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LGHL Ohio State rides hot first half to big win over the Illini, 72-60
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Ohio State rides hot first half to big win over the Illini, 72-60
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time in forever, the Buckeyes were faced with adversity and battled back to secure a win over a quality opponent.
Firmly and clearly outside of NCAA Tournament consideration with their brutal record in 2023, Ohio State (12-17, 4-14) found themselves once again in the spoiler role Sunday afternoon against an Illinois team (19-10, 10-8) fighting for a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
While the Buckeyes have shifted to “just play the young guys” mode, the Fighting Illini are trying to turn on the jets for a strong late-season push. Illinois senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. will be a big help in that regard, as he returned this week after missing two games with a concussion he suffered in Illinois’ loss to Penn State on February 14.
With Shannon back in tow, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood rolled with a starting lineup of the aforementioned senior guard, as well as Jayden Epps, Matthew Mayer, Coleman Hawkins, and Dain Dainja.
Chris Holtmann went with a youthful starting five of Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Brice Sensabaugh, Felix Okpara, and Justice Sueing — who will be honored this Wednesday night at Ohio State’s senior night.
Fortunately, Ohio State fans didn’t have to wait for senior night for another victory, as the Buckeyes carried a tremendous first-half into a big home victory Sunday afternoon, 72-60. Thornton led Ohio State with 20 points on 8-11 shooting over 34 minutes, and also five rebounds and two assists. Sensabaugh and Sueing each had 14 points as well, with Sueing also racking up a double-double with 11 rebounds. Hawkins led four double-digit scorers on the Illini side with 14 points to go with seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Epps, Shannon, and Mayer all scored in double digits as well.
As a team, Ohio State shot 53.6% from the floor, despite going just 3-14 from three-point range. They out-rebounded Illinois 40-28, and the Buckeye bench outscored Illinois’ bench 18-15. Illinois shot 36.1% overall, and knocked down 6 of their 29 three-pointers (20.7%).
Illinois jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first minute, but Ohio State answered with an 8-0 run of their own and held a slim 10-8 lead at the first media timeout 5:31 into the game. Thornton was playing heads-up basketball early, either scoring or assisting on four of Ohio State’s first five buckets. The freshman guard scored six of the Buckeyes’ first 10 points of the day.
The Buckeyes extended that early run and took a 26-16 lead into the under-eight media timeout with 6:40 remaining in the opening 20. Thornton continued to play flawless basketball running point, and Gene Brown also contributed five early points to tie his season-high just in the first half (Brown would later set his season-high in the second half with nine total points). Illinois’ first-half offensive plan seemed a bit peculiar, as the 12th-best three-point shooting team in the B1G took 12 threes over the first 13 minutes of this game, hitting just three of them.
By the time the halftime horn sounded, Ohio State held a 41-29 lead, having played their best all-around half of basketball in nearly two months. Thornton led the Buckeyes with 13 first-half points on 6-7 shooting over 17 minutes. He also had three rebounds and an assist, with no turnovers. Sensabaugh, Sueing, Sean McNeil, and Brown each had five or more points for the Buckeyes in the first half as well.
Illinois was led in the first half by Hawkins, who had 10 points in the opening stanza. Mayer had nine points as well, all on threes, on 3-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
The two squads went back and forth over the first few minutes of the second half, with the Illini cutting Ohio State’s lead to 45-35 by the first media timeout of the second half at the 15:33 mark. The two teams combined to hit 5 of their 18 shots over the first four minutes of the second half, as offenses stalled and things became a bit more discombobulated on both ends.
Illinois, powered by Shannon, cut the lead down to four with 7:23 remaining in the game. The Illini did a better job keeping Thornton in check in the second half, meanwhile Shannon awoke from his first-half slumber — not too much unlike Jalen Pickett did the other night. The combo of Thornton being held in check and Sensabaugh only hitting 3 of his nine shots to this point made it tough for the Buckeyes to keep up the offense they had in the first half. Regardless, they clung to a small lead at the under-eight timeout.
Ohio State pushed the lead to 10 points with 2:16 after a Sueing steal and bucket, and were ultimately able to hang on and break the long losing streak with an impressive win over a tournament-bound Illinois team.
If you weren’t around Sunday afternoon to see the Buckeyes send Illinois packing, here area few key moments and runs that helped lead Ohio State to their second win in the last 55 days:
Illinois got a quick three from Mayer and a layup from Hawkins to go up 5-0 early, but Thornton authored an 8-0 run for Ohio State to quickly pull the home team ahead. He scored three buckets and assisted on another to get the Buckeyes back in front 8-5 early on, and looked as locked in as he has all season long.
After going up 10-8 at the first media timeout, Ohio State continued to pressure Illinois into bad shots while also getting easy looks on the offensive end. Thornton continued to attack, even on the potential B1G Defensive Player of the Year, Shannon. The Buckeyes outscored Illinois 7-1 over a 2:34 span, causing Underwood to take a timeout with his team trailing 17-9. The Buckeyes knocked down 9 of their first 14 shots against an Illinois defense that’s rated No. 26 in the country according to KenPom.
Ohio State dominated Illinois on the glass in the first half, out-rebounding Illinois 23-9 over the first 20 minutes. The Illini — the second-best rebounding team in the B1G — didn’t have a ton of chances for rebounds with Ohio State hitting 60.7% of their shots over the first 20 minutes. Illinois shot just 36.7% during the opening stanza, however, leading to plenty of chances for defensive rebounds for the home team. Ohio State out-rebounded Illinois 40-28 overall by the time the final buzzer sounded.
