COLUMBUS, Ohio —E.J. Liddell is going to show up. It’s not a matter of if, just when.
And Ohio State needed him late in the second half.
The Buckeyes’ 11-point run was erased and the junior forward was nowhere to be found, making only four of his 13 attempts from the field, barely keeping his double-digit scoring streak that he started after a seven-point performance against Maryland Feb. 8, 2021.
Liddell was Ohio State’s best chance for something to happen Monday against Indiana. Malaki Branham knew that, passing the ball to the junior forward inside for the two-hand slam, tying the game at 63 with six seconds left on the clock.
That dunk provided enough juice for Ohio State (17-7, 10-5 Big Ten) to overcome Indiana’s 14-2 second-half run that erased its 11-point lead, outscoring the Hoosiers (16-10, 7-9 Big Ten) 17-6 in overtime to secure the, 80-69 win Monday night.
Ohio State has not lost back-to-back games this season.
Here’s a few takeaways from Monday’s win.
Liddell, Ohio State overcome offensive wall
No Liddell: big problem for Ohio State.
The junior forward continued to struggle, unable to solve either Race Thompson or Trayce Jackson-Davis in the paint with their length, finishing the game making six of his 15 attempts from the field, including only one of five attempts from deep, finishing with 16 points
It wasn’t something Malaki Branham could solve, finishing as the Buckeyes’ only 2o-point soccer. It wasn’t something Eugene Brown III could solve, having his best day in a Buckeye uniform.
Nothing works for Ohio State without Liddell, and that showed over the course of the final 11:39 in which Branham was the only one to record a made shot, while the rest of the Buckeyes points were acquired from the free-throw line.
As versatile as Liddell is offensively, this is a one-dimensional offense, one opposing defenses can solve just by getting in the junior forward’s way defensively.
But in that same vein, Liddell is the reason why Ohio State got to overtime, he’s the reason why the Buckeyes did enough to win Monday.
It’s been said before, but it was even more clear against the Hooisers: Liddell takes Ohio State where it wants to go.
Malaki Branham continues to overcome “freshman wall”
While Liddell led the Buckeyes when it counted most Monday night, Branham was the most important player for Ohio State Monday.
He remained incredibly efficient in his 39 minutes of work, leading the team with 27 points on nine-of-13 shooting, nailing all eight attempts from the free-throw line.
Holtmann has a valid point when mentioning the “freshman wall.” Heading into this stretch of play, Ohio State needs its second-best scorer to be at his peak. That remains to be seen with Branham.
With each game played, the freshman seems to be getting stronger and stronger and more efficient.
And the Buckeyes need him desperately.
Eugene Brown III’s performance enough
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann challenged his offense Saturday night. He needed somebody, anybody not named E.J. Liddell to step up offensively.
Holtmann needed things to spread out a bit offensively, forcing an opposing defense to not sit and focus on the Big Ten Player of the Year candidate.
In the first half, Eugene Brown III took that mantle.
The sophomore guard, who came into Monday night averaging 2.5 shot attempts per game and a 12.5% shot percentage, came out with an aggressiveness offensively Ohio State hadn’t really seen this season.
At first, it was the normal Brown performance, bit more substance: forcing three turnovers, including two steals in the first two-and-a-half minutes. But instead of slowing things down, he was leading fastbreaks. He missed each of his first two attempts off those turnovers — a blocked layup attempt and a turnover after a botched handle — but drilled his first attempt from 3.
Playing 15 of Ohio State’s first 20 minutes, Brown had made three of his six attempts from the floor for seven points behind Branham’s team-leading 10.
The plays didn’t stop for Brown in the second half, whether it was another wide-open 3 or a chase-down block, the sophomore guard showed Monday night why he has started eacg of the past four games.
Ohio State needed someone else Monday night. Liddell wasn’t himself, unable to find consistency against the length of both Race Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
But simply, Brown was not Liddell. He couldn’t be. No one could be.
Luckily for Ohio State, Liddell stepped up in a big way when he needed to.
What this means
This was a must win.
This was a game that Ohio State desperately needed, not only for placement in the overall landscape of the Big Ten, but just for momentum’s sake.
This was a game to gain revenge, something that the Buckeyes needed desperately against a team that had none to speak of whatsoever. Ohio State has still been searching to play like a team that looks like a contender, a team that looks like it’s worthy of a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament, a team that looks like a top-six seed in the NCAA Tournament.
For much of the second half, Ohio State didn’t look like that team. But it turned on that potential right on time against the Hoosiers.
This game was a must-win, something Ohio State got by squeaking by.
