COLUMBUS, OH- Malaki Branham scored 27 points in an overtime thriller to give the Buckeyes (17-7) an 80-69 win at home against the Indiana Hoosiers (16-10).
After a close first half from both squads, E.J Lidell made a jump shot followed by a Malaki Branham layup and dunk to give the Buckeyes a 10-point lead. However, Miller Koop scored seven-straight points, cutting Indiana’s deficit to five points quickly.
The Buckeyes tried to maintain their lead, but a midrange jumper from Xavier Johnson and a Tamar Bates layup cut it down to one. Two free throws from Trayce Jackson-Davis later and Indiana a 56-55 lead.
Late in the game, two E.J. Liddell free-throws kept the game within one possession. Then, with 20.0 seconds left, Liddell’s wide-open dunk sent the game into overtime
A Jamari Wheeler three-pointer put the Buckeyes up 70-67, but two free throws from Xavier Johnson cut the Buckeyes lead to one. Then Lidell and Branham buried a mid-range jump shot each. to put OSU up 74-69 with 1:07 left in overtime.
Six straight free-throws would end up icing the OT thriller for the Buckeyes.
E.J Lidell and Branham
Usually their star, Liddell had an off-night for the Buckeyes, finishing the game with 16 points while shooting 6-of-15 from the free-throw line and 1-of-5 from deep. It was an uncharacteristic night for him as he normally shoots 50% from the field.
Still, the forward nearly had a double-double and scored double-digit points for the 35th straight game.
Branham was spectacular throughout the whole game and was clutch down the stretch. He scored 10 points in the first half and 13 points by the end of regulation. He was also efficient, shooting 9-of-13 from the field.
Indiana Struggled As a whole
The final score doesn’t do Indiana any justice as they kept the game close throughout until the final minutes of overtime. They went on a 14-5 run late in the game and nearly won the game in regulation. That being said, the team did struggle as a whole.
Xavier Johnson was their leading scorer with 16 points. but he shot just 3-of-12 from the field and was 0-3 from the three-point line. He also had five turnovers in a 10-minute stretch, finishing the game with six turnovers total. Jackson-Davis also struggled with 13 points while shooting 3-of-9 from the field.
The team shot 22-of-64 (34%) from the field and 6-of-19 from the three-point line. Their only efficient scorer was Race Thompson with 13 points while shooting 50% from the field.
On the positive side, they did a great job on the boards, finishing with 15 offensive rebounds and 38 total. However, OSU also had 38 rebounds of their own.
Up Next
The Buckeyes will travel to State Farm Center to face off against No.15 Illinois on Feb 24, 9 PM EST.
The Hoosiers will host the Maryland Terrapins on Feb 24, 7 PM EST.
 an 80-69 win at home against the Indiana Hoosiers (16-10).){kind=link}