OSU freshman guard JaQuan Lyle (13) dribbles the ball up the court in a game against Air Force on Dec. 8 in Columbus. OSU won, 74-50. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead |Photo Editor

OSU freshman guard JaQuan Lyle (13) dribbles the ball up the court in a game against Air Force on Dec. 8 in Columbus. OSU won, 74-50. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead | Photo Editor

With the ball at the top of the key, Ohio State freshman guard JaQuan Lyle drove right and blew by two Indiana defenders, resulting in a nearly uncontested layup.

He rose up and flicked the ball off his right hand toward the hoop, except the ball rolled around the rim and fell out.

Fortunately for the Buckeyes, it landed into the hands of redshirt sophomore center Trevor Thompson on the left block, who quickly muscled up a put-back shot.

But that, too, missed. Indiana freshman Center Thomas Bryant grabbed the rebound, quickly throwing an outlet pass to his teammate.

A blink of an eye later and freshman forward OG Anunoby was finishing off an alley-oop pass to give the Hoosiers a 34-14 lead with 5:02 left in the first half.

That 22-second sequence is just a small sample of what happened between the two teams Sunday at Assembly Hall, as the Hoosiers (14-3, 4-0) thoroughly dismantled the Buckeyes (11-6, 3-1) by a score of 85-60.

Junior forward Troy Williams tied a career-high with 23 points to lead Indiana but he was not alone in burying the Buckeyes, as three other Hoosiers were in double-figures.

Senior guard Yogi Ferrell had 16 points, Bryant had 18 points and 13 rebounds and sophomore guard Robert Johnson added 11 in the scoring column.

Perhaps the lone bright spot for OSU was the much-aligned Lyle.

His freshman season has had its fair share of ups and downs, but Sunday was definitely a positive showing for the 6-foot-5 guard.

After just five points in the first half, Lyle exploded in the second frame, finishing the game with 29 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

The rest of Lyle’s teammates looked lost for much of the day, providing him with little assistance. Outside of junior forward Marc Loving’s 12 points, no other player had more than six points.

From the opening tip it was clear which team was the better one, as the Hoosiers scored just 15 seconds into the game on a layup from junior forward Troy Williams.  

It took OSU, on the other hand, nearly five minutes before it was able to tally a point when  Loving got to the rim.

Over the course of the next five minutes, the Buckeyes looked relatively competitive, as the two teams traded buckets, making it a 24-12 game with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

But that was as close as it got for the remainder of the game.

Behind seven points apiece from Williams and Anunoby, the Hoosiers peeled off an 18-2 run to grab full control of the game, as they led 42-14 with three minutes left in the opening frame.

OSU’s only points during that stretch came from a pair of free throws by Loving, while it also turned the rock over five times during that same span.

The Buckeyes entered the locker room trailing 48-18. It was their largest halftime deficit since Feb. 9, 2003, when they trailed Illinois by 27 points.

At the break, Williams paced Indiana with 16 points — nearly as many as OSU had — and three rebounds. As a team, the energetic Hoosiers shot 50 percent from the field and outrebounded OSU 24-14 to build their lead.

Loving led the Buckeyes with eight points but they were inhibited by their 11 turnovers and 28-percent shooting from the field.

The script was slightly different in the second half, as OSU was more energetic and physical, while also being more careful with the ball.

That led to a more competitive 20 minutes of basketball between the teams. The Buckeyes did, in fact, outscore the Hoosiers 42-37 in the second half but it was a case of too little, too late.

Overall, the Buckeyes shot 39 percent from the field and lost the second-chance points battle 32-5.

Sunday’s defeat ended a seven-game winning streak for OSU, while Indiana extends its win streak to nine.

OSU is set to get back in action Wednesday against Rutgers (6-11, 0-4) at the Schottenstein Center. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m.