Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes pull out gritty win over Hoosiers
The Ohio State basketball team was in control for most of the game at Indiana but a late run by the Hoosiers turned it into a nail biter.
It was a must win for both Ohio State and Indiana as both teams were still in the mix to make the NCAA tournament. It was a hard-fought battle to the end but the Buckeyes pulled off the victory on the road 55-52.
The first half was a defensive battle and only transition points off of turnovers and long rebounds allowed the Hoosiers to keep things close. The last bucket in transition with time winding down in the first half allowed Indiana to close the gap to 23-21 heading into the break.
Ohio State took control early in the second half and led 47-38 on an Andre Wesson three pointer with 6:38 to go. It looked like the Buckeyes had the game in hand at that point but the Hoosiers didn’t see it that way. Three shots from behind the arc tied the game at 47 with just over four minutes to play.
The two teams traded baskets but then Devonte Green hit a shot from behind the arc with the shot clock winding down to give Indiana a 52-49 lead. On Ohio State’s next possession C.J. Jackson buried a three to tie the score.
After a stop on defense, Andre Wesson received a pass from younger brother Kaleb and dunked to give the Buckeyes a two point lead. After another stand on defense Luther Muhammad was fouled on an inbounds pass and sank one of two free throws to put Ohio State up by three. Two missed shots by the Hoosiers from behind the arc in the last ten seconds sealed the win for the Buckeyes.
Andre Wesson led Ohio State in scoring with 15 points, Kaleb Wesson and C.J. Jackson added 10 apiece. Indiana had two players in double figures with Romeo Langford scoring 15 points and Devonte Green 10.
Scoring and time frames per ESPN.com.
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Quick takes:
What an impact Kyle Young has made in his first two games back. He disrupts the opposing team’s offense in the paint and pounds the boards. He also brings needed energy off the bench and the other players feed off of it.
I have been saying Young needs more touches on the block but now I think maybe it’s Andre Wesson who should get the ball down low more often. Like Young, he plays bigger than his listed height and you can tell his father Keith, a former Buckeye center, has taught both of his sons moves needed to get a shot off while playing with their back to the basket.
It was nice to see Duane Washington shooting 2-3 from behind the arc which makes two consecutive games he has shot well from downtown. Luther Muhammad only scored 9 points but he was aggressive on offense and put up 10 shots. It’s a good thing these two freshman are gaining confidence on the offensive end because Chris Holtmann will need them to score during the stretch run.
It was an excellent win for the young Buckeye squad. It’s never easy to win on the road and it was impressive the way they fought back after blowing a sizable lead late in the game.
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Ohio State will take on Illinois at home Thursday. It’s another winnable game for the Buckeyes before a rough seven game stretch to finish the regular season. But at 6-6 in the conference and 16-7 overall, Ohio State is firmly in the mix for an NCAA Tournament berth after the gritty performance against Indiana.