Neither team shot particularly well, but 21 turnovers by the Minnesota Golden Gophers made the No. 18 Ohio St. Buckeyes' evening much easier. The Buckeyes cruised in the second half to a 71-45 win at home.
No. 18 Ohio State vs. Minnesota final score: Buckeyes pull away in second half of 71-45 win
Leading by just half a dozen at halftime, the Buckeyes piled on the points in the second frame to edge the Golden Gophers in Columbus.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State led by just six points at halftime, but put plenty of breathing room between themselves and the Golden Gophers after the recess. The Buckeyes shot 40 percent from the field, including 35 percent from beyond the arc, but Minnesota missed the cylinder more, hitting just 29.2 percent of their shoots and 13.3 from downtown.
Deshaun Thomas managed to put away 19 points despite hitting just six of his 16 shots on the day. Shannon Scott came off the bench to chip in 11 points, while LaQuinton Ross made it into double digits by the slimmest of margins, finishing the night with 10 points.
Andre Hollins was one of just two Golden Gophers to cross the double-digit threshold with 11 points. Oto Osenieks came off the bench to drop 10 points on the night.
The Buckeyes will wait until Sunday for a big home game with the No. 4 Michigan St. Spartans, while the Golden Gophers head home to face the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers.
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