Watching Turner dribble up the floor, you have to question Michigan's defensive strategy on the last play. Everyone in the arena knew Turner was getting the ball, and he faced surprisingly little push-back as he crossed the half court stripe and launched the game-winner. After a strong first half, Turner struggled a bit in the final minutes, but once again, he came up big when Ohio State needed him most. David Lighty and William Buford also stepped up nicely for the Buckeyes.
Turner's final attempt was so close to the buzzer that the play was reviewed. When the officials signaled the shot was good, the red-clad section of the crowd erupted.
Turner said it was his first buzzer-beater at any level.
Turner's shot came a little over 12 hours after West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler stunned Cincinnati with a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the Big East tournament on Thursday night.
In many ways, Turner was a poor candidate to hit such an incredible shot. He said he'd never hit one quite like that in a game.
The final play itself, which took place with just 2.2 seconds left, reminded Turner of the final play in last year's NCAA tournament first-round matchup against Siena. He had a chance to win the game in double overtime, but his 15-foot leaner missed at the buzzer.
This is the youtube video of Evan Turner's play.
I have had the good fortune to be able to watch Evan throughout the season and he is truly amazing!! He has made some great strides since he came to OSU as a freshman. This is a compliment to both the person he is and the great job our coach, Thadd Matta, has done with him.
