Deshaun Thomas scored 19 points Sunday to lead the No. 14 Buckeyes over Illinois 68-55 and keep alive their Big Ten title hopes.
The victory put Ohio State (23-7, 13-5) in position to grab a share of the conference title if No. 7 Michigan can win at home against No. 2 Indiana later on Sunday. The Buckeyes are assured the No. 2 seed in next week’s Big Ten tournament at Chicago’s United Center.
Brandon Paul scored 21 points for Illinois (21-11, 8-10), which is guaranteed the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten tournament
Aaron Craft added 14 points and six assists while creating his usual havoc on defense. Lenzelle Smith Jr. had 10 points.
The Buckeyes have won five in a row, including wins over No. 2 Indiana and No. 4 Michigan State. They left the arena in the odd position of having to root for archrival Michigan to get a share of the title. They were seeking at least a piece of their fourth straight Big Ten crown and sixth in eight years.
Thomas, the Big Ten’s leading scorer at 19.8 points a game, is expected to give up his senior season to enter the NBA draft.
Up by nine at the half, Ohio State did enough to hold off the Illini.
Click here to read more of this story.
About Marion Online Sports
