Ohio State trailed by three at halftime, and coach Thad Matta told the Buckeyes he thought they would find a way to win.
Turns out, he was right.
Aaron Craft scored 14 points and No. 22 Ohio State held Illinois to 28.3 percent shooting on the way to a scrappy 48-39 win on Saturday night.
Craft picked up two early fouls and spent two long stretches on the bench. But he was still the Buckeyes’ best option on a tough offensive night for each team.
“It was rough – I’m sitting on the bench. It’s tough when you don’t have a say,” Craft said. “My teammates did a great job, controlling the perimeter. Guys just did a great job executing, finding ways to keep it close and that’s what we needed.”
LaQuinton Ross added nine points for Ohio State (20-6, 7-6 Big Ten), which trailed 23-20 at halftime. The Buckeyes made 38 percent of their shots.
Matta remained confident despite the slow start, delivering a positive message at the break.
“We’re down three,” Matta said he told his players. “Trust me, something’s gonna fall for us.”
And it did.
Ross and Craft each hit a 3-pointer as Ohio State started the second half with a 10-2 run.
Tracy Abrams had 13 points for Illinois (14-12, 3-10), which has lost 10 of 11. Nnanna Egwu had a career-high 14 rebounds but fouled out late.
“Obviously our offense was anemic today,” Illinois coach John Groce said. “I thought Ohio State had a lot to do with that. I thought they imposed their will on the defensive end, especially in the second half.”
The Buckeyes finished with 10 steals. Shannon Scott had five and Craft had three.
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