Joe Dexter
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MBB: Ohio State puts together Statement Win over Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic
Joe Dexter via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Ohio State Buckeyes held the Kentucky Wildcats to a season low 25 points in the first half and cruised to a 74-67 victory Saturday afternoon at the Barclays Center. Their first first win over Kentucky since 1987.
Ohio State used strong three point shooting and limited turnovers in the first 20 minutes to set the tone throughout the game.
Four Buckeyes finished in double figures, with Keita Bates-Diop leading the way with 14 points. Marc Loving added 12 points on just 3/10 shooting, but did shoot 66% from beyond the arc.
JaQuan Lyle got the start for the Buckeyes, but saw a limited role on the ball. It seemed like part of head coach Thad Matta’s gameplan to limit turnovers. He still found a way to contribute, scoring 11 points on 4/11 shooting.
Playing fellow point guard A.J. Harris 16 minutes played dividends, especially in the first half, as it drastically cut the turnovers in transition situations. Lyle was the only player for Ohio State to finish with more than 4 turnovers on the afternoon.
Beyond a rejuvenated spark, interior play had a major role in giving the Buckeyes the distinct edge over the #4 ranked team in the country. Trevor Thompson and Daniel Giddons combined to score 16 points and grab 8 boards. Thompson added five swats defensively while neither player turned over the basketball.
Jae’Sean Tate returned to his true form as well on Saturday. Throughout the year, Thad Matta’s spark plug has had too many moments when he’s gone full throttle without thinking about the consequences.
On Saturday, he had six offensive rebounds to go along with six points.
The Buckeyes did not give up the lead after the 14:57 mark of the first half. At one point, they even led by 16 in the second half.
The stat sheet for A.J. Harris wasn’t filled after the game, scoring just six points on 2/4 shooting. Yet, it was his ability to break the Kentucky press defense and move the ball up the floor that played a major role in Ohio State’s strong start in the first half.
Ohio State got 21 points from their bench in the victory, including 9 from shooting guard Kam Williams.
Another difference for the Buckeyes was their 77% sink rate of their freebies at the charity stripe.
The Wildcats made a run late in the second half, but their jabs were answered nearly every time Ohio State made their way to the other side of the floor.
With 4:10 to go in the game, Kentucky’s Alex Poythres drained a three pointer to make it 63-60.
The Buckeyes would answer back over a minute later, when Daniel Giddens and Kam Williams went a combined 4/4 at the line to give Ohio State a seven point lead.
Jamal Murray would then add a three pointer of his own and a two after a Marc Loving jumper to close the gap back to four with 1:32 to play.
Off a missed layup, Jae’Sean Tate muscled home a tipped rebound to give his team the lead for good.
Overall, the Buckeyes shot 40% from the field and 9/18 (50%) from three point territory. They held the Wildcats to 40% from the floor.
While most shooting and rebounding stats are nearly identical, one of the major differences was how the Buckeyes took advantage of turnovers.
They scored 16 of their points off of Kentucky’s mistakes.
Up next for the Buckeyes is a meeting at Value City Arena with the Mercer on Tuesday.
Tip-off is set for 9 PM ET on ESPN U.
The post MBB: Ohio State puts together Statement Win over Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
Joe Dexter via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Ohio State Buckeyes held the Kentucky Wildcats to a season low 25 points in the first half and cruised to a 74-67 victory Saturday afternoon at the Barclays Center. Their first first win over Kentucky since 1987.
Ohio State used strong three point shooting and limited turnovers in the first 20 minutes to set the tone throughout the game.
Four Buckeyes finished in double figures, with Keita Bates-Diop leading the way with 14 points. Marc Loving added 12 points on just 3/10 shooting, but did shoot 66% from beyond the arc.
JaQuan Lyle got the start for the Buckeyes, but saw a limited role on the ball. It seemed like part of head coach Thad Matta’s gameplan to limit turnovers. He still found a way to contribute, scoring 11 points on 4/11 shooting.
Playing fellow point guard A.J. Harris 16 minutes played dividends, especially in the first half, as it drastically cut the turnovers in transition situations. Lyle was the only player for Ohio State to finish with more than 4 turnovers on the afternoon.
Beyond a rejuvenated spark, interior play had a major role in giving the Buckeyes the distinct edge over the #4 ranked team in the country. Trevor Thompson and Daniel Giddons combined to score 16 points and grab 8 boards. Thompson added five swats defensively while neither player turned over the basketball.
Jae’Sean Tate returned to his true form as well on Saturday. Throughout the year, Thad Matta’s spark plug has had too many moments when he’s gone full throttle without thinking about the consequences.
On Saturday, he had six offensive rebounds to go along with six points.
The Buckeyes did not give up the lead after the 14:57 mark of the first half. At one point, they even led by 16 in the second half.
The stat sheet for A.J. Harris wasn’t filled after the game, scoring just six points on 2/4 shooting. Yet, it was his ability to break the Kentucky press defense and move the ball up the floor that played a major role in Ohio State’s strong start in the first half.
Ohio State got 21 points from their bench in the victory, including 9 from shooting guard Kam Williams.
Another difference for the Buckeyes was their 77% sink rate of their freebies at the charity stripe.
The Wildcats made a run late in the second half, but their jabs were answered nearly every time Ohio State made their way to the other side of the floor.
With 4:10 to go in the game, Kentucky’s Alex Poythres drained a three pointer to make it 63-60.
The Buckeyes would answer back over a minute later, when Daniel Giddens and Kam Williams went a combined 4/4 at the line to give Ohio State a seven point lead.
Jamal Murray would then add a three pointer of his own and a two after a Marc Loving jumper to close the gap back to four with 1:32 to play.
Off a missed layup, Jae’Sean Tate muscled home a tipped rebound to give his team the lead for good.
Overall, the Buckeyes shot 40% from the field and 9/18 (50%) from three point territory. They held the Wildcats to 40% from the floor.
While most shooting and rebounding stats are nearly identical, one of the major differences was how the Buckeyes took advantage of turnovers.
They scored 16 of their points off of Kentucky’s mistakes.
Up next for the Buckeyes is a meeting at Value City Arena with the Mercer on Tuesday.
Tip-off is set for 9 PM ET on ESPN U.
The post MBB: Ohio State puts together Statement Win over Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...