CBB: Buckeyes lock down Loyola 54-41 in NCAA Tournament

Ohio State fought through a slow start to take down 10-seed Loyola Chicago 54-41 in the first round on Friday. Despite struggling for most of the last month, the defense was very focused on protecting the paint and was able to create turnovers with high intensity. EJ Liddell and Malaki Branham led the way offensively as usual but Kyle Young’s return was arguably the biggest reason why the Buckeyes survived and advanced. As both teams took a while to find an offensive rhythm, Liddell couldn’t get a shot to fall to in the first half. He had just four points on 0/3 from the field and 0/2 from 3-point range at halftime.

Even when his shot wasn’t falling, Liddell remained active and made an impact in other areas. Then the junior forward started to attack the paint and post up more, and he eventually got going in the second half, knocking down 4/6 shot attempts after the break. Liddell was phenomenal defensively and was a major factor in limiting Loyola’s leading scorer Lucas Williamson to four points on 1/10 from the field. The All-Big Ten first team selection racked up 10 rebounds and three blocks in the win, including a highlight-worthy block from the weak side that led to a fastbreak layup.

Liddell will have to play just as well, if not better, against Villanova in the second round. Branham has scored 10+ points in his last 10 games including four 20+ point performances. The freshman forward has become an extremely consistent scorer, in addition to being a dynamic ball handler and defender. Villanova’s roster is filled with experience but he should be able to keep playing at a high level. Chris Holtmann certainly hopes Branham can stay hot as the Buckeyes look to keep their season alive. Young returned to the lineup after missing three games due to a concussion.

He exited the loss against Nebraska on March 1 and didn’t play on Senior Day against Michigan or in the Big Ten Tournament matchup with Penn State. The Buckeyes clearly missed the senior big man and the defense suffered during his absence. Ohio State’s offense wasn’t nearly as consistent either as Young brings versatility and stability on both ends. The 6’8 senior scored nine points and seven rebounds in his first game back against Loyola. He scored a bucket early on and got to the free throw line when the Buckeyes offense was sputtering in the opening minutes.

Holtmann’s frontcourt combined for 24 rebounds as Young consistently crashed the rim alongside Liddell and Zed Key. There’s no doubt that Ohio State’s defensive improvement is a promising sign but Loyola’s offense was atrocious from the beginning of the game, shooting the second worst percentage (26.7%) in NCAA Tournament history. Villanova will execute at a much higher rate as guards Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore are difficult to contain. They combined for 35 points on 7/14 from beyond the arc in a 80-60 win over Delaware in the first round.

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