OSU redshirt sophomore center Trevor Thompson (32) posts up during a game against Air Force on Dec. 8 at the Schottenstein Center. OSU won 74-50.
Credit: Samantha Hollingshead | Photo Editor
The Ohio State men’s basketball team dipped back under the .500 mark in a game at Connecticut on Saturday afternoon that wasn’t ever much in question.
Playing in their first true road game of the season in Storrs, Connecticut, the Buckeyes (4-5) were manhandled in the first half, setting the stage for a 75-55 loss.
UCONN (6-3) received heavy contributions from a pair of guards coming off its bench, as senior Omar Calhoun and freshman Jalen Adams combined for 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting.
Calhoun’s performance also featured a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the 3-point arc.
OSU received 15 points from sophomore forward Jae’Sean Tate and 14 from junior forward Marc Loving, but an inability to get a stop all afternoon did the visitors in. For the game, UCONN shot a stunning 60.4 percent (32-of-53).
The Buckeyes hung around for the early part of the first half, trailing 22-16 at the 10-minute mark. From there, however, the Huskies took complete control, winning the rest of the half 21-6 to take a 21-point lead into the intermission.
OSU had no answer for the Huskies’ inside game, as UCONN held a 38-20 edge in points in the paint, including 24-10 in the first half. A big reason for that was redshirt senior forward Shonn Miller, a Cleveland native and transfer from Cornell, who finished the game 5-of-8 for 11 points, while also pulling down nine rebounds.
Junior center Amida Brimah was also a factor for the Huskies, contributing 11 points on an efficient 5-of-6 from the field.
The Buckeyes led at no point in the game on Saturday, which ended their brief two-game winning streak.
OSU also failed to block a shot on Saturday, despite the return of freshman center Daniel Giddens from a two-game absence. Giddens came into the game leading the Big Ten with 3.3 blocks per game, having blocked multiple shots in each of his previous five games. OSU’s previous season low for blocks was four, in the opening game.
Freshman guard JaQuan Lyle had a miserable game for the Buckeyes, going 0-of-7 to finish scoreless. It was the third game in his last four that Lyle was held under 10 points.
Loving played all 40 minutes for coach Thad Matta, pulling down six rebounds to go with his 14 points.
OSU is set to return home to try to reclaim the .500 mark on Wednesday against another Huskies squad, this one of Northern Illinois. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center.
