Again down a man, Buckeyes answer the bell versus Nebraska

COLUMBUS — Last weekend at Michigan State, it was Jamison Battle. Thursday night against Nebraska, it was Bruce Thornton.

For the second time in as many games, the Buckeyes were without one of their top-two leading scorers. For the second time in as many games, it didn’t matter.

Because other Buckeyes players rose to the occasion.

While Thornton missed his first career game — ending his streak of 63 straight starts — Ohio State got heightened contributions across the board. Battle, back from his one-game absence, was the flag bearer on that front and looked healthier than ever with 32 points. Roddy Gayle Jr. turned in a herculean effort of his own with a 16-and-10 double-double.

Although the Cornhuskers kept things close throughout much of the night, Ohio State kept center Rienk Mast in check — with the exception of a 10-point second-half surge from the big man — and limited Nebraska leading scorer Keisei Tominaga to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.

Ohio State finished the first half strong and the second half even stronger. The Buckeyes held head coach Fred Hoiberg’s team to one field goal in the final 4:48. During that span, they outscored the Huskers (20-9, 10-8 Big Ten), 11-2, en route to a 78-69 win.

Battle held his hand to his ear as the clock wound down, encouraging a chorus of cheers, as Ohio State (17-12, 7-11) wrapped up its third win in the last four games.

Jamison Battle starts, ends opening frame red hot

The adrenaline was pumping when a slightly hobbled Battle chased down Dale Bonner last weekend at Michigan State after Bonner’s drought-ending game-winner on the road. Battle was back in the lineup Thursday night against Nebraska, and he was yet again super-charged with energy, this time as the one converting from long range.

Battle made his first three shots from beyond the arc and scored the Buckeyes’ first 11 points of the first half. He also accounted for their final six points of the opening frame, rounding out the period with 17 points. When the fifth-year Minnesota transfer cooled off from downtown, he started to attack the rim, using back-to-back layups to reclaim the Ohio State lead before intermission.

Then, after Buckeyes center Felix Okpara rejected Mast, Bonner saved the loose ball and triggered another transition opportunity for Battle, who booked a trip to the free throw line, where he was 10-of-10 Thursday.

Thornton was out, but Battle was back in, and he stepped up in a dominant way, piloting the Buckeyes against Nebraska. Battle was the reason why the Buckeyes staked themselves to a 13-6 lead. And he’s the reason why Nebraska’s subsequent 13-2 run ultimately wasn’t a turning point in the opening half.

Turnovers hold back Buckeyes in first half

Ohio State turned the ball over eight times in the first half, and Nebraska scored nine points off those giveaways. That’s where the absence of Thornton — who has the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country — hurt the Buckeyes.

Ohio State had two separate sequences where it coughed up the ball on consecutive possessions. Actually, the Buckeyes’ first two possessions resulted in turnovers. Okpara committed the first, and Evan Mahaffey — looking for Okpara in the post — was responsible for the second.

The second string of back-to-back turnovers came in the back half of the period, during which Brice Williams capitalized on a Devin Royal turnover to lift the Huskers to a 25-20 advantage on the break.

Williams pitched in two more fastbreak points soon after, benefiting from a Jamarques Lawrence steal of Mahaffey. Both Mahaffey and Okpara had two turnovers in the first half, and the duo combined for just two points in the first 20 minutes. Okpara, though, finished with a plus/minus of plus-27. He posted only three points but seven rebounds, two blocks and two assists.

Ohio State went into halftime with a two-point lead, except the Buckeyes might have had a bigger cushion had it not been for so many mistakes handling the ball.

Ohio State’s top-two freshmen deliver

Royal built on his career-high scoring effort at Michigan State with 13 points, including 11 in the second half. His highlights in the latter portion of play featured a long 2-point jumper as well as a putback and-one that got an active Schottenstein Center crowd going.

That offensive board was one of five rebounds for Royal, who helped Ohio State maintain a 43-33 edge on the glass against the Huskers. Royal also tipped an offensive rebound to Gayle, who then scored a second-chance layup down the stretch. The freshman forward drew a charge with Ohio State up, 67-63, too.

Scotty Middleton matched his highest scoring output in Big Ten play with nine points. He knocked down a season-high three 3-pointers: two in the first half and one in the second.

Middleton came into the night fifth on the team in 3-pointers. His first triple Thursday was especially significant, as it answered Nebraska’s biggest lead of the game, a seven-point advantage that momentarily put the Huskers ahead, 31-24, with 5:07 left in the first half.

After Middleton’s first 3-pointer, Ohio State outscored Nebraska, 12-6, before intermission.