Ohio State 83, Illinois 67: Buckeyes rough up struggling Illini
COLUMBUS — Things usually don’t go very well for the person following closely behind the guy who kicks the hornets’ nest... (John Kampf JKampf@News-Herald.com @JKBuckeyes,writer)
After seeing his team get blistered by Ohio State on Tuesday, no one knows that more than Illinois coach Bruce Weber.
Three days after the Buckeyes were knocked from their perch atop the Big Ten standings by Michigan, eighth-ranked Ohio State played with a renewed sense of purpose Tuesday night in an 83-67 win over the visiting Illini.
Ohio State (23-5, 11-4 Big Ten) shot 65 percent from the floor, got 19 points from Deshaun Thomas and 17 from senior William Buford to avenge a 79-74 loss to the Illini on Jan. 10.
“I think they had a sense of urgency,” Weber said. “They play well here. They beat a lot of teams pretty handily here.”
Ohio State has been impressive in its games following losses this season. The Buckeyes are 5-0 in games following a loss, winning by 24, 31, 17 and 10 points, prior to Tuesday’s 16-point win that was a 25-point margin with 90 seconds left in the game before Illinois’ reserves made the game look closer than it was.
Four of the bounce-back wins have come at Value City Arena.
OSU coach Thad Matta wanted more intensity from the start, and that’s what he got.
“I thought it was much better,” Matta said. “That was one of the things we talked about that we had to have. Each guy had to do his part with energy, intensity and enthusiasm.
“I thought we did a good job with that.”
Ohio State never trailed and the game was never close after Aaron Craft hit a driving layup to make it 6-2 with 18:05 in the first half. Illinois was never within one possession the rest of the way.
Ohio State’s early leads included 9-2, 15-4, 19-4 and 28-8.
Everything that went wrong in Sunday’s loss to Michigan, in which OSU shot 36 percent, and in a Feb. 11 loss to Michigan State, in which OSU shot 26 percent, went right on Tuesday.
Illinois (16-11, 5-10), losers of six in a row and nine of its last 10 dating back to its win over the Buckeyes more than a month ago, was the unwilling punching bag.
“It was real important (to get off to a good start),” Buford said. “Coming off a loss, we wanted to come out with great intensity and bring it from the beginning.”
The Buckeyes’ marksmanship was a big reason Tuesday’s game was the blowout that it was.
The Buckeyes made 32 of their 49 shots against the Illini, as well as an impressive 7-for-13 behind the 3-point arc.
Ohio State’s shooting was particularly dialed in during the first half, when the Buckeyes made 17 of 24 shots (70.8 percent) and 5 of 7 3-pointers (71.4 percent). Two of their misses were put back in for buckets.
OSU’s lead ballooned to 22 points in the first half on a 3-pointer from Thomas, who led the Buckeyes in scoring with 19 points.
Over the past two games, the 6-foot-7 forward is shooting 66.7 percent (14 for 21).
“We were ready,” Thomas said. “You play like you practice. We were knocking shots down (in practice), and it led to the game.”
The Buckeyes also got a big game from Craft (11 points, five assists), as 10 players hit the scoring column.
Sophomore Jared Sullinger fouled out after a nine-point, six-rebound effort.
Buford was coming off a dismal shooting performance at Michigan, a game in which he was held to six points on 3-for-12 shooting.
Buford’s past five games have been a roller-coaster ride, as he has scored 29, 4, 24 and 6 points before his 17-point outburst against the Illini.
“I didn’t dwell on the last game,” said Buford, who credited screens from his teammates for him getting his open looks as part of his 7-for-9 shooting performance. “The main thing I did wrong last game was missing and rushing my shots.”
Illinois was led by 7-foot-1 sophomore Meyers Leonard, who had a game-high 21 points to go with five rebounds. D.J. Richardson added 12 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Brandon Paul, who almost personally defeated Ohio State the last time the teams met, was a non-factor.
The 6-foot-4 junior guard made only 2 of 9 shots and scored nine points, well below the 43 points he hung on the Buckeyes in early January.
Paul also missed an uncontested dunk in the first half.
“They locked in to him right away and Craft guarded him,” Weber said of Paul, “and they just never let him get going.”
Ohio State hosts Wisconsin on Sunday at 4 p.m., the final home game for Buford, Ohio State’s lone senior.
“It will absolutely be really special,” Buford said. “I love it here. I’ve been here for four years. I’ll probably cry.”
Notes
Matta tinkered with his lineup more than usual, pairing Craft with freshman Shannon Scott early and often. Scott didn’t score but had four assists. Matta said he was looking for “another attacker.” ... Sullinger was called for a flagrant foul in the second half, catching Illinois’ Leonard with an elbow. ... Freshman LaQuinton Ross, who tweeted his displeasure over playing time last week, had five points. Matta said he was pleased with how the 6-foot-8 freshman played. ... Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars was in attendance.