Gophers outscored by 27 points in second half in loss at Ohio State

E.J. Liddell had 16 points and 10 rebounds, leading No. 18 Ohio State to a 70-45 win over Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Malaki Branham added 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting for the Buckeyes (16-6, 9-4 Big Ten).

Luke Loewe scored 12 points to lead Minnesota (12-11, 3-11). Jamison Battle added 11 points.

The Buckeyes trailed 25-23 at halftime. Ohio State shot 40.7% in the first half and committed eight turnovers.

Wheeler kickstarted the second half with a 3-pointer that sparked a 16-4 run by Ohio State. He shot 5 of 8 from the field and had three 3-pointers.

Ohio State finished shooting 49.1% from the field, including 57.1% in the second half. The Buckeyes had a 36-29 advantage on the boards, and scored 28 points in the paint.

Minnesota pulled within eight points with 14:25 remaining, but shot 3 of 15 the rest of the way and lost for the sixth time in seven games.

BIG PICTURE

Minnesota: The Golden Gophers shot a season-worst 30.8% from the field. They opened the game with four makes in six attempts, and made just one bucket in the final 10:50.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes matched their high for turnovers in their last six games in the first half alone. They limited the giveaways in the second, allowing just two turnovers.

UP NEXT

Minnesota: Travels to Penn State on Thursday.

Ohio State: Hosts Iowa on Saturday in a game that had been scheduled for Feb. 3.