The Indiana Hoosiers traveled to their neighbors at The Ohio State University for a Big Ten Conference match-up. With a home advantage, the Buckeyes gained another easy win over an unranked team for their record, crushing the visitors and sending them home.
It did not take long for the Buckeyes to get the game going, and had no trouble gaining a huge lead off the bat in the entering minutes of the game. The Buckeyes wasted no time on the court and reached double digits in the twenties before the Hoosiers even managed to get 7 points. This was nowhere near a close match, especially at the end of the first half when the whistle blew and both teams headed to the locker room, the Buckeyes leading by 10 points; 38-28.
The second half was no different, and the Buckeyes never gave up the lead they had from the beginning. The Hoosiers however, got a bit of a groove back after coming out to start the second half. They started closing the gap on the Buckeyes, anywhere between 5 and 10 points. Unfortunately for them, they started connecting too late in the game; the Buckeyes caught on quickly and their defense shut them down shortly after the Hoosiers finally got the ball rolling. After the middle of the second half, the Buckeyes earned the biggest lead they had of the entire game, up by 23, the score being 67-44 in their favor.
At the end of the game, it was obvious that the Buckeyes were the more well-organized team. The game ended with a score of 78-59; the Buckeyes racked up another win at home this season and expanded their home record to 10-1.
Starting Forward E.J. Liddell for the Buckeyes was the leading man in Saturday afternoon’s game for his team. Liddell alone posted 19 points along with having 4 rebounds and 2 assists; he played a total of 31 minutes. Along with leading his team, Liddell converted 50% of field goals and 3 pointers, as well as 83% of free throws. Another starting Forward, Justice Sueing, was the Buckeyes’ second leading scorer with 16 points and 10 rebounds; he was on the court for 33 minutes.
The Hoosiers did their best to play catch-up, but they did not show the same heart and desire that the Buckeyes seemed to have. Only one of the Hoosiers starters was able to score double digits and was the leading scorer of the game. Trayce Jackson-Davis earned 23 points and 9 rebounds. Jackson-Davis also completed 60% of free throws he attempted in this game alone.
Since losing this game, the Hoosiers remain 9th in the Big Ten Conference, and unranked.
As for the Buckeyes, they stand strong at 4th in the nation and 3rd in their conference. Their next obstacle is cracking the top 2 in the Big Ten; they hope for the University of Michigan or the University of Illinois to lose to make this possible.
Up Next
The Buckeyes look to pick up another easy win on the road against Penn State on Thursday, February 18th at 8:00 ET. Broadcasting channels are TBD.
The Hoosiers will host Minnesota at their home arena on Wednesday, February 17th at 9:00 ET. Broadcasting channels are TBD.
