Ohio State has endured plenty of scoring droughts of between three and six minutes this season, and the team's inability to score for a five-minute stretch against Maryland on Saturday doomed it.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE (17-10) | 28 | 34 | 62 |
| MARYLAND (21-7) | 33 | 39 | 72 |
The Terrapins held a three-point lead after Andre Wesson jammed a reverse dunk in transition with 16:25 remaining. But the Buckeyes proceeded to not score a point for more than five minutes, allowing Maryland to go on a 13-0 run and take a 52-36 lead. Ohio State responded with a 18-5 run to pull back within two points, but it was too late.
The No. 24 Terrapins held off the Buckeyes for a 72-62 win Saturday at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland. Ohio State's overall record fell to 17-10, and it dropped to 7-9 in the Big Ten.
Justin Ahrens hit a 3-pointer to get the Buckeyes within two points with 5:27 remaining, but Maryland scored seven straight point to retake the lead. The Terrapins held the lead for the entirety of the second half.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MARYLAND |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | POINTS | 72 |
| 23-63 (36.5%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 23-47 (48.9%) |
| 11-33 (33.3%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 6-17 (35.3%) |
| 5-7 (71.4%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 20-25 (80%) |
| 7 | TURNOVERS | 15 |
| 28 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 40 |
| 10 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 10 |
| 18 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 30 |
| 20 | BENCH POINTS | 23 |
| 3 | BLOCKS | 5 |
| 9 | STEALS | 3 |
| 14 | ASSISTS | 12 |
Maryland both outshot (48.9 percent compared to 36.5 percent) and out-rebounded (40 to 28 boards) Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes had just seven turnovers compared to the Terrapins who coughed the ball up 15 times.
Anthony Cowan Jr. led Maryland with 17 points, and Serrel Smith Jr. added 14 points. Bruno Fernando had 13 points.
Duane Washington Jr. and Keyshawn Woods both stepped up in place of C.J. Jackson, who did not play due to a shoulder injury. Washington had 15 points, and Woods scored 10 points. All of Woods' points came in the first half. Andre Wesson dropped 13 points.
With Maryland's victory, the Terrapins completed the regular-season sweep of the Buckeyes. They beat Ohio State, 75-61, on Jan. 18 in Columbus.
Next up: Ohio State heads back to Columbus and will take on Iowa at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Hawkeyes beat the Buckeyes 72-62 in Iowa City, Iowa, on Jan. 12. The game will be broadcasted on BTN.
Game Notes
- C.J. Jackson, Ohio State's starting point guard, missed the game with a shoulder injury. He is day to day.
- Freshman forward Justin Ahrens made his first career start. He had appeared in 17 games, averaging 6.4 minutes, but had never been inserted into the starting lineup.
- With Jackson out, Keyshawn Woods entered the starting five. Holtmann has said Woods prefers to come off the bench, but he went with the redshirt senior alongside Muhammad in the backcourt.
- Ahrens and Woods started alongside Luther Muhammad, Andre Wesson and Kaleb Wesson, becoming the eighth starting five Holtmann has used this season.
- This was Holtmann's first time ever coaching at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland.
