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#4 Ohio State 81, Kent State 59 (Final)

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CPD

MEN: OHIO STATE 81, KENT STATE 59



OSU's 3-pointers extinguish Flashes



Monday, November 13, 2006 Elton Alexander

Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- A barrage of 3-pointers, particularly in the second half, helped Ohio State turn a close game into a rout as the Buckeyes dispatched Kent State, 81-59, in the title game of the Black Coaches Association Classic on Sunday night.
Ron Lewis (18 points), Jamar Butler (14) and Ivan Harris (nine) all made three 3-pointers for Ohio State, and Cleveland's David Lighty (10) had two to light up the scoreboard against the Golden Flashes.
The Buckeyes and KSU were statistically even just about everywhere else as both teams forced turnovers in bunches (20 for Kent, 18 for OSU) - and rebounded in clusters (33 for Kent, 27 OSU). But the Buckeyes' 13-of-26 shooting from behind the arc to Kent's 4-of-15 was key for No. 7 OSU improving to 3-0 on the season.
Kent dropped to 2-1 and had no player score in double figures as its two main inside threats, 6-7 junior Haminn Quaintance and 6-6 junior Mike Scott, combined for just 12 points, nine rebounds and seven turnovers. Kent's rebounding edge included 18 on the offensive glass. But Kent was only able to convert those into 17 points as numerous point-blank shots by Scott and Quaintance went astray.
"They couldn't get in a good rhythm from the start of the game," Kent coach Jim Christian said. "And that hurt us."
The victory kept OSU undefeated in five tries against Kent State. Yet, despite the score there were glimmers of hope for Kent as its defense kept the Buckeyes on the perimeter most of the game.
"To Kent State's credit, they came at us and knocked us on our heels," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said.
Kent was its own best friend and worst enemy in the first half. A friend indeed by controlling the backboards, 19-10, including eight offensive, but a whopping 15 turnovers kept KSU from putting the Buckeyes into a deep hole early.
Kent had five turnovers in the first five minutes, allowing OSU to turn a quick 6-3 Kent edge to a 9-6 lead of its own. With a smothering defense, Kent went on a 7-0 run to regain the lead, but once again turnovers popped up, the Buckeyes cut loose on the run and took the upper hand, 17-16.
Kent did not buckle and seemed to have itself under control as it took a 25-22 lead on an Omni Smith layup with just over four minutes before halftime. But the Flashes would commit three more turnovers, aiding a 9-0 OSU run. Once again, Kent answered with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer at the buzzer to trim Ohio State's advantage to 33-30 at intermission.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4253
KENT STATE (2-1) - Quaintance 3-8 2-2 8, Scott 2-11 0-0 4, Singletary 3-6 2-4 8, Smith 4-9 1-2 9, Gates 3-9 0-0 8, Knight 4-5 0-0 8, Mincy 1-3 0-0 2, Sherman 2-4 0-0 6, Sullinger 2-3 2-3 6, Parks 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-59 7-11 59.
#7 OHIO STATE (3-0) - Hunter 6-7 1-1 13, Conley 2-3 4-4 8, Lewis 5-8 5-6 18, Butler 5-11 1-1 14, Lighty 4-7 0-1 10, Harris 3-7 0-0 9, Peters 0-0 0-0 0, Cook 3-7 0-0 8, Titus 0-0 0-0 0, Terwilliger 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 28-51 12-15 81.
Halftime-Ohio State 33-30. 3-Point Goals-Kent St. 4-15 (Sherman 2-4, Gates 2-7, Mincy 0-2, Smith 0-2), Ohio St. 13-26 (Lewis 3-5, Harris 3-6, Butler 3-8, Lighty 2-3, Cook 2-3, Conley 0-1). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Kent St. 33 (Gates, Quaintance, Singletary, Sullinger 5), Ohio St. 27 (Hunter 8). Assists-Kent St. 10 (Mincy 6), Ohio St. 18 (Butler, Conley 7). Total Fouls-Kent St. 17, Ohio St. 14. A-12,883.
 
