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For more on the Ohio State Buckeyes, go to Along The Olentangy.
The Ohio State Buckeyes remember their last trip to Madison, WI all to well. In fact, they probably remember their last nine trips to Madison, all ending is losses to Wisconsin. With first place in the Big Ten on the line, the Buckeyes are primed and ready to end that streak.
The last time Ohio State(19-3, 7-2) won a game in Madison was 2000. They looked ready to break that streak last season, heading into the Kohl Center at 24-0, ranked #1 in the nation. To make matters worse, Ohio State led by 15 points in the 2nd half before Wisconsin rallied for a 71-67 win behind Jordan Taylor's 21-second half points.
This time, the Buckeyes will look to finish off the Badgers(18-5, 7-3) and build on their half-game lead over Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings.
Ohio State has won their last 4 games, all by double digits, including wins over Top-20 teams in Indiana and Michigan. Wisconsin has won 6 straight, having last played against Penn State on January 31 in a 52-46 win.
"I don't drive to work in the morning saying, 'This is the biggest game of the year. We have to do this ...'" Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said. "It's more like, 'Hey, we're playing a great basketball team, a top-20 team.'"
Though he seemed to downplay the matchup, he did eventually concede, "The fact that we haven't won there as a program, it does make you want to definitely win."
While Ohio State has been near the top of the Big Ten standings most of the season, Wisconsin has climbed back into the conference race with its six-game win streak following a three-game skid. The Badgers held on for a 52-46 win at Penn State on Tuesday despite shooting 35.4 percent, the second straight game they were held below 40.0.
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Ohio State Vs. Wisconsin Final Score: Buckeyes Hold On For 58-52 Win
The Ohio State Buckeyes snapped a long losing streak against the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, holding on for a big 58-52 win to break into the 20s with a 20-3 record on the season and an 8-2 mark within the Big Ten. Though the final score was close, Ohio State was on top throughout the entirety of the second half and only trailed twice in the first half, early on.
OSU finished the first half up 28-24, and Wisconsin made the second half a little closer, being outscored 30-28, but it wasn't enough to give them a victory. The problem for the Badgers was the fact that nobody really stepped up and had a huge game. No stars stood out for Wisconsin, with Mike Bruesewitz leading the way for them with 11 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and a steal. He shot 5-for-11 and made just one of his six attempts from range. Despite playing 40 minutes, Josh Gasser was held to just two points and didn't look good doing, really, anything.
Whereas the Buckeyes had Jared Sullinger, who shot 8-for-16 and made eight free throws en route to 24 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Deshaun Thomas also stepped up, shooting 8-for-15 from the field. There was no offensive production from Ohio States bench.
The Buckeyes will next take on the Purdue Boilermakers on Feb. 7, while the Badgers will take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Feb. 9. They fall to 18-6 on the season with just a 7-4 record in the Big Ten.
For more on the Ohio State Buckeyes, check out Along The Olentangy. For an opposing point of view, check out Bucky's 5th Quarter. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Basketball hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Basketball.
Feb 04 3:21p by James Brady