In Stopping Four-Game Losing Streak, Ohio State Feels 'Sense of Relief'

By Tim Shoemaker on December 5, 2015 at 7:45 pm
Trevor Thompson against VMI.
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As the final buzzer sounded, what was left of the 12,132-member crowd inside the Schottenstein Center erupted with what was arguably its loudest cheer of the evening. It was probably a mix of excitement and sarcasm, but it was most likely a collective sigh of relief.

Ohio State had finally won a basketball game.

It seemed like it had been months since the Buckeyes had last claimed a victory before Saturday’s 89-62 win over Virginia Military Institute. Ohio State had been in the middle of a four-game losing streak and hadn’t won since Nov. 17 before its 27-point win against the Keydets.

“It’s definitely a different feeling, there’s definitely a different atmosphere in the locker room,” junior forward Marc Loving said. “It feels good to get a win under our belt, but we still have a lot to work on.”

A different feeling indeed. The Buckeyes hadn’t felt this way in quite some time after going through that brutal stretch that lasted nearly three weeks since their last win.

Ohio State dominated from the jump, grabbing a 10-point lead less than seven minutes into the game. And after VMI battled back and held a brief 23-22 lead, the Buckeyes never trailed again.

Ohio State used its significant size advantage to outrebound the Keydets by 21 and outscored VMI by 26 points in the paint. Loving (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Trevor Thompson (13 points, 10 boards) each recorded double-doubles while Jae’Sean Tate scored 19 and Keita Bates-Diop added 12 for the Buckeyes, who were playing without starting center Daniel Giddens. Giddens missed the game due to illness and is expected back Tuesday when Ohio State hosts Air Force.

“I think that we played better today,” Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said. “The No. 1 thing I’m proud of is nine turnovers. That’s been a focal point of what we’ve been trying to do in terms of taking care of the basketball. Moving the basketball is something that we’ve got to continue to build on and I thought we sprayed the ball around, we had more movement and more flow in what we were doing and that was a good sign for us.”

Now that Ohio State has snapped its skid, the Buckeyes hope to build some momentum going forward.  

“We want to be able to keep this one-game winning streak going,” Loving joked.

Games against VMI were ones Ohio State was expected to win when the team’s schedule was revealed, but if the first month to this season has taught us anything it’s that with this youthful group there’s no such thing as a sure thing.

That’s why the cheers inside the Schottenstein Center were so loud come the end of the game. Nothing can be assumed with this year’s version of the Buckeyes and that’s precisely why there was a sense of relief amongst the team.

“I feel like it’s definitely a sense of relief,” Thompson said. “We’re a young team, but we’re still hungry and I feel like this game we grew a lot.”

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