What happened to Ohio State basketball down the stretch at Pitt?

PITTSBURGH – It was hard to picture a lower place for Jake Diebler and the Ohio State men’s basketball program to be.

Walking into the Petersen Events Center yields a lofty view of the court the Pitt basketball program calls home. Considering where the arena sits, nestled into the hilly campus landscape, it’s hard not to conjure up an image of descending down into the depths of the earth itself by the time you reach court level. It was down there, behind the bleachers behind the basket where the home team had just secured a season highlight win, that the Buckeyes had to grapple with their own demons.

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For 20 minutes, undefeated Ohio State had done little to indicate it could win against a Pitt team that had most recently taken a loss to Quinnipiac on this same court. Then the Buckeyes rallied, grabbed a second-half lead and still held it when Damarco Minor fired off a contested, running 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Naturally, it found the bottom of the net. It set off a celebration, one that sent Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton to the floor as Pitt players sprinted onto the court to celebrate a second last-second 3-pointer against the Buckeyes in as many years.

Call it luck. Call it fate. But either way, call it a one-point loss for Ohio State on a night when nearly a month’s worth of efficient offense, growing positive vibes and steady improvement came crashing back down a notch in the type of loss the Buckeyes experienced one too many times a season ago.

Pittsburgh guard Damarco Minor shoots a 3-pointer to defeat Ohio State on Nov. 28.

The final: Pitt 67, Ohio State 66.

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“It hurts,” a tight-lipped Devin Royal said.

What hurts the most isn’t just the 3-pointer at the buzzer negating a putback by freshman Amare Bynum with 3.7 seconds left that was the game-winner until it wasn’t. It’s that, despite falling behind by 12 points during the first half and trailing by 10 at halftime, Ohio State (6-1) was unable to get a defensive stop in the final…

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Publish date : 2025-11-29 12:26:00

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