Men's Basketball
No Gator Chomp This Time, Just a Buckeye Stomp
By John Porentas

Sure, there were different faces this time, but the uniforms were the same, and that's why it meant so much.

Unranked Ohio State (8-3) met unranked Florida (11-2) in Columbus in a rematch of the last NCAA national championship game. The Gators won that one, just as they had won the national championship football game over the Buckeyes and just as they had beaten the OSU basketball team in December of last season. The lack of ranking and lack of familiar faces didn't mean much to most of the OSU fans in attendance. They just wanted a win over the Gators. So did Thad Matta and his Buckeyes. They got it by a final of 62-49 in front of 19,049 fans at Value City Arena. OSU senior point guard Jamar Butler seemed very happy to have gotten that win for the Buckeye faithful.

"I know it was extra special for them and it was special for us too. We'll be going home for Christmas break with a win."

Last Christmas was not a very Merry one for Matta and his team. Their last game before breaking for Christmas was a pasting at the hands of Florida that ruined their holiday.

"Last year on Christmas day all I could think about was getting beat by 25 points," said Butler.

"The hardest part was we couldn't come back and practice. When you landed you said good-bye to the guys. That was the hardest part," said Matta who like Butler said last year's loss impacted his holiday.

"You're sitting home saying to yourself I want to practice, I want to correct it," said Matta.

There was only one tonic for the bad taste the Florida losses last year left in the mouths of the Buckeyes, a win over them, something they finally got.

"I'm over it now. To get a win against them and now I'm over it," said Butler.

The Gators started the game in a way that was eerily similar to the way the Buckeye football team started its game against the Gator football team. Florida scored a quick seven points to take a 7-0 lead just as Ted Ginn had done for the OSU football team with the opening kickoff. Just as the OSU offense struggled the rest of that game in Arizona, the Florida offense just couldn't get it going against the OSU zone defense that is getting better and better as the season progresses. The normally hot shooting Gators were just 4-23 from three point range, coincidentally the exact same number that OSU shot from three against the Gators in the national championship game.

"I'm sure that in the national championship game Thad would agree it wasn't all our defense last year, so those guys missed shots," said Florida Head Coach Billy Donavan, "I would say here it was probably the same thing, there was some very good defense we missed some shot and there was probably very good defense in their part," said Donavan.

"To hold them to 49 points, I think we did great on the defensive end," said Butler.

Offensively the Buckeyes got a game-high 17 points from freshman center Kosta Koufos. Koufos also brought down 10 rebounds to record a double-double, but it was key performances by some Buckeye veterans that really made the difference in the game. Jamar Butler added 13, David Lighty 11 and Matt Terwilliger seven off the bench. Butler dished out a team-high five assists.

"For me the difference in this game were Hunter, Butler, Lighty and Terwilliger are great college players," said Donavan. "Great, and they were the reason they won. You look down at the box score and see Kosta Koufos' points, I didn't think they were timely points against us. Butler, Lighty, Terwilliger and Hunter made timely plays as veterans and experienced guys," said Donavan. "I think Kosta Koufos is going to be a very good player, I think Diebler is going to be a very good player, I think Turner is going to be a good player, they show signs," said Donavan.

OSU lead by 10 at the half and never led by less-than 10 in the second half. The Buckeyes led by as many as 18 late in the second half and were never really threatened.

The Buckeyes will break for Christmas and return to the practice gym on December 26, 27 and 28 before retuning to action on December 29 against Maryland-Baltimore County at Value City Arena.

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