Buckeyes Lose Fifth In A Row As Huskers Prove Too Much In 63-60 Nebraska Win

Ohio State’s losing streak is now at five games as the Buckeyes (10-8, 2-5) lost 63-60 at Nebraska (10-9, 3-5) Wednesday night.

The five-game losing streak is the first for Ohio State in four years.

The Buckeyes allowed Nebraska to shoot 14-of-26 (53.8%) in a second half where the Huskers outscored OSU 42-28. Freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh led Ohio State with 18 points, but he did it on 6-of-16 shooting and struggled throughout.

Senior forward Justice Sueing scored four points on 1-of-6 shooting with four turnovers and four fouls in 29 minutes of play.

A 22-21 halftime lead for Ohio State told much of the story. Scoring was difficult for both teams and none of the game was exactly pretty to watch.

But tied 33-33 with under 15 minutes to play, Nebraska guard Sam Griesel converted a three-point play to take a three-point lead. Ohio State center Zed Key answered with a falling layup of his own, but received no foul call at the outset. Key scored 11 points on the night.

Key was fouled the next time down the court for the Buckeyes and hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 36-36 with 13:26 remaining. The next time down for OSU, Key dropped in a layup. On Nebraska’s ensuing possession, Wilhelm Breidenbach was whistled for a moving screen, which Huskers head coach Fred Hoibert disagreed with. His disagreement led to a technical foul, but Sean McNeil missed both free throw attempts.

Following a turnover on a push-off by Sueing, Nebraska tied the game at 38-38 with a layup by Derrick Walker with 12:09 to play. Walker then picked up his fourth foul of the game on OSU’s next possession, taking him off the court with eight points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.

Jamarques Lawrence drained a three with under eight minutes to play to give the Huskers a 52-49 lead. Several empty possessions for Ohio State allowed Nebraska to build a 55-50 lead with under four minutes to play. A layup by Key cut the lead to three points with 2:20 remaining and gave OSU their first basket in over six and a half minutes.

Walker picked up his fifth foul on a charge on Nebraska’s next possession. Sensabaugh followed that with a drive that led to a make and a miss on a free throw to cut the Husker lead to 55-53 with 1:48 to play. Following two free throws by Emmanuel Bandoumel, a wild layup attempt by Isaac Likekele gave the ball back to Nebraska with a 57-53 lead and 1:33 remaining.

Trailing 63-60, the Buckeyes inbounded the ball with 12.2 seconds remaining, Sueing nearly turned the ball over, but got it over to Key who then kicked it over to McNeil, who missed a three to tie at the buzzer.

The Buckeyes now head home for a Saturday matchup against Iowa. That game will tip off at 2:00 pm and will air on FOX.