COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State needed a get-right game.
In what was supposed to be a two-game homestand before going back on the road in the dog days of Big Ten play, the Buckeyes took the court for the first time in a week looking to respond after a buzzer-beating loss to No. 6 Purdue on the road; a loss that was demoralizing, yet showed progress.
Ohio State doesn’t lose on the road. It hasn’t since the final regular-season game of the 2020-21 season against Illinois. It needed a chance to show what it could do before road matchups against Rutgers and Michigan.
Maryland gave Ohio State that opportunity.
Whether it was from forwards Zed Key and E.J. Liddell in the paint or forward Justin Ahrens' resurgence from 3, the Buckeyes (14-5, 7-3 Big Ten) dominated the Terrapins (11-12, 3-9 Big Ten), 82-67, Sunday afternoon.
Ohio State's offense really couldn't be stopped, shooting 50.8% from the field and 42.3% from deep.
Liddell helped mostly inside the 3-point line, leading the team with 24 points on 64.3% shooting, while Key (14) and Ahrens (14) also reached double-digits.
The Buckeyes leave for its road trip against Rutgers and Michigan with an 10-game win streak inside the Schottenstein Center.
Here are a few takeaways from Sunday's win
Defense helps create Maryland's deficit
Holding onto an 11-point lead, Ohio State didn’t let up on the defensive pressure.
Inside against Maryland forward Donta Scott, junior forward E.J. Liddell provided the pressure, enough to force the turnover: a traveling violation. As the Buckeyes took possession, redshirt senior guard Jamari Wheeler flexed, celebrating with Liddell.
It was a quick moment, but it was one that Ohio State needed, the pressure that made the Buckeyes want Wheeler in the first place.
It was pressure that worked against a Maryland offense that’s been one of the worst in Big Ten games this season. The Terrapins shot 39% from the field, making 10 of 29 attempts from 3 and 11 of their 16 attempts from the free-throw line.
In the first half Maryland’s two forwards, Scott and Qudus Wahab, were really the only two consistent options offensively, scoring 16 of the team’s 29 points on 50% shooting. Elsewhere, the Terrapins shot 23.8% from the field.
Maryland was able to pick up the pace a bit offensively in the second half, shooting 46.4% from the field in the final 20 minutes, cutting a 22-point deficit to 12 with less than four minutes to go in the game, helped by a 25-point performance by Scott, who hit five of eight attempts from deep.
Height wasn’t the main factor, though.
In the first 20 minutes, Maryland out-rebounded Ohio State, 17-15, recording seven offensive rebounds while the Buckeyes recorded none. Ohio State didn't record its first offensive rebound of the game until the first moments of the second half, with Key recording a put-back layup after a missed jumper by freshman Meechie Johnson Jr.
Ohio State finished the game with 36 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, compared to Maryland's 33.
Not relying in 3-point game
Key took control early.
After opening the game with a 3-point make by Wheeler, the sophomore forward pounded the ball inside, making each of Ohio State’s next six points — two floaters and a layup.
For a team that likes to take its fair share of opportunities from outside, it seemed like the Buckeyes made a priority to get its offense going on the inside, whether it came from fadeaway floaters from Liddell or Key.
In the first half, Ohio State had 16 points in the paint, recording 27 of its 42 points inside the 3-point line or from the free-throw line, while shooting 61.5% from the field. This included five 3s on 11 tries.
That offensive spark seemed to dim a bit in the second half, but the 3-point success continued into the final 20 minutes, finishing the game shooting 42.3% from deep.
Justin Ahrens… back?
Justin Ahrens took the ball where it’s usually instinct for him on the court: the corner.
It was open enough, something that hasn’t created a guaranteed make for the senior forward as of late, coming into Sunday’s game with eight makes from deep on his last 39 tries eight games into 2022.
But this corner was the one to spark a comeback for Ahrens, drilling the 3, igniting a roar from the crowd.
Ahrens was back, making three of his first three attempts from 3 against the Terrapins. The senior forward had not made more than one 3 in a game for the Buckeyes since Jan. 6 against Indiana.
The senior forward began to feel himself a bit, trying a deep 3 in the final moments of Ohio State's win against Maryland, air-balling the attempt, grimacing as he turned around to get back on defense. But Ahrens wasn't done, finishing the game with four makes on seven attempts, his most since his five 3-point makes against Towson Dec. 8.
News and Notes
Ohio State was without Eugene Brown III Sunday afternoon. The sophomore guard was in street clothes with a walking boot on his left foot.
Ohio State freshman guard Meechie Johnson Jr. started his fourth game of the season for the Buckeyes, while senior forward Justin Ahrens came off the bench for his second-straight game.
What it means
Offensively, this is the strategy Ohio State needs to have as it gets into this stretch of as many as 10 conference games in the next month. Start inside the 3-point line, pounding the paint with your forwards and then spread it out from the outside. It will be easier said than done, especially with games against Michigan, Indiana and Illinois over this stretch.
Defensively, it’s about pressure. It’s the same defensive physicality and persistence that Wheeler brings in the backcourt. Ohio State showed that against Maryland. It didn’t show up on the glass, but it did in terms of field-goal percentage against a struggling offense. It’s a good get-right opportunity for a defense that’s only going to see tougher and tougher teams.
