Pressure Is Mounting
The 23rd ranked Buckeyes hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers yesterday, in a game that many believed would not be close. Ohio State was searching for a win after losing by 15 points to Maryland. Nebraska won their previous game on the road against Penn State. It was a back and forth battle, as Nebraska and Ohio State were trading buckets. Freshman Malaki Branham would knock down a three-pointer to put Ohio State in the lead. Ohio State dominated on the glass, as they registered seven offensive rebounds, while Nebraska had one offensive rebound. Late in the half Nebraska guard, Bryce McGowens knocked down a three-pointer to give Nebraska their largest lead. At halftime, the score was Nebraska 43 Ohio State 39.
Nebraska fed off their energy from the first half as Bryce McGowens flushed down a monstrous dunk. Ohio State looked sluggish trying to get back on defense. Nebraska would score effectively from inside the paint, as Ohio State looked overmatched. Things got chippy as there was a loose ball on Ohio State’s side of the court. Buckeyes guard Jamari Wheeler dove for the ball, and as Trey McGowens came into the equation, there was a scuffle as it looked as McGowen’s knee inadvertently struck Wheeler on the side of his face. Buckeyes forward E.J Liddell would drain a three-pointer to cut the Nebraska lead down to five points. Ohio State would lose veteran player Kyle Young as he would leave the game due to an illness. It is difficult to beat any team when a team solely relies on two players. Ohio State continued to trail into this game and was unable to mount a comeback.
Nebraska beat Ohio State 78-70. Nebraska pulled off a huge upset and helped save coach Fred Hoiberg’s job. Freshman Bryce McGowens was the leading scorer for Nebraska as he had 26 points and four rebounds. Ohio State now has a two-game losing streak. This loss stings because not only will Ohio State become unranked, but this does not bode well for their NCAA tournament chances. Ohio State only has two games remaining until the Big Ten tournament starts. Ohio State will host Michigan State tomorrow night. Let’s see how they respond to an embarrassing loss.
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