Big second half lifts Ohio State past No. 11 Purdue

During last week’s trip to the Pacific Northwest, the Boilermakers were tested.

They needed a pair of strong starts to the second half to eventually pull away from Washington and Oregon.

The tests haven’t been as strong from the opposition inside Mackey Arena during Big Ten play.

That changed Tuesday night.

No. 11 Purdue controlled most of the first half, but Ohio State took over after halftime and delivered a knockout punch with a 73-70 victory. The loss snaps a string of 26 straight victories at home and ends the Boilermakers’ seven-game winning streak.

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Purdue used a 9-0 run to move ahead 59-53, but the Buckeyes answered with seven straight points to lead 62-59 with 3:55 to play. The 7-0 run ballooned to 15 consecutive points as OSU opened up a 68-59 lead with 2:42 to play.

But Trey Kaufman-Renn scored eight straight before Johnn Mobley Jr. drained a long 2-point jumper from the corner to give OSU a 70-67 advantage with 21 seconds left. Kaufman-Renn finished with 26 points.

The Buckeyes blistered the nets in the second half and owned the rebounding to snap their three-game losing streak. Michah Parrish made six 3-pointers and scored 22 points, including 17 in the second half. OSU shot over 60% in the second half, making 8 of 12 from 3-point range, and outrebounded the Boilermakers 19-11.

The Buckeyes came out rejuvenated after halftime, riding the attacking Bruce Thornton and Aaron Bradshaw to quickly cut into the 13-point deficit. Thornton had five points in the first minute of the second half, leading to a 17-2 spurt in the first six minutes.

Ohio State held a pair of three-point leads midway through the second half, but Fletcher Loyer took over. Loyer scored six straight points with various jumpers, and freshman Gicarri Harris delivered a deep 3-pointer from the corner.

Harris’ basket at the 7:22 mark was the first scoring outside of the “Big 3” in the second half. Kaufman-Renn, Loyer and Braden Smith accounted for the first 15 points after halftime.

“WE LET THEM SCORE EASY BUCKETS”

The seven-game winning streak featured plenty of solid defensive performances.

No opponent had surpassed the 70-point mark since the start of the streak on Dec. 29 against Toledo. When Big Ten play resumed, the defensive numbers remained impressive.

In the last six games, Purdue had given up 59.3 points, limited teams to 41% shooting, and forced 14.5 turnovers. The Buckeyes changed those numbers, except for the turnovers.

In the last 20 minutes, Ohio State shot 66.7% from the field and from the 3-point line and overcame 18 turnovers. It was quite the difference after watching the Buckeyes make 8 of 21 field goals, including 3 of 11 from 3-point range, and commit eight turnovers in the first half.

The three-game losing streak was on the verge of moving to four.

“We had a good start to the first half, and then picking up some fouls, and guys were in foul trouble,” Loyer said. “We had a few turnovers, but ultimately, I think it was our defense. We let them score easy buckets, get out, and do what they wanted.”

The solid defense quickly evaporated when the Buckeyes started playing downhill, putting the Boilermakers on their heels. As comfortable as Purdue was on the defensive end in the first half, it was far from settled after halftime.

“I think we fouled them early, and then they got their heads up,” Kaufman-Renn said. “Going to the second half, they’re a good one-on-one team, and they hit some shots.”

OSU was down 16 twice in the first half and cut the margin to 13 right before halftime on Thornton’s 3-pointer. The momentum carried over for the Buckeyes, who scored 20 of the game’s next 22 points.

“It takes mental toughness, one play at a time,” Parrish said. “That’s what we did, and I’m just so proud of my guys for working hard. We could’ve easily gave up at halftime when we was down. They made that run, but we came back out at halftime and fought hard, we played harder, and we had way more intensity. That’s what it takes to win games on the road.”

BENEFICIAL MINUTES

C.J. Cox’s contributions during the first half might get lost in Tuesday’s defeat. With Smith saddled with two fouls, Cox kept the offense moving forward and helped Purdue push its lead to double digits.

And there was Harris, who made those two 3-pointers when the Boilermakers needed baskets.

“They both just stepped up,” Loyer said. “They’ve been huge right when they got here in the summer, and they needed to be able to play to help us win.”

“When you see a guy that’s so valuable to us, like Brandon, get two fouls quickly, it’s somebody you’re going to have to adjust to. They both do a good job, doing their job and taking care of the ball and getting guys shots to push that lead.”

Purdue led 14-9 when Smith was whistled for his second foul, but Cox keyed a 9-2 spurt to increase the margin to double digits. That’s where it stayed for most of the first half until a late surge before halftime.

Cox rediscovered his offense after not hitting a field goal during the recent two-game trip against Washington and Oregon. He was 4 of 4 from the field and scored nine points.

Cox also had two fouls, but Matt Painter still needed him on the floor. Painter played offense-defense with Smith and Cox, using Smith mainly on offense and Cox on defense.

But Tuesday’s experience is bound to pay off throughout the Big Ten season when similar situations pop up, and the freshmen are needed to help bridge the gap.

“I thought they both did a good job and did a good job defending,” Painter said.

MISSES FROM CLOSE RANGE

The Boilermakers were efficient in the first half.

They made 15 of 25 field goals, converted 10 of 11 from the line, and were plus-6 on the boards. All signs pointed to an eight-straight victory and staying near the top of the Big Ten standings.

However, 37.9% shooting and a handful of missed layups couldn’t stop the Buckeyes from coming back. Purdue made just 5 of 12 layups, and four of those misses were in the second half. Smith was also just 3 of 14 shooting, including 2 of 12 after halftime.

“The five minutes of the second half, they went on that run, and we got a little impatient offensively more than anything,” Painter said. “A big part of the game is finishing the half and then starting the second half. We’ve been pretty good at the start of the second half this year.

“They played really well, made shots, did some good things. We had some good looks where it didn’t go down. We struggled to score, but I thought we were getting quality shots at that time.”