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.