PITTSBURGH — E.J. Liddell just wanted to win. He didn’t care how.
He said so in the days leading up to the first round of his final NCAA Tournament.
“No matter how much I score or even if I don't score and we win the game, I'm proud,” the junior forward said.
Loyola Chicago put that to the test Friday afternoon.
Through 20 minutes of play, Liddell — an AP third-team All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten member — was held to four makes at the free-throw line, missing all three of his attempts from the field, getting swarmed with double teams each time he touched the ball.
But the Buckeyes seemed to still find a way, using the return of Kyle Young to ignite a defensive resurgence, one that showed tenacity and versatility, one that kept a historically efficient Loyola Chicago offense at bay.
So when Ohio State took the court in the second half, holding onto a five-point lead with only four points from Liddell, the junior forward saw the time to strike.
Liddell opened the final 20 minutes with jumpers on back-to-back possessions — his first two made shots on the day — opening the floodgates with a six-point run.
And with a defense that didn’t lose momentum, Ohio State (20-12) rolled, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 54-41 win against Loyola Chicago (25-8) Friday in Pittsburgh.
With the win, Ohio State has secured five-straight seasons of at least 20 wins with head coach Chris Holtmann at the helm.
Liddell finished the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds: his ninth double-double of the season.
Loyola Chicago finished the game shooting27.2% from the field and 28.6% from 3.
The Buckeyes advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and will play either Delaware or Villanova Sunday.
Kyle Young returns, gives Ohio State life
From the moment Young first took the court Friday afternoon, Ohio State saw how important he was.
Loyola Chicago took the ball up the court, passing it to 6-foot-4 guard Lucas Williamson. Setting up a screen, the Ohio State redshirt senior forward switched onto the Ramblers’ leading rebounder and scorer, never missing a beat.
Young was the centerpiece of Ohio State’s defensive revival through the first half, forcing the Ramblers offense to put up 13 3-point tries and shoot 23.5 percent inside the 3-point line. It was the switching, a renewed sense of aggressiveness from Jamari Wheeler and the rest of the backcourt, recording four steals.
In his first game back after suffering a concussion against Nebraska, Young finished with nine points and seven rebounds, with a block and a steal, along with four fouls and two turnovers.
After a week off, after a two-week span when Ohio State looked like it couldn’t stop anyone, the Buckeyes looked like it did earlier in the season: a team that had fresh legs.
Wheeler looked like the guard that the Buckeyes recruited to be their defensive stalwart in the backcourt.
Branham was fresh, building off the momentum Wheeler set defensively and forcing four steals.
Liddell had his hops back, recording three blocks and 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season.
And with that, Loyola Chicago couldn’t respond to the Buckeyes’ pressure.
All Ohio State needed was that spark from Kyle Young.
Malaki Branham takes lead for offense in first half
Malaki Branham couldn’t adjust at first.
The Ohio State freshman, in his first NCAA Tournament game, was faced with as aggressive of a defense as he had seen all season. Branham was a known entity: the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, a third-team All-Big Ten member. He was something to plan for, something that’s become familiar since his 35-point performance at Nebraska to start 2022.
And the Ramblers had a game plan. They swarmed him, not allowing him to move one inch, forcing the ball away from Liddell and into the hands of contributors that didn’t have the same track record.
Young helped the freshman out of the funk.
Facing an inbound trailing by two points, the Ohio State redshirt senior forward pushed the ball in the direction of Branham, who instantly pulled up for a jumper, tying the game at 11.
Branham was awake, as was the Ohio State offense.
The freshman hit each of the Buckeyes’ next four field goals, including a dunk off a steal from Jamari Wheeler. With it, Ohio State took control offensively, using a 14-7 run to end the first half to take a five-point lead at half.
Branham took a back seat offensively in the second half, attempting only two shots from the field in the final 20 minutes, finishing with 14 points and five rebounds, getting into foul trouble.
But he was what Ohio State needed him to be.
E.J. Liddell takes control in the second half
From his first two jumpers of the second half, Liddell was back in control of the offense.
He was still getting the attention of Loyola Chicago defenders, but he was finding a way to shoot over them, driving through the paint and getting to the free-throw line.
Even with Young back into the fold, Liddell was also using his size to become the Buckeyes’ main rebounder Friday afternoon, bringing in a team-leading 10 boards to help Ohio State out-rebound the Ramblers, 38-30.
This is what Ohio State is: a team that Liddell leads both offensively and defensively. The stats showed that again Friday afternoon.
But it was that time in the first half, that time where he wasn’t comfortable, the time that Young and Branham took control, that allowed the junior forward to find himself, find his and Ohio State’s momentum.
What it means
Liddell previewed it yesterday.
If Ohio State is healthy, he said, it is a completely different team. It’s a team that’s aggressive, that’s tenacious, that’s not afraid to attack down low. It’s a team with multiple attackers, not a one-man band entirely.
And when Ohio State is like this, the Buckeyes are a team that can overcome a horrid night from 3, can overcome a horrid night in terms of turnovers.
Defense sets the tone here. Young sets the tone here. And that’s a team that can win.
