West Lafayette, Indiana – Micah Parrish delivered a standout performance for Ohio State, scoring 17 of his career-high 22 points in the second half. His efforts were instrumental in helping the Buckeyes erase a significant 16-point deficit from the first half and culminated in a decisive 15-0 run late in the game, leading to a thrilling 73-70 victory over No. 11 Purdue on Tuesday evening.
Parrish demonstrated accuracy on the court, finishing 8 of 10 from the field and knocking down a personal-best six three-pointers, with 11 points and three 3s coming during the critical final stretch. Devin Royal also contributed significantly with 16 points, as Ohio State improved to a record of 11-8 with a 3-5 mark in Big Ten play, finally breaking a three-game losing streak.
Purdue, boasting a seven-game winning streak prior to this match, was in control for much of the game and held a 59-53 lead with just over seven minutes remaining. However, Ohio State’s shooting prowess soared in the second half, where they connected on 8 of 12 attempts from beyond the arc.
Trey Kaufman-Renn was the standout for Purdue, matching his career-high with 26 points, while Fletcher Loyer chipped in 15 points. Braden Smith, however, struggled, tallying just 12 points on 3 of 14 shooting from the field.
Kaufman-Renn attempted to rally Purdue late by scoring eight consecutive points to narrow the deficit to 68-67 with one minute to play, but the Boilermakers were unable to reclaim the lead.
In terms of injuries, Ohio State forward Colin White sprained his left ankle and was seen in a walking boot during the second half. Additionally, guard John Mobley Jr. faced some challenges after landing awkwardly following a foul.
Insights from the game indicate that, despite having lost five of their previous six matchups and facing early struggles, including a nearly 4.5-minute scoring drought, Ohio State displayed resilience and determination.
Purdue, conversely, was plagued by issues, including the inability to maintain their significant lead, poor rebounding efforts, and lackluster three-point shooting.
A turning point in the game came when Parrish’s scoring surge not only gave the Buckeyes the lead but also bolstered their confidence for closing out the match.
Statistically, Ohio State achieved an impressive shooting percentage of 53.3% overall and 47.8% from three-point range.
Looking ahead, Ohio State is set to host Iowa on Monday, while Purdue will take on No. 21 Michigan at home on Friday.
