Buckeyes Down Wolverines, 70-66
By Dillon Davis
Marc Loving led all Buckeyes in scoring, finishing with 19 points on the evening. His last two, coming by way of the free throw line, put the Buckeyes’ rivalry road win on ice as Ohio State escaped Ann Arbor with a 70-66 win over Michigan.
The game got off to a rough start for Thad Matta and his team as Michigan raced out to a 7-0 start, and led by as many as 11 just three minutes into the first half.
In need of a spark, the Buckeyes got just that, albeit from surprise sources. Micah Potter and Andre Wesson combined for a 8-0 run to cut the Wolverines’ lead to three.
Ohio State routinely exposed Michigan on the glass in the first half, a theme that would continue to play out for the duration of the game.
Closing on a 12-4 run, the Buckeyes took a one point lead into the break.
The Ohio State lead grew to as many as eight in the second half, but a 7-0 run by Michigan made it a one point game with five minutes left to play.
After a Jae’Sean Tate jumper pushed the lead to three, Michigan’s Derrick Walton Jr. drilled a three-pointer, part of his game-high 25 points, to tie the game up at 60 with 4:23 on the clock.
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The two teams played the last four minutes within a possession of each other. Walton Jr. just missed tying the game up on a tip, and Loving’s rebound led to the free throws that put the game away.
Loving’s clutch shots from the line were part of a 24 of 28 effort for the team, one of their best of the season.
Despite turning the ball over 16 times, the Buckeyes were able to overcome their sloppy play by absolutely dominating on the glass. They grabbed 18 more rebounds than the Wolverines, including a nine-rebound advantage on the offensive glass.
The win moves Ohio State to 14-10 overall and 4-7 in the Big Ten. Their chances of making a run at a tournament bid are still on life support, but the win does snap a two-game losing streak, and a win over Michigan on the road is sure to provide a significant mental boost for a team that came into the night struggling to find positives.
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They return to the floor on Wednesday night when they take on Rutgers in Value City Arena. Tip off is set for 7:00.