Buckeyes Take Down No. 10 Wisconsin 72-64

Buckeyes Take Down No. 10 Wisconsin 72-64
Ohio State has won three consecutive road games over Top 15 teams

Credit Source: Ohio State University Athletics

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MADISON, Wisc. – No. 15 Ohio State claimed its third consecutive road win over a ranked team as it knocked-off No 10 Wisconsin 72-64 on Saturday afternoon.

The wire-to-wire win moves to the Buckeyes to 12-4 overall and 6-4 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin falls to 12-4 and 6-3 in the conference.

Sophomore E.J. Liddell has been the team’s most consistent scorer all season and on Saturday, he led the Buckeyes with 20 points and a team high seven rebounds. He was 7-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-7 from the line.

Seth Towns added 10 points in 17 minutes of action. Five other Buckeyes chipped-in with either eight or nine points.

As a team, Ohio State shot 50.9 from the floor and made its final 11 free throws in the last five minutes.

The Buckeye defense held Wisconsin to just 33 percent shooting in the first half which helped them take control and they never let up. The Badgers were also just 7-of-28 from long range.

Ohio State entered the locker room at the half with a 32-25 lead behind eight points from Seth Towns, who came off the bench to pace the Buckeyes on 4-of-5 shooting.

The Buckeyes never trailed over the first 20 minutes with seven scoring at least a bucket. The Ohio State defense held the Badgers in check from the field, allowing just 9-of-27 shooting and 3-of-15 makes from 3-point range.

Ohio State is off until Sunday, Jan. 31 when Michigan State travels to Columbus for a 1 p.m. contest on CBS.

Ohio State Notes

• Ohio State had never before defeated three-consecutive road teams ranked in the Top 15. Ohio State has won at No. 15 Rutgers, No. 14 Illinois and No. 10 Wisconsin in its last three true road games.
• The last time the Buckeyes defeated three-consecutive teams in the Top 15 away from Columbus was in 1960 when the No. 3 Buckeyes downed No. 13 Georgia Tech (86-69) March 12 in the NCAA Mideast Regionals in Louisville and then No. 12 New York University (76-54) and No. 2 California (75-55) at the Final Four in San Francisco.
• Justin Ahrens connected on 3-of-5 from 3, giving him at least 3 makes in each of the last four games and in seven games this season.
• E.J. Liddell went over the 400-point plateau with 20 vs. the Badgers he has 411 for his career.