Having already suffered six losses at the Schottenstein Center this season, Ohio State closed out its home slate on a high note.
| Team | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 35 | 38 | 73 |
| #21 MARYLAND | 29 | 33 | 62 |
The Buckeyes didn’t let Maryland spoil Senior Night as they avenged a Jan. 8 loss to the Terrapins with a 73-62 win on Wednesday. Three days after snapping a nine-game skid, Ohio State is back on a multi-game winning streak for the first time since the start of January.
Ohio State built a double-digit lead behind a hot shooting start in the opening five minutes and took a two-possession lead to halftime. The Buckeyes stayed in control early in the second half, increasing their edge to 13 points before Maryland threatened to make a late run.
But Ohio State didn’t cave. Several Buckeyes made huge plays on both sides of the floor down the stretch to keep the Terps at bay. With 3:31 to play, Justice Sueing knocked down the dagger for Ohio State, a 3-pointer from the wing that put the Buckeyes up 15 points.
Six Buckeyes finished in double figures as Ohio State played inspired basketball for the second straight contest, and now appear to have picked up some much-needed momentum with just one game remaining in the regular season.
Justice Sueing led the way with 16 points for the Buckeyes and went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line on a night when Ohio State didn't miss any of its 20 attempts from the charity stripe. Felix Okpara had his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 boards and Isaac Likekele's 11 points were his second-most of the year.
First Half
Ohio State came storming out of the gate early to take a 10-point lead before five minutes passed. All three seniors scored during a 12-0 run for Ohio State, and after back-to-back buckets by Isaac Likekele, Maryland was forced to take a timeout down 14-4.
Maryland stopped the run with two straight makes after that but turned the ball over six times in the first 13 minutes and allowed Likekele to keep making plays for the Buckeyes. After a steal by the senior guard at 7:12, Likekele converted on an and-one layup to give Ohio State a 25-15 edge.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MARYLAND |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | POINTS | 62 |
| 24-50 (48.0%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 22-50 (44.0%) |
| 5-14 (35.7%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 7-19 (36.8%) |
| 20-20 (100%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 11-15 (73.3%) |
| 12 | TURNOVERS | 10 |
| 32 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 24 |
| 9 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 8 |
| 23 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 16 |
| BENCH POINTS | 15 | |
| 6 | BLOCKS | 3 |
| 3 | STEALS | 1 |
| 9 | ASSISTS | 9 |
The Buckeyes returned the favor with a bad pass of their own a little over two minutes later, though, and the Terrapins capitalized with a 3-pointer to cut the Ohio State lead to just four points. The long-range make capped a quick 6-0 Maryland run.
Ohio State went back up by nine thereafter, but the Terps made it a six-point game, 35-29, by halftime. Sean McNeil and Likekele combined to score 19 points for the Buckeyes and didn’t miss on seven total attempts from the floor.
Both sides shot better than 53% from the field, and the Buckeyes hit 57.1% of their 3-point attempts. Ohio State got the better of the rebounding battle in the first 20 minutes (13-11) and committed two fewer turnovers.
Second Half
The Buckeyes scored seven of the first nine points in the period and a pair of Justice Sueing free throws put Ohio State back ahead by double digits at the 17:39 mark. OSU only built on that advantage as an intentional foul on the Terps gave Brice Sensabaugh two free throws, which he sank, as well as possession of the ball. Sensabaugh then hit a fadeaway midrange jumper to close out a four-point possession that gave his team a 46-33 lead.
Maryland stayed within a few possessions of the Buckeyes by hitting several timely 3-pointers, and began ramping up its full-court press while trailing by nine points with eight minutes and change to play.
Likelele, who scored in double figures for just the second time all season, fouled out with 6:33 to play, and Maryland cut the deficit to eight points at the free-throw line as a result. But the Buckeyes countered with an alley-oop dunk by Felix Okpara on a Sensabaugh pass in transition.
Ohio State then strung together a key stretch of standout plays to remain in control late. First, Sueing scored on a putback layup off an offensive rebound to put Ohio State back up by double digits. Then Okpara blocked a Terrapin attempt in the lane on the following possession, which ignited a Thornton layup at the other end. With 4:34 to play, Maryland called timeout facing a 64-52 deficit in Columbus.
Sueing blew the top off the Schott with 3:31 to play, nailing a triple to give Ohio State a commanding 67-52 lead from which Maryland had no hope to come back.
Maryland managed to cut the deficit to single digits again thereafter, but by then it was too little too late for the Terps.
Game Notes
- Justice Sueing, Sean McNeil and Isaac Likekele were honored before the game as part of Ohio State’s Senior Night ceremony. All three started the game for the Buckeyes.
Senior Night at the Schott: pic.twitter.com/SJKnJuuDu2
— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 1, 2023
- Bruce Thornton and Felix Okpara were the only non-seniors in the starting lineup for Ohio State.
- Maryland beat Ohio State, 80-73, in College Park in the teams’ first matchup of the season on Jan. 8.
- Even before the game, Ohio State was already locked in as the 13th seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will play in the first game of the event next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Chicago.
- The Buckeyes finish their regular-season schedule on the road against Michigan State on Sunday.