What’s next
Ohio State will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and take on either Villanova or Delaware on Sunday.
He said so in the days leading up to the first round of his final NCAA Tournament.
“No matter how much I score or even if I don't score and we win the game, I'm proud,” the junior forward said.
Loyola Chicago put that to the test Friday afternoon.
Through 20 minutes of play, Liddell — an AP third-team All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten member — was held to four makes at the free-throw line, missing all three of his attempts from the field, getting swarmed with double teams each time he touched the ball.
But the Buckeyes seemed to still find a way, using the return of Kyle Young to ignite a defensive resurgence, one that showed tenacity and versatility, one that kept a historically efficient Loyola Chicago offense at bay.
So when Ohio State took the court in the second half, holding onto a five-point lead with only four points from Liddell, the junior forward saw the time to strike.
Liddell opened the final 20 minutes with jumpers on back-to-back possessions — his first two made shots on the day — opening the floodgates with a six-point run.
And with a defense that didn’t lose momentum, Ohio State (20-12) rolled, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 54-41 win against Loyola Chicago (25-8) Friday in Pittsburgh.
With the win, Ohio State has secured five-straight seasons of at least 20 wins with head coach Chris Holtmann at the helm.
Liddell finished the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds: his ninth double-double of the season.
Loyola Chicago finished the game shooting27.2% from the field and 28.6% from 3.
The Buckeyes advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and will play either Delaware or Villanova Sunday.
Kyle Young returns, gives Ohio State life
From the moment Young first took the court Friday afternoon, Ohio State saw how important he was.
Loyola Chicago took the ball up the court, passing it to 6-foot-4 guard Lucas Williamson. Setting up a screen, the Ohio State redshirt senior forward switched onto the Ramblers’ leading rebounder and scorer, never missing a beat.
Young was the centerpiece of Ohio State’s defensive revival through the first half, forcing the Ramblers offense to put up 13 3-point tries and shoot 23.5 percent inside the 3-point line. It was the switching, a renewed sense of aggressiveness from Jamari Wheeler and the rest of the backcourt, recording four steals.
In his first game back after suffering a concussion against Nebraska, Young finished with nine points and seven rebounds, with a block and a steal, along with four fouls and two turnovers.
After a week off, after a two-week span when Ohio State looked like it couldn’t stop anyone, the Buckeyes looked like it did earlier in the season: a team that had fresh legs.
Wheeler looked like the guard that the Buckeyes recruited to be their defensive stalwart in the backcourt.
Branham was fresh, building off the momentum Wheeler set defensively and forcing four steals.
Liddell had his hops back, recording three blocks and 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season.
And with that, Loyola Chicago couldn’t respond to the Buckeyes’ pressure.
All Ohio State needed was that spark from Kyle Young.
Malaki Branham takes lead for offense in first half
Malaki Branham couldn’t adjust at first.
The Ohio State freshman, in his first NCAA Tournament game, was faced with as aggressive of a defense as he had seen all season. Branham was a known entity: the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, a third-team All-Big Ten member. He was something to plan for, something that’s become familiar since his 35-point performance at Nebraska to start 2022.
And the Ramblers had a game plan. They swarmed him, not allowing him to move one inch, forcing the ball away from Liddell and into the hands of contributors that didn’t have the same track record.
Young helped the freshman out of the funk.
Facing an inbound trailing by two points, the Ohio State redshirt senior forward pushed the ball in the direction of Branham, who instantly pulled up for a jumper, tying the game at 11.
Branham was awake, as was the Ohio State offense.
The freshman hit each of the Buckeyes’ next four field goals, including a dunk off a steal from Jamari Wheeler. With it, Ohio State took control offensively, using a 14-7 run to end the first half to take a five-point lead at half.
Branham took a back seat offensively in the second half, attempting only two shots from the field in the final 20 minutes, finishing with 14 points and five rebounds, getting into foul trouble.
But he was what Ohio State needed him to be.
E.J. Liddell takes control in the second half
From his first two jumpers of the second half, Liddell was back in control of the offense.
He was still getting the attention of Loyola Chicago defenders, but he was finding a way to shoot over them, driving through the paint and getting to the free-throw line.
Even with Young back into the fold, Liddell was also using his size to become the Buckeyes’ main rebounder Friday afternoon, bringing in a team-leading 10 boards to help Ohio State out-rebound the Ramblers, 38-30.
This is what Ohio State is: a team that Liddell leads both offensively and defensively. The stats showed that again Friday afternoon.
But it was that time in the first half, that time where he wasn’t comfortable, the time that Young and Branham took control, that allowed the junior forward to find himself, find his and Ohio State’s momentum.
What it means
Liddell previewed it yesterday.
If Ohio State is healthy, he said, it is a completely different team. It’s a team that’s aggressive, that’s tenacious, that’s not afraid to attack down low. It’s a team with multiple attackers, not a one-man band entirely.
And when Ohio State is like this, the Buckeyes are a team that can overcome a horrid night from 3, can overcome a horrid night in terms of turnovers.
Defense sets the tone here. Young sets the tone here. And that’s a team that can win.
What’s next
Ohio State will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and take on either Villanova or Delaware on Sunday.
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