Ohio State basketball falls to Purdue in Big Ten opener

The Ohio State basketball team did not play well in their first Big Ten game of the season and fell to Purdue 67-60.

The Ohio State basketball team had to play their first Big Ten game of the season on Wednesday night against the Purdue Boilermakers. The Buckeyes came into the game undefeated while Purdue had a record of just 4-2. Records did not matter in this one.

Ohio State got slaughtered in the paint and on the boards. They got out-rebounded by 6 and allowed 9 offensive rebounds. They let a bench player for Purdue, Trevion Williams, go for 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. He absolutely murdered them in the paint.

Because they were without E.J. Liddell for the second straight game, Ohio State couldn’t score inside. They shot a paltry 38% from the field and even worse 25% from three. They just couldn’t find ways to put the ball in the bucket at any point in this one.

Justice Sueing had his worst game in his first Big Ten career. Sueing had some mental lapses late in the game, taking a bad stepback three and then not saving a ball that went out of bounds. Soon after that, he turned the ball over on the offensive end. He had a rough game all around.

Sueing had a team-high 5 turnovers. Really he was a nightmare all game long. The Buckeyes just don’t have anyone who can score the ball on a consistent basis without Liddell in. They need him back badly, and they need Seth Towns to start playing soon. He should be ready any game now.

Until the Buckeyes can find ways to score the ball consistently without Liddell, this is going to be the result. Ohio State now plays UCLA instead of North Carolina on Saturday, so they get a bit of an easier matchup. That should help their confidence a bit.

Liddell and Towns can’t get out on the floor soon enough.