Gophers Lose to Buckeyes 75-64

The Minnesota Golden Gophers returned to action Thursday night at Williams Arena and fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes, 75-64.

The Buckeyes were able to parlay their superior interior bulk to the tune of 20 offensive rebounds and XX second chances points. All-Big Ten junior forward EJ Liddell was an absolute force scoring 23 points and dominating the glass on both ends, garnering 15 rebounds.

Throughout the first half, both squads consistently traded baskets with neither team asserting themselves. This was in part due to the Gophers' zone defense and the ability of Peyton Willis to dissect the Buckeye defense on the top ball-screen. Through a combination of smart drives and dishes, Willis…