Michigan outscored No. 23 Ohio State 45-32 in the second half, en route to an 75-69 victory — spoiling the Buckeyes’ Senior Day Sunday.
Ohio State (19-10, 12-8 Big Ten) took a seven-point lead into the locker room, but were unable to keep that same energy in the second half, allowing Michigan (16-13, 11-9 Big Ten) to run away with the upset win in Columbus.
The Wolverines’ lead ballooned to as much as 12 in the second half, where it surged on a 14-1 run across the middle stages of the frame. But, Ohio State stormed back with a 7-0 run to bring the Michigan lead down to four with 4:57.
A pair of back-to-back 3s from senior forward Justin Ahrens once again cut Michigan’s lead down to four with 1:46 remaining. But, a 3-pointer from freshman guard Kobe Bufkin with 1:23 remaining put the game out of Ohio State’s reach, lifting Michigan’s lead to seven.
Aided by three Ohio State turnovers across the span of two minutes, Michigan opened the second half on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 39. The Wolverines pulled ahead with 14:36 remaining in regulation — their first lead since 6:28 to go in the first half.
The first half was largely a back-and-forth affair, as the lead changed hands 13 times until graduate center Joey Brunk exploded for a 6-0 run, capped off by an emphatic two-handed dunk with 1:08 remaining in the opening frame. A layup by freshman guard Malaki Branham ended the 8-0 run, which pushed the Ohio State lead to nine.
The Buckeyes took a seven point lead into the locker room behind first-half shooting splits of 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range. Ohio State cooled down in the second half, though, where it shot 39.1 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Although Ohio State knocked down shots at a high rate, it also turned the ball over 13 times, allowing Michigan to collect 12 points off turnovers. The Wolverines also held a distinct advantage on the offensive glass, collecting 13.
While Michigan was able to stake out advantages in certain areas, the Buckeyes’ defense held firm for much of the afternoon. The Wolverines shot just 41.2 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point range.
Playing without leading scorer and sophomore center Hunter Dickinson, who was held out of Sunday’s game with a stomach ailment, graduate guard DeVante’ Jones led the Wolverines with 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
The Michigan bench outscored Ohio State’s reserves 24-6 and was led by sophomore forward Terrance Williams II, who dropped 17 points on 55.6 percent from the field.
The one-two punch of junior forward E.J. Liddell and Brunk paced the Buckeyes in the paint, where they were outscored by the Wolverines 32-26. Brunk finished the game with eight points and six rebounds.
Liddell produced his seventh double-double of the season, dropping 16 points on 4-of-10 shooting and corralling 13 rebounds.
Freshman guard Malaki Branham dropped a team-high 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
Ohio State looks ahead to the Big Ten Tournament, where it will be the No. 6 seed. It will receive a bye and play Thursday.
