The Buckeyes were searching for answers after dropping back-to-back games to subpar Big Ten opponents in their past two outings.
They got a resounding one early against Michigan State, scoring 13 points unanswered before the Spartans got on the board. With a scorching hot offensive effort on Thursday, No. 23 Ohio State stopped its season-worst skid at two games, bouncing back from consecutive upset defeats to beat Tom Izzo and company, 80-69, at home.
| Team | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| #23 OHIO STATE | 43 | 37 | 80 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 33 | 36 | 69 |
With both Zed Key and Kyle Young sidelined, Indiana transfer center Joey Brunk got his third start as a Buckeye and made the most of it. Brunk played his most minutes of the season and scored a season-high 18 points to help lead the Buckeyes to victory.
Four Buckeyes finished in double figures as E.J. Liddell (19) and Malaki Branham (22) had big games as well, and Jamari Wheeler (16) gave Ohio State a major lift as another scoring option on the night.
First Half
Back-to-back 3-point makes on Ohio State’s opening two possessions helped launch the Buckeyes to a 13-0 start before Michigan State got on the board, and Liddell had eight of the first 11 Ohio State points during that stretch.
The Buckeyes hit seven of their first nine shots and four of their first five 3-pointers to start out, and a skyhook from Joey Brunk put Ohio State up 18-4 at the 15:22 mark. Michigan State returned fire with a jumper on the other end, but the Buckeyes still held a 12-point lead at the first media timeout.
The Spartans began to cut into the Ohio State advantage thereafter, as a 7-1 run made it a six-point game at the 11:33 mark, and a Michigan State 3-pointer cut the Buckeye lead to four points two minutes later. The Spartans hit 6-of-8 shots in the same stretch, including four 3-pointers, to make it a 27-25 game with 8:09 to go.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MICHIGAN STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | POINTS | 69 |
| 29-53 (54.7%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 24-53 (45.3%) |
| 9-20 (45%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 9-18 (50%) |
| 13-16 (84.3%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 12-18 (66.7%) |
| 10 | TURNOVERS | 13 |
| 26 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 30 |
| 5 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 10 |
| 21 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 20 |
| 3 | BENCH POINTS | 36 |
| 2 | BLOCKS | 3 |
| 7 | STEALS | 3 |
| 9 | ASSISTS | 11 |
But immediately following that shot, the Buckeyes embarked on a 9-0 run to go back ahead double digits on a Jamari Wheeler 3-pointer. With another three just 1:08 later, Wheeler gave Ohio State a 12-point edge with 4:01 to go in the half.
Ohio State went to halftime with a 10-point lead, 43-33, as the Buckeyes shot 59.3 percent from the floor and 61.5 percent from 3-point range. Wheeler and Brunk combined for 22 points as Liddell poured in 12 of his own.
Second Half
Five minutes into the final period, Ohio State mounted a 15-point lead as it scored 12 of the first 19 points of the half. Brunk scored six of the Buckeyes’ first 17 points to open the half, and an up-and-under from the sixth-year center kept Ohio State ahead 60-45 with 13:27 to play.
Michigan State began making a push through the middle of the half, hitting seven of its first 12 shots to start the period, but the Buckeyes managed to keep the Spartans at bay with a 13-points lead in the final eight minutes.
But Michigan State continued to hit shots late, and cut the Buckeye lead to just 10 points with less than six minutes to play after knocking down three straight shots.
With the Buckeyes up 11 at the 4:31 mark, Liddell got a tough, contested mid-range jumper to fall through contact, and hit the subsequent free throw to put Ohio State ahead by 13 points. Branham upped that lead by another point 40 seconds later with a left-handed dunk over two Spartan defenders.
The Branham dunk was the dagger for all intents and purposes, but a two-handed dunk by Brunk in the final two minutes put a bow on it for the Buckeyes.
What’s Next
Ohio State stays home to close out the regular season schedule in a rematch against Michigan at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Game Notes
- Zed Key missed his second straight game for Ohio State due to an ankle injury suffered in this past Sunday’s loss at Maryland.
- Kyle Young, who started in place of Key against Nebraska before leaving the game early due to an undisclosed illness, was also unavailable for Ohio State on Thursday.
- With Key and Young out, Joey Brunk made his third start in a Buckeye uniform.
- Ohio State split a pair of games with the Spartans during the 2020-21 season, winning the first matchup by 17 before losing by four in a late February meeting.
