Indiana University Athletics
IU Loses at OSU
2/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
February 15, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ohio. - Despite 17 points from freshman D.J. White, the Indiana men's basketball team lost to Ohio State, 57-44, on Tuesday night at the Value City Arena. IU fell to 11-11, 6-5 in the Big Ten, while Ohio State improved to 18-8, 7-5 in conference play.
Both teams traded baskets early, as the score was tied 5-5 at the first media timeout with 15:15 left in the first half. Neither team would score in the next four minutes of play as both teams raised their defensive intensity. The Hoosiers were 0-for-3 with two turnovers in that span, while Ohio State was 0-for-4 with a turnover.
Strickland's layup at 11:09 gave Indiana a slim two-point advantage, 7-5, but OSU ran off eight of the next 10 points for a 13-9 lead.
Indiana then turned to White for offensive, as the freshman delivered with four points in the paint to knot the score at 13-13 with 6:16 to go in the half. After the Buckeye's Jamar Butler hit a 3-pointer to put the home team back up by three, 16-13, freshman Robert Vaden stepped up with five straight points to again put the Hoosiers ahead, 18-16, with 5:20 to go.
OSU would then end the first half on an 11-4 run to take a 27-22 halftime advantage.
Ohio State scored the first bucket of the second half to extend its lead to seven, 29-22. Indiana countered with a Strickland three and a basket down low by White to pull within two, 29-27.
Indiana would reclaim the lead with 13:48 left in the game. Sophomore Roderick Wilmont jumper in the paint put IU up 32-31. After two OSU free throws briefly put Ohio State back on top, the Hoosiers went back to White who netted two straight layups to give Indiana a three-point lead, 36-33, with 10:50 left in regulation.
The Buckeyes then took control of the game, ending the contest on a 24-8 run over the final 10 and a half minutes of action.
A J.J. Sullinger field goal and a Terrence Dials free throw tied the score at 36-36 with 9:08 on the clock.
Dials then hit layup and that was followed by a free throw by Matt Sylvester to give OSU a three-point lead, 39-36, with 8:17 to go. The Hoosiers answered right back with a Strickland jumper, cutting the deficit to one, 39-38.
Indiana, though, would go the next five minutes without a field goal as Ohio State ran off a 9-0 spurt to push its lead to 10, 48-38, with 3:21 left. A jumper by White at 2:59 would get IU back within eight, but that was as close as the Cream and Crimson would and OSU would claim the victory.
White added five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal on the night. Vaden finished the game with 14 points and six rebounds, while Strickland contributed nine points and a team-high four assists. Wilmont was the only other Hoosier to score in the contest chipping in four points, while matching a season-high with five rebounds.
Sullinger led Ohio State with 17 points, while Dials added 14 points and seven rebounds.
Indiana went to the free-throw line just three times in the game, hitting two of them, while Ohio State was 13-of-16 from the charity stripe.
Indiana will be back in action on Sunday, Feb. 20, as the Hoosiers travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., for a conference battle against the Michigan Wolverines. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m.
NOTES: The contest marked the third straight game Indiana has started four freshmen...After the Hoosiers bench scored outscored Minnesota 27-5 in their last game, IU's reserves netted just four points against OSU...Neither team scored a fast-break point in the contest...Indiana is now 1-2 without junior guard Bracey Wright.
