E.J. Liddell recorded 28 points and nine rebounds to lift No. 21 Ohio State to a 73-55 win over No. 22 Wisconsin on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
The Buckeyes (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) were up five at the half but a basket-and-one by Liddell made it 56-36 with 9:53 to play to complete a 22-5 run.
Zed Key scored 11 points and Kyle Young had a career-high 14 rebounds for the Buckeyes, who are 2-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since the 2018-19 season. They have won four straight games overall.
Johnny Davis had 24 points and Brad Davison 13 for the Badgers (8-2, 1-1), who had a six-game winning streak end. Davis has scored at least 20 points in six of the past seven games.
The Buckeyes, who outscored the Badgers 39-26 in the second half, made 50 percent of their field goals (29 of 58). Conversely, Wisconsin hit 33.8 percent (22 of 65).
Wisconsin had won six of the past nine versus the Buckeyes, including three of four in Columbus.
Ohio State secured a 34-29 halftime lead as the teams exchanged runs.
First, the Badgers went ahead 17-9 off a 7-0 streak as part of a 15-2 stretch.
Soon after it was the Buckeyes’ turn by reeling off 12 in a row for a 23-19 advantage, capped by a Key slam. Davis ended the Badgers’ skid with a 3-pointer to make it 23-22.
He had 13 points at the break on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. Liddell made 6 of 7 and led all scorers with 14 points as the Buckeyes shot 57.7 percent (15-26) for the half.
Wisconsin starts a three-game homestand of nonconference opponents, beginning Wednesday against Nicholls State followed by Morgan State (Dec. 23) and Illinois State (Dec. 29). The Badgers return to Big Ten play at top-ranked Purdue on Jan. 3.
Ohio State faces No. 10 Kentucky in Las Vegas on Dec. 18.
–Field Level Media