Chris Holtmann Ejected, Buckeyes' Comeback Bid Falls Short in Loss to Wisconsin

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann's double technical foul couldn't save the Buckeyes, as they lost their third straight game to the Wisconsin Badgers Thursday.

With 27 seconds left in the first half, Ohio State Buckeyes coach Chris Holtmann was assessed a double-technical foul and ejected for the second time in his career after a charge was called on forward Justice Sueing.

Despite the mantra that teams play better after a coach receives a technical foul, Thursday at the Schottenstein Center was no such occasion as Ohio State’s second-half comeback attempt fell short. The Buckeyes dropped their eighth game in the last nine, falling 65-60 to the Wisconsin Badgers.

Ohio State (11-11, 3-8 in Big Ten) held the Badgers without a field goal for the final 7:18 and rode a 13-0 run across a 5:45 span late in the second half, but Wisconsin (13-8, 5-6 Big Ten) relied on three free throws from guard Chucky Hepburn in the final 24 seconds to seal the victory.

The Buckeyes were down 38-27 at the time of Holtmann’s ejection — which was followed by four made free throws from Badgers guard Connor Essegian — as their shooting and turnover woes were evident in the first half.

Wisconsin turned 11 first-half Buckeyes turnovers into 13 points, shooting 52 percent from the field and carrying a 43-27 lead into halftime. Essegian led the Badgers with 17 points, but got help from Hepburn’s 15 points and 14 from forward Steven Crowl.

The Buckeyes turned it over 16 times for the game.

Forward Brice Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes with 13 points, getting second-half help from forward Zed Key who tallied 12 points — nine in the second half — on 5 of 13 from the floor. 

Sensabaugh fouled out with 9:20 to go in the second half.

Ohio State shot 28.6 percent from 3 on 4 of 14, which tied for its fourth-worst 3-point shooting clip this season.

The Buckeyes hit the road Sunday to Ann Arbor where they’ll take on the Michigan Wolverines at the Crisler Center at 1 p.m. on CBS.

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