Already up a dozen, the Buckeyes opened the second half with an alley-oop slam from Sueing to Okpara to push the lead out to 43-29 just 17 seconds into the half. On the ensuing Illinois possession, Dainja was met at the rim by Okpara, who swatted his layup to the corner where Sueing was able to grab it and run back up the court. Okpara ended the game with four points over eight total minutes.
Trailing 45-35 with about 16 minutes remaining in the game, Shannon dropped in layups on back-to-back possessions and was fouled on both, completing the three-point play each time. This quickly pulled Illinois back within four points, 45-41. Shannon only scored two in the first half, but quickly pulled it together in the second half and was causing a ton of problems for Ohio State. Shannon finished the game with 10 points on 3-12 shooting over 29 minutes. He had four rebounds and two assists, but also had four turnovers.
Illinois had cut the Ohio State lead to just three points with just over six minutes remaining, but Sensabaugh quickly gave his team some breathing room with a highlight reel dunk.
Hawkins turned the ball over below Illinois’ basket and Sueing collected it and found a streaking Sensabaugh headed down the court. He slammed it down over the head of Mayer, and then stood over Illinois’ senior forward and let out a scream. Sensabaugh scored on the next possession as well to put Ohio State up 59-52 with 5:24 remaining.
Sensabaugh had a tough start to the game, hitting three of his first nine shots, but finished by hitting his final two shots and finished with 14 points over 28 minutes. He also had six rebounds, two assists, one block, and three turnovers.
With 3:00 remaining and Ohio State up 64-56, Likekele was double-teamed below the basket and turned it over. Ty Rodgers tore up the court and got the ball to Mayer, but Sueing picked his pocket at the last second and stole it, followed by a behind-the-back pass to Sensabaugh to keep it inbounds below the Illinois basket. Sueing then scored at the other end to give Ohio State a 10-point lead once again, 66-56, with just over two minutes remaining.
Sueing recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds over 37 minutes. He also had two assists, a block, and a steal. He did not turn the ball over.
Ohio State (12-17, 4-14) will honor their seniors Wednesday night against Maryland (20-9, 11-7) — the final home game of the season. While Ohio State is almost certainly locked in to the 13-seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the Terrapins are still fighting for a top-four seed and the coveted double-bye, so they have quite a bit to play for. Ohio State’s game with Maryland tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on BTN.
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Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time in forever, the Buckeyes were faced with adversity and battled back to secure a win over a quality opponent.
Firmly and clearly outside of NCAA Tournament consideration with their brutal record in 2023, Ohio State (12-17, 4-14) found themselves once again in the spoiler role Sunday afternoon against an Illinois team (19-10, 10-8) fighting for a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
While the Buckeyes have shifted to “just play the young guys” mode, the Fighting Illini are trying to turn on the jets for a strong late-season push. Illinois senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. will be a big help in that regard, as he returned this week after missing two games with a concussion he suffered in Illinois’ loss to Penn State on February 14.
With Shannon back in tow, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood rolled with a starting lineup of the aforementioned senior guard, as well as Jayden Epps, Matthew Mayer, Coleman Hawkins, and Dain Dainja.
Chris Holtmann went with a youthful starting five of Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Brice Sensabaugh, Felix Okpara, and Justice Sueing — who will be honored this Wednesday night at Ohio State’s senior night.
Fortunately, Ohio State fans didn’t have to wait for senior night for another victory, as the Buckeyes carried a tremendous first-half into a big home victory Sunday afternoon, 72-60. Thornton led Ohio State with 20 points on 8-11 shooting over 34 minutes, and also five rebounds and two assists. Sensabaugh and Sueing each had 14 points as well, with Sueing also racking up a double-double with 11 rebounds. Hawkins led four double-digit scorers on the Illini side with 14 points to go with seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Epps, Shannon, and Mayer all scored in double digits as well.
As a team, Ohio State shot 53.6% from the floor, despite going just 3-14 from three-point range. They out-rebounded Illinois 40-28, and the Buckeye bench outscored Illinois’ bench 18-15. Illinois shot 36.1% overall, and knocked down 6 of their 29 three-pointers (20.7%).
Illinois jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first minute, but Ohio State answered with an 8-0 run of their own and held a slim 10-8 lead at the first media timeout 5:31 into the game. Thornton was playing heads-up basketball early, either scoring or assisting on four of Ohio State’s first five buckets. The freshman guard scored six of the Buckeyes’ first 10 points of the day.
The Buckeyes extended that early run and took a 26-16 lead into the under-eight media timeout with 6:40 remaining in the opening 20. Thornton continued to play flawless basketball running point, and Gene Brown also contributed five early points to tie his season-high just in the first half (Brown would later set his season-high in the second half with nine total points). Illinois’ first-half offensive plan seemed a bit peculiar, as the 12th-best three-point shooting team in the B1G took 12 threes over the first 13 minutes of this game, hitting just three of them.
By the time the halftime horn sounded, Ohio State held a 41-29 lead, having played their best all-around half of basketball in nearly two months. Thornton led the Buckeyes with 13 first-half points on 6-7 shooting over 17 minutes. He also had three rebounds and an assist, with no turnovers. Sensabaugh, Sueing, Sean McNeil, and Brown each had five or more points for the Buckeyes in the first half as well.
Illinois was led in the first half by Hawkins, who had 10 points in the opening stanza. Mayer had nine points as well, all on threes, on 3-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
The two squads went back and forth over the first few minutes of the second half, with the Illini cutting Ohio State’s lead to 45-35 by the first media timeout of the second half at the 15:33 mark. The two teams combined to hit 5 of their 18 shots over the first four minutes of the second half, as offenses stalled and things became a bit more discombobulated on both ends.
