Please follow and like us: Michigan State senior guard Bryn Forbes (5) cheers from the bench during the Spartans’ 81-62 win over Ohio State at the Schottenstein Center on Feb. 23.Credit: Samantha Hollingshead | Photo Editor INDIANAPOLIS – The Ohio State men’s basketball team took care of business Thursday night against Penn State, grinding out a 79-75 victory. But its work at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse is not done. In some ways, it’s just beginning for the Buckeyes as they advance into the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. That’s because their opponent Friday night is a team that has beaten them twice in less than three weeks: the Michigan State Spartans. “This is the game we’ve been waiting for,” said OSU freshman center Daniel Giddens. “After our last loss at their place, we’re just ready to avenge ourselves.” The Buckeyes started slow against the Nittany Lions, trailing by double digits at times in the first half before trimming it to a three-point deficit at the break. OSU used an explosive start in the second period to grab control and, eventually, after fending off a few late pushes by Penn State, the victory. In the locker room after the game, most of the chatter wasn’t about what just happened on the floor, but instead, it centered on the things the Buckeyes need to do to extend their stay in Indianapolis into Saturday. Simply put, the list is rather long. “They pose so many problems,” said OSU coach Thad Matta. The first thing the Scarlet and Gray have to do, sophomore forward Keita Bates-Diop said, is focus for 40 minutes, not just one half. When the two teams played in Columbus on Feb. …
Continue Reading: Ohio State men’s basketball ready to ‘avenge’ itself vs. Michigan State in Big Ten tournament rematch
