No. 16 Ohio State (13-4, 6-2 B1G) outrebounded Minnesota (11-6, 2-6 B1G) 48-22 overall and 20-6 in offensive boards. The lopsided rebounding advantage offset a ho-hum shooting night from the floor by leading to an equally lopsided 27-6 advantage in second-chance points for OSU that was Minnesota’s undoing.
OSU forward E.J. Liddell led the charge on the glass, and for that matter almost everywhere else. Liddell had a game-high 15 rebounds, eight of them on the offensive glass. He also had a game-high 23 points and a game-high five assists. His eight offensive boards were two more than the six the entire Minnesota lineup produced.
The game itself was close for a half. OSU led 32-30 at the intermission but scored the first five points on the second half to open up an eight point lead. Minnesota never really threatened after that. The closest the Gophers got was five at 40-35, but that was the best they could do the rest of the way. OSU steadily built the lead to as many as 14 and coasted home to the 11 point road win.
Buckeye forward Zed Key scored 12 points and was close to a double-double with eight rebounds. Key was extremely efficient with his scoring, going six of nine from the field. Forward Kyle Young added 14 points off the bench and guard Malachi Branham added 11.
OSU was uncharacteristically cold from the three point line going 7 of 27 from three for a 25.9% shooting percentage from three but made up for the off night shooting with their dominance on the glass and 21-point advantage in second chance points.
The Gophers were led by forward Jamison Battle who scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds, but Battle needed 18 shots from the floor to put up his 15 points.
Liddell’s 15 rebounds were a career high for him.
Photo of E.J. Liddell courtesy ohiostatebuckeyes.com
fantastic win over a Minn program that still, on some accounts, hasn’t fully owned up on the cowardly attack on Buckeye players in ’72. always sweet to drop these guys. and shame on you Winfield especially. jerk