What’s next
Ohio State goes back on the road Thursday to face No. 15 Illinois.
And Ohio State needed him late in the second half.
The Buckeyes’ 11-point run was erased and the junior forward was nowhere to be found, making only four of his 13 attempts from the field, barely keeping his double-digit scoring streak that he started after a seven-point performance against Maryland Feb. 8, 2021.
Liddell was Ohio State’s best chance for something to happen Monday against Indiana. Malaki Branham knew that, passing the ball to the junior forward inside for the two-hand slam, tying the game at 63 with six seconds left on the clock.
That dunk provided enough juice for Ohio State (17-7, 10-5 Big Ten) to overcome Indiana’s 14-2 second-half run that erased its 11-point lead, outscoring the Hoosiers (16-10, 7-9 Big Ten) 17-6 in overtime to secure the, 80-69 win Monday night.
Ohio State has not lost back-to-back games this season.
Here’s a few takeaways from Monday’s win.
Liddell, Ohio State overcome offensive wall
No Liddell: big problem for Ohio State.
The junior forward continued to struggle, unable to solve either Race Thompson or Trayce Jackson-Davis in the paint with their length, finishing the game making six of his 15 attempts from the field, including only one of five attempts from deep, finishing with 16 points
It wasn’t something Malaki Branham could solve, finishing as the Buckeyes’ only 2o-point soccer. It wasn’t something Eugene Brown III could solve, having his best day in a Buckeye uniform.
Nothing works for Ohio State without Liddell, and that showed over the course of the final 11:39 in which Branham was the only one to record a made shot, while the rest of the Buckeyes points were acquired from the free-throw line.
As versatile as Liddell is offensively, this is a one-dimensional offense, one opposing defenses can solve just by getting in the junior forward’s way defensively.
But in that same vein, Liddell is the reason why Ohio State got to overtime, he’s the reason why the Buckeyes did enough to win Monday.
It’s been said before, but it was even more clear against the Hooisers: Liddell takes Ohio State where it wants to go.
Malaki Branham continues to overcome “freshman wall”
While Liddell led the Buckeyes when it counted most Monday night, Branham was the most important player for Ohio State Monday.
He remained incredibly efficient in his 39 minutes of work, leading the team with 27 points on nine-of-13 shooting, nailing all eight attempts from the free-throw line.
Holtmann has a valid point when mentioning the “freshman wall.” Heading into this stretch of play, Ohio State needs its second-best scorer to be at his peak. That remains to be seen with Branham.
With each game played, the freshman seems to be getting stronger and stronger and more efficient.
And the Buckeyes need him desperately.
Eugene Brown III’s performance enough
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann challenged his offense Saturday night. He needed somebody, anybody not named E.J. Liddell to step up offensively.
Holtmann needed things to spread out a bit offensively, forcing an opposing defense to not sit and focus on the Big Ten Player of the Year candidate.
In the first half, Eugene Brown III took that mantle.
The sophomore guard, who came into Monday night averaging 2.5 shot attempts per game and a 12.5% shot percentage, came out with an aggressiveness offensively Ohio State hadn’t really seen this season.
At first, it was the normal Brown performance, bit more substance: forcing three turnovers, including two steals in the first two-and-a-half minutes. But instead of slowing things down, he was leading fastbreaks. He missed each of his first two attempts off those turnovers — a blocked layup attempt and a turnover after a botched handle — but drilled his first attempt from 3.
Playing 15 of Ohio State’s first 20 minutes, Brown had made three of his six attempts from the floor for seven points behind Branham’s team-leading 10.
The plays didn’t stop for Brown in the second half, whether it was another wide-open 3 or a chase-down block, the sophomore guard showed Monday night why he has started eacg of the past four games.
Ohio State needed someone else Monday night. Liddell wasn’t himself, unable to find consistency against the length of both Race Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
But simply, Brown was not Liddell. He couldn’t be. No one could be.
Luckily for Ohio State, Liddell stepped up in a big way when he needed to.
What this means
This was a must win.
This was a game that Ohio State desperately needed, not only for placement in the overall landscape of the Big Ten, but just for momentum’s sake.
This was a game to gain revenge, something that the Buckeyes needed desperately against a team that had none to speak of whatsoever. Ohio State has still been searching to play like a team that looks like a contender, a team that looks like it’s worthy of a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament, a team that looks like a top-six seed in the NCAA Tournament.
For much of the second half, Ohio State didn’t look like that team. But it turned on that potential right on time against the Hoosiers.
This game was a must-win, something Ohio State got by squeaking by.
What’s next
Ohio State goes back on the road Thursday to face No. 15 Illinois.
