Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson recorded just the sixth triple-double in Michigan history as the No. 5 Wolverines (20-1, 9-1) wore down and then ran away from the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-7, 3-6) with a 65-49 win.
A 6-foot junior from Lima, Simpson scored 11 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, and handed out 12 assists. He also added two steals and a block of a Kaleb Wesson dunk. He turned the ball over zero times in 36 minutes.
The Buckeyes turned the ball over 19 times, which was 10 more than Michigan. Most of the turnovers were careless and kept Ohio State from building momentum or ever going on a run.
Ohio State led 12-6 early thanks to three baskets on three attempts from Kaleb Wesson. He would only connect on two of his final nine field goal attempts, finishing with a team-high 12 points.
The Buckeyes held the lead for the first 10 minutes of the first half, but careless play killed their momentum and allowed the Wolverines to take control. Michigan led 32-26 at the half.
Kaleb Wesson started the second half just as he did the first — with a three-pointer. That three-point deficit ended up being the smallest of the half for the Buckeyes. Five minutes later, the lead was up to 11 points. The rest of the game featured Michigan keeping Ohio State at arm’s length and plenty of Buckeye frustration.
Ohio State point guard CJ Jackson scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Despite the high number of team turnovers, Jackson only committed one on the night.
It was not a good night for starters Musa Jallow and Luther Muhammad. Jallow went scoreless with three turnovers and Muhammad scored just three points with three turnovers. Muhammad’s three-pointer came very early in the game.
The Buckeyes outrebounded Michigan 35-29. They shot just six free throws, however.
The Box Score
