LINCOLN, Neb. – Ohio State was able to avoid the big win hangover in order to take care of business against Nebraska.

No. 23 Ohio State (19-9, 9-8) was able to jump above .500 in the Big Ten conference for the first time since Dec. 7 when the Buckeyes won the conference opener against Penn State. After defeating No. 9 Maryland, Ohio State was able to bring the positive momentum on the road to beat Nebraska (7-21, 2-15) in a score of 75-54.

Kyle Young was not able to take the court against Nebraska, but a glimpse into the future of hustle at Ohio State was given an opportunity in his absence. E.J. Liddell would be Chris Holtmann’s first option off the bench against the Cornhuskers, and the freshman did not disappoint. He would finish the game with eight points, four offensive rebounds and five blocks.

Duane Washington Jr. was the latest addition to the starting lineup in the wake of Young’s injury. While Holtmann decided to go small with his lineup, Washington and the group were able to come up big on the road.

It was Washington who got things started by hitting on his first three 3-pointers to give the Buckeyes their first nine points. Washington would finish the game with 14 points and three rebounds.

The rest of the Buckeyes would follow suit and keep the offensive momentum going. Ohio State would jump out to an early 14-point lead thanks to a start in which the Buckeyes hit nine of their first 11 shots.

Liddell, who was the only player to receive time off the bench for the Buckeyes in the second half against Maryland, would provide five points and a pair of blocks in his first stint of the game against Nebraska.

After starting off shooting 81.8 percent to get to 26 points, the Buckeyes would miss their next 11 shots. Even with the cold spell, Ohio State would maintain its lead of 14 points because of its defense, which would hold the Cornhuskers to 37.5-percent shooting in the first half.

After cold and hot stretches offensively, the Buckeyes would settle at 50-percent shooting for the first half. While Washington would lead the way with 14 points in the first half, it was the play of CJ Walker, who had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists, that helped Ohio State take a 43-27 advantage into the locker room.

Nebraska, who had lost 12 straight games coming into the matchup with Ohio State, was unable to threaten Ohio State’s lead. While the Buckeyes would not have an impressive second half in terms of shooting, they were able to keep the Cornhuskers from turning the game around.

After a relatively quiet first half, Kaleb Wesson would step up for Ohio State in the second half. Wesson, who would finish with 16 points, would also add a career-high 18 rebounds to his performance.

While the Buckeyes have been able to win games in the past with shooting from beyond the arc, it was their physicality that stood out against Nebraska. Ohio State would outrebound the Cornhuskers 48-33 and hit 10 more free throws.

It was the physical mindset that allowed Ohio State to keep up the intensity for a full 40 minutes in order to take care of business out in Nebraska.

Ohio State will return home to take on No. 19 Michigan on Sunday. The game will tip at 4 p.m. on CBS.