Another poor shooting day cost Ohio State again as the Buckeyes road losing streak increased to 12 in a row dating back to January 1, 2023 and their losing streak upped to three in a row, falling to Michigan in Ann Arbor 73-65. The win for the Wolverines halted their 5 game losing streak and improved their record to 7-10 and 2-4, while Ohio State fell to 12-5 and 2-4. Ohio State battled back from 12 down with a 16-0 run to take a 4 point lead with 7 minutes to play, but a Michigan 7-0 run answered to put the Wolverines up for good and send the home fans home happy. The story of this game was the three point line. Michigan hit a red hot, 12 of 23, while Ohio State struggled for yet another game, making just 3 of 23 attempts, which was the difference in the game. For the game, Michigan shot 42%, while the Buckeyes struggled to a 38% clip. The Buckeyes did an excellent job limiting turnovers, forcing 9 and turning it over just 4 times, but it takes the basketball to go into the hole to win games and on this day, it just didn’t happen. Bruce Thornton led Ohio State with 19, while Roddy Gayle battled through injury to add 12 and Felix Okpara chipped in 10 to go along with 9 rebounds. Michigan put 3 guys in doubles led by Olivier Nkamhoua’s 20, while Terrance Williams III added 28 and Dug McDaniel, who is suspended for road games only, chipped in 15 in the win.

Michigan opened the scoring with a bucket on their first possession, but the Buckeyes got on the board with a short Evan Mahaffey jumper, the first of six straight Buckeye points. Bruce Thornton gave Ohio State their first lead, getting to the left baseline off the bounce and drilling a 12 footer and on the next possession, a pair of free throws by Mahaffey put the Buckeyes up 6-2. A Wolverine triple cut into the lead, but Thornton went to work again, hitting a pull up 10 footer just to the right of the lane and at the first media timeout, Ohio State led 8-5. Out of the timeout, Michigan went to the stripe for three, after being fouled attempting a jumper beyond the arc prior to the break. Two of the three attempts fell to cut the lead to 1, but a runner along the right baseline by Roddy Gayle answered. Michigan got back even with a triple at the end of the shot clock, but Zed Key split a pair of free throws to put the Buckeyes back in front. Devin Royal’s offensive rebound and put back increased the lead, but a Michigan triple re-tied the game. Another Royal bucket in the paint prior to the under 12 media timeout broke the tie and put the Buckeyes ahead 15-13. Michigan scored quickly on an under the bucket inbounds play to tie the score again and the Wolverines went back in front for the first time since the opening moments with a baseline jumper near the end of the shot clock. After an empty Buckeye possession, Michigan scored again at the rim to extend their lead. The Buckeyes ice cold shooting continued and Michigan took advantage, scoring again off a dribble drive to extend their run to 8-0. The run ended when Felix Okpara hit a left handed jump hook on the baseline and at the under 8, Michigan led 21-17. A pair of Gayle free throws trimmed the deficit to two, but a pair of Wolverine triples and a score off a dribble drive gave Michigan their largest lead and Ohio State took a timeout with 5:28 left in the first half with Michigan leading 29-19. Thornton got a three to drop to end the Wolverine 8-0 run and ended an over 8 minute drought without a field goal for Ohio State and cut the deficit to 7. Ohio State got a little closer when Key found Okpara with an interior pass for a bucket, but a Michigan three stopped the run and at the final media timeout, Michigan was taking advantage of atrocious Buckeye shooting to lead 32-24.   Scotty Middleton, who was fouled prior to the timeout, went to the line where he split the pair to cut the deficit to 7. After a Wolverine turnover, facing a Michigan zone, Royal grabbed an offensive rebound and scored through contact off the glass and after knocking down the free throw to complete the old-fashioned three point play, the deficit was 4. A Michigan bucket at the rim extended the Wolverine advantage and after yet another Buckeye miss from range, Michigan drilled a three at the horn to take a 37-28 lead into the locker room. The difference in the first half was the shooting beyond the arc. Michigan hit 7 of 11, while Ohio State was an abysmal 1 of 14. The Buckeyes shot 32% overall, while Michigan hit just 41%, but the long range shooting gave Michigan the comfortable halftime lead. Michigan led on the scoreboard and also led the battle of the glass 23-19 despite turning it over 5 times compared to Ohio State’s only 2. Bruce Thornton and Devin Royal led Ohio State in the first half with 7 each, while Michigan was led by Olivier Nkamhoua’s 12. 

