May 24, 2013

Ohio State knocks off previously undefeated Michigan, 56-53

January 13, 2013 by 13 Comments

The Ohio State Buckeyes, a team which had had it’s fair share of difficulties against top-ranked opponents, turned the tables on Sunday by beating the previously perfect Michigan Wolverines in front of a packed Value City Arena in Columbus.

Though outscored heavily in the second half, the Buckeyes ran out to a 16-0 lead to open the game. The Scarlet and Grey were led by their lone offensive weapon in DeShaun Thomas who scored 20 points on 8-0of-18 shooting. No other Buckeye player had double-figures as point guard Aaron Craft was the best of the rest with nine points and fie assists. Ohio State’s offense continues to rely on Thomas, averaging a Big Ten-high 20.3 points and a team-leading 6.8 rebounds. He’s scored 22.7 per game in league play.

Michigan’s Trey Burke had 15 points (4-of-13 shooting) while Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Burke had a shot to tie the game with 17 seconds left, but it rattled out with the Buckeyes holding on.

Ohio State (13-3, 3-1) has won 17 of 19 between the two on the basketball court, and nine in a row at home by an average 14 points. The Wolverines (16-1, 3-1) have not won in Columbus since Jan. 15, 2003 – their only victory in the past 13 trips.

[Related: Craft-tastic! Buckeye Point Guard Returns To Form In West Lafayette]

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  • @TheDeePagel

    Love the win. Hate the way we stopped attacking in the 2nd half.

    Also no biggie, but Michigan led 3-0, then we went on 16-0 run.

    And Burke’s three attempt with 17 seconds left would have put them up by one – 53-52.

  • WFNY_DP

    As a UM fan, I can’t be too mad at my team for the way they hung around after playing so dreadfully in the first half. To erase a 21-point lead on the road against a top-15 opponent–while really none of your three or four best players did much of ANYTHING–shows me something.

    Where Michigan lost this game (yes, I phrased it that way on purpose) was in their decisions to shoot nothing but 3′s for four or five possessions after tying the game. Once OSU got it back up to 52-46, it was curtains.

    It’s just nice to have these games actually mean something for a change.

  • Garry_Owen

    It’s the 2013 Big Ten basketball season, and …

  • WFNY_DP

    Ohio State almost choked away a 21-point lead on their home floor?

  • Garry_Owen

    Almost?

  • @TheDeePagel

    The B1G is a gauntlet this year. Gotta defend home court, and cross your fingers that you get a handful of road wins. Win a game in the conference touranment, and go into the dance with a top 5 seed. So far, Mich and OSU are both doing that. Would be great to see an all B1G Final Four to take some thunder away from the SEC folks for a week.

  • @TheDeePagel

    And while I agree with most of what you said….I also won’t let you as a Michigan fan get away with all of it. Burke was shutdown by Craft once again for the most part. He may have had an off game, but Crafts defense had some to do with it. We are lethal with Craft and Scott on the floor together. I want more of it.

  • WFNY_DP

    Didn’t mean to imply that Michigan’s guys not doing what they usually do was only of their own accord. The first half was a defensive clinic by Ohio State. I didn’t mean to imply that Craft is anything other than the shut-down guy he is.

    The reason that I feel that Michigan “lost” this game is that they had all of the momentum. They finally got some stops defensively, got some shots from Hardaway and Robinson, and tied the game. And then they reverted to jacking up stupid threes. They stopped doing what had got them back into the game. Yes, OSU played some great defense, but Michigan’s shot selection was atrocious in the last few minutes. If they’d kept trying to go inside–especially once they got into the bonus–I think they’d have won the game.

    Definitely tip my cap to the Buckeyes. Honestly, like I said, it’s nice that an OSU/UM basketball game has so much riding on it, and it’s nice to see how solid the Big Ten is.

  • WFNY_DP

    I can honestly see 8 teams making the tourney from the Big Ten this year. Maybe 9 if Purdue, Northwestern, and/or Iowa can earn a big win here or there.

  • WFNY_DP

    Sorry, got nothin’ else, and I know what the alternative around here is. :-)

  • Garry_Owen

    This stuff goes in cycles. I am hoping to ride this cycle until the wheels fall off. I will then conspicuously disappear like the coward I am when the shoe arrives on the other foot.
    But Michigan still sucks.

  • JK

    … MICHIGAN STILL SUCKS

  • Garry_Owen

    Winner.