If Ohio State hadn't hit rock bottom, Saturday's outcome against Nebraska might just be it.
Glynn Watson Jr.'s and-one with 11.3 seconds to go gave Nebraska its first lead since early in the game at 58-57. Jae'Sean Tate's desperation 3-pointer with under a second remaining after a timeout fell off the rim to give Tim Miles's team the win.
It is the Nebraska's first-ever victory in Columbus. Watson Jr. ended with 14 points and along with Tai Webster (17 points) paced Nebraska.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 30 | 27 | 57 |
| NEBRASKA | 24 | 34 | 58 |
Jack McVeigh's 3-pointer in the corner capped a 9-0 run by the Cornhuskers and tied the game at 43 with 8:55 left. A pair of free throws from Marc Loving, Tate's tip-in and Trevor Thompson's layup gave the Buckeyes (15-13, 5-10 Big Ten) breathing room at 54-47 around the 3:30-mark.
But it wasn't enough, as the Buckeyes lost their third straight game.
McVeigh's layup made it a two-point game 2 minutes later. With a chance to tie or take the lead on the next possession, Webster traveled. Loving and McVeigh then exchanged 3-pointers before Glynn Jr.'s drive and score. McVeigh tallied 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting for Nebraska, who is now 12-14 overall and 6-8 in conference play.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | NEBRASKA |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | POINTS | 58 |
| 19–46 (41%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 23–60 (38%) |
| 5–17 (29%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 8–19 (42%) |
| 14–20 (70%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 4–9 (44%) |
| 18 | TURNOVERS | 13 |
| 35 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 35 |
| 6 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 10 |
| 29 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 25 |
| 8 | BENCH POINTS | 23 |
| 1 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 5 | STEALS | 6 |
| 10 | ASSISTS | 10 |
Tate led the Buckeyes with 14 points and 10 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season. Loving finished with 13 points but made only 3-of-10 shots. Thompson also tallied 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
A woeful shooting performance beset both teams early in the first half, which ended with the Buckeyes ahead 30-24. Loving's 3-pointer represented Ohio State's first field goal of the game at just more than 4 minutes in and put the Buckeyes ahead 6-5. Their lead swelled to as many as 11 points after a layup by Tate six minutes later.
But Nebraska's decision to switch to a 2-3 zone forced Ohio State into some turnovers and bad shots. Webster made five of his first six shots in the game and the Cornhuskers lurched closer just before halftime. The Buckeyes shot 41 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes; Nebraska connected on just 33 percent of its attempts.
Ed Morrow Jr. chipped in 10 points off the bench for Nebraska but fouled out.
Ohio State next returns to the court on Thursday night when it hosts league-leading Wisconsin. Tipoff between the Buckeyes and Badgers is set for 9 p.m.
