The Wichita State Shockers and the Ohio State Buckeyes will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Staples Center.
Wichita St. vs Ohio St.
When: 7:05 PM ET, Saturday, March 30, 2013
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, CBS.
PREDICTION: Wichita State 69, Ohio State 66
Oddsmakers currently have the Buckeyes listed as 6½-point favorites versus the Shockers, while the game’s total is sitting at 133.
Carl Hall dominated the undersized Explorers inside, hitting his first five shots and scoring 14 of his 16 points inside the paint. The Shockers recorded 40 points in the paint against La Salle and took 43 shots inside, the most such attempts for a team in this tournament. Wichita State’s tournament opponents – Pittsburgh, Gonzaga and La Salle – each entered their games with the Shockers shooting at least 45 percent, but the teams combined to shoot 35.5 percent against the Missouri Valley Conference’s top-ranked field-goal percentage defense.
Wichita State was a 72-58 winner in its last match at home against La Salle. They covered the 4.5-point spread as favorites.
Team record: 29-8 SU, 19-14-1 ATS
Unlike the play that left Craft open for a 3-pointer against the Cyclones, the pivotal moment in the win Thursday came when Arizona overcommitted to the Buckeyes’ point guard. “It was similar to the play we ran last game,” Ross said. “We like to get the (big men) on a pick-and-roll. It so happened they messed up the switch there and I was able to knock down the shot.” Perhaps one of the biggest turnarounds the team has made lately is beyond the arc. In three NCAA Tournament games, Ohio State is a combined 23-for-46 (50 percent) from the 3-point line after shooting 35.9 percent over its first 33 contests.
Ohio State was a 73-70 winner in their most recent outing at home against Arizona. They failed to cover the 3.5-point spread as favorites.
Team record: 29-7 SU, 20-14 ATS
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