Purdue Holds Off Buckeyes, Keeps Big Ten Title Hopes Alive

Hold on tight Buckeye fans, it’s going to be a rough week.

The Buckeyes came out flat in the first half, going down 36-23, and Purdue made them pay. The Boilermakers went on to secure a 60-57 victory in Columbus, in what has become a playoff for the Big Ten title. The Buckeyes next opponent is Michigan State in East Lansing; I wouldn’t get too excited about pulling off a win up there either.

This loss puts Ohio State almost out of the Big Ten title race. The Buckeyes would have to win at Michigan State and then hope for another Spartan loss to Purdue to become tied with the Boilermakers.

Purdue played this game looking like the Sweet 16 team they were last year; Ohio State looked like the team that was bounced out in the first round against Siena.

After the Michigan State game, the Buckeyes will be favored in the remaining three games. Assuming they lose to the Spartans this weekend and win the rest of the games, Ohio State would go into the Big Ten tournament 23-8. They would be the No. 3 seed in the tournament.

Evan Turner continues to carry this team on both ends of the court. He had a game-high 29 points and seven rebounds. He also led the team in assists with five. He got little support from his supporting cast, with only two other Buckeyes in double figures.

William Buford had 11 points, but struggled in the second half. Jon Diebler had 10 points as he caught fire early in the first half, but cooled at halftime and was a non-factor in the second half. He missed the final shot of the game, a three, which would have sent it into overtime.

Dallas Lauderdale didn’t get his first basket until very late in the second half. His lack of production in the post has plagued Ohio State all season. On the defensive front, he had four rebounds and a block.

The Buckeyes outscored Purdue 34-24 in the second half, but poor shooting late in the second half killed any chance to pull out a win. Ohio State shot only 26 percent from behind the arc, and 41 percent from the field on the night. This is Purdue’s first win in Value City Arena, ending the Buckeyes six-game winning streak.

Ohio State (20-7) will take on Michigan State (21-6) on Sunday at 1:00 PM in East Lansing. The winner stays in contention for the Big Ten title, the loser will be focusing on the Big Ten tournament.