Illinois, powered by Shannon, cut the lead down to four with 7:23 remaining in the game. The Illini did a better job keeping Thornton in check in the second half, meanwhile Shannon awoke from his first-half slumber — not too much unlike Jalen Pickett did the other night. The combo of Thornton being held in check and Sensabaugh only hitting 3 of his nine shots to this point made it tough for the Buckeyes to keep up the offense they had in the first half. Regardless, they clung to a small lead at the under-eight timeout.
Ohio State pushed the lead to 10 points with 2:16 after a Sueing steal and bucket, and were ultimately able to hang on and break the long losing streak with an impressive win over a tournament-bound Illinois team.
If you weren’t around Sunday afternoon to see the Buckeyes send Illinois packing, here area few key moments and runs that helped lead Ohio State to their second win in the last 55 days:
Ohio State answers Illinois’ 5-0 run with an 8-0 run of their own
Illinois got a quick three from Mayer and a layup from Hawkins to go up 5-0 early, but Thornton authored an 8-0 run for Ohio State to quickly pull the home team ahead. He scored three buckets and assisted on another to get the Buckeyes back in front 8-5 early on, and looked as locked in as he has all season long.
Buckeyes extend run, force Underwood to call a timeout
After going up 10-8 at the first media timeout, Ohio State continued to pressure Illinois into bad shots while also getting easy looks on the offensive end. Thornton continued to attack, even on the potential B1G Defensive Player of the Year, Shannon. The Buckeyes outscored Illinois 7-1 over a 2:34 span, causing Underwood to take a timeout with his team trailing 17-9. The Buckeyes knocked down 9 of their first 14 shots against an Illinois defense that’s rated No. 26 in the country according to KenPom.
Buckeyes crush the boards, go into halftime up a dozen
Ohio State dominated Illinois on the glass in the first half, out-rebounding Illinois 23-9 over the first 20 minutes. The Illini — the second-best rebounding team in the B1G — didn’t have a ton of chances for rebounds with Ohio State hitting 60.7% of their shots over the first 20 minutes. Illinois shot just 36.7% during the opening stanza, however, leading to plenty of chances for defensive rebounds for the home team. Ohio State out-rebounded Illinois 40-28 overall by the time the final buzzer sounded.
Okpara does it on both ends to start the second half
Already up a dozen, the Buckeyes opened the second half with an alley-oop slam from Sueing to Okpara to push the lead out to 43-29 just 17 seconds into the half. On the ensuing Illinois possession, Dainja was met at the rim by Okpara, who swatted his layup to the corner where Sueing was able to grab it and run back up the court. Okpara ended the game with four points over eight total minutes.
Shannon cuts the lead to four
Trailing 45-35 with about 16 minutes remaining in the game, Shannon dropped in layups on back-to-back possessions and was fouled on both, completing the three-point play each time. This quickly pulled Illinois back within four points, 45-41. Shannon only scored two in the first half, but quickly pulled it together in the second half and was causing a ton of problems for Ohio State. Shannon finished the game with 10 points on 3-12 shooting over 29 minutes. He had four rebounds and two assists, but also had four turnovers.
Sensabaugh baptizes Mayer, gives Ohio State some breathing room
Illinois had cut the Ohio State lead to just three points with just over six minutes remaining, but Sensabaugh quickly gave his team some breathing room with a highlight reel dunk.
Hawkins turned the ball over below Illinois’ basket and Sueing collected it and found a streaking Sensabaugh headed down the court. He slammed it down over the head of Mayer, and then stood over Illinois’ senior forward and let out a scream. Sensabaugh scored on the next possession as well to put Ohio State up 59-52 with 5:24 remaining.
Sensabaugh had a tough start to the game, hitting three of his first nine shots, but finished by hitting his final two shots and finished with 14 points over 28 minutes. He also had six rebounds, two assists, one block, and three turnovers.
Sueing with the steal, bucket to ice it
With 3:00 remaining and Ohio State up 64-56, Likekele was double-teamed below the basket and turned it over. Ty Rodgers tore up the court and got the ball to Mayer, but Sueing picked his pocket at the last second and stole it, followed by a behind-the-back pass to Sensabaugh to keep it inbounds below the Illinois basket. Sueing then scored at the other end to give Ohio State a 10-point lead once again, 66-56, with just over two minutes remaining.
Sueing recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds over 37 minutes. He also had two assists, a block, and a steal. He did not turn the ball over.
Up Next:
Ohio State (12-17, 4-14) will honor their seniors Wednesday night against Maryland (20-9, 11-7) — the final home game of the season. While Ohio State is almost certainly locked in to the 13-seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the Terrapins are still fighting for a top-four seed and the coveted double-bye, so they have quite a bit to play for. Ohio State’s game with Maryland tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on BTN.
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LGHL Ohio State women's odds to win the NCAA Tournament; potential Big Ten tournament opponents
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Ohio State women's odds to win the NCAA Tournament; potential Big Ten tournament opponents
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes are 7-0 against their potential B1G quarterfinal opponents so far this season.
The Ohio State women’s basketball team ended its 2022-23 regular season on Friday night with a heart-breaking last-second defeat at the hands of No. 7 Maryland on Senior Night at the Value City Arena. While the bracket for this week’s Big Ten Tournament won’t be finalized until today’s slate of fives games is complete, by virtue of their win over Michigan on Monday night, Ohio State knows that they are locked into the No. 4 seed and will receive a double-bye.
It has been a season of ups and downs for the Buckeyes, having ridden an 18-game winning streak to start the season all the way to the No. 2 slot in the AP poll. But, now that they are entering the postseason, let’s take a look at where Vegas has them slotted in for the race to the national title.
