Ohio State's Big Ten tournament run has come to an end.
The Buckeyes beat Indiana, 79-75, on Thursday to earn a win necessary for their NCAA tournament hopes, but they couldn't maintain the momentum into the next round of the conference tournament. Top-seeded Michigan State defeated eighth-seeded Ohio State, 77-70, to advance to the semifinals and end the Buckeyes' play in the Big Ten tournament. A 16-0 run from the Buckeyes near the end of the game turned what was a blowout for the majority of the second half into a tighter game.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE (19-14) | 30 | 40 | 70 |
| MICHIGAN STATE (26-6) | 36 | 41 | 77 |
But boosted by the return of Kaleb Wesson, the eighth-seeded Buckeyes kept their hopes alive by defeating ninth-seeded Indiana, 79-75, in the second round of the Big Ten tournament on Thursday at the United Center in Chicago.
The Buckeyes had to hold off a late push from the Hoosiers.
Ohio State pulled out to a 20-point lead with 7:30 remaining. But a 13-0 run from Indiana, which was highlighted by a vintage scoring rut from the Buckeyes, ultimately allowed the Hoosiers to cut the lead to two points in the final seconds. Ohio State didn't allow the Hoosiers to trim the deficit any further, though, and held onto the win.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MICHIGAN STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | POINTS | 77 |
| 24-52 (46.2%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 26-50 (52.0%) |
| 12-26 (46.2%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 7-17 (41.2%) |
| 10-10 (100%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 18-21 (85.7%) |
| 15 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 24 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 27 |
| 5 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 6 |
| 19 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 21 |
| 18 | BENCH POINTS | 24 |
| 1 | BLOCKS | 3 |
| 6 | STEALS | 8 |
| 19 | ASSISTS | 20 |
With the victory against the Hoosiers, Ohio State likely has a spot in the NCAA tournament, but the loss to the Spartans did nothing to aid their chances of ending up on the right side of the bubble.
Michigan State, boosted by an unexpected contribution from Foster Loyer's 14 points in 18 minutes off the bench, shot 52 percent from the field and went 7-for-17 from 3-point range. Cassius Winston scored a team-high 18 points, adding seven rebounds and five assists.
The Buckeyes battled fouls for the majority of the game. Kaleb Wesson picked up his fifth foul of the game with 9:42 remaining after subbing in for just six seconds. Five players had at least three fouls. Without Wesson, who fouled out with Ohio State trailing by 10 points, the Buckeyes floundered and fell further and further behind.
Keyshawn Woods, who had 18 points and hit 9-of-13 shots against Indiana, stayed hot with 16 points (5-for-8). Andre Wesson had to go to the locker room for a few minutes after suffering a sprained ankle, but he eventually returned to the game and had 14 points. The Buckeyes went 12-for-26 from beyond the arc.
Ohio State turned the ball over 14 times, with seven different players coughing it up. Michigan State committed just 10 turnovers and scored 20 points off turnovers.
No Buckeye player had more than three rebounds, and Michigan State had a three-board edge.
Michigan State pulled off a season sweep of Ohio State. The Spartans beat the Buckeyes in Columbus in January (86-77) and also won in East Lansing, Michigan, in February (62-44).
Game Notes
- Ohio State rolled out the same starting five – C.J. Jackson, Keyshawn Woods, Musa Jallow, Andre Wesson and Kaleb Wesson – that it used in its 79-75 win against Indiana on Thursday.
- The Buckeyes had just five turnovers in their first game against Michigan State and 15 turnovers in their second game. On Friday, they turned the ball over 14 times.
- Both Kaleb Wesson and Nick Ward were called for flagrant 1 fouls, and both happened due to elbows to the head of defenders.
