Chris Holtmann knew he needed one of his team’s most physical efforts on Thursday night.
Traveling to East Lansing to battle a Michigan State side with its back against the wall, Ohio State came in expecting a rock fight.
The Buckeyes certainly experienced that to its fullest potential.
Michigan State scratched and clawed its way to a 71-67 victory, using a rotating cast of handsy big men to entangle and frustrate Ohio State on the interior all night long.
The Spartans’ intent was clear from their very first defensive possession, when Julius Marble used two hands to force E.J. Liddell out of the paint and into a contested jumper that barely grazed iron.
“In order to win the game, you gotta feel it before you get into the game,” senior point guard C.J. Walker said. “You gotta be the initiator, throwing the first punch, being more aggressive. If you wait too late, you can lose games. If you don’t make that adjustment early, it can be a long night. That’s how teams get going.”
For Liddell (4-for-13 from the field), Justice Sueing (3-for-7), and almost every other Ohio State player who dared step into the painted area, it was much of the same for 40 consecutive minutes.
The Buckeyes shot an ugly 7-for-23 from the inside the key against an overwhelmingly physical defense, failing to find any breathing room inside. Liddell was forced off balance time and time again, launching contested fadeaways and forcing up wild shot after wild shot.
After a number of questionable no-calls on both ends of the court, Holtmann had seen enough, (most definitely) earning a technical as Liddell missed another contested look at the rim.
“In that moment, honestly, I just thought that plays that were normally called fouls in most of every Big Ten game were not being called fouls,” Holtmann said. “I thought that was an obvious one, and expressed that. Certainly, you wanna fight for your guys.”
Beyond that single comment, the usually-composed Holtmann kept his lips sealed, taking blame for his outburst and brushing off any questions about biased refereeing.
The fourth-year head coach even added that Liddell will have to adjust to the way he is being guarded, especially against a team as unrelenting as Michigan State.
“E.J.’s a really good player. He also has to own the fact that he’s gotta play with more force if this is how the game’s gonna be called,” Holtmann said. “We’ve gotta prepare him for that better.”
In the game’s waning moments, Holtmann was finally (and justly) ejected, shaking Tom Izzo’s hand while simultaneously barking at the officials and hustling off the floor.
It was an ugly end to what was an ugly night on almost every front for Ohio State.
“He’s just passionate. He just wants to win the game. That’s our code,” Walker said. “That’s what he stands for-- winning. He was just doing what he thought-- his emotions got the best of him there. That’s his passion.”
In terms of final numbers, the Buckeyes only ended up with two fewer free throw attempts than the Spartans, while Izzo’s team was whistled for two more fouls than Ohio State.
As is usually the case, the statistics don’t tell the full story here. Michigan State was undoubtedly the harder-playing, more physical team in the moments that mattered most.
No matter which direction the officiating may or may not have slanted, the Spartans made tough looks near the basket in the game’s closing minutes.
Liddell and the Buckeyes did not.
“I wouldn’t say things weren’t getting called our way. It was a pretty even game,” Walker said. “Like I said, we didn’t finish through contact. I mean, you can’t expect too many calls in the Big Ten. It’s a physical league, so there’s nothing you can really expect going to the basket.”
For a team that has flashed as much offensive potential as Ohio State, a night like Thursday might have been necessary as the season works its way into March.
