CBB: Buckeyes beat rival Michigan 68-57 on road

The 16th ranked Buckeyes took down Michigan 68-57 on Saturday night in Ann Arbor, rebounding from a troubling loss at Rutgers earlier in the week. Ohio State has struggled on the road all season, going just 4-5 compared to a perfect 10-0 at home. EJ Liddell led the way against Michigan, scoring a game-high 28 points and five rebounds as the Buckeyes improved to 15-6. Eli Brooks had 17 points in the loss as the Wolverines dropped to 13-10.

Liddell started a bit slow but once he got going, the junior forward was able to get whatever shot he wanted. The Big Ten Player of the Year candidate continuously found the middle of the lane for a fall away jumper or bullied his way into the lane to finish at the rim. He racked up an impressive 28 points, despite struggling from 3-point range, to go with three blocks in 36 minutes. He also knocked down a clutch triple to extend Ohio State's lead late in the second half.

Chris Holtmann needed someone to step up off the bench with freshman guard Meechie Johnson out due to an ankle injury. Cedric Russell filled that void, scoring 12 points on 5/8 shooting from the field in 24 minutes. The Louisiana-transfer drilled a pair of 3-pointers and sealed the victory with a mid-range jumper in the final minutes. Russell should get significant minutes going forward. The Buckeyes had 21 points off the bench, while the Wolverines had only four points.

Malaki Branham has become the Buckeyes second most important player but seemed timid at times at Michigan. After scoring 19 points including four 3-pointers in the loss at Rutgers, Branham had just six points, three rebounds and one assist on Saturday. He didn’t play poorly but the expectations are a bit higher. The same can be said for Michigan freshman forward Caleb Houstan, who totaled only five points and two rebounds in 34 minutes.

Ohio State returns to the court for a Big Ten bout with Minnesota on Tuesday at home. The Golden Gophers lost five games in a row before beating Penn State over the weekend. The Buckeyes host Minnesota and Iowa next week in Columbus, looking to catch Michigan State for the coveted 4th seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Michigan will have a few days off before traveling to face the Hawkeyes on Thursday as both teams make a push for a tournament bid.

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Photo Credit: USA Today.