CHICAGO (AP) — Bruce Thornton had 21 points and six assists, freshman Roddy Gayle Jr. scored seven of his season-high 15 points in the final five minutes and short-handed Ohio State beat fourth-seeded Michigan State 68-58 in the Big Ten Conference Tournament.
Ohio State became the lowest seed, at No. 13, to ever reach the Big Ten semifinals.
The Buckeyes will face top-seeded Purdue on Saturday, looking for their first win in three tries this season.
The Buckeyes were without leading scorer Brice Sensabaugh, at 16.3 points per game, due to knee soreness.
But Gayle, who hadn’t scored in double figures since netting 12 points on Dec. 3 against St. Francis (Pa.), scored 12 points in the second half to make up for Sensabaugh’s absence.