With only a few minutes remaining on Sunday's game, Ryan Day was posted up to the left of Gene Smith in the athletic director's press box when the Schottenstein Center showed a Michigan fan on the screen with a thought bubble: "Just like in football." The Wolverines fan took it like a champ, smirking and looking down at the ground. He knew it was correct.
| TEAMS | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| #23 OHIO STATE | 32 | 45 | 77 |
| #19 MICHIGAN | 29 | 34 | 63 |
Powered by a 13-5 run to end the game, Ohio State followed up its February road win against Michigan by beating the Wolverines, 77-63, to sweep the regular season at the Schottenstein Center on Sunday.
By beating the Wolverines, Ohio State ensured it wouldn't finish below .500 in the Big Ten. Its record improved to 20-9 overall and 10-8 in the conference.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MICHIGAN |
|---|---|---|
| 77 | POINTS | 63 |
| 27-57 (47%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 25-56 (45%) |
| 11-21 (52%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 7-26 (27%) |
| 6-8 (75%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 12-13 (92%) |
| 9 | TURNOVERS | 12 |
| 32 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 30 |
| 4 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 4 |
| 28 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 26 |
| 4 | BENCH POINTS | 12 |
| 3 | BLOCKS | 3 |
| 4 | STEALS | 5 |
| 13 | ASSISTS | 16 |
With Kaleb Wesson struggling to get much going offensively against Jon Teske and Austin Davis until late in the game, Duane Washington Jr. caught fire from the perimeter, hitting five of his first six 3-pointers. He finished with a game-high 20 points.
Five Buckeyes finished in double-figures, helping the team go 11-for-21 from behind the arc.
Both Kaleb Wesson (14 points) and Andre Wesson (14 points) banked in 3-pointers late in the second half. CJ Walker made important plays down the stretch, recording 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Luther Muhammad scored 10 points.
Ohio State took control of the first half after five lead changes and two ties when Andre Wesson scored in the paint with 8:27 remaining to spark a 10-point run for the home team. A layup from E.J. Liddell with 4:39 remaining before halftime stretched the Buckeyes' lead out to a half-high of eight points before they went cold, allowing Michigan to chop the deficit to three points by the time the half ended.
A 9-0 run early in the second half gave Michigan a 38-34 lead with 17:32 remaining. Ohio State responded with an eight-point lead, previewing what became a back-and-forth second half.
Next up: Ohio State remains in Columbus to face Illinois at the Schottenstein Center on Thursday. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be shown on ESPN.
Other Notes
- Chris Holtmann stuck with the same starting lineup for the second game in a row: CJ Walker, Luther Muhammad, Duane Washington Jr., Andre Wesson and Kaleb Wesson.
- With Kyle Young sitting out with a high ankle sprain and Alonzo Gaffney not in attendance with an illness, Ohio State only had eight healthy, eligible players on Sunday. DJ Carton remained on a leave of absence, Musa Jallow is redshirting after having ankle surgery and Justice Sueing is sitting out after transferring.
- Former boxer Buster Douglas was at the game. He's a frequent visitor to the Schottenstein Center, having watched the Buckeyes play
- Football head coach Ryan Day, athletic director Gene Smith and president Michael Drake were in attendance.
- Ohio State commits Kalen Etzler and Meechie Johnson were visiting for the Ohio State-Michigan game. It was the second straight game visiting for Etzler and Johnson. 2022 C Shawn Phillips and 2022 SG Roddy Gayle were also there.
- Ohio State's women's track and field team was honored during halftime after winning the Big Ten championship on Saturday.
