COLUMBUS - Although construction on Value City Arena's brick-laden exterior concluded in 1998, Saturday's matchup between No. 13 Ohio State and Michigan proved there's still plenty of bricklaying going on in Columbus.

In an atrocious display of outside shooting, the Wolverines and Buckeyes both shot below 40 percent from the field and under 25 percent from 3-point land. With neither team's jump-shots falling, Ohio State's ability to get to the line proved to be the difference-maker in its 64-54 victory.

"I thought both teams, obviously, struggled offensively," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "Looking at the shooting percentage, it wasn't a pretty game by any stretch of the imagination. I thought the difference was they were able to get to the foul line."

Buckeye forward Matt Sylvester opened the scoring with a trey - his only field goal of the night - but the pretty start belied the ugly shooting that would define the rest of the afternoon.

Michigan (8-7 Big Ten, 18-8 overall) and Ohio State (10-4, 21-4) came into the contest with starting backcourts known for their jump-shooting prowess. But on Saturday, these players raised eyebrows in a completely different way.

Michigan guards Dion Harris and Daniel Horton combined to shoot just 5-for-23 from the field. Not to be outdone, Ohio State's Je'Kel Foster and Jamar Butler sank just one of their 11 field-goal attempts.

Even on the interior, baskets didn't come easy. Ohio State forward Terence Dials missed two lay-ups in the first two minutes. The Wolverines also struggled to finish around the basket, failing to convert a number of driving lay-ups and tip-ins. The most egregious example occurred when Brent Petway missed a wide-open lay-up early in the second half that would have cut the Buckeye lead to three.

"We left a lot of buckets around the rim," Petway said. "Myself, I was one of the main culprits. We might have come out of this game on top if we had finished the buckets around the rim.

The teams' shooting struggles were mirror images - both squads made exactly 22 field goals and four 3-pointers. But the Buckeyes' offensive aggressiveness and defensive discipline gave them an edge. Ohio State went 16-for-22 from the charity stripe, but Michigan sank just six free throws.

Although Ohio State maintained the lead from the get-go, Michigan stayed within striking distance for most of the contest. Ironically, it was a rare stretch of solid jump-shooting that allowed the Buckeyes to pull away for good.

After Petway's free throw cut the Buckeye lead to seven with 7:56 to play, Ivan Harris drilled a deep jumper with Courtney Sims all over him. The Buckeyes then drained jump shots on each of their next three possessions, keying a 10-0 run that put the game on ice.

"It happens like that when you're at home, the crowd gets behind you and gives you the energy to make some plays," Horton said. "They made some plays to stretch the lead out ... that put them up double figures. It was tough from there."

Dials - who scored the last three points of Ohio State's crucial run - recovered nicely from his early struggles. He finished with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds, his fifth consecutive double-double.

"When they're struggling to shoot the threes like they normally do, (Dials) has a big time post presence in there," Amaker said. "I thought his double-double and his presence around the rim were certainly hurtful for us."

While Dials demonstrated his all-Big Ten candidate form, Michigan's three-headed post combination refused to be overwhelmed. Petway, Courtney Sims and Graham Brown combined for 29 boards, helping Michigan to a 43-33 rebounding edge.

But Michigan's perimeter sloppiness more than overshadowed its solid interior play. The Wolverines finished with 18 turnovers, compared to just 10 assists. Horton, Harris and backcourt-mates Jerret Smith and Ron Coleman accounted for all but three of Michigan's giveaways.

"I know (Horton and Harris) didn't score as much as we needed them to score," Amaker said. "But certainly, the majority of their responsibility is handling the ball for our team. They had 11 of our 18 turnovers. Those are not good numbers for any formula for success - especially on the road. "

Michigan's loss drops it to sixth-place in the Big Ten, below Michigan State. But a Big Ten Tournament first-round bye is still possible. A win over Indiana on Saturday - plus a little outside help - could propel the Wolverines into fifth-place or higher.