It was a record setting night, and not in a good way as Ohio State set a new school record, losing their 17th straight road game in a game they never led, falling in Minneapolis to the Gophers 88-79. Minnesota started the game red hot, building a first half lead as large as 13 before Ohio State stormed back to tie it, but could never get over the hump and a 10-2 Gopher run to finish the first half gave Minnesota the separation they needed and the Buckeyes never got closer than 7 the rest of the way as the Gophers came away with the win to split the season series. Ohio State slipped to 15-12, 5-11 and Minnesota improved to 17-9, 7-8. The Gophers dominated the glass, creating second chance opportunities that led to a 19-9 advantage in second chance points. Ohio State shot 51% for the game, including a paltry 7 of 23 from beyond the arc, while Minnesota hit 50% of their attempts and 8-19 from 3. Bruce Thornton scored 23 of his game high 25 in the second half to lead the Buckeyes, while Jamison Battle added 21 and Roddy Gayle 13. Elijah Hawkins led Minnesota with 24 and Dawson Garcia added 22 and Pharrel Payne scored 15.

The Gophers raced out to an early 8-0 lead before Evan Mahaffey picked off a Gopher pass and fed Bruce Thornton, who hit a floater from 10. The Gophers added 4 more before a give and go was executed by Jamison Battle and Devin Royal leading to a Royal slam. After another Gopher bucket, Battle took a long rebound and pulled and drilled a three from the top to cut the deficit to 7. The Gophers scored again and on the other end, Roddy Gayle took a Felix Okpara screen and got to the rim for a lay-in. Minnesota answered with another triple and at the first media timeout, the Gophers were 4-4 from three and 6-8 from the floor to lead 19-9. Out of the timeout, Minnesota played add on hitting 3 free throws in 4 attempts to extend the lead. Ohio State got back on the board when Zed Key used a pick and roll with Thornton, who found Key wide-open at the rim for a dunk. Ohio State crept closer with back to back Scotty Middleton triples before a Minnesota lay in the other way stopped the quick 8-0 Buckeye run and preceded the under 12 media timeout with the Gophers leading 24-17. After Minnesota forced a shot clock violation, they added to their lead with a lob and dunk, but Roddy Gayle split a pair of free throws, ending a streak of 38 straight made free throws, cutting the lead to 8. Battle, fouled attempting a corner three, knocked down 2 of 3, ending his streak of 38 made in a row. Battle buried a three to cut the lead to 3 before a tough fade away fell for the Gophers stopping the 6-0 Buckeye run. A tip dunk by Minnesota increased the lead to 7. Battle found Taison Chatman cutting to the rim where his floater dropped for his first made field goal of his collegiate career and at the under 8, Minnesota led 30-25. A Gayle runner cut the lead to 3 and a Battle triple following a Gopher offensive foul, tied the score. A Gopher bucket broke the tie before Gayle grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to re-tie the game. The Gophers regained the lead with a tip in where the officials missed an apparent offensive goaltend and at the under 4, Minnesota held a 34-32 lead. The Gophers added to the lead, scoring the next 6 before a Battle runner stopped the Gopher 8-0 run and cut the lead to 6 and Minnesota took a timeout with 48 seconds left in the half, leading 40-34. A pair of offensive rebounds led to another Gopher score and the final shot at the horn by Dale Bonner clanged off target and at the half, Minnesota led 42-34. The Gophers finished the half on a 10-2 run after the Buckeyes had clawed back to tie it and ultimately looked up at the 8 point halftime deficit. After being red hot early, Minnesota cooled off but still hit on 53% of their shot attempts despite missing their last 6 shots from beyond the arc to finish the half 4-10. Ohio State shot 50%, including 5 of 11 from long range, but 8 offensive rebounds led to an 11-5 advantage in second chance points to key the Gopher advantage. Jamison Battle led Ohio State at the break with a game high 13, while Minnesota was led by Dawson Garcia’s 12 and Pharrel Payne’s 10. 

The Gophers opened the half, hitting 3 of 4 free throws before a Battle triple answered. A Gopher bucket and a Key short jumper in mid paint kept the Gopher lead at 8, but a pair of Minnesota triples sandwiched around a Thornton jumper gave Minnesota a 53-41 lead at the under 16. Out of the timeout, Key split a pair of free throws and a Thornton transition lay in cut the lead to 9. Thornton scored on a dribble drive to get Ohio State a little closer and Minnesota took a timeout with 12:42 to play and the Buckeyes having scored the last 5 to cut the Gopher lead to 53-46. Out of the timeout, Ohio State shifted to a zone defense, but near the end of the shot clock, the Gophers got a shot to drop in the paint. Thornton answered with a scoop shot off the glass and after the media timeout at the 11:28 mark, a Gopher bucket extended the lead after a pair of empty possessions each way. Thornton hit a short fade just below the line, but a triple on the other end put Minnesota back up 10. After a Buckeye turnover, another Gopher 3 forced Buckeye coach Jake Diebler to call timeout and with 8:51 to play, Minnesota led 63-50. A pair of free throws extended the Minnesota lead to 15, before Royal split a pair of free throws. The lead grew to 16 when Key tried to take an offensive foul that was not called, leading to an uncontested dunk putting the Gophers up 16. A Key jump hook fell to cut into the lead, but a tip in on the other end answered. Battle knocked down two freebies to trim the deficit back to 14, but an old-fashioned three point play on the other end extended the Gopher advantage to 17, their largest lead of the game.  A Gayle runner off the glass fell and after a missed free throw for Minnesota, Mahaffey took a pass from Gayle and scored at the rim. A pair of Minny free throws led into the final media timeout with Minnesota firmly in control, leading 74-59. Minnesota split a pair of free throws before Gayle knocked down a pair, but with 3:38 to play, the Buckeyes trailed by 14. Thornton dropped in a short jumper to get Ohio State a big closer, but Minnesota scored again to answer. Thornton scored again near the rim and Ohio State took a timeout with 2:08 to play but trailing 78-66. After a defensive stop, Thornton cut the lead to 9, converting an old-fashioned three point play, but a pair of Gopher free throws upped the lead back to 11. Thornton quickly the other way, got to the rim for a lay in, but another Buckeye foul put Minnesota back on the stripe where they converted the pair to go right back up 11 with 1:25 left to play. After a turnover each way, Thornton knocked down a pair of free throws to cut it back to 9 with 1:07 left, but playing the foul game, Minnesota went back to the stripe and split the pair. Thornton was fouled heading to the rim and he buried the pair to cut the lead to 8, but Minnesota broke the Buckeye press for an easy lay-in. Gayle sped by the defense for a lay in and finally Ohio State committed a foul with 29 seconds to play. Both free throws dropped and on the other end, Battle drilled a corner three, cutting the lead to 7 with just 18 seconds to play and Jake Diebler called timeout. A pair of Minnesota free throws preceded a late 3 point scramble by the Buckeyes, unable to convert 3 attempts as the horn sounded in the Gopher win. 

Coming off the emotional win at home, the Buckeyes just didn’t have the same fight on the road on this night. The Gophers not only dominated the glass, they were the aggressor all night long, getting every 50/50 ball in what seems to be a season long story for Ohio State. They just don’t play with enough toughness or bite on the defensive end and lack any offense in the post to speak of. When they aren’t able to limit a team’s opportunities on the glass, and don’t get much in terms of the transition game, games like tonight are the result. While there are still games to play, Ohio State still has opportunities to finish strong, but getting that elusive road win seems like a lot to ask. They will try to regroup for another trip to a difficult road environment where they will hope to put 40 minutes together and finally end the streak.  It won’t be easy, but nothing worth having ever is. 

The Buckeyes finish the two game road swing on Sunday afternoon, visiting Michigan State in East Lansing for a 4PM tip and airing on CBS.

-Jason Harris