Ohio
Pitt's Zack Austin Sinks Buckeyes With Overtime Buzzer-Beater, 91-90
Ohio State suffered its second loss of the 2024-25 season in heartbreaking fashion.
In Ohio State’s first overtime game of the season, a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Pitt forward Zack Austin lofted the Panthers (7-1) over Ohio State (5-2), 91-90, in overtime.
Ohio State led for the majority of the game and nearly all of overtime, but blew a 12-point lead in the second half before allowing Pitt to score six of the last seven points of the extra period.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | OT | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PITTSBURGH | 39 | 38 | 14 | 91 |
| OHIO STATE | 48 | 29 | 13 | 90 |
Guard Jaland Lowe led the way for Pitt, racking up 28 points for a game-high. Fellow guard Ishmael Leggett added 21 points while Austin picked up 16.
Bruce Thornton collected 24 points and nine assists in the loss, both team-highs. Devin Royal and Micah Parrish followed with 18 and 15 points, respectively.
First Half
It took nearly eight minutes for either team to take a two-score lead in the Schottenstein Center.
Meechie Johnson Jr. collected eight points in that time, including two well-contested 3-pointers, one from the right corner and one from the left wing. The second of those triples made it 19-13 Ohio State with 12:07 to play in the first half.
Pitt had a clear size advantage from the opening tip, especially as the Buckeyes were forced to start a small-ball lineup without regular starting center Aaron Bradshaw, who remains out amid a university investigation. Sean Stewart opened the game at center but picked up two fouls and took a seat on the bench just 6:30 into the game.
Austin Parks came in at center and made a bit of noise. He hit a clean reverse layup off an up-and-under then slammed home a feed from John Mobley Jr. after the sharpshooting freshman drew a perimeter double team. Mobley showed why he deserved that double-team on Ohio State’s next possession by canning a 3-pointer with his feet planted inside the Buckeyes’ half-court logo.
Thornton hit a mid-range jumper to cap a 7-0 run and Ohio State led 28-18. Royal collected six points and Mobley hit a left-corner 3 to help sustain the lead for a while before a pair of Leggett layups cut the edge to six. A Thornton three from the top of the key helped the Buckeyes carry a 48-39 advantage into halftime.
Bradshaw’s absence and Stewart’s foul trouble forced the Buckeyes to opt for a lot of three-guard lineups in the first half but it proved beneficial to their passing and shooting. Ohio State went 6-of-9 from 3-point range and collected 12 assists on 20 made shots.
Second Half
| OHIO STATE | STAT | PITT |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | POINTS | 91 |
| 30-58 (51.7%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 30-67 (44.8%) |
| 11-20 (55%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 8-24 (33.3%) |
| 19-29 (65.5%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 23-30 (76.7%) |
| 11 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 29 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 36 |
| 8 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 16 |
| 21 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 20 |
| 17 | BENCH POINTS | 31 |
| 2 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 5 | STEALS | 5 |
| 20 | ASSISTS | 10 |
Stewart opened the second half with a 3-point play and combined with Thornton to get a massive pop from a decently crowded arena on an alley-oop flush. Ohio State led 57-46. Then the Buckeyes came crashing back to earth.
Turnovers mounted as the Buckeyes tried and failed on several more alley-oop attempts. Ohio State missed five straight field goals and went more than seven minutes without scoring, giving the ball away six times in that span.
Meanwhile, Pitt’s offense kept humming, especially Leggett, who quickly made a pair of 3-point plays both the old-fashioned way and with a shot from beyond the arc. The latter play gave the Panthers their first lead since they were up 9-7 in the first half, and the run kept going with a 3-point play from forward Amadou Kante. Another layup from Leggett capped the scoring streak at 15-0 and Pitt led 61-57 with 10:53 remaining.
Parrish brought the crowd back into things with a four-point play as he was fouled by Leggett at the top of the key as he splashed a 3-pointer. Mahaffey slammed back a miss to give the Buckeyes the lead back. Zack Austin hit a triple for the Panthers, but Thornton responded with a three of his own to make it a 67-66 Buckeye edge with 5:28 to play.
Up 68-67, Parrish drained a nasty step-back 3-pointer from the right wing. Royal extended the lead to 73-68 on a pair of free throws. Pitt cut it to 73-72 but Parrish was ready with another triple.
But Austin splashed a catch-and-shoot trey of his own before Lowe equalized the contest 77-77 with 33 seconds left. Thornton missed a potential game-winner and the two squads went to overtime.
Overtime
Thornton opened overtime with a bang, pulling up for a quick triple while running full speed to his left. Two free throws from Royal gave Ohio State an early two-score lead in the extra period, 82-78.
Kante fouled out for the Panthers and Thornton sank two more at the charity stripe to set the margin at 84-80. Then Leggett fouled out and Thornton hit two more. But Lowe kept Pitt around. He scored eight consecutive points for the Panthers to make it a one-point game, 89-88. After Royal made just one free throw on Ohio State’s next possession, Austin hit a three with Parrish’s hand in his face to win the game for Pitt.
PITT WINS IT IN COLUMBUS! ZACK AUSTIN THE HERO FOR THE PANTHERS! @Pitt_MBB pic.twitter.com/2e1Tiy4mEk
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 29, 2024
What’s Next?
Ohio State plays its first Big Ten game of the 2024-25 season when it travels to College Park to face Maryland on Wednesday. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
Game Notes
- Ohio State’s loss was the first overtime game of the Jake Diebler era.
- Friday marked the 26th all-time meeting between Pitt and Ohio State in men’s basketball, with Pitt now leading the series 16-10.
- Freshman forward Colin White was out with an injury against the Panthers and was seen wearing a walking boot.
