Early adversity was not enough to blemish the Buckeyes’ perfect home record on Tuesday.
Despite trailing Minnesota at halftime, Ohio State improved to 11-0 at the Schottenstein Center with the help of a spirited second-half performance. The 18th-ranked Buckeyes topped the Gophers, 70-45, to sweep the season series against Minnesota with their second victory over the Gophers in the past two-and-a-half weeks.
| Team | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| #18 OHIO STATE | 23 | 47 | 70 |
| MINNESOTA | 25 | 20 | 45 |
The Buckeyes had to overcome a slim halftime deficit after putting up their lowest-scoring first half of the season, but turned it on in the final 20 minutes with the help of an offensive barrage from Jamari Wheeler. The Penn State transfer point guard finished with a double-digit point total (13) for just the third time in a Buckeye uniform, and his 3-point shooting was crucial as Ohio State went up big early in the second half.
Ohio State also enjoyed a significant advantage inside for the second straight time against Minnesota, doubling the Gophers in points in the paint (28-14) as E.J. Liddell tallied double-digit points (16) for the 33rd straight game and notched his sixth double-double of the year.
The Buckeyes outscored Minnesota 47-20 in the final 20 minutes as the Gophers shot just 6-for-22 in the second half and missed 10 of their last 11 shots.
First Half
Ohio State trailed Minnesota 25-23 at halftime as turnovers, sloppy play and bad shooting plagued the Buckeyes early. No Buckeye player scored more than four points in the first 20 minutes, and the team shot just 1-for-8 from 3-point range in the first half.
The Buckeyes still held a 17-13 lead after a three from Kyle Young and a transition layup by Jamari Wheeler at the 9:22 mark, but Ohio State didn’t score again until just 2:33 remained in the opening period. During that drought, Minnesota embarked on a 10-0 run to give the Gophers a 23-17 lead at 2:55.
Ohio State had a string of seven turnovers in nine possessions to help spur on the Gopher run. The Buckeyes committed a total of eight in the first half, which was more than they had in the entirety of the previous seven games.
The Buckeyes scored six of the final eight points to close out the first half trailing by just one basket, but their 23-point total was Ohio State’s lowest in any opening half all season. Ohio State had twice as many points as the Gophers in the paint and shot 7.4 percent better from the field in the first half, but still managed to find itself behind at the intermission.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MINNESOTA |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | POINTS | 45 |
| 27-55 (49.1%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 16-52 (30.8%) |
| 10-23 (43.5%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 5-19 (26.3%) |
| 6-10 (60%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 8-11 (72.7%) |
| 10 | TURNOVERS | 13 |
| 36 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 29 |
| 7 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 6 |
| 29 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 23 |
| 17 | BENCH POINTS | 15 |
| 5 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 3 | STEALS | 8 |
| 11 | ASSISTS | 6 |
Second Half
Wheeler opened the final frame with a 3-pointer to put Ohio State back ahead, 26-25, and the Buckeyes finally found their rhythm a few minutes after that.
The scarlet and gray forced two Minnesota turnovers in fewer than 90 seconds in one stretch, and Malaki Branham knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to put Ohio State ahead 37-29 at the 15:36 mark, forcing Minnesota to burn a timeout early. On the Buckeyes’ first possession after the break, Wheeler hit another three to extend the lead to double digits.
Nearly nine minutes into the period, Wheeler’s third triple of the half gave Ohio State a 47-34 lead to cap a 16-5 stretch in which the Buckeyes took command of the contest.
Liddell didn’t hit double figures until 5:04 remained, but a pair of free throws that got him to 10 points gave Ohio State a 16-point lead down the stretch. Following the ensuing Minnesota possession, Liddell knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Buckeyes up 20 with 3:51 to go.
A 3-pointer from Cedric Russell with 2:56 to play was the final nail in the coffin, as the triple put Ohio State ahead 22 points before the Buckeyes cleared the bench in the final minutes.
Branham finished with 11 points of his own to give Ohio State three double-digit scorers for the game. Minnesota guard Luke Loewe led the Gophers with 12 points on the night.
What's Next
Ohio State stays home to take on Keegan Murray and the Iowa Hawkeyes at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Game Notes
- Eugene Brown made his second career start for Ohio State after notching his first in the Buckeyes’ previous game against Michigan.
- Meechie Johnson missed his second consecutive game with an ankle injury.
- Ohio State swept the season series against Minnesota. In the first meeting between the two teams on Jan. 27, Ohio State secured a 75-64 win at Williams Arena as Liddell led the Buckeyes with 23 points in a game where Liddell tallied his 1,000th career point and Chris Holtmann won his 100th game as head coach of the Buckeyes.
- Four of Minnesota’s five starters did not play for the Gophers during the 2020-21 season, as all four transferred in from other programs over the offseason.
