The Buckeyes were trying to get back in the winning column but they were going to have to earn it against #15 Wisconsin as the Badgers invaded the Schott.  After leading the majority of the first half, they surrendered the lead with 46 seconds shy of the break and was never able to overcome Wisconsin and secure a victory.  Max Klesmit led all scoring with 18, all in the second half, and carried the Badgers to a 71-60 road win.  The loss dropped the Buckeyes to 2-3 in the conference, currently good for 8^th place in the standings.  Jamison Battle lead the Ohio State in scoring with 18, along with 8 rebounds, while Bruce Thornton contributed 13.

Wisconsin controlled the opening tip and AJ Storr got in the scoring column in just 11 seconds, scoring the first bucket of the night. Jamison Battle started his big night with a couple early buckets getting the Buckeyes out in front 7-4 very early. The scoring went a little quiet at that point after a couple turnovers by both teams and each having 5 straight empty offensive possessions.  Then a basket in the lane by Tyler Wahl cut the Bucks lead to 7-6. The first media time out did not occur until the 13:34 mark with Ohio State holding an 11-8 advantage. Thornton already had 6 of the first 11 points for the Bucks.  After the break. Roddy Gayle Jr found Zed Key under that basket for a quick score. And after a rare foul call on the Badgers, Key added two more from the foul line to expand the lead to 15-10.  Gayle then traded baskets with Badger Chucky Hepburn giving us a score of 17-13 at the second media time out.

Most of the night, Wisconsin was very patient on the offensive end, sometimes almost too patient as on several occasions, they took the shot clock down to the final seconds. Just as it looked like Wisconsin’s AJ Storr was getting hot, Battle got a step-back-3, taking the score to 22-15, and shortly after that connecting from long range again, making the score 25-17 and giving the Buckeyes their largest lead they would enjoy on the night.  At this point in the game Battle and Thornton had a combine 19 of Ohio States 25 points. Unfortunately for the home squad that was when the Badgers really started to go to work.  With baskets from AJ Storr, Nolan Winter and Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin started slowly chipping away at the Buckeye lead.  By the media time out at 3:31, the Bucks were clinging to a 28-26 lead.  Evan Mahaffey got in the scorning column as he drove the lane for a score and drawing a foul but was not able to convert for the 3 point-play.  With only 46 seconds remaining in the half, Conner Essingian hit a jumper to return the lead the visiting squad and the half ended with Wisconsin leading 35-33.

At the Half, Jamison Battle was 4-5 from 3, and 14 total points, Bruce Thornton contributed 11.  For Wisconsin the story was AJ Storr. He was 7-11 from field and 15 points leading all scoring. Both teams were 5-12 from behind the arc, which means that outside of Battle the Buckeyes were only 1-10.  Ohio State 2-3 from the line, Wisconsin did not make it to the charity stripe in the first half.

Wisconsin started with ball in second half and Steven Crowl quickly scored from foul line to make it 37-33 Wisconsin. Roddy Gayle got one point from the line after drawing AJ Storr’s second foul and on the next possession, Thornton found Felix Okpara for a short jumper to cut the Badger lead to 37-36. The game stayed pretty close and was being played at a Badger pace, I was beginning to think that Bo Ryan was back on the bench. The Badgers actually made it to the foul line for the first time in the game at the 12:26 mark. The 3-point conversion gave Wisconsin a 48-42 lead. 

The Bucks were not ready to give up though and gradually battled back as Wisconsin started a field goal drought which lasted over seven minutes.  Unfortunately, the Buckeyes were not able to take full advantage when they needed it most.  They were able to take a brief 52-50 lead as Felix Okpara was doing all the muscle work with blocks, rebounds and a few buckets of his own.  Scotty Middleton hit a 12 foot jumper and after a Wisconsin turnover, Okpara hit a nice turnaround jumper from 6 feet to give the Bucks a 56-52 lead with 6:14 to go.  However, Wisconsin had an answer of their own as Max Klesmit went to work.  He hit a 3-pointer that started a 10-0 Badger run and the league leaders never looked back. When the dust settled Klesmit had 18 points, all in the second half and the Bucks were never able to find an answer.  Ohio State was outscored in the second half 36-27, and in this league you can’t let that happen, especially at home.

No matter how you look at it, Ohio State really let this one get away.  Coming from behind in the second half and taking the lead briefly as Wisconsin fell into a scoring drought, but they could not hold on.  The Buckeyes had some good looks at the basket but just were not getting them to fall.  Battle was 4-5 from 3 in the first have but didn’t take a single shot from long distance in the second half and only managing 4 points after the break. For the second game in a row, the backcourt was not as productive as needed as Thornton and Gayle combined for 10-30 shooting, 1-9 from 3-point and 1-4 from the charity stripe.  Ohio State suffers the rare ‘Big Ten home loss’ as Wisconsin outscores the Bucks 19-6 in the final 6:30. Two missed front ends of 1-and-1’s by Bruce Thorton really hurt the Buckeyes chance to close the gap down the stretch. Coach Holtman will have to wait another game to try to pick up his 250^th victory.  His next chance will be at noon Sunday, January 15^th, at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor against the Wolverines.  Game will be broadcast on FOX.

-Gregg Watson