CLEVELAND — Senior guard David Lighty hit all seven of his 3-point attempts, scoring a game-high 25 points, as No. 1 Ohio State steamrolled eighth-seeded George Mason, 98-66, in an East Regional third-round clash on Sunday afternoon.

The Buckeyes (34-2) will face No. 4 seed Kentucky in a regional semifinal on Friday.

Ohio State busted open a close game late in the first half, outscoring the Patriots 26-4 over the final 8:24 to take a commanding 52-26 lead into the break. The Buckeyes continued to pull away after the intermission, extending the margin to as many as 38 points.

William Buford and Jared Sullinger added 18 points apiece for Ohio State, which hit 16 of 26 from 3-point range and shot 61 percent overall. Freshman guard Aaron Craft added a career-best 15 assists off the bench.

Cam Long paced George Mason (27-7) with 16 points.