According to DraftKings SportsBook, Kevin McGuff’s team has the 13th-best odds to win the national title at +6500. That number is fourth-best for a team from the Big Ten, behind Indiana (+900), Maryland (+3000), and Iowa (+4000). Michigan is tied for 17th at +8000. Perhaps not coincidentally, that is the order of seeding for the teams in the B1G Tourney.
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Obviously, these odds can and will change as the teams go through their conference tournament weeks. Regardless of opponent, the Buckeyes will tip off their postseason run on Friday, March 3 at roughly 3 p.m. ET, depending on how long the first game of the day runs.
They will play the winner of Thursday’s matchup between No. 5 Michigan and the winner of Wednesday’s No. 13 vs. No. 12 game. Penn State is guaranteed to be either No. 12 or 13. If Minnesota beats Purdue, the Gophers at the 12-seed and will face No. 13 PSU.
However, if Northwestern beats Nebraska on Sunday and Minnesota loses, the Nittany Lions are No. 12 and the Wildcats are No. 13. But, if both NU and Minnesota lose, the Golden Gophers will be No. 13.
So, on Friday, Ohio State will square off against No. 5 Michigan (who they have beaten twice this season 66-57 on Dec. 31 and 74-61 on Monday), Penn State (who they beat 67-55 on Feb. 16), Minnesota (who they beat 83-71 on Jan. 5 and 93-63 on Feb. 8), or Northwestern (who they beat 81-48 on. Dec. 28 and 84-54 on Jan. 19).
Collectively, the Buckeyes are 7-0 against their potential quarterfinal opponents, winning by an average score of 74 to 58. Obviously, the Wolverines would appear to be the most likely opponent, and beating a good team three times in a single season is a difficult task, but there is still the possibility for All-American guard Jacy Sheldon to return to the OSU lineup at some point this March. Having only played one game since November, Sheldon is still dealing with the effects of a lower leg injury, but if the Buckeyes could get her back at anything close to 100%, that would be a substantial difference-maker for the team’s chances heading into the Big Dance.
We will take another look at the women’s team’s NCAA Tournament chances once the Big Ten Tourney wraps up, but hopefully, that won’t happen until next Sunday when they have three more wins and a trophy to add to their resume.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes are 7-0 against their potential B1G quarterfinal opponents so far this season.
The Ohio State women’s basketball team ended its 2022-23 regular season on Friday night with a heart-breaking last-second defeat at the hands of No. 7 Maryland on Senior Night at the Value City Arena. While the bracket for this week’s Big Ten Tournament won’t be finalized until today’s slate of fives games is complete, by virtue of their win over Michigan on Monday night, Ohio State knows that they are locked into the No. 4 seed and will receive a double-bye.
It has been a season of ups and downs for the Buckeyes, having ridden an 18-game winning streak to start the season all the way to the No. 2 slot in the AP poll. But, now that they are entering the postseason, let’s take a look at where Vegas has them slotted in for the race to the national title.
According to DraftKings SportsBook, Kevin McGuff’s team has the 13th-best odds to win the national title at +6500. That number is fourth-best for a team from the Big Ten, behind Indiana (+900), Maryland (+3000), and Iowa (+4000). Michigan is tied for 17th at +8000. Perhaps not coincidentally, that is the order of seeding for the teams in the B1G Tourney.
Obviously, these odds can and will change as the teams go through their conference tournament weeks. Regardless of opponent, the Buckeyes will tip off their postseason run on Friday, March 3 at roughly 3 p.m. ET, depending on how long the first game of the day runs.
They will play the winner of Thursday’s matchup between No. 5 Michigan and the winner of Wednesday’s No. 13 vs. No. 12 game. Penn State is guaranteed to be either No. 12 or 13. If Minnesota beats Purdue, the Gophers at the 12-seed and will face No. 13 PSU.
However, if Northwestern beats Nebraska on Sunday and Minnesota loses, the Nittany Lions are No. 12 and the Wildcats are No. 13. But, if both NU and Minnesota lose, the Golden Gophers will be No. 13.
So, on Friday, Ohio State will square off against No. 5 Michigan (who they have beaten twice this season 66-57 on Dec. 31 and 74-61 on Monday), Penn State (who they beat 67-55 on Feb. 16), Minnesota (who they beat 83-71 on Jan. 5 and 93-63 on Feb. 8), or Northwestern (who they beat 81-48 on. Dec. 28 and 84-54 on Jan. 19).
Collectively, the Buckeyes are 7-0 against their potential quarterfinal opponents, winning by an average score of 74 to 58. Obviously, the Wolverines would appear to be the most likely opponent, and beating a good team three times in a single season is a difficult task, but there is still the possibility for All-American guard Jacy Sheldon to return to the OSU lineup at some point this March. Having only played one game since November, Sheldon is still dealing with the effects of a lower leg injury, but if the Buckeyes could get her back at anything close to 100%, that would be a substantial difference-maker for the team’s chances heading into the Big Dance.
We will take another look at the women’s team’s NCAA Tournament chances once the Big Ten Tourney wraps up, but hopefully, that won’t happen until next Sunday when they have three more wins and a trophy to add to their resume.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
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LGHL Ohio State women’s last-second loss to Maryland ‘should hurt,’ McGuff says
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Ohio State women’s last-second loss to Maryland ‘should hurt,’ McGuff says
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
The Buckeyes aren’t looking for moral victories as postseason basketball approaches
On Friday night, the Ohio State women’s basketball team welcomed the Maryland Terrapins to the Schottenstein Center. What resulted was a back and forth game, featuring six lead changes and a single possession separating the two sides in a 76-74 Buckeyes defeat — a far cry from their 36-point loss to the Terps back on Feb. 5 in College Park, Maryland.
