PITTSBURGH — Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell only scored four first-half points but led a strong defensive effort inside, as the seventh-seeded Buckeyes beat 10th-seeded Loyola-Chicago, 54-41, on Friday in the South Region first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Liddell finished with 16 points, with half coming from the foul line. Talented Ohio State freshman guard Malaki Branham scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
The Buckeyes (20-11) held the Ramblers to their worst shooting performance of the season at 26.8%. Loyola-Chicago leading scorer Lucas Williamson, normally a 14.0 point-per-game performer, was a dismal 1-of-10 from the field, finishing with only four points. Guard Braden Norris led the Ramblers with 14 points, with all of his made field goals coming from three-point range.
Both teams combined to start 2-of-9 from the field, and the difficulty finding points continued the entire half. Ohio State’s 23-18 halftime lead tied its lowest first-half scoring mark of the season. The Buckeyes finished 41.9% from the floor, but made only one three the entire game.
What Liddell couldn’t find on the scoresheet in the first half, he made up for on the defensive glass. The third-team All-American was scoreless from the field in the first 20 minutes but was the centerpiece of a Buckeyes defense that held the Ramblers to 23.3% shooting.
“We played with an edge tonight. Played like the underdogs,” Liddell said. “We gotta keep playing like that because people have been counting us out big time. We’ve got to have that same mindset next game.”
Loyola-Chicago (25-8) struggled underneath and at the rim most of the game. When they weren’t running into a stout Buckeye defensive frontcourt, the Ramblers missed the easy floaters and clean looks they did get in the paint. To that end, the Ramblers’ first bucket of the second half, a Norris three, didn’t come until the 16:31 mark.
“Today we really struggled offensively, making shots, free throws. Thought we had too many turnovers,” Ramblers coach Drew Valentine said. “I thought defensively we were solid at times, but probably fought a little too much.”
The Ramblers’ poor shooting was also hampered in the final 20 by foul trouble. Twelve of their 19 total fouls in the game came after halftime, and Ohio State had the benefit of the bonus for most of the session.
The Buckeyes face second-seeded Villanova in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
• George Gerbo can be reached at ggerbo@washingtontimes.com.
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