Bruce Thornton had 24 points and scored the go-ahead basket in double overtime as Ohio State defeated Maryland 79-75 in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday to end a five-game losing streak.
Roddy Gayle Jr. added 17 points for the Buckeyes (14-9, 4-9 Big Ten) who had lost eight of their previous nine games.
Jahmir Young led the Terrapins (13-11, 5-8) with 26 points and Donta Scott added 19. Maryland has lost three straight and five of seven.
It was tied 75-75 in the second overtime when Thornton made a scoop layup for the lead with 1:11 left. He then stole the ball but Jamison Battle couldn’t make a shot and Maryland secured possession. Zed Key blocked a layup by Scott with eight seconds left and Gayle on the break made a windmill dunk with two seconds left.
Thornton’s drive in the paint resulted in a 71-71 score with 1:05 left in overtime. Julian Reese then missed a pair of foul shots for Maryland, Battle couldn’t connect on a jumper with two seconds to go and the game went to another extra session.
The end of regulation was eerily similar.
Thornton tied it at 61 with 1:03 remaining on a 3-pointer from the left side of the arc before Scott, a 70.7 percent free throw shooter, missed two with 48 seconds left. Thornton then misfired a two-point try and Young came down and tried an off-balance shot in the lane that was off target with two seconds left.
Ohio State scrambled to a 33-32 halftime lead. The Buckeyes trailed 30-20 before outscoring the Terrapins 13-2 over the last 6:40. Maryland missed its last seven shots and endured a 5:36 scoreless drought going into the break.
The Buckeyes were coming off a 76-73 loss to Indiana on Tuesday, the second time this season they were beaten despite holding an 18-point lead in the second half.
Ohio State enters a difficult stretch with a game at No. 11 Wisconsin on Tuesday, although the Badgers have lost four straight after a 78-56 loss to Rutgers on Saturday. The Buckeyes host second-ranked Purdue on Feb. 18.
Maryland is home against Iowa on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
