Well, at least the second-half showed signs of life for the Ohio State basketball team.
The Buckeyes looked like they didn’t want to be there against Wisconsin through the first half of a Big Ten road contest in Madison. There was a lack of effort, poor shooting, and a sense of tentativeness that led to a halftime deficit of 37-20.
Clearly, there were some discussions at halftime because Ohio State came out with a different mindset and began to push as the aggressors and slowly called its way back, almost completely erasing the deficit. In the end though, it was just a little too much to climb out of, and Wisconsin nailed its free throws to put the game away, winning 70-68 when Devin Royal stepped on the sideline trying to get off a desperate, three-point attempt to win as time expired.
Still, maybe the second half can be something this OSU team builds off of after two close losses. Bruce Thornton tried to take over in the second half and again led the team in scoring by pouring in 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 6-of-6 from the free throw line. The only other Buckeye in double figures was Royal with 12 points.
All in all, the game was lost at the free throw line. As poor as the shooting was in the first half, Ohio State turned up the defense and began to find the range, eventually outshooting the Badgers from the floor (42.4% to 41.7%) and from three-point range (29.4% to 22.7%). Instead, Wisconsin owned a 25-of-28 to 13-of-15 advantage at the charity stripe (12 points).
Fought til the end.
OSU: 68
WIS: 70We’re back in action Friday Night at home vs. Indiana. pic.twitter.com/rQ3Or5lUuv
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 15, 2025
Now, Ohio State is in some pretty dangerous territory and needs to start finding wins. The Buckeyes are now 10-7 overall and just 2-4 in the conference. At a pace like this, they’ll miss the NCAA Tournament once again. It’s time to get it going beginning against Indiana at home on Friday night.
There’s too much talent on this team for where things are at the moment.
