Ohio State junior forward Justin Ahrens (10) looks down the court during the Ohio State-Illinois State game on Nov. 25. Ohio State won 94-67. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Although they typically rely on their high powered offense to lead them, the Buckeyes were carried by their defense Monday.
The No. 4 Buckeyes (16-4, 10-4 Big Ten) earned their fifth consecutive win Monday, topping Maryland (10-10, 4-9 Big Ten) 73-65. Although the Buckeyes locked in on the defensive end, head coach Chris Holtmann said Ohio State’s defensive success was a mixture of their pressure and the Terrapins’ inability to hit open shots.
“I thought that we played with more force, had better wall-ups, I also thought we had better communication,” Holtmann said. “I also thought they missed some clean and open looks, so I think it was a combination of both.”
Ohio State was carried by a masterclass performance on the defensive end of the floor, as the Buckeyes held Maryland to 40 percent from the field. The Terrapins could not find success on the perimeter as well — posting just an 5-of-19 night from beyond the arc.
The Buckeyes also forced 12 Maryland turnovers, which they turned into 21 points.
Junior guard Eric Ayala — Maryland’s leading scorer with an average of 14.4 points per game — finished the game with 13 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field.
The Buckeyes opened the game sluggish and trailed by 8 points less than seven minutes into the first half.
However, a late 14-1 run in the first half propelled the Buckeyes to a 35-30 halftime advantage.
The Ohio State offense was jump started by junior guard Duane Washington Jr. and junior forward Justin Ahrens, who combined for 19 of the Buckeyes’ first 25 points.
Washington, like the rest of the Buckeyes, excelled from behind the 3-point line in the opening half. The Michigan native dialed in 3-of-6 shots from long range on his way to 13 first half points.
He finished the game with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
As a team, the Buckeyes hit eight of their 10 triples in the first half. Ohio State finished the game shooting 38 percent from deep.
Aiding in the first half offensive surge was Ahrens, who delivered on a pair of threes and 8 points in the opening frame. He finished the performance with 11 points on 3 threes.
With Ahrens’ ability to fire from beyond the arc — leading the Buckeyes in three-point percentage with 48.8 percent — Holtmann said he creates plenty of issues for opposing defenses.
“You’re just always aware of him, so it stretches your defense and it makes your attention to detail have to be so high level,” Holtmann said. “Our guys have done a good job finding him.”
However, Ohio State’s starting front court of sophomore forward E.J. Liddell and senior forward Kyle Young stumbled out of the gates offensively.
Liddell — Ohio State’s leading scorer at 15.4 points per game — did not register a point or a rebound in the game’s opening half as he dealt with early foul trouble, while Young only produced 5 first-half points on 2-of-5 from the field.
Holtmann said Liddell’s reputation allowed others to thrive Monday.
“E.J. Liddell is such a matchup issue, he’s such a good player that teams are going to give him a lot of attention and the beneficiaries of that were some other guys here tonight,” Holtmann said. “I think in general, a guy like him, who’s as talented and as good as he is, he’ll respond and come back and play well.”
Young found his groove in the second half and finished the game with a career-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while Liddell added 7 second-half points and was held without a field goal until seven minutes remaining in the game.
Despite Young’s second-half emergence, Maryland was able to stake out an 32-24 advantage in the paint.
The Buckeyes return to their homecourt Saturday with a noon game against Indiana.
This story was updated Tuesday at 12:15 a.m. with quotes from Chris Holtmann.
