Ohio State gets Gonzaga after outlasting South Dakota State 81-73

BOISE – Kam Williams made a tiebreaking four-point play with 1:36 left, then added three free throws after being fouled on another 3-point attempt, lifting Ohio State to an 81-73 victory over South Dakota State in the West Region on Thursday.

Fifth-seeded Ohio State (25-8) built a 13-point lead by reeling off 16 straight points midway through the second half of a game that featured 71 combined 3-pointers.

South Dakota State made a late run at the Buckeyes, scoring 10 straight points to tie it at 70.

Williams answered – by being fouled on a pair of 3-pointers. He finished off the four-point play for a 74-70 lead and made all three free throws on the second, making it 77-70 with 64 seconds left.

Keita Bates-Diop had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Buckeyes, who will face Gonzaga in the round of 32 on Saturday.

Ohio State went 12 for 40 from the arc.

No. 12 South Dakota State (28-7) hit 13 of 31 from 3-point range and Mike Daum scored 27 points.

Ohio State was one of college basketball’s biggest surprises in coach Chris Holtmann’s first season. He didn’t take over the program until June and the Buckeyes were picked to finish 11th in the Big Ten.

Yet behind Bates-Diop, the Big Ten player of the year, Ohio State finished second in the conference behind Michigan State to earn its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2015.

The Jackrabbits headed into the NCAA Tournament on an 11-game winning streak and had Daum, the two-time Summit League MVP.

The Dauminator was on his game against the Buckeyes, scoring 17 points in the first half. So was Bates-Diop, who had 17 points by halftime of a 43-all game.