PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 18 (UPI) -- Armon Bassett helped Ohio jump to a big lead Thursday and the Bobcats held on to stun Georgetown 97-83 in the NCAA Tournament's first round.
Ohio began play in the Mid-American Conference Tournament earlier this month as the No. 9 seed and won four contests, including a victory over regular-season champion Kent State, just to get into the NCAA tourney.
The Bobcats were given a No. 14 seed in the Midwest Region and promptly knocked out a Big East Conference powerhouse.
Ohio opened a 12-point halftime lead and had as much as a 16-point advantage in the second half. The Hoyas rallied to within seven, but Ohio put together an 11-3 run that finished off the upset.
Bassett made five 3-pointers and scored 32 points. D.J. Cooper also hit five long-range shots and scored 23 points for the Bobcats, who improved to 22-14 after posting a 7-9 record in conference play.
Ohio won a game in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in 45 years. Its only other victory in that span came against Illinois State in 1983.
Chris Wright scored 28 points for Georgetown (23-11), which defeated Syracuse and Marquette during the Big East Tournament. The Hoyas turned the ball over 18 times while Ohio was shooting 58 percent from the field.