From the outside looking in, the result isn’t that bad. After all, the night before featured the Scarlet & Gray moving up from No. 16 to No. 12 in the NCAA committee’s top-16 — the almighty ranking showing who’s on track to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Also, Ohio State’s been in strong form over the last couple weeks, convincingly beating their rivals, the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines, and beating the unranked teams they should beat.
Even so, the mood following the win was anything but the team holding their heads up high for an improved performance. Guard Taylor Mikesell, who was honored before the game for senior night, responded to a question about feeling better about this game than their previous defeat.
“As a competitor, no,” said Mikesell. “Because you wanna win the game. We definitely played better but I would say this is the first time Maryland actually played us.”
That first loss on Feb. 5 featured Ohio State losing not only in points, but turnovers and rebounds. It was also the worst shooting performance of the Buckeyes’ season. The complete lapse came on the back end of losing three out of four games, including to top-10 opponents in the Iowa Hawkeyes and Indiana Hoosiers, followed by a surprise defeat to unranked Purdue University.
Friday night, Maryland saw Ohio State near their best. The Buckeyes had their best shooting percentage and efficiency from beyond the arc than any of their previous games against top-10 Big Ten opponents. Four different Buckeyes scored at least double-digit points, and Ohio State out rebounded the Terrapins 42-31.
If anything, that better performance made the defeat even worse.
“Like I told them, it should really really hurt because when you invest as much as energy, effort, togetherness into a game and you don’t get the win it’s really hard,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “It should hurt.”
What makes the pain dig even deeper sits in the number of free throw missed. In a two-point defeat, Ohio State shot 8-for-20 from the charity stripe. A 40% night on free attempts at points. In those 12 misses were two missed with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Entering Friday, the Buckeyes shot 69.5% from the free throw line. Hitting close to that usual percentage gives Ohio State five extra points on the scoreboard, potentially creating an alternate ending where the Terps are pushing for a last second chance.
It’s easy to isolate that and pick it apart, but coach McGuff told his players the opposite.
“Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in the basket but you can always control your effort, your intensity, your competitive spirit,” said McGuff. “We did that, we just need to make one or two more plays.”
Even with the loss, and as painful as it may be, it might be what the Buckeyes need to propel them into the Big Ten Tournament. Look back at that previous 19-0 run and the subsequent 1-4 record in the two weeks following that record start to the season.
As much as Ohio State says they don't look at their record or rankings, the fall to Earth against Iowa and Indiana obviously rattled the team. A defeat in the final regular season game, in a contest where the Buckeyes had a chance to win, is the type of fuel needed to improve and take it into their fourth round matchup against a side that won’t be determined until the night before.
Fortunately, a Big Ten regular season features top teams in the country, and all feature different tactics and talent.
If record is any indicator, the No. 5 seed is most likely to face the Buckeyes on March 3. That’ll be either the Michigan Wolverines, Purdue Boilermakers or Illinois Fighting Illini. Ohio State will take Friday night’s lows and see what they can make out of them in the postseason.
“‘Keep this competitive spirit and fire and take that,’” said coach McGuff to the Buckeyes following the game. “That’s got to be the foundation of what we play on. So, to keep that where its at and then we’ll watch film and make sure we kind of shore up some things that we think we can get better with and go from there.”
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1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
The Buckeyes aren’t looking for moral victories as postseason basketball approaches
On Friday night, the Ohio State women’s basketball team welcomed the Maryland Terrapins to the Schottenstein Center. What resulted was a back and forth game, featuring six lead changes and a single possession separating the two sides in a 76-74 Buckeyes defeat — a far cry from their 36-point loss to the Terps back on Feb. 5 in College Park, Maryland.
From the outside looking in, the result isn’t that bad. After all, the night before featured the Scarlet & Gray moving up from No. 16 to No. 12 in the NCAA committee’s top-16 — the almighty ranking showing who’s on track to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Also, Ohio State’s been in strong form over the last couple weeks, convincingly beating their rivals, the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines, and beating the unranked teams they should beat.
Even so, the mood following the win was anything but the team holding their heads up high for an improved performance. Guard Taylor Mikesell, who was honored before the game for senior night, responded to a question about feeling better about this game than their previous defeat.
“As a competitor, no,” said Mikesell. “Because you wanna win the game. We definitely played better but I would say this is the first time Maryland actually played us.”
That first loss on Feb. 5 featured Ohio State losing not only in points, but turnovers and rebounds. It was also the worst shooting performance of the Buckeyes’ season. The complete lapse came on the back end of losing three out of four games, including to top-10 opponents in the Iowa Hawkeyes and Indiana Hoosiers, followed by a surprise defeat to unranked Purdue University.
Friday night, Maryland saw Ohio State near their best. The Buckeyes had their best shooting percentage and efficiency from beyond the arc than any of their previous games against top-10 Big Ten opponents. Four different Buckeyes scored at least double-digit points, and Ohio State out rebounded the Terrapins 42-31.
If anything, that better performance made the defeat even worse.
“Like I told them, it should really really hurt because when you invest as much as energy, effort, togetherness into a game and you don’t get the win it’s really hard,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “It should hurt.”
What makes the pain dig even deeper sits in the number of free throw missed. In a two-point defeat, Ohio State shot 8-for-20 from the charity stripe. A 40% night on free attempts at points. In those 12 misses were two missed with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Entering Friday, the Buckeyes shot 69.5% from the free throw line. Hitting close to that usual percentage gives Ohio State five extra points on the scoreboard, potentially creating an alternate ending where the Terps are pushing for a last second chance.
