If college basketball was a 20-minute game, Illinois would be near the top of the Big Ten. But those last 20 minutes have done the Illini in all season long and Saturday’s game against No. 22 Ohio State was no different.

Illinois’ offense fell flat in the second half of a 48-39 drubbing against Ohio State on Saturday. The game was physical, sloppy and at times, borderline unwatchable, but Illinois embraced the ugliness in the first half.

The Illini fought in the early going, you have to at least give them credit for that. Ohio State’s offense was dreadful in the first half, scoring only 13 points in the half court. Aaron Craft, the emotional leader of this Buckeyes squad, scored seven points in the first half but left early with foul trouble. Ohio State was left with nowhere to go offensively. Illinois, and in particular Nnanna Egwu, took advantage.

Egwu shut down the paint for the Illini in the first half. He had 11 rebounds and two blocks in the first half alone, playing a large part in Ohio State’s 32.1 percent shooting. Illinois, thanks to its aggressive play, led 23-20 at halftime. Then everything fell apart.

Illinois had one of the most brutal 20-minute stretches of basketball you will ever see. Give credit to Ohio State’s nasty, in-your-face style defense, but Illinois’ offense reached a new low.

Illinois drained the life out of State Farm Center amid countless turnovers and bricked shot attempts in the second half. Illinois shot just 6-of-22 in the second half, which equated to an awful 27.2 field goal percentage. The Illini could only muster 16 points, with 10 of those coming in the last four and a half minutes of garbage time. Illinois head coach John Groce put it best as he said “our offense was anemic today.”

Ohio State went on a 12-0 run spanning seven and half minutes when Illinois only trailed 30-29. Illinois missed all four of its field goals in that stretch and turned it over five times. Craft deservingly gets the lion share of credit for Ohio State’s fourth-best defense in the nation, according to defensive efficiency, but the Buckeyes are stacked with other great defenders. Shannon Scott was a hound Saturday, totaling five steals and getting numerous other deflections. Amir Williams solidified the paint for Ohio State, blocking two shots and altering attempts around the rim throughout the game.

Illinois was overwhelmed by Ohio State’s defensive intensity. This wasn’t a game where Illinois forced Rayvonte Rice to do too much, other players tried to get involved, but nothing was falling. Almost every shot Illinois attempted in the second half was contested. The Illini struggled to create any separation as the Buckeyes coaxed Illinois into taking long jumpers.

Tracy Abrams gave credit to Ohio State’s pesky defense but said “it’s just a matter of you being tough.” The Illini weren’t tough on Saturday, and it cost them.

Abrams led Illinois with 13 points after failing to score a field goal in consecutive games, but Egwu was the lone bright spot of this game for the Illini. The junior center, who often doesn’t take advantage of his 6-foot-11 frame, finished with a career-high 14 rebounds and three blocks. You can’t carry a team by playing stellar defense, but Egwu almost did. Ohio State shot just 38.3 percent from the field, but that’s Duke-esque offense compared to Illinois’ 28.3 percent shooting.

Illinois went on a late 7-0 to cut Ohio State’s lead to just five with a minute left, but it was too little too late. Illinois once again let a winnable game slip out of their hands.

Groce is left wondering how he can jump-start this Illini offense. The addition of Kendrick Nunn and Malcolm Hill into the starting lineup paid off in the early going, but the rotation has proven to be no different. Personnel changes aren’t going to turn this offense around. Instead Groce’s system needs some tinkering.

Groce had to know this year’s team was never going to fit his system as well as last year’s squad. Illinois doesn’t have reliable shooters available or a plethora of ball handlers. This year’s team also lacks effective pick and roll operators, which Groce loves to feature in his offense.

Twenty-six games into the season might not be an ideal time to make drastic changes to the offense, but this team needs some spark. They need something, anything to get them going.

“We better figure it out,” Groce said.

If not, second halves like the one Illinois played Saturday will become a defining trait of the program.

Michael is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @The_MDubb.