What’s next
No. 16 Ohio State hits the road again. The Buckeyes will take on Rutgers on the road Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
In what was supposed to be a two-game homestand before going back on the road in the dog days of Big Ten play, the Buckeyes took the court for the first time in a week looking to respond after a buzzer-beating loss to No. 6 Purdue on the road; a loss that was demoralizing, yet showed progress.
Ohio State doesn’t lose on the road. It hasn’t since the final regular-season game of the 2020-21 season against Illinois. It needed a chance to show what it could do before road matchups against Rutgers and Michigan.
Maryland gave Ohio State that opportunity.
Whether it was from forwards Zed Key and E.J. Liddell in the paint or forward Justin Ahrens' resurgence from 3, the Buckeyes (14-5, 7-3 Big Ten) dominated the Terrapins (11-12, 3-9 Big Ten), 82-67, Sunday afternoon.
Ohio State's offense really couldn't be stopped, shooting 50.8% from the field and 42.3% from deep.
Liddell helped mostly inside the 3-point line, leading the team with 24 points on 64.3% shooting, while Key (14) and Ahrens (14) also reached double-digits.
The Buckeyes leave for its road trip against Rutgers and Michigan with an 10-game win streak inside the Schottenstein Center.
Here are a few takeaways from Sunday's win
Defense helps create Maryland's deficit
Holding onto an 11-point lead, Ohio State didn’t let up on the defensive pressure.
Inside against Maryland forward Donta Scott, junior forward E.J. Liddell provided the pressure, enough to force the turnover: a traveling violation. As the Buckeyes took possession, redshirt senior guard Jamari Wheeler flexed, celebrating with Liddell.
It was a quick moment, but it was one that Ohio State needed, the pressure that made the Buckeyes want Wheeler in the first place.
It was pressure that worked against a Maryland offense that’s been one of the worst in Big Ten games this season. The Terrapins shot 39% from the field, making 10 of 29 attempts from 3 and 11 of their 16 attempts from the free-throw line.
In the first half Maryland’s two forwards, Scott and Qudus Wahab, were really the only two consistent options offensively, scoring 16 of the team’s 29 points on 50% shooting. Elsewhere, the Terrapins shot 23.8% from the field.
Maryland was able to pick up the pace a bit offensively in the second half, shooting 46.4% from the field in the final 20 minutes, cutting a 22-point deficit to 12 with less than four minutes to go in the game, helped by a 25-point performance by Scott, who hit five of eight attempts from deep.
Height wasn’t the main factor, though.
In the first 20 minutes, Maryland out-rebounded Ohio State, 17-15, recording seven offensive rebounds while the Buckeyes recorded none. Ohio State didn't record its first offensive rebound of the game until the first moments of the second half, with Key recording a put-back layup after a missed jumper by freshman Meechie Johnson Jr.
Ohio State finished the game with 36 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, compared to Maryland's 33.
Not relying in 3-point game
Key took control early.
After opening the game with a 3-point make by Wheeler, the sophomore forward pounded the ball inside, making each of Ohio State’s next six points — two floaters and a layup.
For a team that likes to take its fair share of opportunities from outside, it seemed like the Buckeyes made a priority to get its offense going on the inside, whether it came from fadeaway floaters from Liddell or Key.
In the first half, Ohio State had 16 points in the paint, recording 27 of its 42 points inside the 3-point line or from the free-throw line, while shooting 61.5% from the field. This included five 3s on 11 tries.
That offensive spark seemed to dim a bit in the second half, but the 3-point success continued into the final 20 minutes, finishing the game shooting 42.3% from deep.
Justin Ahrens… back?
Justin Ahrens took the ball where it’s usually instinct for him on the court: the corner.
It was open enough, something that hasn’t created a guaranteed make for the senior forward as of late, coming into Sunday’s game with eight makes from deep on his last 39 tries eight games into 2022.
But this corner was the one to spark a comeback for Ahrens, drilling the 3, igniting a roar from the crowd.
Ahrens was back, making three of his first three attempts from 3 against the Terrapins. The senior forward had not made more than one 3 in a game for the Buckeyes since Jan. 6 against Indiana.
The senior forward began to feel himself a bit, trying a deep 3 in the final moments of Ohio State's win against Maryland, air-balling the attempt, grimacing as he turned around to get back on defense. But Ahrens wasn't done, finishing the game with four makes on seven attempts, his most since his five 3-point makes against Towson Dec. 8.
News and Notes
Ohio State was without Eugene Brown III Sunday afternoon. The sophomore guard was in street clothes with a walking boot on his left foot.
Ohio State freshman guard Meechie Johnson Jr. started his fourth game of the season for the Buckeyes, while senior forward Justin Ahrens came off the bench for his second-straight game.
What it means
Offensively, this is the strategy Ohio State needs to have as it gets into this stretch of as many as 10 conference games in the next month. Start inside the 3-point line, pounding the paint with your forwards and then spread it out from the outside. It will be easier said than done, especially with games against Michigan, Indiana and Illinois over this stretch.
Defensively, it’s about pressure. It’s the same defensive physicality and persistence that Wheeler brings in the backcourt. Ohio State showed that against Maryland. It didn’t show up on the glass, but it did in terms of field-goal percentage against a struggling offense. It’s a good get-right opportunity for a defense that’s only going to see tougher and tougher teams.
What’s next
No. 16 Ohio State hits the road again. The Buckeyes will take on Rutgers on the road Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
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