Mar 22, 2007, 15:35 GMT
San Antonio, TX - In a rematch of an earlier meeting this season, the fifth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers hook up with the top-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament from the Alamodome this evening. The survivor of this South Regional tilt will advance to face either Memphis or Texas A&M in the Elite Eight on Saturday.
The Vols kicked off their tournament with a convincing 121-86 triumph over 12th-seeded Long Beach State before upsetting fourth-seeded Virginia, 77-74, in the second round on Sunday. With the wins, Tennessee has earned a spot in the round of 16 for just the third time in school history and for the first time since 2000. The Vols, who have never advanced past the regional semifinals, are 11-15 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.
As for OSU, it opened tourney play with a 78-57 triumph over 16th-seeded Central Connecticut State before surviving a scare from Xavier, 78-71, in overtime in the second round on Saturday. The Buckeyes have now won 19 straight games en route to a school record 32 wins on the season. OSU, the outright Big Ten regular season and tournament champion, is 34-18 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and it is making its first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 1999.
As for the all-time series, the Buckeyes have won all three previous meetings with Tennessee, including a 68-66 triumph in Columbus earlier this season. That victory was the first of OSU's current 19-game winning.
The Vols knocked down 11-of-26 shots from long range and 22-of-32 at the foul line, as they edged Virginia in the second round this past weekend. The team also won the battle on the boards, 39-29, in addition to holding Virginia to a lackluster 37.5 percent shooting effort from the field. Chris Lofton, who led the team with 25 points in the first round, once again led the way, as he tallied 20 points. JaJuan Smith followed up his 24-point first round effort by posting 16 points and three steals in the win over Virginia. On the season, Lofton and JaJuan Smith have formed a solid one-two punch and they are the biggest reason why the team has been able to average a healthy 80.8 ppg. Lofton is one of the premier scorers around and he leads the Vols with 20.7 ppg on the strength of 41.7 percent shooting from three-point range. Smith follows with 15.3 ppg and he is the team's top defender with 72 steals to his credit. Ramar Smith chips in with 10.6 ppg for Tennessee, which is forcing its opponents into 18.6 turnovers per game on the season.
Ron Lewis forced overtime on a long three-pointer with two seconds left and Mike Conley Jr. scored 11 points in the extra session, as OSU staved off elimination with a seven-point win over Xavier last weekend. Lewis finished the game with 27 points and eight rebounds, while Conley Jr. had 21 points and four assists. Greg Oden notched his 13th double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds, although he fouled out before the overtime. Oden, who turned in 19 points and 10 rebounds in the first round of the tourney, is the key to this team's success even though the club found a way to win with him on the bench last time out. The Big Ten Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year is a factor at both ends of the court, as he leads the Buckeyes in scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (9.8 rpg), blocked shots (3.4 bpg) and field goal percentage (.605). Lewis, who scored 13 points in the first round of the tourney, ranks second on the team with 12.2 ppg. Conley Jr. chips in with 10.6 ppg and he is also tops on the club with 6.2 apg and 79 steals. Daequan Cook contributes 10.4 ppg and 4.7 rpg off the bench for the Buckeyes, who are averaging 73.9 ppg and giving up just 60.4 ppg.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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