism, the Tennessee forward, scored 22, and Prince added 14.
Turner did not hunt for his points for most of the first half. He did not have to because the rest of the Buckeyes were not giving the nets a break.
He dunked early for 2 points, but Ohio State had 30 points before Turner scored his second field goal, a jumper from the free-throw line with 3 minutes 29 seconds left in the half. Thad Matta, the Ohio State coach, called a play for his star, almost ordering him to get going offensively.
The Buckeyes were 15 of 27 from the field in the first half, but Turner was just 3 of 8.
He screamed “Come on” at an official under the basket after he was bumped off his drive. He got up muttering after the 278-pound Tennessee center Brian Williams tripped him and then walked over him.
But his teammates picked up the slack. Forward William Buford made 5 of 8 shots and the Buckeyes were 6 of 11 from the 3-point line.
Ohio State was not as successful on defense. It jumped on Tennessee early with a 1-3-1 zone, but the Vols kept getting good looks at the basket and second-chance opportunities. Tennessee had 11 offensive rebounds in the first half.
The Vols was 15 of 33 from the field in the first half. When the Buckeyes were forced out of their porous zone, Tennessee drove to the basket and scored easily.
Still, Ohio State led by 42-39 at halftime after getting 10 points from Tuner, 12 from Buford and 9 from the reserve guard Jeremie Simmons who made 3 of 4 of his 3-point attempts. The Buckeyes were supposed to have the weaker bench, but Simmons proved a catalyst for Ohio State.
Matta made sure Turner did not wait to get untracked in the second half. Right after intermission, Ohio State posted Turner down low against the 6-foot-3 Bobby Maze, and the Buckeyes star scored. On the next Ohio State possession, Turner got into the lane and shot over Maze for 2 points.
Turner carried the Buckeyes the first 11 minutes of the second half, scoring 14 points as Ohio State led by 56-51.
Tennessee kept itself in the game with its superior quickness. The Vols attacked the basket time after time. When Prince took a pass from Williams, dunked with two hands and was fouled, the completed 3-point play gave Tennessee a 62-61 lead with 6:45 left.
