Sophomore guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (1) driving for a shot in the paint versus Rutgers Jan. 3 at the Schottenstein Center. Ohio State took the win 76-72. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
The Buckeyes couldn’t get it done in Bloomington, Indiana, Saturday night.
Thanks to a relentless Hoosier defense, Indiana (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten) gave Ohio State (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten) its first loss — 71-65 — since Dec. 9, 2023, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, holding it to a 27-point second half and just 28% shooting.
The first half got off to a slow start as Ohio State’s score-leading trio of Jamison Battle, Roddy Gayle Jr. and Bruce Thornton each missed their first shots, meanwhile, Indiana began the game in the opposite way, quickly getting off to an 11-5 lead.
Fifth-year forward Battle’s three consecutive 3-pointers brought the Buckeyes back within two with 11:54 remaining before the break. Less than 20 seconds later, Thornton, the sophomore guard, got in on the action with a jumper to tie it at 15 apiece.
Even with Ohio State’s leading 7-3 turnover ratio and Indiana capitalizing on it with 13 points in the first half, the Buckeyes stayed on top until the Hoosier’s redshirt-senior guard Xavier Johnson was fouled behind the three-point line by fifth-year guard Dale Bonner, sending Johnson to the free-throw line for a shot. He knocked it down, cutting the Buckeyes’ lead to one.
With nine seconds left on the first-half clock, senior forward Zed Key fouled Johnson in the lane, which sent him to the line for two more good free throws and Indiana led 37-36. However, at the buzzer, Key was fouled by the Hoosier’s fifth-year forward, giving him a shot at the line for two. Key made both and gave the Buckeyes back the lead 38-37 as the teams went in for halftime.
Making a statement return to the floor, sophomore center Felix Okpara slammed his first dunk of the game to take an Ohio State 3-point lead. The Buckeyes went on an 8-point scoring run before the Hoosiers went on one of their own to come back 46-45.
Ohio State’s scoring well ran dry.
It missed nine shots in a row and faced a drought that lasted just under six minutes.
With 12:07 remaining in the contest, a 3-pointer from Indiana’s Malik Reneau tied it up at 48. Reneau had a 19-point second half — more than Gayle, Thornton and Battle’s second periods combined.
Indiana continued for a 20-6 scoring run that brought the game clock under eight minutes.
A series of an Okpara block, free throws, offensive rebound and layup, followed by an extra chance score by Gayle brought the Buckeyes within two at the 1:44 mark, but Reneau’s countering 2-point score gave them a 69-65 advantage, and the Buckeyes could not catch up.
Indiana’s defense held Ohio State to just 25-of-69 inside the arc and 26% from three. On the offensive end for the Hoosiers, they dominated the paint by scores of 40-24 and gave up only four turnovers to the Buckeyes’ 14.
With hopes of reinstating its winning Big Ten record, Ohio State welcomes No. 21 Wisconsin to Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m.
