Ohio State
14-11,4-10Big Ten
#20 Wisconsin
17-8,9-5Big Ten
Buckeyes Fall Late in 62-54 Setback at Wisconsin
2/14/2024 12:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MADISON, Wisc. – Ohio State used an 8-0 second half run to close the gap to five but Wisconsin pulled-away down the stretch for a 62-54 victory Tuesday night inside the Kohl Center.
Bruce Thornton led the Buckeyes (14-11, 4-10) with a game-high 18 points. He also dished-out a team-high five assists.
Roddy Gayle Jr. and Evan Mahaffey each finished with 10 points. Mahaffey was 5-of-6 from the floor and grabbed a team-best six rebounds. Bowen Hardman came off the bench and knocked-down a pair of three-pointers to finish with seven points.
The difference in the game came down to rebounding. Wisconsin won the battle on the boards 39-26 and had 17 second chance points to just seven for the Buckeyes. The Badgers were also 11-of-16 from the free throw line while the Buckeyes had a season-low two attempts from the stripe.
Mahaffey started the Buckeyes off on the right foot. Gayle Jr. then followed with a three-pointer and a dunk and the game was tied at 18-18 with seven minutes left in the opening half. Wisconsin then closed the half on a 16-3 run and would lead 34-21 at the break.
Wisconsin shoved the lead out to as many as 17 points early in the second half, but the Buckeyes wouldn’t go quietly. They went on a 19-10 run over the next six minutes, capped by an 8-0 run, to cut the margin to 50-45 with just under 10 minutes to play. Hardman and Thornton both had threes during the run.
The Buckeyes had made 10-of-12 shots during that stretch but would go just 1-for-10 in the next seven minutes. That allowed Wisconsin to regain control of the game and hold on for a 62-54 victory.
Ohio State returns home this weekend to host No. 2 Purdue on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on CBS.
