The long road losing streak is finally over for Ohio State basketball. It defeated Michigan State, 60-57, on Sunday afternoon in dramatic fashion.
Guard Dale Bonner was the hero, making a 3-pointer with .2 seconds left on the clock to end 17-games of misery. It was an improbable win, as the Buckeyes trailed by 10-points at halftime but came back to get the victory.
Interim head coach, Jake Diebler, has done well, going 2-1 so far, but the overall record is less than desirable: 16-12 and 6-11 in conference play.
We learned plenty about this last-second Ohio State win. Here’s what we took from the contest:
Ohio State missed Jamison Battle’s scoring
ICE IN HIS VEINS 🧊 @DaleBonnerr pic.twitter.com/XVRHVqJtbx
— Ohio State Hoops 🌰 (@OhioStateHoops) February 25, 2024
What we learned
Prior to the game, news broke that Jamison Battle was questionable due to an ankle injury, and shortly before the game he was ruled out. The Big Ten’s leading 3-point shooter was sorely missed, especially in a lower scoring contest. As a team, the Buckeyes shot just 17.6% from beyond the arc, hitting the biggest one, but it still showed how much Battle means to this team on the perimeter.
Ohio State played very good defense
OKPARA SERVES UP THE REJECTION! ❌ 💪 @Felixokpara24 x @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/M6MYBOfLro
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 25, 2024
What we learned
After allowing 88 points to an average Minnesota team, the Buckeyes put the clamps on the Spartans. The home team came into this contest scoring almost 75 points-per-game, and the Buckeyes held it to 57, almost 20 points under the season average. Bruce Thornton and Dale Bonner had big steals late, while Felix Okpara had great rim protection. It was a team effort with multiple players playing very well on the defensive end.
Devin Royal’s progression is starting to show
7:43 left in 2H: Michigan State 52, Ohio State 46.#Buckeyes have pulled w/in 6 points of MSU 3x in the second half.
Devin Royal got them there once with back-to-back jumpers. He's got a team-high 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. pic.twitter.com/CbP4tw1dG3
— Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom) February 25, 2024
What we learned
The game is starting to slow for last year’s Mr. Ohio Basketball. He has shot well this year, but the volume has been low. Today was a different story: Royal shot eight times, making six. He hit both of his free throws as well. The 14-points were a career high and Royal added two rebounds and two steals. It was an impressive game for the freshman with hopefully more to come.
Ohio State made effective second half adjustments
Through 1️⃣ in East Lansing.@Team125 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/AcPI5NPVEh
— Ohio State Hoops 🌰 (@OhioStateHoops) February 25, 2024
What we learned
Down 10 points at the half to a very solid Michigan State team, the Buckeyes could have crumbled and given up. Instead, they won the second half, and the game. Jake Diebler tried different lineups that worked, he went bigger multiple times, others times with more guards. The interim coach did a great job designing plays to get open shots as well. Hats off to Diebler for switching it up in the second 20 minutes.
Ohio State’s road woes finally ended
STREAK SNAPPED ‼️
THE BUCKEYES WIN.#Team125 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/4YZZF7WYAP
— Ohio State Hoops 🌰 (@OhioStateHoops) February 25, 2024
What we learned
Diebler has accomplished quite a lot in his short stint as head coach, defeating Purdue and going on the road to win Sunday. Yes, the loss to the Gophers hurts considering the other two game results, but it is still very positive. The talent on this roster wasn’t the issue, and Diebler has gotten more than Chris Holtmann got out of this roster in just a few games. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t think he’s a legitimate candidate to take over the job, but I’d like to see him stay on Ohio State’s bench next year.
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