The Buckeyes' January struggles continued into Friday night.
While there's still plenty of season left, the game against Indiana, who was also on a two-game losing streak, was about as must-win for Ohio State as a January game could be.
Unfortunately for OSU, it fell short in overtime, losing to the Hoosiers, 77-76, for Ohio State's third-straight loss, all three of which have been by a combined five points.
The Buckeyes were led by John Mobley Jr. (22 points, three rebounds and three assists), Micah Parrish (19 points, four rebounds and three steals) and Bruce Thornton (18 points, six rebounds and three assists). Those three were the only OSU players with more than two made shots Friday night. Indiana was led by Luke Goode (career-high 23 points) and Oumar Ballo (21 points, 15 rebounds and four assists).
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | OT | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INDIANA | 29 | 42 | 6 | 77 |
| OHIO STATE | 35 | 36 | 5 | 76 |
While Thornton had a 3-point shot to potentially win the game as time expired. it went in and out, as the Buckeyes struggled to find any offense in overtime.
Ohio State is now 10-8 overall including just 2-5 in the Big Ten.
First Half
In a back-and-forth affair, OSU scored five of the game's first seven points before Indiana went on a quick 7-2 run. While Mobley struggled to find his shot early on, making just one of his four shot attempts in the opening 20 minutes, Micah Parrish found his groove in the first half, scoring 12 points while making 5-of-7 shots before halftime. Thorton (nine points) was the only other OSU player with more than two made shots in the first 20 minutes.
The Buckeyes eventually led 33-26 – their biggest of the game – before taking a 35-29 lead at halftime.
Ohio State leaned on its defense early on, forcing Indiana to shoot just 33.3% fro the field and a dismal 11.1% from beyond the arc. That said, Ohio State having more turnovers (six) than assists (five) in the first half kept the Hoosiers in the game.
Second Half
| INDIANA | STAT | OHIO STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 77 | POINTS | 76 |
| 27-64 (42%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 28-62 (45%) |
| 6-20 (30%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 8-23 (35%) |
| 17-23 (74%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 12-15 (80%) |
| 10 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 39 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 35 |
| 14 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 9 |
| 25 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 26 |
| 23 | BENCH POINTS | 8 |
| 6 | BLOCKS | 5 |
| 4 | STEALS | 3 |
| 15 | ASSISTS | 10 |
It was a tale of two halves for Indiana's offense. After the Hoosiers struggled offensively in the first half, they shot 55.6% from the field in the second half, including making 4-of-8 3-pointers. Even though Ohio State shot 48.3% from the field and made 5-of-11 shots from distance, IU's efficiency offensively allowed them to come back in the game.
The Buckeyes leaned on Mobley's shot-making prowess, especially from deep, in the second half, as the freshman made 6-of-11 shots (including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc) for 19 second-half points.
After a 3-pointer by Mobley to give OSU a 55-54 lead with nine minutes remaining, Indiana went on a 14-3 run over the next five minutes (including nine straight points in less than two minutes) to give the Hoosiers a commanding 68-58 lead with four minutes left.
But the Buckeyes showed plenty of fight, as Mobley made a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left to tie the score at 71.
BIG TIME SHOT FOR THE BUCKEYES TIE GAME! @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/axSpy5gJ1q
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 18, 2025
The two teams then went scoreless the rest of regulation to force overtime.
Overtime
In what was a low-scoring extra period, overtime started with an impressive sequence by Ivan Njegovan. The freshman made a layup and then made a big-time block to give Ohio State a 73-71 lead. But it was a wide-open 3-pointer by Luke Goode, who finished with a career-high 23 points, that gave Indiana the lead for good.
After Mobley missed a 3-pointer the following position, he was given another shot with a few seconds remaining but his off-balance shot was blocked before bouncing to Bruce Thornton, who missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Hoosiers escape the Buckeyes in Columbus in OT! @IndianaMBB pic.twitter.com/bBRmF5FYmF
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 18, 2025
What's Next
Ohio State travels to West Lafayette on Tuesday night to take on No. 17 Purdue. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 on Peacock.
Game Notes
- Devin Royal missed the game due to a sprained wrist. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Evan Mahaffey.
- The Buckeyes are now 1-4 in January this year and 4-14 in their last three Januaries combined.
