College Basketball

Buckeyes Survive Sloppy Affair, Beat Rutgers 70-64

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:32 a.m. ET

Fansided, Dillon Davis/FanSided via Scarlet and Game

Rarely has anything been easy for the Ohio State Buckeyes basketball team this season. Fittingly, neither was tonight’s 70-64 win over a poor Rutgers team.

Despite having not trailed since the 15-minute mark of the first half, the Buckeyes could never put the Scarlet Knights away for good.

Much of that had to do with the carelessness Ohio State displayed with the basketball. As a team, they turned the ball over 15 times. The last of those gifts almost did them in.

Leading by two with just over a minute left in the game, the Buckeyes turned the ball

over on a inbound pass, leading to the game-tying bucket by Rutgers’ Issa Thiam.

But much like he did all night for his team, Kam Williams had the answer. On the very next possession, Williams curled off a screen and pulled up for a three-pointer. The shot fell and a foul was called. Williams would complete the four-point play, giving the Buckeyes the late advantage.

Williams led all scorers with 23 points on 8 of 15 shooting.

Rutgers would cut the lead to two with 29 seconds left, but Marc Loving and C.J. Jackson nailed all four of their free throws in the final seconds to finally put the game on ice.

Jackson, making his second straight start over JaQuan Lyle, finished with seven points. He turned the ball over five times, however, possibly giving Thad Matta reason to rethink his decision to give Jackson more minutes.

The Buckeyes got another major boost from Trevor Thompson, who finished off a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. It is his ninth double-double of the season.

With the win, Ohio State moves to 15-10 overall and 5-7 in the Big Ten. Hopes of a tournament bid are still alive, although the road ahead is a tough one.

Of the six games remaining in the regular season, the Buckeyes will have to travel to Maryland and Michigan State, and they will host Wisconsin and Indiana.

Tipoff for the Maryland game is set for 4:00 on Saturday afternoon.