For the first time in 28 days, Ohio State won a basketball game.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE (13-6) | 29 | 41 | 70 |
| NEBRASKA (13-7) | 24 | 36 | 60 |
January didn’t treat the Buckeyes well, following their 12-1 record to open the season. They lost five games in a row to Michigan State, Rutgers, Iowa, Maryland and Purdue. The streak ended on Saturday, though, with Ohio State beating Nebraska, 70-60, on the road.
The Buckeyes went on an 8-0 run to take the lead early in the second half, then followed it up with a 12-2 run to pull ahead to a double-digit lead. The advantage grew to 13 points before Nebraska chopped into the deficit. The Cornhuskers got within six points with 1:02 remaining, but couldn’t get any closer to taking the lead.
For the majority of the season, Nebraska has struggled on the glass, and that trend continued on Saturday. Much of Ohio State’s damage came on second-chance points behind the team’s 39-26 advantage in rebounds. It had 13 offensive rebounds, which led to 14 second-chance points. The Cornhuskers had just two second-chance points.
Luther Muhammad scored a career-high 24 points, hitting 7-of-12 shots, including three 3-pointers. He added six rebounds and three steals.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | POINTS | 60 |
| 24-58 (41.4%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 21-58 (36.2%) |
| 9-27 (33.3%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 8-22 (36.4%) |
| 13-18 (72.2%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 10-12 (83.3%) |
| 13 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 45 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 33 |
| 14 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 7 |
| 31 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 24 |
| 14 | BENCH POINTS | 3 |
| 1 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 8 | STEALS | 5 |
| 8 | ASSISTS | 10 |
Andre Wesson has scored double-digit points in five of the past seven games. He dropped 10 points and grabbed three rebounds.
Ohio State struggled to control the ball early in the game, committing seven turnovers in the first 12 minutes. But it turned the ball over just five times in the following 28 minutes.
Similarly, the Buckeyes hit just 9-of-27 3-point attempts, but hit hit four triples on consecutive possessions during their run that gave them a double-digit lead. Two of the 3-pointers came from Muhammad, and one apiece came from C.J. Jackson and Kaleb Wesson. Jackson had 10 points.
Kaleb Wesson didn’t provide as much offense as usual, scoring just seven points, committing four turnovers and three fouls. But he grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
Ohio State fell behind by seven points midway through the first half, but rallied back to take control of the game in the latter portion of the half. Nebraska hit just two shots in the final 9:45 of the half, and the Buckeyes rode a 17-5 run to end the half with a 29-24 lead. They lost the lead early in the second half, but regained it and never lost it again.
James Palmer Jr. scored 19 points and Glynn Watson had 18 points to lead Nebraska in scoring.
