Ohio State (4-0) used a strong second-half effort to overcome an eight-point half time deficit and come away with a 90-85 win over Notre Dame (1-2) in the Big Ten/ACC challenge.
Notre Dame controlled the first half to lead 42-38 at the intermission and extended that lead to as many as 11 about six minutes into the second half.
OSU righted the ship with a combination of active team defense and a scoring outburst by forward E.J. Liddell. Liddell scored just two points in the first half but contributed 17 in the second half for a game-high 19 points. Liddell also led all rebounders with 12 for a double-double.
Liddell’s numbers were impressive, but he didn’t do it alone. This was very much a team win with OSU’s bench outscoring Notre Dame’s bench by a whopping 23-4. The Buckeye defense also produced 13 turnovers allowing OSU to score 24 points off turnovers to just nine for Notre Dame.
Five Buckeyes scored in double figures. They include Liddell, Justice Sueing with 16, Duane Washington with 13, C.J. Walker with 16 and Justin Ahrens with 12. All of Ahrens scoring came on three-point field goals. He was four of six from three.
OSU went to the free throw line 24 times and made 21 of those attempts. Notre Dame made 14 of 18 from the line.
The game marked the return to significant action of Musa Jallow who is coming back from injury. Jallow chipped in seven points on three of five shooting from the field and one for one from the free throw line. Jallow also helped spearhead a tough OSU defense that frustrated the Irish.
[photo courtesy of OSU Athletics. Photo from OSU vs. Illinois State]
Entertaining game to watch, had a feeling OSU might rally, seemed to pull away after the midpoint of the 2nd half. OSU seemed to make the right adjustments and Washington’s three towards the end was simply, “Butter!”
Miss the stats after every game, can you bring them back?
The stats are on the OSU website under the game story.