EJ Liddell's game-high 20 points led No. 15 Ohio State in a wire-to-wire 74-62 Big Ten Conference road win Saturday over No. 10 Wisconsin in Madison, Wisc.
Seth Towns came off the bench to score 10 for the Buckeyes (12-4, 6-4), who made 50.9 percent of their shots and earned a 35-29 advantage on the boards. Five other players scored at least eight points for Ohio State.
For Wisconsin (12-4, 6-3), Aleem Ford scored 13 points to lead four players in double figures. D'Mitrik Trice had 12 while Micah Potter and reserve Nate Reuvers each chipped in 11.
But Wisconsin converted only 40.4 percent of its field goals and hurt itself with subpar foul shooting, making only 9 of 15 free throws. That included a pair of crucial misses by Trice with 1:52 remaining that could have brought the margin to six points.
On the other hand, the Buckeyes sank 15 of 18 from the line, including six in a row by Duane Washington and Liddell in the final minute to seal the outcome. It was their third conference road win against a top 15 team and their fourth overall win against a top 15 foe.
Ohio State used a good start to set the game's tone. Zed Key's dunk just over four minutes into the game gave the Buckeyes an 11-3 lead, which Wisconsin couldn't overcome.
The Buckeyes' game plan was one that the Badgers normally use with success. They stayed patient on offense, working for the good shot and not being afraid to run the shot clock inside five seconds. Defensively, Ohio State clogged the lane and dared Wisconsin to shoot over the top.
Duane Washington swished a long 3-pointer with 8:24 left in the first half to increase Ohio State's lead to double figures for the first time at 24-13. The margin reached double figures again on two occasions before Trice got involved. He drained a 3-pointer and converted a layup in the last 90 seconds, cutting the margin to 32-25 at intermission.
--Field Level Media
Ohio St. | Wisconsin | |
E.J. Liddell 20 | Scoring | Aleem Ford 13 |
Duane Washington Jr. 4 | Assists | D'Mitrik Trice 8 |
E.J. Liddell 7 | Rebounds | Aleem Ford 7 |
Duane Washington Jr. 6 | Free Throws Made | Micah Potter 3 |
Justin Ahrens 1 | Steals | Brad Davison 2 |
Meechie Johnson Jr. 1 | Blocks | Aleem Ford 1 |