In a split second yesterday, a referee decided to keep Ohio State alive in the NCAA tournament. Greg Oden committed a hard foul, one that the referee could have -- I think should have -- ruled intentional, which would have given Xavier two free throws and the ball, and would have essentially ended the game.Instead, Xavier just got two shots, one of them missed, an Ohio State three-pointer sent the game into overtime, and the Buckeyes dominated the extra five minutes. So what about that foul? Oden makes no secret that he meant for it to be a hard one.
"I just look at that foul as, they're going to call bull crap fouls," Oden said. "I might as well get one that's hard."
If there was any doubt that it was an intentional foul, that comment should erase it. Ohio State deserves credit for the way it came back at the end of the second half and the way it pulled away in overtime with Oden on the bench, but the referee's refusal to call the intentional foul that happened right in front of him took the game from Xavier.




