Wisconsin kept Ohio State at arm's length in a pivotal game for both teams in the Kohl Center on Saturday.
As both the Buckeyes and Badgers fight along the bubble for an NCAA Tournament bid, Wisconsin (16-6, 8-3 Big Ten) maintained a three-score lead for the final 19 minutes in a comfortable 92-82 win on its home floor over Ohio State (14-7, 6-5).
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 43 | 39 | 82 |
| WISCONSIN | 49 | 43 | 92 |
Nick Boyd, John Blackwell and Austin Rapp fueled Wisconsin's efforts, scoring 21, 22 and 19 points, respectively. The Badgers diced the Buckeyes' defense, shooting 51.6% from the field.
Freshman forward Amare Bynum paced Ohio State in scoring with 18 points. Devin Royal and Bruce Thornton followed with 17 points, though it came on just 5-of-13 shooting for Royal. Taison Chatman had 14 off the bench before fouling out. A complete lack of production from the center position hurt the Buckeyes, as Christoph Tilly and Ivan Njegovan scored a combined zero points on 0-of-11 shooting.
First Half
Wisconsin takes more 3-pointers than 2-pointers this season, and the opening 20 minutes turned into a shooting showcase from both teams. The Badgers shot 7-of-16 from three in the first half, and the Buckeyes shot 7-of-15.
Ohio State burst out to an early lead off the back of a nasty crossover into a three from Mobley, which catalyzed a 13-2 run as Amare Bynum and Taison Chatman knocked down triples of their own. Blackwell got going for the Badgers with five straight points, only for Thornton to answer with a step-back 3-pointer.
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Puff Johnson sank a 3-pointer from way downtown to put the Buckeyes up 21-11, but Wisconsin launched a 10-0 run capped by two threes from Rapp to even the score at 21. Rapp then handed the Badgers a 24-23 lead on another open look from distance. Wisconsin's scheme caused confusion in the ranks, as late rotations left shooters standing alone.
The two sides swapped leads several times as Rapp stayed scorching. Left open twice more, he made Ohio State pay on both occasions, making it a 5-of-6 3-point shooting start for the Badger forward. He closed the first half with 19 points. Chatman kept the Buckeyes in striking distance with a string of seven points, including two 3-pointers.
Then Wisconsin pieced another 6-0 run together to take a 47-39 lead as the final minute of the half approached. Trailing 49-41, Bynum pump-faked and drove for a pretty layup as the halftime buzzer sounded to cut it to a six-point halftime deficit.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | WISCONSIN |
|---|---|---|
| 82 | POINTS | 92 |
| 28-69 (40.6%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 32-62 (51.6%) |
| 10-29 (34.5%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 9-26 (34.6%) |
| 16-18 (88.9%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 19-21 (90.5%) |
| 7 | TURNOVERS | 5 |
| 37 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 35 |
| 14 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 7 |
| 23 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 28 |
| 21 | BENCH POINTS | 26 |
| 1 | BLOCKS | 4 |
| 2 | STEALS | 3 |
| 9 | ASSISTS | 16 |
Second Half
Wisconsin's hot shooting didn't stop at the start of the second half as the Badgers opened with a 5-of-8 stretch from the field, ending on a 3-pointer by Boyd, to surge their lead to double-digits at 60-49.
The Badgers finally hit a cold stretch thereafter, going more than four minutes without scoring any points, but the Buckeyes mustered all of three points on their end in the same stretch. Missed bunnies and a shot clock violation prevented them from eating into their deficit more.
Boyd snapped the stretch with a pair of free throws, then a Blackwell three-point play pushed the lead back to 11 at 65-54. Thornton hit a triple and Blackwell answered with a layup hold the lead at 10 as the clock dwindled to eight minutes left.
That lead grew to 12 a few minutes later when Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington rolled home a 3-pointer, and though Chatman had the immediate answer from distance, Boyd sank four straight free throws as Ohio State's offense kept sputtering. The Badgers led 80-67 with 4:54 to play.
As Tilly kept clanking iron and missing box outs on the defensive end in an 0-of-8 shooting performance, Ohio State tried going with a small-ball lineup to spark something. It featured Chatman as a third guard and Bynum at center. But Wisconsin attacked the interior for a few layups and maintained a comfortable lead as the final minutes of action slipped from the clock.
What's Next?
Ohio State concludes its two-game Big Ten road trip on Thursday with a matchup against Maryland in the Xfinity Center. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. on FS1.
Game Notes
- Ohio State drops to 91-79 all-time vs. Wisconsin.
- Bruce Thornton passed Michael Redd for sixth all-time in career points at Ohio State and is now up to 1,905 in his four-year Buckeye tenure.
- Christoph Tilly and Devin Royal were listed as questionable entering the game, but both started for the Buckeyes.
