The last time Ohio State played Illinois, it went so poorly for the Buckeyes that they weren’t permitted to wear any gear displaying their team name in the ensuing practices. That was on Jan. 24, a 69-60 road loss that was more decisive than the score indicated. Having broken a five-game losing streak with a blowout win against Iowa, the Buckeyes went to the State Farm Center, led for less than four minutes and trailed by what was a season-high 17 points. Now after the rematch, the Buckeyes might never take their jerseys off. Riding a nine-game losing streak and having dropped 14 of its past 15 games, Ohio State (12-17, 4-14 Big Ten) built a first-half lead, withstood a strong second-half challenge and – finally – won a game, 72-60. “We played like we were supposed to win today, and it showed,” said Ohio State forward Justice Sueing. Ohio…
Continue Reading: No more streaking: Ohio State handles Illinois, wins first game in more than a month
