ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ohio State couldn’t do much to settle down the Crisler Center crowd.
The Buckeyes grabbed an early lead and held it for a large portion of the first half. But once No. 5 Michigan gained control of the game, it didn’t let Chris Holtmann’s team back in it. The Wolverines entered the second half with a six-point lead that they stretched out to double digits eight minutes into the half, eventually cruising to a 65-49 win Tuesday night.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE (13-7) | 26 | 23 | 49 |
| #5 MICHIGAN (20-1) | 32 | 33 | 65 |
Turnovers, once again, doomed Ohio State, which dropped to 13-7 this season and 3-6 in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes had as many turnovers (19) as made field goals (19). They have battled the nagging turnover issue for much of the season, and it spiked once again during their five-game losing streak in January. Michigan had 11 steals with five players swiping the ball.
Ohio State’s 49 points were the least the Buckeyes have scored in a game since a 72-48 loss to Wisconsin on March 8, 2015.
From beyond the arc, Michigan couldn’t miss. Jordan Poole hit a couple key 3-pointers to extend the Wolverines’ lead in the second half. Michigan hit 10-of-26 3-pointers (38.5 percent), while Ohio State went just 5-of-21 (23.8 percent) from 3-point range.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MICHIGAN |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | POINTS | 65 |
| 19-52 (36.5%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 22-54 (40.7%) |
| 5-21 (23.8%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 10-27 (37.0%) |
| 6-6 (100%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 11-12 (91.7%) |
| 19 | TURNOVERS | 9 |
| 35 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 29 |
| 11 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 8 |
| 24 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 21 |
| 15 | BENCH POINTS | 12 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 3 |
| 4 | STEALS | 11 |
| 10 | ASSISTS | 15 |
Zavier Simpson became just the sixth player in Michigan history to record a triple double. He had 11 points and 10 rebounds, along with 12 of Michigan’s 15 assists. Poole (15), Ignas Brazdeikis (14) and Isaiah Livers (12) also scored double-digit points.
Ohio State started the game with a 12-6 lead behind seven early points from Kaleb Wesson, who had a 3-pointer and make from the post on his team’s first two possessions of the game. Wesson slowed down, though, scoring only two points the remainder of the half, and turnovers caught up to the Buckeyes. He finished the game with 12 points and seven rebounds but fouled out, picking up a technical foul during an on-court scuffle.
Michigan took its first lead thirteen minutes of the game on a 3-pointer from Jordan Poole, gave it back to Ohio State a few minutes later, then reclaimed it to take a 32-26 lead by halftime. Ohio State never led in the second half.
Now just 1-6 in their last seven games, the Buckeyes will look to get back in the win column on Saturday at noon, when they play their next game at the Schottenstein Center against Rutgers.
