Ohio State hoops rides huge second half to come away with win over Notre Dame

Ohio State picked up the big second half it needed Tuesday evening.

Taking on Notre Dame in the B1G/ACC Challenge, it was the No. 22 ranked Buckeyes that found themselves in a hole heading into halftime. At the break, Ohio State trailed by eight as the Fighting Irish were ready to go.

Fortunately, Chris Holtmann’s squad found life in the second half, waking up to put up 56 points after the break. The Buckeyes outscored the Irish by 13 in the second half and were able to come up with clutch buckets and free throws to hold on for the win.

Key Moment: The game was tight the entire way with Notre Dame’s Nate Laszewski making it a one-point game with just under two minutes to go. Fortunately, buckets by Justice Sueing and EJ Liddell provided a cushion for Ohio State before CJ Walker went 4-for-4 on free throws inside the final 20 seconds to ice away the win.

Key Player: Walker’s free throws were clutch, but the top performer in this game goes to EJ Liddell. The sophomore put up an impressive double-double with a team-high 19 points to go with 12 rebounds. He also added an assist, three steals, and three blocks, proving to be a defensive menace all game long against the Irish.

What it means moving forward: Ohio State was sluggish to start but found a spark in a big way. The Buckeyes now move to 4-0 and will face Cleveland State before starting B1G play. There are obviously other teams in the conference getting the early spotlight with the performances of Iowa, Michigan State, and Illinois, but the Buckeyes should be put on notice as a team that will be in contention for much of the season and could certainly spoil a teams championship hopes late in the season.