It’s easy to isolate that and pick it apart, but coach McGuff told his players the opposite.
“Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in the basket but you can always control your effort, your intensity, your competitive spirit,” said McGuff. “We did that, we just need to make one or two more plays.”
Even with the loss, and as painful as it may be, it might be what the Buckeyes need to propel them into the Big Ten Tournament. Look back at that previous 19-0 run and the subsequent 1-4 record in the two weeks following that record start to the season.
As much as Ohio State says they don't look at their record or rankings, the fall to Earth against Iowa and Indiana obviously rattled the team. A defeat in the final regular season game, in a contest where the Buckeyes had a chance to win, is the type of fuel needed to improve and take it into their fourth round matchup against a side that won’t be determined until the night before.
Fortunately, a Big Ten regular season features top teams in the country, and all feature different tactics and talent.
If record is any indicator, the No. 5 seed is most likely to face the Buckeyes on March 3. That’ll be either the Michigan Wolverines, Purdue Boilermakers or Illinois Fighting Illini. Ohio State will take Friday night’s lows and see what they can make out of them in the postseason.
“‘Keep this competitive spirit and fire and take that,’” said coach McGuff to the Buckeyes following the game. “That’s got to be the foundation of what we play on. So, to keep that where its at and then we’ll watch film and make sure we kind of shore up some things that we think we can get better with and go from there.”
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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Illinois: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Illinois: Game preview and prediction
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
After falling at home to Penn State on Thursday, the Buckeyes are back at Value City Arena today to host Illinois.
Ohio State will try and keep their losing streak from reaching double digits today when they host the Illinois Fighting Illini. Today’s game is not only the second-to-last home game of the year for the Buckeyes, it is also Captain’s Day at Value City Arena, where roughly 30 past and presents captains within the program will be honored at halftime.
On Thursday night, Ohio State hung with Penn State but couldn’t earn their first win in over a month, falling to the Nittany Lions 75-71. The game was tight throughout with 20 lead changes, and seven minutes of game time where the score was tied. The Buckeyes took a 65-64 lead with 6:52 left on a Bruce Thornton jumper. Penn State would regain the lead for good just over a minute later on a Jalen Pickett bucket.
Like last Sunday’s game against Purdue, Ohio State again started four freshmen. Brice Sensabaugh led the team with 20 points, while Bruce Thornton finished with 19 points. Had Thornton scored one more point it would have marked the first time two Buckeye freshmen scored 20 points in a game since D’Angelo Russell and Jae’Sean Tate each went for 20 points against Rutgers in 2015.
Along with Sensabaugh and Thornton, Justice Sueing and Issac Likekele both had a solid game on Thursday night. Sueing fell just a point short of a double-double, finishing with nine points to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists. Likekele also had four assists, seven points, and six rebounds. While those two were working hard, Sean McNeil was ice cold from the field, going 2-of-10 from the field, and 1-of-8 from three-point range.
Sensabaugh leads Ohio State with 16.6 points per game this year, which is fourth in the country among freshmen. The forward is one of just two active Buckeyes averaging double figures in scoring, with Justice Sueing putting in 11.9 points per contest. With 56 three-pointers this year, Sensabaugh has hit the second-most triples by a freshman in school history. D’Angelo Russell holds the mark for most threes by a freshman with 93 makes from behind the arc during his one season in Columbus.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24461299/1469065354.jpg "Northwestern v Illinois")
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
The last time Ohio State won a game was over a month ago. Following the win at home over Iowa, the Buckeyes made the trip to Champaign to face Illinois. Not much went right for Chris Holtmann’s team in that game, as the Fighting Illini took a 34-26 lead into halftime, and led by double digits for most of the second half.
Ohio State shot just 36.7 percent from the field and were out-rebounded 44-30 by Illinois. Sensabaugh scored a team-high 14 points, while Sueing added 13 points in 21 minutes off the bench. Illinois was paced by Terrence Shannon Jr., who finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Three other Illinois players recorded at least 10 points in the victory. Jayden Epps netted 14 points, Matthew Mayer scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds, and Coleman Hawkins finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. The win extended Illinois’ lead in the series to 109-81.
It looked like the Fighting Illini were in trouble last time they took the court. Brad Underwood’s team went into the halftime break in Champaign on Thursday night trailing Northwestern 37-19, and nearly halfway through the second half they hadn’t really cut into the deficit, trailing 52-36 with just over 11 minutes to go in regulation. Illinois would finish the game on a 30-10 run to win their second straight game.
After missing the previous two games due to concussion symptoms, Terrence Shannon Jr. returned to the court for Illinois on Thursday night. The Texas Tech transfer came off the bench and scored 26 points in 28 minutes, including the layup that gave Illinois a 63-61 lead over the Wildcats with 1:16 left in the game. Shannon is averaging 17.3 points per game, which leads the Fighting Illini. The guard does a great job at forcing opponents to foul him, as the 6.3 fouls he draws per 40 minutes is second in the Big Ten behind Purdue’s Zach Edey.
The success of the Fighting Illini this season is surprising considering how much they last from last year’s squad. Underwood was tasked with trying to replace 86 percent of the scoring from last season, 80 percent of the rebounding, and 83 percent of the minutes played. It was a rocky start for Illinois, as thy lost their first three Big Ten games of the season, but have gone 10-4 in conference play since.
An area where Ohio State is going to have to be careful is when they take the basketball near the basket since Illinois is one of the best teams in the country at blocking shots. The Fighting Illini have blocked 162 shots this year, which ties a single-season school record. With 5.8 blocks per game, Illinois leads the Big Ten, and rank third in the country. Matthew Mayer, Dain Dainja, and Coleman Hawkins each have blocked at least 30 shots this season.
