Ohio State has surprised once again this season of College Basketball. Despite being only 14th on the AP Poll, they managed a great victory over the Duke Blue Devils, first in the same poll.
That victory further rocked the Ohio team, which has had 4 in a row wins since its match against Duke at the end of November.
Let's see more about this match and also about the season for each of them so far. Kate understands all the intricacies best betting sites canada. She knows for a fact that the coronavirus is no hindrance to sports betting fans.If you are interested in betting in Canada, feel free to contact Kate as an expert or read about betting on the Mightytips website.
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Ohio State x Duke
Although everyone believed that Duke would walk away with an easy victory in the match, mainly because they were the first in the AP Poll, however, that's not what happened.
The Ohio State 2021 roster showed a lot of resilience during the match and was too much for the North Carolina team to handle. Despite having started in front of the scoreboard, it wasn't long before the Buckeyes had to run after their opponent. Things only got better at the end of the game.
The Ohio team's recovery began when E.J. Liddell hit his two free throws, leaving the game 67-66. This happened with just over 1 minute on the timer.
After that, Liddell appeared again to score two more points, and to finish the game and seal the victory 71-66, Cedric Russell scored after catching a rebound.
Once the timer hit zero, Buckeyes fans stormed the court and cheered with the players on the Ohio state score. Among the main names of the team in the game, we especially mention:
Zed Key
E.J. Liddell
Cedric Russell
Duke Blue Devil’s Season
Despite the loss to the Ohio State team, the Duke team has been having an incredible season in College Basketball. In fact, this was the team's first loss in the 2021-22 season. Because of that, we can say that Ohio State's achievement was even more impressive.
So far in the season, Duke has a record of 11-1, having gone down a staggering 7-0 before the Ohio clash. Unfortunately for the fans of the team, they ended up suffering a totally unexpected defeat upon visiting the Value City Arena.
Looking to get closer to the duke all time leading scorers, Paolo Banchero is the team's top scorer this season, having scored a total of 205 points in the team's 12 games. Although their games in the ACC regular season have just started, it is believed that Duke will continue to show good basketball and obtain good results.
Ohio State Buckeyes’ Season
While everyone was surprised by Ohio State's tough victory over Duke, the team hasn't been that bad this season. Before the match, they had a 4-2 record.
Now, with the boost given by winning against a strong opponent, the team already has an 8-2 record, having not lost a game since. Right after the victory against Duke, there was the Ohio state vs Penn state basketball match, in which the Buckeyes played very well and got a good 76-64 victory, even playing away.
Unfortunately, the last two games Ohio State should have played were postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the team itself. Several players tested positive and, because of safety protocol like duke health vaccine, games were canceled. They will likely not happen at a later date.
The fans expect that the match against the New Orleans Privateers, on December 28th, will happen and that Ohio State can finally get back on the court and continue showing their good basketball.
Conclusion
The Ohio State Buckeyes showed that a well-organized team, even without having a season as good as its opponent, can surprise and get a victory even after having to overcome a deficit of 15 points.
Although Duke was the first in the AP Poll and didn't lose a game at the time, Ohio State players were brave and continued to believe until the end.
The defense worked incredibly well, managing to keep Duke for about two minutes of the fourth quarter without scoring even a basket. And that's exactly what led them to victory.
Plus, of course, they're lucky to see Banchero miss a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the game and allow Ohio State to score their final two points to seal a 71-66 victory.
And despite game cancellations due to problems with the Covid-19 on the Ohio State team, fans and sports experts alike believe that once they get back into play, they will continue to deliver quality basketball and a lot of perseverance, as we've seen in the match against Duke.
