MINNEAPOLIS _ The familiar refrain played out five times before the opening tip Sunday evening at Williams Arena.
As each starter for No. 3 Ohio State was introduced, the speakers inside The Barn sung out the five-word hook from the Foreigner hit "Cold as Ice." Everyone knows it: "You're as cold as ice." Then it was back to the instrumental build-up until the next starter was introduced.
It foreshadowed the first blemish of the season for the Buckeyes. With a chance to climb to No. 1 in Monday's Associated Press poll, Ohio State ran smack-dab into the adversity it had avoided for more than a month.
As leading scorer Kaleb Wesson battled foul trouble for most of the second half and second-leading scorer Duane Washington Jr. sat out with a rib injury, the Buckeyes succumbed to the curse that is road life in the conference this season with an 84-71 loss to Minnesota.
The first win by the Golden Gophers (5-5, 1-1) against a top-five team since it beat No. 1 Indiana on Feb. 27, 2013 also kept Big Ten teams undefeated at home through the first 11 conference games this season.
Washington did not practice following the Dec. 7 home game against Penn State, and it's unclear when he will return to the lineup. He is officially listed as day-to-day. He had started the eight prior games.
In his place, senior Andre Wesson moved back into the starting lineup, where he began the season before suffering a fractured right eye socket in the opener and missed two games. It impacted Ohio State's ability to mix and match its lineups, giving coach Chris Holtmann only three available scholarship guards in a season where three-guard lineups have seen the most playing time.
It also removed the team's most accurate three-point shooter, and his absence created significant spacing issues on offense while allowing Minnesota to pack passing lanes and force the Buckeyes (9-1, 1-1) into difficult positions on the floor.
After pushing its lead to eight points on four occasions, tying Ohio State's largest deficit of the season, Minnesota made it a 36-25 lead on a Marcus Carr three-pointer with 1:10 to play in the half. D.J. Carton hit a pair of free throws and finished a layup in the final minute, but Daniel Oturu finished through contact over Kaleb Wesson in the final seconds to give the Golden Gophers a 38-29 lead heading into the half.
It was the first time Ohio State had trailed at the break since Cincinnati led 26-19 in the season opener. The Buckeyes had led 14-11 early, but they would miss seven straight field goals as Minnesota took control with a 13-2 run that made it a 24-16 lead.
One game removed from going 1 for 10 and finishing with two points in a 20-point loss at Iowa six days prior, Minnesota guard Marcus Carr torched the Buckeyes for a game- and career-high 35 points.
No team had shot better than 42.4% against the Buckeyes this season, but Minnesota finished at 54.4 percent. And when it was all over, the fans stormed the court.
