Ohio State Thrashed By No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers As Losing Streak Continues
Mix together a seven-game losing streak, facing one of the country's best players in center Zach Edey and a hostile Mackey Arena crowd, and you've got a recipe for disaster for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
For the second time this season, Ohio State (11-16, 3-13 Big Ten) lost to the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers (24-4, 13-4 Big Ten) after a two-point loss in Columbus Jan. 5. This time around the Buckeyes fell 82-55 Sunday at Mackey Arena, as they had no answer for Edey's size and physicality.
Without Zed Key, center Felix Okpara made his third start of the season. Guard Eugene Brown III and forward Owen Spencer came off the bench to try and help on the 7-4, 305-pound Edey, but to little avail.
Edey broke a 2:40 scoring drought to open the game for the Boilermakers with his first of many jump hooks underneath the rim.
He gave Purdue its first lead of the game with a thunderous dunk with 12:47 to go in the first half.
He scored 16 of his game-high 26 points in the first half alone, finishing with 11 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season.
Guard Isaac Likekele made a layup with 10:02 remaining in the first half to cut Ohio State's deficit to 20-18.
From that point on, Purdue outscored the Buckeyes 18-9 to close out the half, carrying a 38-29 lead into the break thanks in large part to Ohio State's inability to stay out of foul trouble.
In just six first-half minutes for Spencer, he picked up four fouls, adding to the three forward Brice Sensabaugh had in the initial 20-minute period.
Purdue shot 21 of 27 at the free-throw line.
Ohio State was beat on the glass as well, getting outrebounded 44-21 which led to 17 second-chance points for the Boilermakers.
The Buckeyes' offense — which opened the game with five-straight points and shot 42.9 percent — shot just 10-for-27 in the second half.
Purdue rode a 12-3 run across a 5:50 span through the middle stages of the second half to lengthen its lead to 59-38 with 9:42 to go.
Ohio State was outscored 44-26 in the second half.
Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes with 20 points, as guard Sean McNeil added eight of his 10 points in the first half.
Ohio State returns home after its two-game road trip looking to snap its eight-game losing streak against the Penn State Nittany Lions Thursday at Value City Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and FS1 will broadcast.
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