Ohio State opened the second half scoring as Mahaffey scored off the window from the right block and after a Michigan turnover, Mahaffey scored again in the paint. Michigan got on the board with a mid range jumper to extend the lead back to 7, but Jamison Battle split the defense and finished with a powerful left handed dunk for his first points of the game. After a Michigan score, Battle buried a three from the left wing to trim the lead to 4. Michigan answered with a runner, but on the other end, Okpara rebounded his missed dunk attempt and layed it in off the glass to answer and Chris Holtmann called a quick timeout with 16:37 to play and Michigan’s lead was cut to 43-39 as the coach was concerned about the Buckeyes’ life on the defensive end. Michigan increased the lead at the line, hitting a pair to up the Wolverine lead and after an empty Buckeye possession, Michigan scored again to get their lead back up to 8. A pair of Gayle free throws trimmed the lead back to 6 and after a defensive stop, Gayle scored on a reverse lay up to get the Buckeyes back within 4. Michigan stopped the Ohio State mini run with a jump hook and after another Wolverine triple fell, and at the under 12 media timeout, Michigan’s lead was back to 9, 52-43. A Wolverine triple out of the timeout gave Michigan their largest lead of the night before a Dale Bonner runner stopped the bleeding. Thornton got to the rim and finished with a reverse lay-in to trim the lead to 8 and after a Michigan miss, Thornton scored through contact at the rim and his ensuing free throw completed the old-fashioned three point play and cut the lead to 5. The Ohio State defense forced another stop and on the other end, Gayle got to the stripe and knocked down the pair to get Ohio State closer. After another defensive stop, Bonner lobbed to Okpara in the lane and Felix finished off the glass forcing Michigan to call a timeout with 9:11 to play and the Wolverine lead sitting at just 55-54 with Ohio State on a 11-0 run. The Buckeye run continued out of the timeout as Okpara took a Bonner feed and scored at the rim to put Ohio State on top and after a Michigan turnover Thornton buried a three and at the under 8 media timeout, Ohio State led 59-55 and had scored 16 straight.  A Michigan jumper stopped the run and cut the lead to 2 and after a Buckeye miss, Michigan buried a triple, their 10th of the game, to regain the lead. The lead changed hands again when Thornton took the ball away from the Michigan rebounder and fed Gayle who finished with a dunk and with a timeout taken at the 4:23 mark, Ohio State led 61-60. Michigan regained the lead when a long three hit every part of the rim and fell through and after a Buckeye miss, Michigan scored again to go up 4. Two Wolverine free throws extended the lead as Michigan had scored the last 7 to take control with 2 ½ to play. Ohio State cut the lead to 4 when Thornton scored off the window. After a Michigan jumper fell, Thornton scored quickly the other way and Ohio State took a timeout with 52 seconds left and Michigan leading 69-65. A Michigan triple put an exclamation point on this game and ended Ohio State’s chances of a comeback as the Wolverines closed it out. 

Make no mistake, this was one Ohio State had to have and they couldn’t get it done. With Roddy Gayle nursing an injury and virtually no production from role players, Ohio State is left searching for answers. The youth of the Buckeyes is rearing its ugly head once again and although there is a long way to go, they have to get it right immediately.  This was a game to get right against a struggling Michigan team, but it just wasn’t meant to be on this day. There will be a lot of soul searching over the next few days as they try to find a way to put 40 minutes together.  They did a great job erasing the big deficit, but they can’t dig themselves a hole and expect to get wins on the road in this conference. The book is out on Ohio State right now.  They live and die by the three and the last three games, they haven’t been able to find it consistently. A lot of the vocal, uneducated ‘fan base’ will call for Chris Holtmann’s job, but with a lot of basketball left to play, he has a chance to change that narrative if he can get this turned around in a hurry and get the guys to respond.  As it has been said, if you have never faced adversity, then you have never truly succeeded. The next chance at a ‘must win’ game will come on Saturday, but until then, it’s back to work for a talented but young group who must regain their confidence in a hurry. 

The Buckeyes head back home to host Penn State at the Schott on Saturday.  Tip time is scheduled for Noon on BTN.

-Jason Harris