Box Score |  USATSI Gallery 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Rayvonte Rice scored 20 points for Illinois, but the Illini fell on the road to Ohio State 77-61 on Saturday.

Illinois led by eight points in the first half and were ahead by three with 16:33 left before going scoreless for a span of 5:28.

D'Angelo Russell scored 22 points, including eight during a decisive 15-0 second-half run for Ohio State.

Sam Thompson and Marc Loving each added 13 points for the Buckeyes.

The Illini forged a 37-36 halftime lead by hitting 8 of 15 3-pointers. The Buckeyes shot 59 percent from the field, but also had nine turnovers that led to 16 Illini points.

Ohio State then started the second half with three consecutive turnovers.

But just as suddenly, while playing man-to-man instead of the 2-3 zone they'd employed all season, the Buckeyes turned the game around. The Illini didn't score from Kendrick Nunn's 3 at the 16:33 mark until Nnanna Egwu hit two foul shots with 11:06 remaining.

Over that span, Ohio State hit big shots and made plays at both ends. After Russell hit a 3 to tie it, substitute big man Trey McDonald made two free throws for the Buckeyes' first lead of the day.

Russell closed the spurt by hitting a 3 after a five-second call on an Illinois inbounds play and the lead was 56-44 with 11:06 left.

Kendrick Nunn added ten points on 2-5 shooting.

This is the sixth year in a row Illinois has had to hit the road to play an Ohio State team ranked in the Top 25.

The Illini, who play four of their first five Big Ten games on the road, return home to host No. 12 Maryland on Wednesday night.