First Half Notebook: Ohio State vs. Minnesota, Big Ten Tournament Second Round

Here are some first half thoughts as the Buckeyes and Golden Gophers meet for just the third time in Big Ten Tournament history.

Halftime Score: Ohio State 39, Minnesota 27

Head coach Chris Holtmann shook up the starting-5 on Thursday, taking senior point guard C.J. Walker out of the opening rotation and putting sharp-shooter Justin Ahrens back in the starting lineup. Kyle Young, E.J. Liddell, Justice Sueing and Duane Washington Jr. remained the other four starters. 

Whatever Holtmann's reasoning for making the change, it worked. The Buckeyes opened the game on a 13-0 run that lasted nearly seven minutes. Minnesota didn't score a point until the 13:04 mark, missing its first eight shots in a row (six of which came from behind the 3-point line).

Meanwhile, Minnesota post player Liam Robbins is missing his sixth consecutive game due to injury. That's notable because he torched the Buckeyes back on Jan. 3 with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Gabe Kalscheur had 13 points in the first meeting and he is also unavailable today.

Washington and Young each had thunderous, two-handed dunks in the first few minutes of the game. Young had only scored five points combined in the two games he's played since returning from a concussion, but he's already making an important impact on the first half.

After a really hot start offensively, the Buckeyes cooled off considerably (going 4:30 without scoring a point, ending only with a pair of C.J. Walker foul shots). Considering they opened the game on a nice run, the Buckeyes haven't really shot the ball well from outside the key. All nine of their first nine baskets came at the rim. Aside from those nine baskets, OSU shot 0-of-13 in the first 15-plus minutes.

Then finally some rhythm in an otherwise brutal first half ... E.J. Liddell hit a 3-ball with 4:41 to go in the first half, but Jamal Mashburn Jr. quickly answered with one of his own on the other end. Washington buried a trey one minute later.

The final few minutes of the half were much better from the Buckeyes. Sueing hit a 3-balll, Musa Jallow had a great block on the defensive end and then laid in a transition alley-oop pass on the other end. The Scarlet and Gray hit its last seven consecutive shots to close the half on a positive note after hitting just 9-of-22 to start the game. Meanwhile, all-Big Ten performer Marcus Carr hit only 2-of 12 in the first half and Mashburn added just 2-of-10.

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