Ohio State goes on run to end first half, opens up significant lead over Michigan State

Ohio State and Michigan State played a close game until the Buckeyes went on a run to end the first half to go into the locker room up 12.

The Ohio State basketball team is back in action Sunday, taking on a reeling Michigan State squad looking to turn its season around. So far, so good. The Spartans came out looking more motivated and playing with more purpose, but the Buckeyes closed the half with a burst to lead 42-30 going into the locker room.

For the Buckeyes, it’s been a much better defensive effort with better on-the-ball pressure than we’ve seen in a while. Offensively, OSU is shooting the ball under 50 percent from the floor, but it has taken very good care of the basketball, allowing just one turnover through the first twenty minutes. The pace of the game has resulted in a higher volume of shots for the Buckeyes.

E.J. Liddell again leads Ohio State with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting with one 3-pointer. Justin Ahrens has seven points, with six others putting the ball through the hoop in the first twenty minutes.

Look for Michigan State to come out hard early in the second half. The Spartans have their back against the wall and desperately need a statement win. This would count as one.

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