The Wisconsin Badgers came into Columbus looking for a big win on OSU’s Senior Day. They managed to pick it up in the last minutes of the game 63-60 on the shoulders of timely shooting from Jordan Taylor and Jared Berggren. DeShaun Thomas, despite having a big game with 21 points and 7 rebounds, was unable to put down a rushed shot with 14 seconds left to try to take the lead. Jordan Taylor scored 9 of his 19 total points in the final 10 minutes to put the Buckeyes away.
The story early on was Wisconsin running with the Buckeyes. At the first media timeout, DeShaun Thomas had 9 of the 11 first points, while Buford had not even taken a shot. Evan Ravenel and Shannon Scott came in for Sullinger and Craft, and Thad Matta’s new rotations kept rolling. William Buford hit his first two baskets at 13:23 and 13:03 of the first half for 5 points. Buford would leave the game with an injury to his right arm for a short time, but returned and hit a three shortly thereafter.
Wisconsin chose to slow things down and started to eat clock. That effected the Buckeyes shooting on their end of the court and the Badgers caused several turnovers (10) in the first half. The Badgers held the Buckeyes to two FG’s during an eight minute span late in the half.
The final two minutes saw the teams exchange misses and turnovers, while Jerod Berggren hit a three pointer to tie it at the thirty-second mark. The Buckeyes couldn’t hit a last second shot and the teams went to the locker rooms tied at 29.
Thomas led all scorers at the half with 13 points, followed by Buford with 10. Sullinger was held in check during the slowed game with 4 points. Wisconsin proved to have a balanced attack in the first half as Evans, Wilson, and Berggren each had 6 points and Taylor led the team with 8 at the half.
The Badgers and Buckeyes spent the majority of the first eight minutes of the second half trading runs as the Bucks went up 6. A 7-0 run by the Badgers put them right back in it, giving them the lead at the under 12 media timeout. Another Buckeye run (7-0) put them up by 6 at 8:30 with Buford on a double/double with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Sullinger left the game with an injured ankle forcing Matta to bring Evan Ravenel in during a crucial part of the game. Buckeyes took a five point lead into the home stretch with 6 1/2 to go.
With under four minutes to go, the match up between Jordan Taylor and Aaron Craft became the center piece of the game. They traded baskets leaving the Buckeyes holding a 1 point lead. Craft then commits his second foul of the game at the under-four media timeout. The teams continued to trade baskets, with the Schott going wild as the lead oscillated back and forth. Missed free throws would ultimately haunt the Buckeyes in crunch time as Craft missed two and Taylor hit a pair to put the Badgers up 1 at the 1:03 mark, 58-57.
As the final minute rolled, Sullinger went to the hoop for a pair and the lead. However, on the defensive end he gave up a three to Wisconsin’s Berggren. Berggren then hit two free throws after a Thomas miss and put the Badgers up 63-59 with 14.2 left. Craft, who got fouled in the lane with only 6 tenths of a second on the clock, hit the front end of two free throws but wasn’t able to careen the second miss out as the Buckeyes lost their second game at home this season. The loss was also the first time OSU has lost two straight since 2009, when Evan Turner broke his back.
The Buckeyes only had 5 players score tonight. Thomas led the way with 23, while Buford dropped 15, Craft with 13 and Sullinger finished with 8. Wisconsin was led by Taylor with 19, Berrgren with 18, and Evans finished with 10.
Ohio State next plays Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois on Wednesday, February 29th at 8:30 PM EST. You’ll be able to see that game on the Big Ten Network.
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