Disastrous Start to Second Half Seals Ohio State’s Fate in Loss At Maryland

This time, it wasn’t an end-of-game sequence or late execution error that price the Buckeyes a Huge Ten win. The issue wasn’t with how Ohio State completed the second half, however how the Buckeyes began the second half.

Ohio State held a two-possession lead at halftime, however the way it acquired there was telling. Maryland missed 15 of its last 16 pictures to finish the primary half, and the Buckeye took benefit with a 13-3 run. Regardless of taking pictures simply 34.5% from the sphere, the Terps led for many of the primary half, outrebounded the Buckeyes by eight and acquired to the free-throw line 4 extra occasions.

One other 1-for-16 taking pictures stretch was by no means prone to observe for Kevin Willard’s squad, and it didn’t. The truth is, the Terps by no means missed greater than three straight pictures the remainder of the way in which. Maryland turned it on as quickly because the second half began, and never simply on offense. A livid stretch of red-hot taking pictures and full-court defensive strain shellshocked the Buckeyes, turned the sport round and finally delivered the Terps their first Huge Ten win in additional than a month.

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Maryland nailed seven of its first eight pictures to open the second interval and scored the primary 14 factors in a row earlier than Ohio State answered. The Buckeyes misfired on eight straight area objectives and went from up 5 to down 9 simply 5:01 into the second half.

The defensive lapses didn’t simply come from one particular person matchup, nor solely from Maryland’s measurement benefit given the absence of Zed Key (shoulder). Three completely different Terps scored through the 14-0 run, and people six makes got here on layups, jumpers and 3-pointers alike, each out of half-court units and on the fastbreak.

Ohio State solely made it simpler for the Terps to place up factors in a rush with their very own sloppy offensive execution. The Buckeyes turned the ball over solely 4 occasions within the first half, three fewer than Maryland, however they coughed it up on 5 events within the first 2:57 of the second half alone. Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thornton every had two of these apiece and Justice Sueing had the opposite.

With out Key on the ground and with Felix Okpara having picked up three fouls within the first half alone, Chris Holtmann utilized totally perimeter-oriented lineups extensively towards Maryland. However that didn’t assist the Buckeyes a lot when it comes to ballhandling. No less than not through the stretch in query.

A full court-press has harm Ohio State earlier than. It helped North Carolina make a second-half comeback late within the Tar Heels’ additional time win over the Buckeyes in New York Metropolis final month, and Purdue pressured a game-changing turnover out of a full-court entice within the last minute of Thursday’s dramatic Boilermaker win in Columbus. Even from the outset of Sunday’s contest, it was clear that Maryland took be aware.

The Terrapins pressed Ohio State on each made bucket from the beginning of the sport. Solely Ohio State dealt with it with out a lot bother early on. Issues modified when the depth was ratcheted up one other notch within the second half, although, and the Buckeyes turned the ball over a number of occasions out of the press to assist spur on Maryland’s vital run.

The primary six minutes of the half represented the launching level, however by the 9:41 mark, the Terps had taken a 14-point lead – their largest of the sport. Issues actually might’ve gotten out of hand at that time, however Ohio State confirmed resilience to sweaty some palms in Faculty Park thereafter.

After Maryland mounted its 14-point edge, Ohio State launched into a 13-2 run that introduced it again inside three factors with 6:15 to play. It was nonetheless a one-possession recreation with 2:40 to play, as back-to-back Roddy Gayle makes saved it a three-point contest in crunch time. However the gap Ohio State dug for itself early within the half was simply an inch too deep.

Frequent Ohio State fouls all through the day added up by the ultimate couple of minutes, and whereas seven of the 9 Buckeyes who logged minutes piled up no less than three fouls, Maryland wanted solely to knock down free throws to remain a step forward late.

Ohio State hit 5 area objectives to Maryland’s three within the last 5 minutes of play. However the Terps hit 10 free throws in that stretch. The Buckeyes didn’t even try one.

For Holtmann, the resolve his younger staff confirmed in battling again after happening double-digits was a constructive signal. Ohio State has nonetheless solely misplaced one recreation by 10 or extra factors this season, and Sunday’s seven-point margin of defeat is not any nice disgrace.

However Maryland was a beatable Huge Ten opponent for the Buckeyes, even on the street, and a poised method to the beginning of the second half would probably have delivered Ohio State that win to shut out the week.