Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton (2) shields the ball after getting by a defender. Ohio State lost to No. 15 Texas A&M 73-66 at the Schottenstein Center Friday.
Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
Despite a career-high, 24-points, five-assist performance by sophomore guard Bruce Thornton, Ohio State couldn’t catch No. 15 Texas A&M as they fell behind late in a 73-66 loss Friday at Value City Arena.
The Buckeyes (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) got off to a hot start, though a 7-point advantage to start the game wasn’t enough to stop the experienced attack of the Aggies.
Texas A&M (2-0, 0-0 SEC) battled with the Buckeyes early, but a dominant performance on the glass, where it out-rebounded Ohio State 45-35, allowed the Aggies to keep the game within reach in the first half and ultimately pull away late.
The first half began with both teams trading baskets. Two triples by Thorton raised the home crowd, as the sophomore guard was relatively silent the first 16 minutes of Ohio State’s home-opener victory against Oakland Monday. His two threes helped give the Buckeyes a 16-13 lead.
Through the first fifteen minutes, defensive rebounding hindered Ohio State. Eleven second-chance points and seven offensive boards allowed Texas A&M to stay within range despite the Buckeyes receiving productive play from their bench.
“A lot of [our struggle] was their guards got loose for us,” head coach Chris Holtmann said. “We had a secondary defender coming back to play on the ball, so we were leaving one of the better rebounders open, and I think that was significant.”
Graduate guard Tyrece Radford and senior forward Henry Coleman III got off to a hot start for Texas A&M, scoring 21 of the team’s first-half points. Sophomore center Felix Okapara notched three blocks in the first half, including a monster rejection on a dunk attempt by the Aggies’ Coleman.
Six straight points by the Aggies put the Buckeyes down by just 1 point, 34-33, at the end of the first half.
After the break, momentum shifted back and forth between the two teams. In a defensive battle, Ohio State and Texas A&M opened the second half shooting a combined 4-for-15 from the field as the Aggies retained a small lead.
Two straight baskets by senior forward Zed Key helped reenergize the crowd at Value City Arena and tied the Buckeyes and Aggies at 51 apiece with just over nine minutes remaining.
Thornton led the way for the Buckeyes in the second half, scoring 16 points in just 15 minutes of action.
A huge offensive rebound and layup by Texas A&M senior forward Andersson Garcia gave the Aggies a 5-point lead with four minutes left on the clock.
Junior guard Wade Taylor IV stepped up in big ways for the Aggies in the second half, scoring an impressive 16 points on nearly 60 percent shooting from the field and two steals.
Taylor was among one of multiple Aggies to hit clutch free throws to help extend the lead while the Buckeyes struggled from the line late when it mattered.
“Rebounding and free throws,” Thornton said, was a major struggle for the Buckeyes. “We missed 10 free throws, so that makes a big difference.”
Ohio State attempted to mount the comeback, although free throws late into the contest by Texas A&M allowed the Aggies to push the game out of reach for the Buckeyes.
“We had to focus because we knew it would be a dogfight,” Thornton said. “We didn’t do the small things at the end of the day. That really separates us from winning or losing when you play a tough team.”
Ohio State looks to get back into the win column against Merrimack at Value City Arena Wednesday at 7 p.m. Big Ten Network will broadcast.
