National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Ohio St. 64, Michigan 49
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 29, 2012
Where: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Officials: # Tim Clougherty, # John Higgings, # Ted Valentine
Attendance: 18809

Lenzelle Smith Jr. had a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds and Jared Sullinger added 13 points as No. 3 Ohio State overcame a cold shooting effort to hold off 22nd-ranked Michigan 64-49 Saturday at Value City Arena.

Smith helped Ohio State (19-3, 7-2 Big Ten) control the glass throughout the afternoon, as the Buckeyes held a 37-22 rebounding edge on Michigan (16-6, 6-3), including a 14-6 advantage on the offensive end — eight by Smith.

Ohio State’s inside game was too much to overcome for the Wolverines, who trailed 24-21 at halftime and attempted just four free throws, relying heavily on an outside-shooting game that wasn’t there. The Wolverines shot 35 percent from the field and converted just 8 of 25 3-point attempts.

With the win, the Buckeyes took over sole possession of first place in the Big Ten standings. Both teams entered the day in a three-way tie with Michigan State. The Wolverines are now tied for third with Wisconsin.

Under John Beilein, Michigan has lost in each of its five trips to Value City Arena, where Ohio State is 16-0 and defeating opponents by an average of 25 points. The Buckeyes earned this win despite shooting 42 percent from the field and making just three 3-pointers.

Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 15 points, and Trey Burke, a Columbus, Ohio, native, added 13 points to lead Michigan, which fell to 26-52 all-time at Ohio State.

William Buford and Deshaun Thomas each had 12 for the Buckeyes, who led by one early in the second half before going on a 16-5 run to take a 50-38 lead with 10:07 left.

Michigan couldn’t draw closer than seven the rest of the way.
Top Game Performances
 
Michigan   Ohio St.
Tim Hardaway, Jr. 15 Scoring Lenzelle Smith Jr. 17
Trey Burke 5 Assists Aaron Craft 4
Tim Hardaway, Jr. 5 Rebounds Lenzelle Smith Jr. 12
Tim Hardaway, Jr. 3 Free Throws Made Lenzelle Smith Jr. 5
Trey Burke 2 Steals Aaron Craft 2
Tim Hardaway, Jr. 1 Blocks Aaron Craft 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Michigan 49 35.8 8-25 3-4 10 22 1 5 13
Ohio St. 64 42.6 3-15 15-18 10 37 2 6 10