Seven days ago, Ohio State demolished Michigan 52-34 in the second half, shooting 71.4% that period to catalyze an 84-61 victory.
The Buckeyes looked just as good in the second half against Rutgers after a one-week layoff.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 30 | 43 | 73 |
| RUTGERS | 28 | 23 | 51 |
Across the final 20 minutes, Ohio State (19-12, 9-11 Big Ten) dismantled the Scarlet Knights (15-16, 7-13 Big Ten) 43-23 and shot 57.7% from the floor en route to a 73-51 victory to close its regular season on a four-game winning streak.
Despite some tight moments in the first half, the only time Rutgers was so much as tied with Ohio State was at 0-0.
Five players – Roddy Gayle Jr., Jamison Battle, Felix Okpara, Bruce Thornton and Dale Bonner – scored at least nine points for the Buckeyes. Gayle paced the team with 14. Okpara tacked on eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Rutgers was held to a dismal 27.3% from the field for the contest. That included a 23.1% mark in the second half.
First half
Ohio State opened on an 8-0 run, getting three-pointers from Battle and Gayle and a putback layup from Okpara. That run extended to 11-1 as Rutgers' offense limped out of the gate, shooting 0-for-11 from the field to start the game.
It took 7:28 of game time before center Emmanuel Ogbole dunked home the Scarlet Knight's first made field goal.
Buckeye freshman guard Taison Chatman banked home a triple in response and Ohio State led 14-5 at the under-12 media timeout.
Compounding Rutgers' issues was some foul trouble. Star center Clifford Omoruyi picked up two fouls in the first 2:38 of the contest while leading scorer Jeremiah Williams also picked up two whistles in the first 7:38.
Forward Aundre Hyatt scored five points in a row to pull Rutgers back within four, but Ohio State again answered with a 9-3 extended run featuring a three from Bonner and a pretty floater for Thornton's first field goal. The Buckeyes led 25-15 with 5:18 to play in the half.
From there, the lead bounced between five and nine points before the Scarlet Knights closed the half on an 8-1 run. Omoruyi scored five points in the final four minutes of the period after his reentry.
Rutgers shot only 31% from the field in the opening 20 minutes but trailed just 30-28 at halftime thanks to nine Ohio State turnovers and 10 points off of those takeaways.
Second half
| OHIO STATE | STAT | RUTGERS |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | POINTS | 51 |
| 24-48 (50.0%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 15-55 (27.3%) |
| 9-20 (45.0%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 4-18 (22.2%) |
| 16-21 (76.2%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 16-22 (72.7%) |
| 15 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 39 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 33 |
| 6 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 13 |
| 33 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 20 |
| 26 | BENCH POINTS | 24 |
| 8 | BLOCKS | 4 |
| 5 | STEALS | 8 |
| 14 | ASSISTS | 7 |
Okpara became the first Buckeye to break double-figures in the scoring column as the second period got underway, knocking down two free throws and a strong layup. A steal-and-slam from guard Jamichael Davis regained momentum for Rutgers, though.
The Scarlet Knights pulled back within a possession at 36-33, but Battle nailed an open triple and Gayle coupled a circus scoop layup with a downtown knockdown of his own, capping an 8-0 Ohio State run to make it a 44-33 ballgame.
About three minutes later, guard Scotty Middleton intercepted a pass and ran coast-to-coast for a layup that extended the Buckeyes’ lead, which was soon pushed to 17 points by back-to-back triples from Thornton and Middleton.
A Devin Royal dunk and Gayle layup pushed the advantage to 56-37 as Omoruyi fouled out for Rutgers seconds later. More than seven minutes still remained on the clock, but the game already felt as though it were over.
An ensuing alley-oop from Battle to Gayle extended the edge to 21, capping a quick 6-0 Buckeye run.
After Rutgers cut the lead to 62-45, six consecutive points from Bonner made the lead 68-45 with 3:37 to play and Ohio State cruised to a comfortable win from there.
What's next
Ohio State travels to Minneapolis for the Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes secured a first-round bye and will begin Big Ten Tournament play in the second round on Thursday as either the No. 9 or 10 seed.
Ohio State will be the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament if Maryland beats Penn State on Sunday night. The Buckeyes will be the No. 10 seed if the Nittany Lions defeat the Terrapins.
Game notes
- Okpara pulled in seven first-half rebounds, as many as he's collected in any full game since Feb. 2 at Iowa, when he had eight.
- Gayle went 2-of-3 from behind the arc, his first time making a three-pointer since Feb. 13 at Wisconsin. Ohio State's shooting guard had gone 0-for-8 from outside across the last five games.
- Rutgers’ 51 points were the fewest the Buckeyes allowed in a Big Ten game since Feb. 15, 2022, when they held Minnesota to 45.
