This Ohio State basketball team looks physically and mentally drained. It’ll need to find a way to battle its way out of the funk it’s in to get back in the game against a physical and offensive-minded Iowa squad. The Hawkeyes have been the more energetic and focused ball club and head into the locker room up 42-28 at the half.
If there’s been a bright spot for the Buckeyes, it’s been the play of E.J. Liddell. He leads Ohio State in points at halftime, scoring 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Duane Washington is the next leading scorer with five points, and the bench has only contributed one measly point so far. OSU shot just 38.7% from the floor, and 20% from 3-point range.
For Iowa, the efficiency and pace have been good, dwarfing what we’ve seen from the Buckeyes. The Hawkeyes have shot 51.6% from the floor and are on the verge of running Ohio State out of its own gym.
Down, not out. pic.twitter.com/WFL0ctKzeN
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 28, 2021
We always talk about being mentally tough, and we’re about to find out what kind of makeup psychologically OSU has in the second half, and frankly, beyond that in future games.
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