With junior forward Kaleb Wesson leading the way, Ohio State combined for 19 assists in a 68-59 win over Indiana.
The Hoosiers' forwards totaled just 18 points in the game, while Wesson alone went for 15 points and 11 rebounds. It was his second double-double against Indiana this season.
Three weeks ago, Indiana allowed Ohio State junior forward Kaleb Wesson to score two points in the paint during a win inside of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. This afternoon, through Wesson, the Buckeyes executed an unselfish offense on their own court.
The Hoosiers suffered a 68-59 loss at the hands of the opponent they defeated on Feb. 11. Ohio State finished the game with 19 assists and had four players score in double figures. Indiana has now dropped three games in a row.
“They played an excellent game offensively in terms of sharing the ball,” Indiana head coach Archie Miller said of Ohio State after the game.
From the opening tip, the team found itself on the back foot, allowing Wesson to game’s first four points. A timely 3-pointer from sophomore guard Rob Phinisee, followed by a transition layup by junior guard Al Durham gave Indiana its only lead of the afternoon.
It lasted 39 seconds, and the Hoosiers would never lead again. Wesson made the subsequent basket, bringing his total to six in less than three minutes.
Indiana’s leading scorer, freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, attempted one shot in the first half and finished the opening period with three points. The team failed to establish dominance in the paint and was outrebounded for just the fourth time all season.
They ended with a season-low four as a unit and had zero second-chance points.
“That’s a very telling number,” Miller said of the team’s second-chance opportunities. “At half, we may have had one offensive rebound. We had four offensive rebounds for the game. That hasn’t happened all season.”
Senior guard Devonte Green was the only player for the Hoosiers to record an offensive rebound in the first half.
Contrary to Indiana’s struggles on the boards, Ohio State was seemingly coming down with every ball that floated through the air. Wesson demanded so much attention inside that it left shooters open on the perimeter. He finished the game with 15 points and 11 rebounds — his second double-double in as many games against Indiana this season — but also accounted for two assists.
Ohio State sophomore forward Justin Ahrens was a beneficiary of kick-out passes his 14 minutes of play. He scored nine points in a span of two minutes off three wide-open 3-point shots. He nearly converted a fourth, but he misfired from the left corner.
Nearly half of the Buckeyes’ shot attempts were 3-pointers. The Hoosiers didn’t close out well against their opponents, and it drastically affected the outcome of the game. Ohio State combined for 10 made shots from beyond the arc.
“We were just making shots, I mean that’s just how the game flows,” Ohio State redshirt junior guard CJ Walker said. “Of course we go through the paint for Kaleb to make plays, whether he’s scoring or passing the ball.”
Indiana went 7-for-12 from the 3-point line to keep the game close, but a combined 18 points from the team’s forwards made a nine-point finish feel anything but close.
Green and Phinisee were the team’s leading point scorers with 13 and 11 points respectively. Jackson-Davis recorded seven points after being held to six in the season’s first meeting with Ohio State.
“Teams go through highs and lows, and some teams really find their niche,” Miller said. “This team sort of has hit a pothole, so to speak. In every season, the story isn’t written until the end, but we’re going to have to change paths here and change the course of how we’re playing.”
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