Ohio State redshirt junior guard CJ Walker (13) dribbles the ball down the court during the first half of the game against Michigan March 1. Credit: John Huether | For The Lantern
With Kyle Young and D.J. Carton still out and top scorer Kaleb Wesson starting a cold 1-for-10 from the field, Ohio State needed some players to step up on offense against Michigan Sunday.
Redshirt junior guard CJ Walker and sophomore guard Duane Washington became those players, scoring 15 and 20 points, respectively, in the game’s most important moments to deliver No. 23 Ohio State (20-9, 10-8 Big Ten) a 77-63 victory over No. 19 Michigan (18-11, 9-9).
“We knew it was gonna be a fist fight,” Washington said. “CJ had six rebounds, Luther [Muhammad] was going up and grabbing a whole bunch of rebounds, I just knew we had to come out swinging and play really, really hard. Not let guys bully us around the paint, be physical.”
Walker added seven assists to his scoring performance.
Michigan tied the game at 52 with 8:18 to play after a pair of 3s from freshman guard Franz Wagner, but the Buckeyes closed with a 25-11 scoring edge to secure the win.
Walker grabbed the initial Ohio State lead with a mid range jumper, then when the Wolverines again evened the score, he hit another mid range jumper to grab the Buckeye edge that lasted the rest of the game.
“I thought CJ was great at attacking and finding seams,” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said. “His play in general in terms of his floor game has been outstanding for about four weeks.”
Kaleb Wesson and junior forward Andre Wesson both hit bank-shot 3s, and Ohio State led 62-54 with 5:07 remaining. Michigan never cut the lead below six from that point forward.
When Andre Wesson banked in his heave from straight on as the shot clock expired, Walker and Washington simultaneously said “That’s good” as it flew through the air.
“It was one of those days. The ball was falling,” Washington said.
Walker scored four more points in the final three minutes to help keep the opposition at bay.
Wagner led the way for the Michigan offense with 18 points, followed by senior guard Zavier Simpson at 12.
The Wolverines grabbed their first lead since in over 10 minutes of gametime early in the second half.
Michigan junior guard Eli Brooks hit a 3 to tie, and after layups by Simpson and freshman guard Franz Wagner, the Wolverines capped a 9-0 run to go up 38-34.
An old-fashioned 3-point play by Walker sparked an Ohio State response, with Kaleb Wesson knocking down a 3 to close the Buckeyes’ own 8-0 run that put them ahead 42-38.
When Michigan cut an earlier Ohio State second-half lead to 46-44, it was Washington who responded with a 3.
After the Wolverines responded a second time, Washington buried another triple to set the score at 52-46.
“He just plays with outstanding confidence, he always has,” Holtmann said. “When he has it rolling like that it really elevates us.”
Washington was monumental in Ohio State’s biggest run Sunday, a 13-2 outpouring in the first half.
He buried a catch-and-shoot 3, then after a Buckeye stop on the defensive end, pulled up off the dribble to bury another shot from distance.
“We worked all summer and we worked all preseason to have moments like this, and to be in situations like this,” Washington said. “Now, turning on that confidence and believing in each other while the coaches believe in me too, it activates those things that you need to do.”
Kaleb Wesson responded to a pair of Michigan free throws with a 3 of his own, and Ohio State led 28-20 with 5:24 to play.
Michigan responded with back-to-back field goals, Washington hit a mid range jumper to slow the momentum, and a 3 by Michigan junior forward Isaiah Livers set the halftime score at 32-29.
The Buckeyes have now won eight of their past 10 games, leaping from 2-6 to 10-8 in conference play.
“I have been a part of some turnarounds from a difficult January. I don’t think I’ve been a part of one this significant where you’ve seen such a dramatic turnaround,” Holtmann said.
Ohio State returns to action for its final home game Thursday at 7 p.m. against Illinois.
