Fourth-year forward Zed Key (23) throws down a slam dunk over Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia (3) during Ohio State’s 84-74 win over the Golden Gophers Dec. 3 at the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
Jamison Battle returned to Minneapolis where he played for four seasons, in hopes of snapping the Buckeyes’ 16-game road losing streak.
The fifth-year forward and the Buckeyes never even had a sense of hope as Minnesota led for the entirety of the game.
Despite a 21-point performance by Battle in his return, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (15-12, 5-11 Big Ten) was handed its 17th straight road loss, this time from Minnesota (17-9, 8-7 Big Ten) 88-79, which set a new Buckeyes program record for most consecutive losses away from home.
Golden Gophers fans welcomed Battle with boos starting pregame and lasting for the entire 40 minutes of game action.
“I just thought the crowd atmosphere was really good,” Minnesota head coach Ben Johnson said. “That’s not me saying I liked the booing, it was just more like the energy that they [Minnesota fans] brought.”
For the second straight game, the Buckeyes went down 8-0 out of the gate. And yet again, sophomore guard Bruce Thornton converted a right-handed floater to put Ohio State on the board.
Thornton, the Buckeyes’ leading scorer this season — averaging 16.1 points per game — wouldn’t score again until the second half.
Unlike Purdue, Minnesota got its first seven shots to fall, including four 3-pointers, and jumped out to a 19-9 lead.
Freshman guard Scotty Middleton, who came into the game shooting one of his last 12 from beyond the arc, made two early 3-pointers which gave Ohio State an 8-0 run of its own, cutting its deficit to 22-17.
Buckeyes freshman guard Taison Chatman, on a give-and-go with Battle, made a running floater in the paint, giving him his first collegiate points and cutting the Golden Gopher lead to just five, 30-25.
Battle swooshed a 3-pointer with 5:24 remaining in the first half, his third three in as many attempts, which tied the game at 30 apiece.
In the last 3:34 of the first half, the Golden Gophers went on a 10-2 run and then took a 42-34 halftime lead following an offensive rebound and right-handed put-back from Minnesota junior forward Dawson Garcia with 18 seconds left in the half. Interim head coach Jake Diebler acknowledged that was a key turning point in the game.
“I thought them getting in a rhythm and then it felt like, if I remember correctly, maybe we had a couple of empty possessions offensively at the end of the first half that caused that eight point lead going into halftime,” Diebler said.
Out of the break, Battle swooshed yet another 3-pointer, his fourth straight from beyond the arc, as Ohio State tried to come back.
Thornton, on the bright side, put together 23 second-half points for the Buckeyes.
But it wasn’t enough.
Ohio State couldn’t slow the Golden Gopher offensive attack, allowing 88 points, a season-high, as Minnesota shot 50% from the field and 42% from three.
Minnesota collected 13 offensive rebounds which led to 19 second chance points for the Golden Gophers. Diebler emphasized the need to be better on the boards.
“We needed to rebound better,” Diebler said. “That was a big key going into this game and we just didn’t quite execute that well enough.”
Minnesota was led by junior guard Elijah Hawkins, who posted a career high 24 points, including going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Ohio State will head to East Lansing, Michigan, to take on the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. CBS will broadcast.
