For the second straight game, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (11-5, 3-3) jogged to an unfamiliar visitor’s locker room in a road arena with a lead at halftime.
Three days after taking a five-point
lead into the break against Oregon and ultimately winning by 10, Ohio State filed into the visitor’s locker room at Washington’s Alaska Airlines Arena boasting a 38-36 lead. The Buckeyes dominated on the glass during the first 20 minutes, grabbing nearly as many offensive rebounds (eight) as Washington had total rebounds (10). Ohio State hit 40% of its three-point attempts in the first half, including multiple makes from freshman forward A’mare Bynum, who scored a dozen points during the opening stanza.
The Buckeyes were well on their way to earning their fourth Big Ten win of the season, all of which would’ve been road games – until they got in their own way early in the second half.
A quick slam from Bynum to open the second half, followed by a stepback three-pointer from Bruce Thornton opened the lead up to 43-36 with 18:48 left in the game. A quick 7-2 Washington run over the next 1:15 got the Huskies back within a possession, but Ohio State had the ball, and still had the lead.
At this point, the Buckeyes abandoned one of their core offensive principles – paint-touch threes – and had three consecutive reckless offensive possessions that turned the tide of the game and allowed Washington to take control.
As this season has progressed, head coach Jake Diebler has repeatedly stressed the importance of Ohio State taking “paint touch threes” as often as possible. Diebler has preached throughout the year that Ohio State shoots three-pointers at a much higher percentage when they take the time to move the ball into the paint, which will
typically cause the opposing team to collapse their defense around the ball. At that point, the Buckeyes want to kick it back out to the most open shooter, thus creating the highest percentage shot possible.
With a one-point lead, Ohio State opted not to get the ball to the paint. Instead, the Buckeyes took rushed shots on three possessions in a row, which – in my opinion – is what cost them the game Sunday night. The Huskies made them pay, scoring immediately after each of these missed shots and turning a two-point lead into a five-point deficit in less than 90 seconds.
Let’s take a look here at the three offensive possessions that doomed Ohio State, and how Washington immediately put the Buckeyes on their heels after those long misses:
45-43 (17:18) Bruce Thornton’s three-point try is no good
Thornton waited for a screen from Christoph Tilly, and with 15 seconds left on the shot clock hoisted up a three that was no good. Ohio State did not pass the ball on this possession.
46-45 (17:10) Quimari Peterson’s three-point try is good, UW takes lead
Thornton’s long miss turned into a long rebound, which started Washington’s fast break. The Huskies moved the ball around to Peterson, who takes 76% of his shots from beyond the arc, and he buries it from just in front of Washington’s bench to take back the lead for Washington. This possession took all of seven seconds.
46-45 (16:51) John Mobley Jr.’s three-point try is no good
Tilly and Bynum set multiple screens on the wing for Mobley, who curls around the screens and catches a pass from Thornton with 17 seconds left on the shot clock. Mobley lets it rip with Peterson in his face, and it clangs off back iron.
48-45 (16:33) Zoom Diallo scores to put UW up three
Washington came down with the rebound from Mobley’s missed three and immediately pushed it up the floor. Ohio State was able to recover and force Washington into its half- court offense, but Tilly wound up stuck on the much faster Diallo because of a screen that was switched early in the possession, and Diallo blew right by Tilly and scored with the left hand with 15 seconds left on the shot clock.
48-45 (16:07) Bynum’s three-point try is no good
After Thornton dribbled the shot clock down to 14 at the top, he moved the ball to Tilly just beyond the three-point line. Thornton then moved in to set a screen on Peterson to free up Mobley, who popped to the top of the arc for a potential three-pointer, but Peterson recovered quickly and Mobley was unable to take the shot. Mobley then curls around a screen set by Tilly, keeping his eyes on the big man to potentially dump it back to him if Hannes Steinbach (who was guarding Tilly on this possession) stuck on Mobley. He did, but Tilly abruptly stopped cutting, so Mobley instead dribbled a few steps inside the three-point line and dished off to Bynum, who was waiting in the corner with nobody within 10 feet of him. Washington’s Franck Kepnang closed out quickly, however, and Bynum’s once-open shot took way too long to develop. His three-point attempt was contested by Kepnang, and the shot was short.
50-45 (15:50) Diallo attacks the basket, scores again
Steinbach comes down with the rebound and hands off to Diallo, who slowly brings the ball up the floor. He then uses a screen to get away from Thornton, and is able to speed past Bynum to the basket to score with the right hand with 17 seconds still left on the shot clock.
