Ohio State wins second straight, upsets No. 21 Maryland on Senior Night

Ohio State’s veterans have been far from consistent this season. It’s a big reason why the Buckeyes — who lost 14 of 15 games through most of January and February — face planted in the Big Ten.

Fittingly, however, Ohio State’s graduating players played some of their best basketball on Senior Night Wednesday against No. 21 Maryland, which, according to KenPom, boasts the 11th-most experienced roster in the country.

Sixth-year forward Justice Sueing as well as grad transfers Sean McNeil (West Virginia) and Isaac Likekele (Oklahoma State) combined for 10 of the Buckeyes’ first 14 points. McNeil and Likekele didn’t miss a shot in the first half, teaming up for 19 points and seven total field goals.

McNeil hit his first two 3-pointers after going 2-of-17 from beyond the arc the previous three games. Likekele’s nine first-half points were his second most in any full Big Ten game this season.

As challenging as the grad year has been for McNeil and Likekele — both of whom have dealt with off-the-court hardships in 2022-23 — they made things look easy in the opening frame of the Buckeyes’ home finale. Sueing, meanwhile, helped the Buckeyes finish off the feel-good, 73-62 win with a team-high 13 points in the second half.

Ohio State (13-17, 5-14 Big Ten) has now strung together back-to-back victories following its nine-game skid, the program’s longest losing streak since it dropped 17 in a row in 1997-98.

Maryland’s Big Ten road struggles continue. The Terrapins (20-10, 11-8) are now just 1-8 against conference opponents away from College Park this season. On the other hand, they’re a perfect 10-0 at home in league play.

The Buckeyes hit Maryland with a 12-0 run before the first media timeout, and the Terps never really recovered. It was a sequence that featured 3-pointers from Sueing and McNeil, plus a pair of Likekele layups, the second of which was capped by a slow-mo spin and score.

Ohio State grew its lead to 18-9, thanks to an off-the-bounce mid-range jumper by McNeil and a pair of free throws from the sharpshooter after Maryland head coach Kevin Willard was assessed a technical.

While Maryland used its press to draw the Buckeyes deep into the shot clock in the teams’ Jan. 8 meeting, the Terps’ on-ball pressure didn’t have nearly the same effect this time around.

Ohio State displayed its most balancing scoring attack this season, as six Buckeyes players reached double figures for the first time since January 2020.

Maryland had only two such performers, and neither of them were Jahmir Young, a Charlotte senior transfer who went for 30 points and 11 rebounds against Ohio State earlier this season. Interestingly enough, as old as the Terps are, they were piloted by sophomore center Julian Reese. The 6-foot-9, 230-pound underclassman posted a 17-and-12 double-double.

Luckily for the Buckeyes, they had their own blossoming big man. Felix Okpara broke out with his first double-double in Big Ten competition. The 6-foot-11, 220-pound freshman center recorded 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, all while disrupting several other shots.

The Buckeyes’ lead, which stretched to as large as 10 points in the first half, was six points at intermission after they were held scoreless the final two minutes of the period.

As was the case in the opening frame, however, Ohio State started the second half with a run. The 11-4 surge afford the Buckeyes a double-digit advantage that they maintained the majority of the period.

During that stretch, Likekele took a hard tumble after getting blindsided by a screen from Maryland senior forward Donta Scott. Likekele ultimately returned to the floor after a trip to the locker room, although he ended up fouling out with 6:33 to go.

Buckeyes junior wing, and makeshift five man, Eugene Brown III also wound up fouling out. Okpara and Sueing both had three personals, too, so foul trouble was a bit of a nuisance for Ohio State.

Fortunately for the Buckeyes, they benefited from whistles on the other side of the court. Maryland was called for 17 fouls, just three fewer than Ohio State, and the Buckeyes went a perfect 20-of-20 at the charity stripe. Sueing accounted for eight of those makes.

Maryland made it a three-possession game a handful of times in the second half but never got closer. That included eight straight Terps points from Ian Martinez at one point. Perhaps most notably, though, Don Carey orchestrated a self-made, 8-0 run to make it a 67-60 game with 1:34 remaining.

But, from there, Ohio State iced the game at the line.

Before the final horn, Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann subbed out his team’s Senior Night honorees who were still on the court. When all was said and done, the trio combined for 37 points.

Of the three, Sueing has been around the longest, four years to be exact.

He and Holtmann shared a big hug along the bench, a nice moment in an otherwise trying season that’s suddenly enjoyed a rush of joy in its final chapter.

The Buckeyes are finishing the regular season just like they started it: with winning basketball.