For the second year in a row, Ohio State has begun the month of January unable to either score or win.
The No. 11 Buckeyes dropped a third game in a row on Tuesday, heading on the road to College Park and falling, 67-55, to No. 12 Maryland in a matchup of two of the three highest ranked Big Ten teams. Their record fell to 11-4, and they now hold a wholly unremarkable 1-3 mark in the conference.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| #11 OHIO STATE | 22 | 33 | 55 |
| #12 MARYLAND | 28 | 39 | 67 |
Due to their typically stout defense, the Buckeyes remained within reach of the Terrapins, leading for the first 10 minutes of the first half and not allowing the deficit to creep to double digits until midway through the second half. But due to a porous offense, they never capitalized on their opportunities for a possible comeback.
For the third game in a row, Ohio State experienced offensive woes that it couldn't overcome. After shooting 31.3 percent in a loss to West Virginia and 40.4 percent in a loss to Wisconsin, the team hit just 31.3 percent of its shots against the Terrapins, unable to find any consistent buckets.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MARYLAND |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | POINTS | 67 |
| 21-67 (31.3%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 21-46 (45.7%) |
| 5-27 (18.5%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 8-18 (44.4%) |
| 8-10 (80%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 17-24 (70.8%) |
| 14 | TURNOVERS | 15 |
| 39 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 36 |
| 17 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 6 |
| 22 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 30 |
| 5 | BENCH POINTS | 12 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 5 |
| 6 | STEALS | 3 |
| 12 | ASSISTS | 13 |
Collectively, the Buckeyes shot 31.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc on 27 attempts. Luther Muhammad, CJ Walker and Duane Washington Jr. missed all 15 of their triples. Conversely, Maryland, which has struggled from beyond the arc for the majority of the season, connected on 44.4 percent of its 3s.
Anthony Cowan Jr. led the Terrapins with 20 points. Four other Maryland players had at least seven points, including Jalen Smith who scored 11 points and pulled down seven boards.
The Terrapins never went on a run of more than six straight points and didn't hit more than two shots from the field in a row, but it was enough for the win.
Kaleb Wesson had a team-high 15 points and nine rebounds but also committed four turnovers and four fouls. His older brother, Andre Wesson, scored 14 points. DJ Carton made his first career start, replacing CJ Walker who came off the bench due to an illness, and had 14 points, three assists and three turnovers.
Next up: Ohio State continues its stretch of road games in Bloomington, Indiana, when it takes on the Hoosiers on Saturday. The game will tip off at noon and will be televised on Fox.
Other Notes
- Kyle Young missed his second game in a row after having his appendix removed nine days ago. He's considered "game to game," Holtmann said on Monday.
- Justin Ahrens and Walker were the first two bench players to sub into the game. Both entered the game before the under-16 timeout.
- Alonzo Gaffney also played three minutes in the first half. The freshman recorded two fouls and two turnovers in his first-half minutes. The freshman did not play in the prior game versus Wisconsin.
- Maryland entered Tuesday having won five of the past six meetings between the two teams, and the dominance continued.
- The Terrapins only made one 2-point basket in the first half, hitting seven triples instead.
