COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State’s furious comeback in the final five minutes fell just a bit short as Minnesota hung-on for a 70-67 victory on Thursday evening.

The Buckeyes have dropped three-consecutive games and are now 10-6 on the season and 2-3 in Big Ten play.

Key Players

Brice Sensabaugh – A second-half surge by the Buckeye’s leading scorer gave him a team-high 18 points for the game. He also tallied his first-career double-double, posting 10 rebounds. Sensabaugh notched 11 points in the closing stanza and scored five points in the final minute.

Zed Key – The junior big man returned to the court after missing the game at Maryland, coming off the bench to post 10 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes of action.

Stat that made the difference

Points off Turnovers – Neither team turned the ball over much in the game, as each team ended the game with nine miscues. However, the difference came in converting off those mistakes, as Minnesota outscored the Buckeyes 13-2 in points off turnovers.

How it Happened 

Minnesota took control from the start, shooting over 55% from the field and led for nearly the entire half. Despite the stats, and the Buckeyes shooting just 35% in the half, Ohio State found themselves down by just two at the break.

The Buckeye’s kept the game close in the second half, taking their first lead since 2-0 on a three-point play by Brice Sensabaugh (51-50) with 13:06 to play. From that point, Minnesota put together a 10-0 run to take a 60-51 advantage.

The hosts would show their grit over the final five minutes of action, whittling away at the Gopher lead and putting themselves within striking distance with 38 seconds to play. Sensabaugh knocked down a three and after a missed Minnesota free throw, he tied the game at 67-67 with just eight seconds left, on a pair of free throws.

The game would end in regulation, however, as Minnesota earned a pair of free throws with just one second to play. Cooper gave the Gophers the 68-67 advantage and the Buckeyes would go on to fall 70-67.

Up Next

Ohio State will head to Rutgers this Sunday for a matchup with the Scarlet Knights. Tip-off is set for 2:15 p.m. from Jersey Mike’s Arena.

COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS