Ohio State huddles during the Ohio State-Northwestern game Jan. 9. Ohio State won 95-87. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Assistant Photo Editor
Ohio State has gone down to the wire in each of its last two games, but it managed to keep things from going haywire Thursday as it began its final road trip of the regular season.
The No. 22 Buckeyes (18-7, 11-5 Big Ten) hit the road for the final time Sunday against Maryland, which has navigated a coaching change as Mark Turgeron stepped down as head coach Dec. 3, 2021, and named Danny Manning interim skipper.
After holding off a comeback bid at No. 15 Illinois in their 86-83 win, the Buckeyes have strung together two-straight wins. Freshman guard Malaki Branham, who scored 31 points on 10-of-14 shooting against the Illini, said Ohio State must maintain its rhythm in the last four games.
“We just got to keep proving ourselves,” Branham said. “We just got to keep getting stops at the end of games like we’ve been doing. I feel like if we just keep doing that and not give up leads like we’ve been giving up, I feel like we can work on that.”
Maryland (13-15, 5-12 Big Ten) never led against Indiana Thursday and lost 74-64, snapping its two-game winning streak. The Terrapins have gone 2-3 since dropping their first matchup with Ohio State Feb. 6. They’ll honor the 20th anniversary of their national championship team Sunday.
The Terrapins shoot 43.2 percent from the field and have shot over that mark in their last five games. Guards graduate Fatts Russell and senior Eric Ayala lead Maryland each with an average of over 14 points per game.
Despite sitting 12th in the Big Ten Conference standings, assistant coach Tony Skinn said the Terrapins still play competitively.
“When you look at this Maryland team, their record doesn’t justify the talent that they have,” Skinn said. “One through five, they’re a talented group, and guys that can score hurt you in different ways. They’ve obviously had some adversity hit them early, but we expect as a staff, and our players expect a typical Big Ten battle.”
Skinn, who grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, said he grew up a short drive from the Terrapins’ campus. Now heading back to a state he previously called home, Skinn recalled his experiences against Maryland when he played at George Mason from 2003-06.
“Everything comes back full circle just from a personal level,” Skinn said. “I wasn’t good enough to play at Maryland, apparently, so for me, as a player, it was always one of those kind of chip on the shoulder whenever I went back. I wanted to beat them.”
The Buckeyes are vying for a shot at both the conference’s regular season title and byes in the Big Ten Tournament, which begins March 9. Their win over Illinois slotted them 1 1/2 games behind first place No. 13 Wisconsin and fourth in the standings.
While Branham scored more than any other player in the game Thursday, junior forward E.J. Liddell helped the Buckeyes keep the Illini at arm’s length, scoring four of Ohio State’s final six points. He nearly didn’t play, as he was hospitalized earlier in the week and deemed questionable to play while he dealt with the flu, but he said he felt well enough to give his full effort.
“I just took a nap, talked to my mom,” Liddell said. “It’s going to take a lot for me not to play a basketball game, but I just knew I had to come out here and play 100 percent if I was going to play.”
Now collectively shooting 48 percent from the field, which is second in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes’ offense has carried the load lately, scoring at least 80 points in back-to-back games. Graduate forward Kyle Young shot a perfect 5-of-5 for 13 points in the first half Thursday, finishing with 18, and head coach Chris Holtmann said the captain provided a lift to help spark Ohio State back into the game.
“His competitiveness was phenomenal. He just jump-started us when we needed it,” Holtmann said. “We needed an injection of some competitiveness and also some good play, and he brought both.”
With their final game of February and March Madness approaching, postseason positioning is on the minds of Ohio State’s players and coaching staff. Skinn said the team is in a good place and will take it one game at a time.
“It’s coming down to that part in the season where everybody’s on edge, everybody’s trying to put it together, everybody’s trying to win games,” Skinn said. “As long as we stick to being who we are when we’re tough and we finish our possessions, we’re a tough team to beat.”
Tipoff between the Buckeyes and Terrapins is set for 4 p.m. Sunday at the XFINITY Center. CBS will broadcast.
