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Deshaun Thomas, No. 15 Ohio State bounce back after loss to Illinois, beat Purdue

deshaun thomas

Behind 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State bounced back from a loss over the weekend to beat Purdue on the road, 74-64, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

After a 19-point loss at the hands of No. 11 Illinois on Saturday, the Buckeyes came out Tuesday with more energy, outrebounding Purdue 36-27 and shooting 56 percent from the floor. Thomas, having been nearly the only offensive option in the loss to Illinois, got offensive support Tuesday from Aaron Craft, Sam Thompson, and Evan Ravenel.

Ravenel’s 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting is a major improvement over his performance against Illinois, when he took just two shots.

Credit goes to Ohio State for getting a road win, the first of the many Big Ten contenders to get a notable win on the road in conference play. We know the Big Ten is going to likely be the toughest league in the country in 2012-13, so a win over a solid middle-of-the-pack team will add cushion to a tournament resume.

Looking forward, the Buckeyes have a few days off before heading back home to face the high-powered offense of No. 2 Michigan in Columbus. Against National Player of the Year candidate Trey Burke, Aaron Craft will find his toughest one-on-one matchup yet. The battle between Deshaun Thomas and Glenn Robinson III will also be one to keep an eye on.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_