It looked like it was going to be a nip and tuck affair with Ohio State leading by just five points at halftime, but OSU took control using solid defense and toughness to win handily, 73-55, against a ranked Wisconsin team Saturday afternoon.
The Buckeyes hit a rough patch midway through the first half with some ill-advised turnovers, and it allowed the Badgers to build an eight-point lead. Then the tide turned.
OSU turned up the defensive pressure, hit the boards hard, and started to make shots to reel Wisconsin back in and take control of the game. It was much of the same in the second half.
It could have been different if the Badgers had a better shooting night. You have to credit the Buckeye defense for making life difficult on that end of the court, but the Badgers missed a ton of open looks and made just 22-of-65 (32.8%) shots from the floor.
It was a different story for OSU. The Buckeyes shot well, knocking down 29-of-58 shots (50.0%) against a very good defense.
E.J. Liddell was again a beast for the Buckeyes. He led all scorers with 28 points, making 11-of-16 from the floor, and pulled down nine rebounds, and had two blocks in the game.
OSU was also stronger with the ball in the second half. After turning it over ten times in the first half, Ohio State cut that down to just four in the second half.
BING BONG ANOTHER DUB#GoBucks #Team123 pic.twitter.com/xrxPmzAYtt
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 11, 2021
With the win, the Buckeyes improve their record to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. They now have a week off before traveling to Las Vegas to take on Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic next Saturday.
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