Senior guard Tanner Holden made only one shot in Thursday’s victory over Rutgers, and it was the biggest of the game.
With less than five seconds left, Holden received the ball from freshman guard Bruce Thornton and hit the game-winning, buzzer-beating 3 pointer to propel the No. 25 Buckeyes past Rutgers 67-66. Holden said it was a blur when the shot went in and his teammates rushed him, but the noise of the fans let him know he made it.
“I just heard the crowd go crazy, then I celebrated after that, and then 15 guys came rushing me, so it was a crazy game,” Holden said. “I think I might have saw it go through, but I think I heard the crowd more, so I think that reassurance helped me. I knew that it went in.”
While speculation arose whether Holden re-established himself inbounds or Thornton may’ve stepped out of bounds before the pass, officials counted the basket and Holden’s shot gave Ohio State its second-straight win.
Holden, who transferred from Wright State over the offseason, said making the game-winning shot was uplifting for him, and the game provides a good learning opportunity for the team.
“For me, it’s a confidence builder, a confidence booster. I think this is one game we’re going to learn from,” Holden said. “We’re going to get back in the gym tomorrow and work on it. I think overall, it’s just a good building block for us. I think we’re just going to build up.”
Head coach Chris Holtmann called Holden’s game-winner a “heck of a shot.” Holtmann said even though Holden has more adjusting to do defensively in the Big Ten, it was a big step forward.
“He’s a gamer. I mean, he’s made big shots his whole life,” Holtmann said. “I’m just really happy for the kid.”
Holtmann said Ohio State practices full-court scenarios for a two- or three-point difference late in games. He said putting the ball in the hands of Thornton and setting up the play with others, such as freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh, shows the growth of Ohio State’s youth, which features 10 newcomers among its 14 rostered players.
Junior forward Zed Key, who said he “yelled too much” while celebrating alongside Holden and his teammates, said the play was well-executed in order to set the Buckeyes up for a chance to capture the game at the last second.
“It’s like up in the air, and I was like, ‘Oh, wow, that’s going in,’” Key said. “I just ran. I was more tired running, chasing after him than the last possession, but it’s a great shot and a great pass by Bruce, and we got the W.”