Chris Holtmann responds to Ohio State's struggles to close out close games

At one point in the second half Thursday night, Ohio State had a 16-point lead over Illinois. But that eventually got down to one point before the Buckeyes pulled away — and Chris Holtmann spoke about his team’s issues closing out games this season.

It’s the second straight game Ohio State gave up a double-digit lead before coming away with a win. The Buckeyes had an 11-point lead against Indiana at home on Feb. 21, but ended up winning in overtime.

After Thursday’s game, Holtmann addresses the issues holding on to big leads. He pointed to another team higher in the rankings to back up his point.

“I keep reminding people, Duke let a lead slip at our place,” Holtmann said, via Eleven Warriors’ Griffin Strom. “Duke’s pretty good. … You can’t ever look at it like, ‘Oh, we’re doomed.'”

Margin of victory aside, Ohio State got a huge win over Illinois in Champaign Thursday night thanks in large part to a 31-point showing from Malaki Branham, who continues to make his case for Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

The Buckeyes are now a half game behind third-place Illinois and 1.5 games back of the first-place tie between Purdue and Wisconsin atop the league. That adds another team to a wild Big Ten race this season with the conference tournament fast approaching.

Next up for Ohio State is a matchup with Maryland in College Park on Feb. 27. The Big Ten tournament is right around the corner, though, coming up March 9-13 in Indianapolis.

Illinois coach Brad Underwood ejected from game against Ohio State

Trailing by a dozen in the second half to Ohio State, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was called for his first technical foul for arguing with the officiating crew. It doesn’t take a lip reader to know the words that came out of the Fighting Illini coach’s mouth.

The second, which forced Underwood’s ejection, was on an offensive foul that he certainly didn’t agree with. He fired up the crowd on his way out after his assistant coaches had to hold him back.

The tension was building up for several minutes following the first technical. It was almost inevitable he was going to explode on the officials and receive his second, much to the detriment of his team and players. Illinois went the last six minutes without their head coach and star big man Kofi Cockburn, who fouled out with 4:33 left.