What was once a rough patch has quickly turned into an extended losing streak.
Having already dropped three games in a row, Ohio State headed to Bloomington, Indiana, as a 1.5-point favorite and couldn't return to Columbus victorious. The Buckeyes ran into similar troubles, turning the ball over too frequently and not hitting enough shots, leading to a 66-54 loss to the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| #11 OHIO STATE | 34 | 20 | 54 |
| INDIANA | 31 | 35 | 66 |
Ohio State, which was ranked 11th in the AP Top 25, is now just 11-5 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten.
The Hoosiers pulled out to a double-digit lead with 5:48 remaining, then held onto the edge for the remainder of the game. They had 11 turnovers while Ohio State had 16.
Devonte Green followed up his 26-point performance against the Buckeyes in the 2019 Big Ten Tournament by leading the Hoosiers with 17 points on Saturday. Guard Rob Phinisee added 13 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Collectively, Indiana shot 39.6 percent from the field compared to the Buckeyes' 32.7 percent shooting.
Andre Wesson did his best to keep the Buckeyes in the game, scoring 15 points by hitting 5-of-9 shots. He especially helped keep Ohio State close with Indiana in the opening 20 minutes.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | INDIANA |
|---|---|---|
| 54 | POINTS | 66 |
| 17-52 (32.7%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 20-49 (40.8%) |
| 9-26 (34.6%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 6-12 (50.0%) |
| 11-19 (57.9%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 20-36 (55.6%) |
| 16 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 36 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 35 |
| 10 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 8 |
| 26 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 27 |
| 18 | BENCH POINTS | 31 |
| 3 | BLOCKS | 4 |
| 3 | STEALS | 11 |
| 8 | ASSISTS | 10 |
Ohio State faced an early first-half deficit, with Indiana making eight of its first 11 shots and opening the game 4-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Hoosiers lead reached nine points with 9:57 remaining in the first half, but they proceeded to make no field goals the remainder of the half, with their only points coming on six free throws. With Indiana in an 0-for-13 offensive spell, the Buckeyes took advantage and went on an 18-6 run to enter halftime with a 34-31 advantage.
They quickly lost the lead, going scoreless for the first six minutes of the second half before eventually tying it up again with 12:21 remaining in the game.
Kyle Young, who missed the previous two games after an appendectomy, returned to the starting lineup on Saturday. He had one point and three rebounds in 22 minutes.
Next Up: Ohio State returns to Columbus to take on Nebraska on Tuesday. The game will tip off at 6:30 p.m. and will be shown on Fox Sports 1.
Other Notes
- Duane Washington Jr. was removed from the game after defensive lapses and played only eight total minutes.
- Justin Ahrens played a few minutes in the second half, as Holtmann tried to find any way to spark his team offensively.
- Luther Muhammad came off the bench for the first time since Ohio State lost to Houston in the second round of the 2019 NCAA tournament.
- Point guard CJ Walker, an Indianapolis native, started for the Buckeyes. Musa Jallow, a wing from Bloomington, was also in attendance. He hasn't played since having preseason ankle surgery.
- Young grabbed an offensive rebound just before the under-16 timeout in the first half. It was his first quintessential play since returning to action, highlighting what he offers the team.
- Indiana football head coach Tom Allen was in attendance. At halftime, a bunch of former Indiana basketball players were honored on the court. It was rumored that former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight might also be in Assembly Hall, but he did not show up.
