Eric Boggs
Ohio State endured a tough night in its Big Ten opener, falling to Maryland in an 83-59 rout on Wednesday. The Buckeyes (5-3, 0-1) struggled to keep pace with the Terrapins (8-1, 1-0), who dominated from the outset thanks to a lethal combination of hot shooting and stifling defense. Maryland’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie led all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while forward Derik Queen added 17 points and 11 rebounds in the Terrapins’ commanding performance.
Devin Royal provided a bright spot for Ohio State with 18 points, while John Mobley Jr. chipped in 15. However, the Buckeyes were undone by turnovers and an inability to generate offense, particularly in the first half, where they managed just six field goals and committed 12 turnovers. Maryland capitalized on these mistakes, building an insurmountable 50-17 halftime lead, the largest halftime deficit in a Big Ten game since the 1996-97 season.
Maryland came out firing, hitting their first three attempts from beyond the arc, with Gillespie draining two deep three-pointers to spark a 16-2 run. Tafara Gapare punctuated the run with a powerful dunk and a three-pointer, giving the Terrapins a 25-8 lead just ten minutes into the game. Ohio State was unable to respond, and Maryland extended their lead with a series of runs, including a 34-7 stretch that effectively put the game out of reach by halftime.
The second half saw Maryland ease into cruise control, though they briefly extended their lead to 38 points. Ohio State showed signs of life late, with Mobley and Meechie Johnson Jr. hitting threes to cut into the deficit. Mobley and Bruce Thornton combined for a quick scoring spurt, but it was far too little, too late. Maryland maintained its comfortable lead to secure a 24-point victory, leaving Ohio State searching for answers as Big Ten play begins.
The Buckeyes played shorthanded, as center Aaron Bradshaw remained out due to an ongoing investigation into a domestic dispute, while senior guard Ques Glover and freshman forward Colin White missed the game with injuries. Ohio State’s offensive struggles were glaring—they started 0-for-10 from three-point range before Mobley hit the team’s first triple more than 13 minutes into the second half. The Buckeyes also failed to generate any consistent momentum, with their first run of four consecutive points not coming until 23 minutes into the game.
Ohio State will look to regroup quickly as they return home to face Rutgers on Saturday at noon in their second Big Ten contest of the season. The Buckeyes hope to bounce back and demonstrate resilience after a challenging start to conference play.
