LINCOLN, Neb. – Chris Holtmann had a four-letter word to describe his team’s play Tuesday night.

No, it wasn’t that one. Or that other one. This one is printable, discussable and in this case was the descriptor the Ohio State men’s basketball coach chose after an 83-69 loss inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. It wasn’t just that the Buckeyes lost a road game, something they’ve now done in their last 13 such games, or that they lost to a Nebraska team enjoying a breakout season that’s often been lights-out at home.

It was how Ohio State lost this one, and the lack of sustained fight, that was particularly worrisome.

“I thought we were really soft throughout the whole game, but again, give them credit,” Holtmann told The Dispatch. “Ultimately that falls on me. I don’t know if it was just the last 10 minutes or not. We did not have the fight in this game that we needed to have by any stretch. Ultimately, that falls on me. We just didn’t have the fight we needed to, really from the jump, to be honest with you, but certainly when adversity hit we did not respond.”

There has been plenty of adversity as this season has rolled on. The Buckeyes never trailed in last Saturday’s comfortable home win against Penn State, a game that snapped a three-game losing streak and had the potential to be a turning point in Big Ten play. In each of the previous three losses, the Buckeyes were in position to win in the final four minutes only to come up short each time.

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At Indiana, the Buckeyes cut a game-high 66-56 deficit with 3:34 left to a 67-65 game with 1:44 to play before losing 71-65. At home against No. 15 Wisconsin, Ohio State overcame a six-point deficit with an 8-0 run to take a 56-54 lead with 5:49 remaining only to be outscored 19-4 in the final 5:16 to lose, 71-60. And at Michigan, the Buckeyes turned a 12-point deficit into a four-point lead with a 16-0 second-half run but were outscored 11-4 in the final 3:37 and lost, 73-65.

Tuesday night, with Rienk Mast destroying Ohio State’s defense behind a barrage of 3-pointers, things got out of hand and stayed there. In the biggest Nebraska win ever against Ohio State, the Cornhuskers led by double digits for the final 12:08.

Fourth-year center Zed Key, who had 7 points and six rebounds in 18:49, said it wasn’t from lack of effort or fight from the Buckeyes.

“Thinking about it, not really,” Key said. “They went on a run and we couldn’t get the stops that we need or the rebound that we needed. No, but I know we’re going to be better for next game. We’re going to learn from our mistakes and correct them.”

The nature of the loss meant that while Ohio State did not practice Wednesday, the coaching staff was holding individual meetings with a number of players to try and address where things currently stand. After playing Bowen Hardman for the final 7:35 for his first Big Ten minutes of the season, Holtmann said the sophomore guard had earned the opportunity through his everyday approach to being on the scout team.

“I think right now, that’s what we’re looking for out of our bench is just the right approach and the right attitude and I think he’s really had that,” Holtmann said. “I thought he needed to be given a look because he’s had the right approach and right attitude and I think his play was a by-product of having the right attitude.

Hardman scored a career-high 11 points after having totaled 20 in his first 13 career appearances. He saw more playing time than two of Ohio State’s freshmen who seemed ticketed for rotation roles this year. Forward Devin Royal had a turnover, was beaten for a basket in the paint and then called for a foul on an offensive rebound that led to two late-half Nebraska free throws in only 1:29.

He didn’t see any second-half playing time, but it was more than guard Taison Chatman, who was a healthy, unused substitute. Forward Scotty Middleton, who was suspended for the Penn State game for a violation of team expectations, finished with 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting in 14:11.

After the Michigan loss, Holtmann delivered a clear message that this team’s story was still to be written and that he still had “high-level belief” in this group of players.

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The Buckeyes still have 12 games to turn the season around, and it wasn’t long ago that the 2019-20 team started Big Ten play 2-6 only to close by winning 9 of their final 12 games before the postseason was canceled due to COVID-19. There are plenty of opportunities ahead for the Buckeyes to climb back onto the NCAA Tournament bubble.

But sooner or later, they need to have the necessary toughness for a full game if they want to capitalize on a few of them.

“We just need to be better,” Holtmann said. “That’s it. We need to be better. I thought we weren’t tough enough, so ultimately that’s something that we as coaches need to get them playing tougher, much tougher.”

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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