Please follow and like us: OSU junior forward Marc Loving (2) goes up for a shot during a game against Maryland on Jan. 31 at the Schottenstein Center. OSU lost, 61-66. Credit: Muyao Shen | Asst. Photo Editor Although the Ohio State men’s basketball team put forth a much better effort against Maryland on Sunday, it still lost. Sure, it was only by five points, 30 fewer than when the two teams met in mid-January, but OSU coach Thad Matta wouldn’t call it a moral victory. He’s “never been a big fan” of them, he said after the 66-61 loss. But, as the Buckeyes get set for a road game against Wisconsin on Thursday at 7 p.m., Matta acknowledged that his team gained some confidence from taking the now-No. 4 Terrapins down to the wire. “I told the guys what a drastic improvement from two and a half weeks ago,” Matta said on Wednesday. “There is some good things happening.” Players reinforced the team’s overall disdain for so-called moral victories, but they did say they feel like the 30-point improvement against one of the nation’s top teams serves them well heading into the Badgers’ hostile environment. “It just shows that if we play the right way, we can play with, and potentially beat, anybody,” sophomore forward Keita Bates-Diop said. Freshman forward Mickey Mitchell added that despite coming up short, they “did a lot of things better.” One area, though, that the Buckeyes still need to improve upon is finishing out the first and second halves on the right note. For such a young team, having just two 20-minute periods can be a change of pace…
Continue Reading: Ohio State men’s basketball trying to turn improvements into wins at Wisconsin
