Buckeyes fend off Minutemen for NIT

Massachusetts dominated Ohio State on the boards, outrebounding the bigger Buckeyes 49-37 and corralling a startling 30 on the offensive end. But UMass figured to be in trouble when the frenetic pace that it also enjoys kept up in the second half: Ohio State was 15-1 this season when scoring at least 70 points.

"We didn't even know if we were up or down, we were just giving it all we had," Brower said. "They're a solid team."

Massachusetts put a scare into Ohio State from the moment the last notes of the national anthem were played, rushing the entire length of the court to shake hands with its stoic, startled Big Ten opponent.

The Minutemen kept racing once the ball was thrown up, forcing three turnovers in the first 2 1/2 minutes and taking a 10-2 lead on a basket by Milligan.

The Buckeyes came right back, with Hunter scoring four of his 17 points to cap a 13-2 run and take a brief lead. But the Minutemen again edged ahead, and Forbes' 3-pointer with 3:50 left before halftime got the team's assistant coaches so animated the referees stopped to calm them down.

Fourteen busloads of people were ferried to New York from the UMass campus in Amherst, but they represented just a fraction of the partisan crowd. The school sold its allotment of tickets quickly, and appeared to have far more dressed in its slightly darker shade of red than its counterpart from Columbus.

"You can see by the fan support that came out, we made a difference since I've been here," said Forbes, a senior playing his last game. "A lot of fans have come out, supported us, and this has been a great roll."

Now they all have to sit back and wonder whether the popular Ford will stay in town. His name has popped up as a leading candidate for the opening at LSU, which could offer the former Kentucky player a chance to return to his roots in the Southeastern Conference.

One fan, wearing a UMass jersey a couple rows behind their bench, held up a sign that pleaded, "Please Stay Travis." A couple rows down was another sign that read, "Travis Ford, Forget LSU."

Ford said he hasn't spoken with any other schools, but wouldn't say whether he would listen to offers in the coming days.

"I'm looking forward to coaching this team next year," he said. "I've been reading the same stuff as everybody else. It makes me ask questions, to be honest, because I haven't talked to anybody."