It has not been a clinic for Ohio State on either end of the floor in the first twenty minutes against Illinois, but it’s only down four at halftime 41-37.
The offense has struggled once again to find any consistency, shooting just 42.4% from the field. Duane Washington leads OSU with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor, drilling 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. No other Ohio State player is in double figures, though Justice Sueing has nine points heading to the locker room. E.J. Liddell has been held to just five points on 2-of-7 shooting.
Illinois should probably be up by more. The Illini have filled up the hoop at a 62.1% clip and are more or less dictating things on both ends of the floor. The lead has been up to double digits, but OSU was able to claw back just before halftime to be within striking distance. Committing just four turnovers has helped that cause.
If there’s one big issue that needs addressing for Ohio State, it’s how to stop Illinois from getting shots going to the rim. Not only does center Kofi Cockburn have ten points all in the paint, but several dribble drives have gone unchecked, and that’s why the shooting percentage has been so high for the Illini.
Closed out the half strong.
Carry the momentum into the second!#Team122 #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/SiypmILjE4
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) March 6, 2021
It’s still going to be hard to pull this one out for the Buckeyes unless there is a mindset change in the second half, but they are right there. A win would be huge.
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