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CPD

No. 7 Ohio St. 81, Kent St. 59

11/13/2006, 1:08 a.m. ETBy RUSTY MILLER
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? Ron Lewis said he was the tournament MVP only because there wasn't room on the trophy for all of his teammates' names.
"I think the MVP award is really overrated," Lewis said Sunday night after scoring 18 points to lead No. 7 Ohio State to the BCA Classic title with an 81-59 win over Kent State. "It's a team game and everybody contributed. They've got to give somebody the trophy, but it goes to the team."
That team needed a stern lecture from coach Thad Matta late in the first half to turn things around."I don't know if I could repeat it," Matta said when asked what he told his team during a timeout.
Jamar Butler, the only starter back from last year's Big Ten champions, added 14 points, junior-college transfer Othello Hunter had 13 and freshman David Lighty finished with 10. One player had nine points and two others had eight.
"He (Matta) was really just telling us to buckle up and play basketball, to stop thinking about anything else and just play basketball," Lewis said.
Nobody hit double figures for Kent State (2-1), the defending Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament champions. Omni Smith had nine points and three others had eight.
"In the second half we just went away from our game plan defensively. Our guys got caught with a 'deer in the headlights' type of look," coach Jim Christian said. "We let them get some easy 3-point shots and against a team like Ohio State, you can't let them go on runs like that."
The Buckeyes (3-0) hit half of their 26 3-point attempts and ended up shooting 55 percent from the field. Kent State had 20 turnovers and hit just 4-of-15 shots behind the arc.
Sub Ivan Harris hit three big 3-pointers that helped turned the tide.
"When I come off the bench, I don't think twice" about shooting 3s, he said.
Butler said the team had nicknamed the lanky swingman "The Microwave" because he heats things up.
Ohio State has only eight scholarship players until Greg Oden ? a prized 7-foot center ? is able to come back from surgery on his right wrist. As a result, there is little rest on a team with five first-year major-college players.The Buckeyes trailed 25-22 late in the half before Matta laced into his players in the timeout. They quickly went on a 9-0 run to take the lead for good. Lewis started it with a 3 and Butler hit another before the Buckeyes made three free throws on the way to a 33-30 halftime lead.
The Golden Flashes were down just 56-48 midway through the second half when the Buckeyes pulled away again.
This time, Harris hit a 3, Butler muscled in a 10-foot jumper while he was fouled and then hit the free throw and Hunter powered his way inside for a follow to push the lead to 64-48.
The lead never dropped below double figures again.
"We came apart out there and they did a good job of taking advantage of it," Christian said.
Lewis said he learned something about his young teammates.
"In this game we learned to not quit or to get down on ourselves," he said. "We're going to make mistakes, but we just have to keep fighting to win."
 
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Canton

Buckeyes blow past Kent State
Monday, November 13, 2006
By RUSTY MILLER AP Sports Writer

COLUMBUS Late in the first half of the BCA Classic title game, Ohio State Coach Thad Matta called a timeout and laced into his players.
"I don't know if I could repeat it," Matta said when asked what he said.
The seventh-ranked Buckeyes responded with a spurt, better defense and improved rebounding to pull away for an 81-59 victory over Kent State on Sunday night.
Ron Lewis led the way with 18 points and three teammates joined him in double figures as the Buckeyes went 3-0 in the tournament despite the absence of injured big man Greg Oden.
"He (Matta) was really just telling us to buckle up and play basketball, to stop thinking about anything else and just play basketball," Lewis said.
Jamar Butler, the only starter back from last season's Big Ten champions, added 14 points.
Junior-college transfer Othello Hunter had 13 and freshman David Lighty finished with 10. Another player had 9 points and two others had eight.
Lewis was the tournament MVP for the Buckeyes (3-0). He was joined on the all-tournament team by freshman Daequan Cook.
"I think the MVP award is really overrated," Lewis said. "It's a team game and everybody contributed. They've got to give somebody the trophy, but it goes to the team."
Nobody hit double figures for Kent State (2-1), the defending Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament champion. Omni Smith had 9 points and three others had eight.
"In the second half we just went away from our game plan defensively. Our guys got caught with a deer-in-the-headlights type of look," Coach Jim Christian said. "We let them get some easy 3-point shots and against a team like Ohio State, you can't let them go on runs like that."
The Buckeyes hit half of their 26 3-point attempts and ended up shooting 55 percent from the field. Kent State had 20 turnovers and hit just 4-of-15 shots behind the arc.
Sub Ivan Harris hit three big 3-pointers that helped turned the tide.
"When I come off the bench, I don't think twice," he said.
Butler said the team had nicknamed the lanky swingman "The Microwave" because he heats things up.
Ohio State has only eight scholarship players until Oden - a prized 7-foot center - is able to come back from surgery on his right wrist. As a result, there is little rest but a lot of playing time for a team with five first-year major-college players. On top of that, the Buckeyes play at a frenetic pace in their motion offense and in their stifling man-to-man defense.
The Buckeyes trailed 25-22 late in the half before Matta called his timeout and his team went on a 9-0 run to take the lead for good. Lewis started it with a 3 and Butler hit another before the Buckeyes made three free throws on the way to a 33-30 halftime lead.
The Golden Flashes kept hanging around, slashing through the lane for baskets and trapping all over the court on defense. They were down just 56-48 midway through the second half when the Buckeyes pulled away again.
This time, Ivan Harris hit a 3, Butler muscled in a 10-foot jumper while he was fouled and then hit the free throw and Hunter powered his way inside for a follow to push the lead to 64-48.
The lead never dropped below double figures again.
"We came apart out there and they did a good job of taking advantage of it," Christian said.
Lewis said he learned something about his young teammates.
"In this game we learned to not quit or to get down on ourselves," he said. "We're going to make mistakes, but we just have to keep fighting to win."
HEAVY ON LIGHTY Ohio State's David Lighty (left) pressures Kent State's Chris Singletary (2) during the first half Sunday at Value City Arena in Columbus. OSU won, 81-59.
 
