Gophers lose again in overtime, 82-74 to Ohio State

After losing 70-69 in OT to Southern Cal at home on Jan. 9, Minnesota dropped another one, 82-74 to Ohio State on Tuesday at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

The opening 40 minutes was nip and tuck with 18 lead changes and 11 ties, but the Buckeyes controlled it in overtime, outscoring shorthanded Minnesota 15-7.

Minnesota (10-9, 3-5) has lost four straight games. Ohio State (13-5, 5-3 Big Ten) was a seven-point favorite at home.

Senior guard Bruce Thornton, who was third in the conference at 20.5 points per game, had a three-point play to give the Buckeyes a 67-65 lead with 54 seconds left.

Thornton had six points in overtime to give the veteran 23 in the game. John Mobley Jr., led the Buckeyes with 26.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored 20-plus points for a third straight game and finished with a career-high 26. Struggling to shoot from deep, Crocker-Johnson instead drove to the basket with regularity in the second half.

Already down two injured starters, Cade Tyson fouled out with three minutes left in overtime. He finished with 15 points.

At the end of regulation, Langston Reynolds and Cade Tyson had great looks on the final possession, but Reynolds couldn’t convert at the rim, while Tyson was off on a corner 3-pointer. There might have been a uncalled goaltending against the Buckeyes on the final possession.

The Gophers fell behind 10-0 and missed their opening nine shots, but worked their way to the free-throw line and broke out of their drought from the field to take a 16-12 lead with 11 minutes left in the first half.

The rest of the half was back and fourth and then stagnant with both teams missing a combined 10 shots, including eight threes over a four-minute stretch. Thornton ended the unsightly stretch with a late bucket` for a 31-28 lead at the break.