While Terrence Shannon Jr. is the team’s leading scorer, Matthew Mayer has been the hottest scorer for Illinois lately. Mayer has reached double figures on the score sheet in seven of the last eight games. In four of those games, Mayer has scored at least 20 points. For the season, Mayer is averaging 12.6 points per game, as well as 5.4 rebounds per game.
Along with Shannon and Mayer, Dain Dainja and Jayden Epps are each averaging at least 10 points per game. Being a freshman, Epps is a bit of a wild card and inconsistent with his play. On Monday, Epps scored 17 points in a win over Minnesota, and then a few days later he failed to score a point against Northwestern. Just behind Epps is Coleman Hawkins, who is averaging 9.8 points per game, and is also contributing 6.4 rebounds per game, as well as 3.0 assists per contest.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24456697/usa_today_20070129.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Penn State at Ohio State")
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
It was encouraging to see Ohio State show some fight and taken Penn State down to the wire on Thursday night. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to snap their losing streak. Ending their losing skid won’t get any easier today against a team in the top-half of the Big Ten standings.
What is worrying about this game for the Buckeyes is how well Illinois uses their length. Ohio State lost a lot of size when Zed Key was ruled out for the rest of the season due to the shoulder injury he suffered. Felix Okpara does have the ability to become a force in the post, but he isn’t quite consistent enough yet with his play. These last few games of the season will help to set the table for a breakout season next year.
On Thursday, Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thornton did all they could to put the team on their backs. Justice Sueing and Issac Likekele contributed to the cause, but it’s obvious that the lack of depth is hurting the Buckeyes, especially late in the Big Ten regular season where everyone is banged up after the grind that conference play has been.
There are a lot of similarities between Illinois and Ohio State. Both teams lost a number of key players from last year’s tournament teams, forcing them to rely heavily on freshmen and transfers. How Illinois has handled this season is how Ohio State had hoped their season has went. This could have been a lost season for the Fighting Illini, but Brad Underwood and his team stayed strong after some early adversity in the season.
While it has to be said that it is tough to win on the road in the Big Ten, apparently it’s not so hard to win in Columbus since teams keep coming to Value City Arena and taking down the Buckeyes. Right now there is no juice with the Ohio State program, so it’s understandable why attendance and excitement is lacking.
With Illinois hosting Michigan on Thursday before closing out the regular season at Purdue, this is a game the Fighting Illini desperately need if they want to stay in the mix for a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Even though Ohio State could play spoiler here, right now they don’t have the depth, length, or positive morale to upset Illinois. The Buckeyes put forth a solid effort, but that only gets them so far.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 54.1%
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
After falling at home to Penn State on Thursday, the Buckeyes are back at Value City Arena today to host Illinois.
Ohio State will try and keep their losing streak from reaching double digits today when they host the Illinois Fighting Illini. Today’s game is not only the second-to-last home game of the year for the Buckeyes, it is also Captain’s Day at Value City Arena, where roughly 30 past and presents captains within the program will be honored at halftime.
On Thursday night, Ohio State hung with Penn State but couldn’t earn their first win in over a month, falling to the Nittany Lions 75-71. The game was tight throughout with 20 lead changes, and seven minutes of game time where the score was tied. The Buckeyes took a 65-64 lead with 6:52 left on a Bruce Thornton jumper. Penn State would regain the lead for good just over a minute later on a Jalen Pickett bucket.
Like last Sunday’s game against Purdue, Ohio State again started four freshmen. Brice Sensabaugh led the team with 20 points, while Bruce Thornton finished with 19 points. Had Thornton scored one more point it would have marked the first time two Buckeye freshmen scored 20 points in a game since D’Angelo Russell and Jae’Sean Tate each went for 20 points against Rutgers in 2015.
Along with Sensabaugh and Thornton, Justice Sueing and Issac Likekele both had a solid game on Thursday night. Sueing fell just a point short of a double-double, finishing with nine points to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists. Likekele also had four assists, seven points, and six rebounds. While those two were working hard, Sean McNeil was ice cold from the field, going 2-of-10 from the field, and 1-of-8 from three-point range.
Sensabaugh leads Ohio State with 16.6 points per game this year, which is fourth in the country among freshmen. The forward is one of just two active Buckeyes averaging double figures in scoring, with Justice Sueing putting in 11.9 points per contest. With 56 three-pointers this year, Sensabaugh has hit the second-most triples by a freshman in school history. D’Angelo Russell holds the mark for most threes by a freshman with 93 makes from behind the arc during his one season in Columbus.
Preview
The last time Ohio State won a game was over a month ago. Following the win at home over Iowa, the Buckeyes made the trip to Champaign to face Illinois. Not much went right for Chris Holtmann’s team in that game, as the Fighting Illini took a 34-26 lead into halftime, and led by double digits for most of the second half.
Ohio State shot just 36.7 percent from the field and were out-rebounded 44-30 by Illinois. Sensabaugh scored a team-high 14 points, while Sueing added 13 points in 21 minutes off the bench. Illinois was paced by Terrence Shannon Jr., who finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Three other Illinois players recorded at least 10 points in the victory. Jayden Epps netted 14 points, Matthew Mayer scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds, and Coleman Hawkins finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. The win extended Illinois’ lead in the series to 109-81.
It looked like the Fighting Illini were in trouble last time they took the court. Brad Underwood’s team went into the halftime break in Champaign on Thursday night trailing Northwestern 37-19, and nearly halfway through the second half they hadn’t really cut into the deficit, trailing 52-36 with just over 11 minutes to go in regulation. Illinois would finish the game on a 30-10 run to win their second straight game.
