Except for the outcome, there was no resemblance between the one-sided game that Illinois and Ohio State played Sunday in Value City Arena and the dramatic game they played on the last day of the 2005 Big Ten season in the same venue.
In last year’s game, Ohio State led only once–when Matt Sylvester hit a three-point shot with 5.1 seconds to play that gave the Buckeyes a one-point victory and dealt the Illini their first defeat of the season.
On Sunday, Sylvester took the first shot of the game and again it was a three-pointer. But this time it was an air ball.
Then the Buckeyes started hitting three-point shots and never stopped.
Combining the outside shooting of guards Je’Kel Foster and Jamar Butler with a powerful low-post performance by Terence Dials, the Buckeyes surged to a big early lead and never let Illinois get within striking distance in a compelling 69-53 victory.
The win enabled the Buckeyes (18-3, 7-3) to take over sole possession of second place behind Iowa (19-6, 8-3) in what’s still a seven-team Big Ten race.
The Illini (20-4, 6-4) fell into a fourth-place tie with preseason favorite Michigan State (18-6, 6-4) after losing two games in a row for the first time in more than two years. Sunday’s loss was their worst since they fell 70-53 to Wisconsin in the championship game of the 2004 Big Ten tournament.
“[Ohio State] hit big shots right away,” Illinois co-captain Brian Randle said. “When you get down so quickly and they get back so quickly [on defense], it’s hard to come back.”
Ohio State took 23 three-pointers and made 13. Butler was 5-for-6 from beyond the arc and scored 22 points. Foster was 6-for-8 and scored 18.
Foster hit five three-pointers in the first half and Butler sank three in an 11-2 Buckeyes run to open the second half that gave Ohio State a 48-28 lead.
“At the start of the second half we turned it over twice and Butler hits back-to-back threes in transition,” Illinois coach Bruce Weber said, “and now instead of getting it into single digits like we wanted, we’re chasing them by a big margin.
“They’re a very good team, they’re in a groove and they’re playing at home. Who’s won here? Michigan State in two overtimes.”
While Butler and Foster were devastating the Illinois defense from the perimeter, Dials was ruling the paint, scoring 19 points and pulling down 16 rebounds.
The Illini made only 37.3 percent of their shots and were 5-for-19 from beyond the arc.
Dee Brown was Illinois’ high scorer with 12 points, 10 of which came in the second half. Fellow senior James Augustine had 11 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals. But he scored all of his points in the first half and was limited to two shots in the second half.
“I’m more proud of our defensive effort than our offense,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. “We did a very good job on transition baskets. We wanted them to run their half-court offense. We knew Illinois was going to try to go inside.
“Last year there was jubilation after the game. This year was very low key. We still have six games to play. Last year was an incredible upset. Last year’s Illinois team was one of the best I’ve ever seen in college basketball. This year the job they’ve done to get 20 wins is remarkable.”
Despite the back-to-back setbacks, Weber said the Illini have a shot at winning their third straight Big Ten title.
“A lot of craziness can happen,” he said. “It has happened. All we can do is take care of ourselves.
“Are we going to be in the thick of the race down the stretch or are we going to be floundering along and worrying about getting into the NCAA tournament?”
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nmilbert@tribune.com