- Royal got dinged up multiple times, once coming up favoring his ankle and another time his hamstring, but re-entered the contest on both occasions.
Ohio
Mary Lucille Young, Youngstown, Ohio
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Mrs. Mary Lucille Young, 74, of Youngstown, departed this life on Friday, April 10, 2026 at her residence where God welcomed her home.
Mary, affectionately known as “Mary Lou” and “Tang”, was born March 8, 1952 in Youngstown, a daughter of Lawrence and Ada Mae Alexander Hamilton Young.
She was a proud 1971 graduate of South High School.
Mary was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church.
She attended Louis Weinberger Hill Beauty School, and was accepted as a model with Barbizon Modeling Agency.
Mary worked and retired from Youngstown Sheet and Tube.
She enjoyed looking her best, dancing, shopping, casinos and decorating her home. Mary was strong, bold and took no mess. She was loved by many people.
She leaves to cherish her memories, her pride and joy, two daughters, Adalatesha Bright and Richlynn Bright; two sons, Ja-Juan Young and Dr. Ty-Juan Bright all of Youngstown; five grandchildren; two sisters, Cynthia (Floyd) Davis, Janet (Steve) Gardner both of Youngstown; and a host of family and friends.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Michael Lamar Young; three brothers, Isaiah, Edward, Lorenzo Young.
Private services were held at the L.E. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lucille Young, please visit our floral store.
Ohio
NWSL announces expansion to Columbus, Ohio
The NWSL is once again expanding, this time the league is heading to Ohio where Columbus NWSL 2028 will take the field. Of course, Columbus NWSL 2028 is a placeholder for now and the the new team will unveil its name, crest, and uniform to build an identity around as it approaches its first season.
News of the club was announced yesterday, though this has been in the works for some time, in a press conference. Team owners, the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, spoke about what they hope the club will bring to Columbus and women’s soccer more broadly.
“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” said Haslam Sports Group Managing Partner Whitney Haslam Johnson. “We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world.”
Nationwide insurance has been a corporate partner in both NWSL and MLS for years and now joins an ownership group deepening those ties. “Today’s announcement is about inspiring young athletes across Central Ohio, elevating women’s professional sports and reminding the world that Columbus is a first-class sports city,” said Kirt Walker, Nationwide Chief Executive Officer. “As Nationwide marks 100 years, this is a powerful way to celebrate our milestone with the community that has been our home from the very beginning.”
The Edwards family has deep roots in the Columbus soccer scene with Dr. Pete Edwards serving as team doctor for the Crew in 1996 and the family joining the team’s ownership in 2019 during the Save The Crew effort. “Columbus is very important to our family. For over 30 years, we’ve supported the Columbus Crew and MLS. We’ve seen how a men’s professional soccer team has brought people together and created a positive impact in our community. It’s truly special to now welcome an NWSL club and the incredible women athletes who will also uplift our city on and off the pitch,” said Dr. Christine Edwards. “We’re very excited to partner with Haslam Sports Group and Nationwide for NWSL Columbus 2028, and we can’t wait to share even more memorable moments with fans, especially during the Club’s first game at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.”
The NWSL has continued its expansion with the announcement and the team will join Atlanta in its inaugural season in two years.
Ohio
Ex-Ohio State president Ted Carter’s girlfriend would sneak through campus garage to get to his office, report reveals
Disgraced ex-Ohio State President Ted Carter repeatedly snuck his alleged failing podcaster lover through a campus garage for secret visits to his office as he funneled university resources into her business ventures, a shocking new report claims.
The report into the circumstances behind Carter’s abrupt exit from his cushy $1.5 million-a-year role last month detailed his secret office rendezvous with Krisanthe Vlachos, host of “The Callout Podcast,” and at least five trips he took with her.
The duo jetted off to Richmond, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Las Vegas – with the married 66-year-old allegedly cooking up a fake business excuse for one trip, the report released Tuesday by the college found.
One social media post showed the pair at a Colorado Springs conference in January, with the ex-prez smiling next to Vlachos, who is clad in an all-black leather getup.
Carter – married to Lynda Carter for nearly 45 years – admitted giving Vlachos “inappropriate access” to university leadership and public resources to boost her private business when he voluntarily resigned.
The probe found he tapped at least 14 staffers to help his purported paramour, who hosted a veteran-focused podcast, including efforts to score her a university job, campus space, support staff, and financial backing from the school and outside agencies like JobsOhio for different business ventures.
“Carter’s actions betrayed Ohio State’s shared values and violated university policy,” the 47-page report said, adding his “wide-ranging” efforts dragged on for almost two years.
“Carter had a close personal and business relationship with Vlachos and he allowed that relationship to improperly influence his actions and impair his judgement.”
JobsOhio shelled out $60,000 to the prexy’s reported flame to produce four podcast episodes about veteran issues – though only one was completed, the agency said last month.
The company, which said its decision to invest was driven by Carter’s recommendation, is now trying to “clawback” the funds after all of Vlacho’s poorly performing podcast episodes were hastily removed from YouTube and other streamers when the scandal erupted.
Carter – who served as a Top Gun pilot and instructor during 38 years in the Navy – admitted in one episode he was a “frequent flyer” on the floundering show, appearing as a guest at least nine times since 2024.
JobsOhio also dished out $10,000 to sponsor a January 2025 event for vets and military families at Ohio State, calling it an “opportunity that Ms. Vlachos brought our attention.”
The agency’s handouts for Vlachos came to an end after she requested a $2.9 million investment in her proposed mobile app, which aimed to help Ohio veterans get jobs.
An Ohio State spokesman previously confirmed officials were investigating an LLC registered to Vlachos at a university-owned building, in connection with the ex-leader’s departure.
Carter and Vlachos have not responded publicly to the relationship allegations.
With Post wires.
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