Sat, Feb 13, 2021
By MITCH STACY (AP Sports Writer)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - E.J. Liddell scored 19 points and Justice Sueing had 16 as No. 4 Ohio State pulled away to rout Indiana 78-59 on Saturday for its sixth consecutive victory.
The Buckeyes (17-4, 11-4 Big Ten) have won nine of their last 10 and have settled into a style of play that has become their identity - good shooting, timely 3-pointers, multiple contributors and fewer mistakes than their opponents. They shot 48% against Indiana and had 21 points on the Hoosiers' 15 turnovers.
Trace Jackson-Davis scored 23 points and Jerome Hunter added 10 to pace Indiana (11-9, 6-7), which saw a two-game winning streak snapped.
Backed by a 21-3 run over eight minutes, Ohio State led 38-28 at halftime while forcing eight turnovers, including three early by guard Armaan Franklin. The Buckeyes led by as many as 16 in the half, but an 11-0 run by the Hoosiers kept it from getting away.
An emphatic dunk by Jackson-Davis ignited the Indiana bench and got the Hoosiers back to within five points with 14:11 left in the game, but a 9-0 Ohio State run pushed the lead back up and the Buckeyes continued to roll as Indiana developed foul trouble.
BIG PICTURE
Indiana: After winning two straight close ones, the Hoosiers made too many mistakes and let this one get away. They are just 1-6 against the Buckeyes over the last three seasons, including a 0-3 mark in Columbus.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes are one of the hottest teams in the nation and the win should keep them in the top 5 of the AP Top 25. They are 10-1 at home this season ahead of their Feb. 21 home showdown with Michigan, the current No. 3.
SENIORS RULE
Ohio State seniors Liddell, Sueing, Kyle Young and CJ Walker have accounted for about half of the team's scoring this season.
UP NEXT
Indiana: Hosts Minnesota on Wednesday.
Ohio State: At Penn State on Thursday.
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This story has been corrected to show that Sueing's first name is Justice, not Justin.
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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacy
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