Ohio State 78, Loyola-Maryland 59: Deshaun Thomas had a career-high 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Buckeyes overcame some early shooting woes to cruise past the Greyhounds in Pittsburgh.

Jared Sullinger shot just 4 of 14 from the field but still finished with 12 points and nine rebounds for No. 2 seed Ohio State (28-7), which advances into the round of 32 for the third straight season and will face No. 7 seed Gonzaga on Saturday.

In their first-ever meeting against No. 15 seed Loyola (24-9), the Buckeyes were able to take their first double-digit lead at 31-20, but an uncharacteristic offensive effort from Sullinger and William Buford allowed the Greyhounds to keep the game respectable into the second half.

While two of Ohio State’s offensive staples were struggling, Thomas paced his team with 14 first-half points before pouring in 17 more after the break en route to his third double-double of the season, hitting 7 of 9 shots in the second half before coach Thad Matta pulled several key players from the game leading 70-50 with just over five minutes left.

After shooting just 34.3 percent in the first half, Ohio State shot 60.9 percent in the second half. The Buckeyes also enjoyed a commanding 45-23 rebounding edge.

Erik Etherly had a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds for the Greyhounds, who shot just 35.2 percent.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ohio State improves to 48-26 all-time in the NCAA tournament while Loyola fell to 0-2. … The Buckeyes, who entered the game with the 15th-best field-goal percentage in the country, had more offensive rebounds (12) than baskets (10) in the first half. However, they could only turn those extra opportunities into seven points. … The Greyhounds end their season with a school-record 24 victories, the first time the school has won more than 20 games as a Division-I program. ... The Buckeyes’ win capped a day in which Big Ten teams went 3-0.