The losing and bad basketball continued for Ohio State in Iowa City on Thursday night in a 92-75 loss. In a season of competitive calamity, that trend continued as soon as Iowa put a run together to end the first half.
The Buckeyes actually looked like they knew what the game of basketball was for most of the first half, but then stumbled and bumbled their way through forced possessions and turnovers that allowed a one-point lead to salt away to a 47-36 deficit heading into halftime.
It got worse from there.
The Buckeyes came out in the second half and continued to pick up their dribble in bad spots, dribble into traffic, clang shots off the rim with good looks, and turn the ball over far too many times. This team may not win a game the rest of the year.
Sean McNeil had a monster game, but that was about all that went right. He made every single field goal he attempted, going 4-of-4 from three-point range and hitting on three other two-point buckets to lead OSU with 20 points. Brice Sensabaugh (16 points) and Bruce Thorton (11) also finished in double figures.
But it wasn’t nearly enough, especially when the opponent had 65 field goal attempts to just 49 for the Buckeyes. That’s simply not going to win many basketball games. Not at home, not on the road, and not on moon.
Final in Iowa City.
OSU: 75
IOWA: 92 pic.twitter.com/HMHLn3A8JB— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 17, 2023
Even more troubling for Ohio State was an injury for Zed Key that clearly isn’t getting any better. He continues to show signs of more and more pain and anguish. He left the game in the second half after holding his shoulder on more than one occasion and you have to wonder when the coaching staff will decide it’s time to shelve him for the season with little left to play for.
With the loss, the Buckeyes have dropped their seventh straight and 12 of their last 13. It’s about as sure as a bet as you can find over the last one hundred years or so that OSU will make that eight losses in a row and 13-of-15 at Purdue this weekend.
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