15th-seeded Oral Roberts stunned the NCAA world Friday with their 75 to 73 overtime win against number 2-seed Ohio State. The loss marks the first time a No. 15 team uprooted a No. 2 team since 2016. OSU’s defeat is the largest upset in the NCAA since No.16 University of Maryland took down No. 1 ranked Virginia in 2018. Possession changes were the silver bullets for the Buckeyes as they turned the ball over 16 times versus the Golden Eagles’ 6. In the final moments of the overtime period, Duane Washington, Jr. and Justin Ahrens of Ohio State both whiffed on potential game-tying three-point shots.
OSU supporters did not take the loss lightly, as the university was forced to contact law enforcement on Saturday when forward E.J. Liddell received threatening messages from a pair of discontented fans. A promising start to a season ends in heartbreak as Ohio State dropped 6 of their last 9 games. The Buckeyes end their campaign with a 21-10 record.