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The man not getting enough credit for his play is Othello Hunter. He is basically "holding down" the center position while Oden is recovering. We would really be hurting without him. So far Matt Terwilliger has not been nearly as productive/effective as Hunter. Look at the statistics from last night:

................................Othello................Matt

minutes......................20......................20
points.........................13........................1
FGM/A .......................6/7.....................0/1
FTM/A........................1/1.....................1/2
offensive rebounds.......4.........................1
total rebounds.............8.........................1
fouls............................1.........................3
 
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Dispatch

Ohio State pulls away from Kent to win title
Monday, November 13, 2006
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
20061113-Pc-G1-0600.jpg
NEAL C . LAURON COLUMBUS DISPATCH Othello Hunter (45) of Ohio State fouls Julian Sullinger of Kent State in the first half. Hunter finished with 13 points, Sullinger six.
Ivan Harris does not wear the No. 3 jersey for the reason you might suspect.
"When I first came here, I wanted No. 1," Harris said. "But Charles Bass had it." So Harris said he took what was left.
It has fit him well. The majority of his career shots have been three-point attempts. The number fit especially well last night.
The senior long ago nicknamed "Microwave" by his teammates on the Ohio State men?s basketball team heated up again behind the arc in the second half against Kent State. Harris? three three-point baskets keyed a 19-7 run that opened up a tight game and headed the No. 7-ranked Buckeyes to an 81-59 win in the championship game of the Black Coaches Association Classic in Value City Arena.
"Our upperclassmen stepped up," coach Thad Matta said.
Senior Ron Lewis scored 18 points and Jamar Butler had 14, and, like Harris, they made three three-pointers apiece to lead the Buckeyes (3-0) to their first regularseason tournament championship in eight years. The last one came in December 1998, when Ohio State won the Puerto Rico Classic.
Lewis was named the tournament?s most valuable player after scoring 60 points in the three games.
"I think Ron throughout the tournament did a nice job of getting into the flow of things," Matta said. "I thought he had very good moments from rebounding the ball (11 in a semifinal win over Loyola on Saturday), his shot selection was good, he was more patient offensively ? although the five turnovers in the first half (last night) was something we had a little talk about."
Kent State (2-1), led by guard Omni Smith?s nine points, came out the aggressor and the Buckeyes were fortunate to lead 33-30 at halftime ? and that only after being harangued by Matta during the final timeout of the first half, with 3:48 remaining.
"We weren?t ready to play," Matta said.
Lewis and Butler responded with threes to start an 11-5 closing spurt that gave Ohio State the lead at the break.
The Buckeyes finished the half with 12 turnovers and were outrebounded 17-10. And it could have been worse. Kent State had 15 turnovers and missed converting at least a half-dozen scoring chances close to the basket.
"He was telling us (during the timeout) to buckle up and start playing basketball," Lewis said.
The game remained close at the start of the second half. Ohio State led only 45-41 when Harris made his first three to extend the lead to seven points with 15:15 left. Another three, by Daequan Cook, increased the margin to nine three minutes later. Two more threes by Harris got it up to 11, and second-chance baskets by Butler and Othello Hunter gave the Buckeyes a 64-48 lead with 8:31 left. Hunter finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.
"The second half we just went away from our game plan defensively, guys just got caught with that deer-in-theheadlights type look, and we let them get some easy threepoint shots," Kent State coach Jim Christian said.
"A team like Ohio State, you can?t let them go on runs like that. We came apart there and they did a good job taking advantage of it."
Harris was struggling with his three-point shot until making three of four attempts against Loyola on Saturday. He said Matta told him before that game to take his time and not rush his shot. He made 3 of 6 against Kent State, including one on which he caused his Kent defender to fall down after jab-stepping him toward the basket. Harris calmly stepped back behind the arc and nailed the shot from the left corner.
"He?ll be talking about that all week," Lewis said.
In the other games on the final day of the tournament, Loyola (Ill.) defeated IUPUI 77-73 for third place, Princeton beat Alabama A &M 56-39 for fifth and VMI outscored South Dakota State 104-89 for seventh.
Ohio State?s next game is at 7 p.m. Friday against Eastern Kentucky in Value City Arena.
 
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