Ohio State freshman guard John Mobley Jr. (0) dribbles the ball past a defender during the game against Indiana Saturday. The Buckeyes fell to the Hoosiers 66-60. Credit: Matthew Wu | Lantern Photographer
Ohio State had a chance to play spoiler.
A win over Indiana in a high-stakes showdown could have seemingly punched Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament ticket.
Instead, the Buckeyes let it slip away.
Despite controlling the game for long stretches, Ohio State crumbled down the stretch as it failed to score consistently down the stretch as Indiana stormed back from behind to seal a 66-60 victory Saturday at Assembly Hall.
Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler expressed his frustration with the loss, noting a need for improvement.
“We’re disappointed in the result today, no question about it,” Diebler said. “There were things we needed to do better.”
The first half was a defensive slugfest as both teams struggled to find rhythm.
Nine minutes in, the game was tied at eight before Ohio State found life behind guard Ques Glover, who fueled a 6-0 run as the once-rowdy home crowd became restless.
Ohio State’s momentum swung further as back-to-back threes pushed the lead to nine with just under four to play in the half.
But Indiana clawed back.
Fueled by second-chance opportunities, the Hoosiers closed the first half on an 8-3 run, trimming the Buckeyes’ lead to four.
While Ohio State held Indiana to just 29% from the field and 11% beyond the arc in the first half, they were dominated by the Hoosiers down low. The Buckeyes were out-rebounded by nine and let 16 out of Indiana’s 25 points come in the paint, a trend that proved costly.
“We get caught ball-watching at times,” Diebler said. “We got some guys who are a little too lenient on our athleticism — and not lenient enough on our physicality.”
Ohio State came out of the locker room in the second half rolling, led by guard Micah Parrish. After back-to-back steals by the Buckeyes, Parrish connected on his first three shots out of the break. He led the Buckeyes with 19 points on the day.
However, the team crumbled when it mattered most.
Following a 3-pointer from forward Devin Royal that extended Ohio State’s lead to a game-high 10, Indiana responded with a 15-4 run, giving it the first lead since 6-5, with seven minutes to go.
As the sold-out crowd came to life and the momentum was firmly on the Hoosiers’ side, the Buckeyes quieted the near-deafening arena with a 6-0 run that ultimately propelled them to a narrow 56-54 lead headed into the game’s last TV timeout.
After the brief break, Ohio State didn’t convert another field goal, and Indiana closed the game on a back-breaking 16-4 run.
The Hoosiers smothered the Buckeyes offensively and held them to just one field goal while forcing five turnovers in the last nine and a half minutes of play, which led to a 66-60 defeat.
“They played hard and made more plays than us,” Parrish said. “We just didn’t move the ball well enough at the end of the game. We [have] got to be better.”
With the loss, Ohio State missed out on the opportunity to earn a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament, forcing them to play on Wednesday.
Diebler knows the Buckeyes likely have more work to do next week in Indianapolis to solidify their spot in March Madness.
“I’m not trying to run from it because I understand it’s really important,” Diebler said. “We need to get a win on Wednesday.”
