At one point during the second half, it looked like the Buckeyes were going to pull away from the Tar Heels, but last year’s NCAA Tournament runners-up would not go away. They battled back and showed why it is so important to have veteran leadership in a game like this.
It really showed as the young Bucks struggled down the stretch and the older UNC squad took advantage of the situation. This will be a tough loss to swallow but there were still a few things that the Buckeyes did that will help them later in the year.
Here are a few things that we learned about Ohio State after their tough 89-84 overtime loss to North Carolina.
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The pressure got to the Buckeyes in the second half
WE'RE HEADED TO OT IN MSG‼️ @UNC_Basketball pic.twitter.com/qEOStWJA1W
— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) December 17, 2022
Turnovers, bad shots, and full-court pressure from North Carolina got them back into the game. It was a struggle as the Bucks’ offense went quiet and the Tar Heels charged back after being down by 11 and tied the game with 2 minutes left. The huge shot by former Northwestern star Pete Nance was heartbreaking after Brice Sensabaugh seemingly hit the game-winner. Their body language after Nance’s jumper was evident as the game went to break. It’s something this young team will learn from, but will be better for it in the future.
There was no answer for Armando Bacot and Caleb Love
Caleb finds Armando for the SLAM 💥 pic.twitter.com/0jgKv3wHxy
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 17, 2022
The star from last season’s run, Bacot, was sensational, registering his 56th career double-double with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Neither Zed Key nor Felix Okpara had an answer for the Tar Heels’ big man. As for Love, he hit big shot after big shot, even if they weren’t all falling. He finished with 22 points and 7 assists, hitting some big shots as the game wound down in regulation and into overtime. For the most part, the Buckeyes played solid defense, but these two made them pay all game long.
The whole team stepped up with Zed Key struggling
Sway sighting 👀
OSU: 2️⃣8️⃣
UNC: 1️⃣6️⃣@JusticeSueing 4/5, 8️⃣ points | #Team124 pic.twitter.com/G6dqdgc8ft— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 17, 2022
I wondered how this team would look if arguably its best player, Zed Key, had an off-game. Well, we found that out today as the Buckeyes played well enough to win but couldn’t pull it out at the end. Key was off in the first half, scoring just four points, and only grabbing two boards. He was a bit better in the second half, finishing with 11 points and four rebounds, but clearly not his normal self. The fact that the Buckeyes could have won this game with a so-so performance from Key is a positive to take from this loss.
This freshmen class was as advertised
BIG BODY BRICE 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/EOl5ZUW5NW
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 17, 2022
Star freshman Sensabaugh was great, finishing with 22 points (his career-high) and 8 rebounds. Bruce Thornton had 17 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Felix Okpara had four points, four steals, three rebounds, and two blocks while playing with tons of energy before fouling out. Roddy Gayle Jr. struggled going just 1-of-4 from the field, the only one of the four that didn’t play well. Yes, they made some freshman mistakes, like Sensabaugh getting into foul trouble in the first half while Thornton made some ill-advised turnovers. Regardless of the outcome, these young players are the key to this year’s success and are growing up right before our eyes.
Isaac Likekele was missed
Ohio State Men’s Basketball Availability vs. North Carolina
UNAVAILABLE⁰Eugene Brown III
Isaac Likekele
Both players are with the team in New York, but will not be available today.— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 17, 2022
The Buckeyes were able to find a way to deal with Likekele’s absence against Rutgers, but against UNC it was a different story. As mentioned above, Thornton played very well but the five turnovers really hurt the Buckeyes’ bottom line. It is unknown when Isaac Likekele will return after a death in his inner circle, but this game really showed why Chris Holtmann went after him in the transfer portal this past off-season.
Bonus: Sensabaugh slam
Brice Sensabaugh throws it down‼️ @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/hXY1Jvswq8
— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) December 17, 2022
This was so pretty and another flash of the immense skill set that Sensabaugh possesses. If he continues to progress, we could see him pull a Malaki Branham and leave after just one season. It would be good and bad, but enjoy this young man while he is in Columbus.
