As much as they needed a win last night, the Ohio State men’s basketball team needed someone, anyone, to step up their game.
The Buckeyes got not only one player, but an entire supporting cast to rise to the occasion last night, defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers 73-68 at the Schottenstein Center.
OSU (11-9 overall, 4-5 Big Ten), got double figure scoring contributions from four players to overpower and outlast a bigger, deeper Minnesota team.
Guard Emonte Jernigan paved the way for the Buckeyes with a career-high 21 points.
Guard Brent Darby tallied 18 points in the contest, while forward Matt Marinchick came off the bench to deliver 10 points and grab four rebounds.
“We have to give enormous credit to Matt Marinchick and Emonte Jernigan,” OSU basketball coach Jim O’Brien said. “When they got their opportunity tonight they came through big time.”
Jernigan, who has seen little playing time recently, scored 16 points in the second half, going five for eight from three-point range.
“I try to have (my shot) every night, but sometimes it doesn’t work that way. It’s been awhile. It felt good to sneak up on them,” Jernigan said.
Marinchick and guard Matt Sylvester provided the Buckeyes with some quality minutes in the absence of center Velimir Radinovic, who is out indefinitely with a dislocated left pinky finger.
“I capitalize on as many opportunities as I can make,” Marinchick said. “If it’s not a good shot, I’m not going to take it.”
There weren’t a lot of bad shots for the Buckeyes last night, whose bench outscored the Gophers 31-8. They shot 40 percent from the field and sealed the victory in the final minutes with 72 percent shooting from the free throw line.
Missing Radinovic, OSU’s only 7-foot prescence on the inside, didn’t seem to harm the Buckeyes, whose zone allowed Minnesota little offensive penetration.
“Their height gave us some concerns, but on the other hand, we knew that if we put three guards in there they’d have trouble keeping up with us,” Sylvester said.
The Gophers were held to 32 percent shooting from the field in the second half and only nine of 36 from the perimeter.
“Against zone defenses, teams are happy to shoot a lot of threes. I’m fearful of it — we dodged a little bit of a bullet,” O’Brien said.
The Buckeyes will take their two-game win streak to Illinois Sunday in the first of three upcoming road games.
“They’re happy right now,” O’Brien said. “They realize the importance of a fourth win in the conference. It keeps us in the middle of the pack, and it keeps us in the hunt.”