After missing the previous two games due to concussion symptoms, Terrence Shannon Jr. returned to the court for Illinois on Thursday night. The Texas Tech transfer came off the bench and scored 26 points in 28 minutes, including the layup that gave Illinois a 63-61 lead over the Wildcats with 1:16 left in the game. Shannon is averaging 17.3 points per game, which leads the Fighting Illini. The guard does a great job at forcing opponents to foul him, as the 6.3 fouls he draws per 40 minutes is second in the Big Ten behind Purdue’s Zach Edey.
The success of the Fighting Illini this season is surprising considering how much they last from last year’s squad. Underwood was tasked with trying to replace 86 percent of the scoring from last season, 80 percent of the rebounding, and 83 percent of the minutes played. It was a rocky start for Illinois, as thy lost their first three Big Ten games of the season, but have gone 10-4 in conference play since.
An area where Ohio State is going to have to be careful is when they take the basketball near the basket since Illinois is one of the best teams in the country at blocking shots. The Fighting Illini have blocked 162 shots this year, which ties a single-season school record. With 5.8 blocks per game, Illinois leads the Big Ten, and rank third in the country. Matthew Mayer, Dain Dainja, and Coleman Hawkins each have blocked at least 30 shots this season.
While Terrence Shannon Jr. is the team’s leading scorer, Matthew Mayer has been the hottest scorer for Illinois lately. Mayer has reached double figures on the score sheet in seven of the last eight games. In four of those games, Mayer has scored at least 20 points. For the season, Mayer is averaging 12.6 points per game, as well as 5.4 rebounds per game.
Along with Shannon and Mayer, Dain Dainja and Jayden Epps are each averaging at least 10 points per game. Being a freshman, Epps is a bit of a wild card and inconsistent with his play. On Monday, Epps scored 17 points in a win over Minnesota, and then a few days later he failed to score a point against Northwestern. Just behind Epps is Coleman Hawkins, who is averaging 9.8 points per game, and is also contributing 6.4 rebounds per game, as well as 3.0 assists per contest.
Prediction
It was encouraging to see Ohio State show some fight and taken Penn State down to the wire on Thursday night. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to snap their losing streak. Ending their losing skid won’t get any easier today against a team in the top-half of the Big Ten standings.
What is worrying about this game for the Buckeyes is how well Illinois uses their length. Ohio State lost a lot of size when Zed Key was ruled out for the rest of the season due to the shoulder injury he suffered. Felix Okpara does have the ability to become a force in the post, but he isn’t quite consistent enough yet with his play. These last few games of the season will help to set the table for a breakout season next year.
On Thursday, Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thornton did all they could to put the team on their backs. Justice Sueing and Issac Likekele contributed to the cause, but it’s obvious that the lack of depth is hurting the Buckeyes, especially late in the Big Ten regular season where everyone is banged up after the grind that conference play has been.
There are a lot of similarities between Illinois and Ohio State. Both teams lost a number of key players from last year’s tournament teams, forcing them to rely heavily on freshmen and transfers. How Illinois has handled this season is how Ohio State had hoped their season has went. This could have been a lost season for the Fighting Illini, but Brad Underwood and his team stayed strong after some early adversity in the season.
While it has to be said that it is tough to win on the road in the Big Ten, apparently it’s not so hard to win in Columbus since teams keep coming to Value City Arena and taking down the Buckeyes. Right now there is no juice with the Ohio State program, so it’s understandable why attendance and excitement is lacking.
With Illinois hosting Michigan on Thursday before closing out the regular season at Purdue, this is a game the Fighting Illini desperately need if they want to stay in the mix for a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Even though Ohio State could play spoiler here, right now they don’t have the depth, length, or positive morale to upset Illinois. The Buckeyes put forth a solid effort, but that only gets them so far.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 54.1%
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
LGHL score prediction: Illinois 71, Ohio State 62
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LGHL Game Gallery: No. 16 Ohio State women’s narrow defeat to No. 7 Maryland
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Game Gallery: No. 16 Ohio State women’s narrow defeat to No. 7 Maryland
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
Showing you moments of a game full of action.
Friday night, the Ohio State women’s basketball team faced one the toughest teams in the conference and arguably the nation over the past two weeks. The No. 7 Maryland Terrapins entered Columbus fresh off a 28-point win over the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes.
Considering how Ohio State lost to the three teams (Indiana, Iowa, and Maryland) in front of them in the Big Ten standings, another lopsided defeat would be no surprise. Instead, the Buckeyes and Terrapins swapped leads six times, with it coming down to the final shot going in a fraction of a second too late for the Scarlet & Gray, losing 76-74.
Take a look at some of the action from the game, including senior night honors.
Instagram: @BenColeImaging
Twitter: @BenColeImaging
Website: www.bencoleimaging.com
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1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
Showing you moments of a game full of action.
Friday night, the Ohio State women’s basketball team faced one the toughest teams in the conference and arguably the nation over the past two weeks. The No. 7 Maryland Terrapins entered Columbus fresh off a 28-point win over the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes.
Considering how Ohio State lost to the three teams (Indiana, Iowa, and Maryland) in front of them in the Big Ten standings, another lopsided defeat would be no surprise. Instead, the Buckeyes and Terrapins swapped leads six times, with it coming down to the final shot going in a fraction of a second too late for the Scarlet & Gray, losing 76-74.
Take a look at some of the action from the game, including senior night honors.
Connect with Ben Cole:
Instagram: @BenColeImaging
Twitter: @BenColeImaging
Website: www.bencoleimaging.com
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