Eric Boggs
Ohio State saw a hard-fought battle slip away in the final minutes Sunday as Illinois used a decisive 15-0 run late in the second half to turn a back-and-forth contest into an 87-79 defeat for the Buckeyes. The loss snapped Ohio State’s three-game winning streak and came despite the Buckeyes holding a double-digit second-half lead in their third road game in four contests. Illinois’ size proved to be a challenge all night, as the Fighting Illini outscored Ohio State 52-30 in the paint in front of a raucous home crowd at the State Farm Center.
Devin Royal and Bruce Thornton led the way for the Buckeyes, putting up 29 and 22 points, respectively, but Ohio State struggled to keep Illinois forward Will Riley in check. Riley took over in the second half, scoring 18 of his game-high 24 points after the break. Illinois also won the battle on the boards, outrebounding the Buckeyes 43-31.
Ohio State came out firing in the first half, led by a scorching start from Royal. The sophomore forward wasted no time making his presence felt, pouring in 11 points in the first six minutes and showcasing his versatility with strong finishes inside and a smooth three-pointer from the top of the key. The Buckeyes built an early 14-6 lead, but Illinois responded with a 10-0 run, powered by balanced interior scoring and early foul trouble for Ohio State center Aaron Bradshaw.
The two teams exchanged runs throughout the first half, with Ohio State regaining momentum behind an old-fashioned three-point play from Thornton, a deep three by John Mobley Jr., and timely baskets from Micah Parrish. Another burst from the Buckeyes pushed their lead to nine late in the half, but Illinois answered yet again with a 10-0 run of their own. Ohio State, however, had the last word before the break, closing on an 8-1 run led by Royal, who hit his third three-pointer of the half and finished the opening period with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The Buckeyes carried a 42-36 advantage into the locker room.
Coming off a stretch of strong second-half performances during their winning streak, Ohio State looked poised to pull off a road victory. The Buckeyes opened the half with back-to-back threes from Mobley and Thornton, extending their lead to 52-41 and momentarily quieting the Illinois crowd. But as had been the theme all night, the Illini responded with another run.
Illinois chipped away with high-energy plays, including back-to-back tough finishes by Tomislav Ivisic and a fortunate offensive rebound that led to an easy putback for Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. A thunderous dunk from Gibbs-Lawhorn capped a 10-2 Illinois spurt, forcing Ohio State to call timeout. Moments later, a Riley three-pointer tied the game at 56-56, setting the stage for a tense final stretch.
Thornton did his best to keep the Buckeyes afloat, hitting another three and attacking the rim for a tough layup. But when Ohio State’s offense went ice-cold, Illinois pounced. The Buckeyes went scoreless for five minutes, allowing Illinois to rip off the game-changing 15-0 run. A goaltending call on a Riley drive, a three-point play from Kylan Boswell, and relentless rebounding by the Illini saw them take control, pushing ahead 78-68 with under three minutes remaining.
Ohio State attempted to extend the game with fouls, but Illinois was efficient from the free-throw line, closing the game out despite a late push from the Buckeyes to cut the deficit to six. In the end, Ohio State couldn’t recover from its cold spell, falling 87-79 in a tough road environment.
The Buckeyes now return home to Value City Arena, where they’ll look to regroup Thursday night against Maryland. Ohio State will have revenge on its mind after the Terrapins handed them an 83-59 defeat earlier in the season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on FS1.
