Ohio State 77, Syracuse 72 | Mitchell's free throws in final 27 seconds lift Buckeyes

Kelsey Mitchell hit two free throws with 27 seconds remaining to break a 72-72 tie, and No. 8 Ohio State held on to defeat No. 11 Syracuse 77-72 on Saturday night in a semifinal of the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida.

Ohio State (5-1) will play No. 5 Baylor in the final at 7:30 Sunday night. Baylor beat No. 18 DePaul 104-72 in the other semifinal.

Syracuse (4-2) took a 62-60 lead on a Brittney Sykes layup with 7:37 left, but Mitchell responded with back-to-back threes to spark a 9-0 run. The Orange went five minutes without scoring.

Alexis Peterson, a Northland graduate, ended the Syracuse drought with a three-pointer with 2:28 remaining. She then made a layup and another three to tie…