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Ohio State blows out Indiana, 38-15. Now, it's time to do the same to That Team Up North.
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta was looking for a strong bounceback performance from his team Tuesday night against Louisiana Tech. He didn't exactly get it.
The visiting Bulldogs never trailed as they downed the Buckeyes, 82-74. It is Ohio State's second-straight loss after it also fell 73-67 to Texas-Arlington last Friday.
| 1 | 2 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOUISIANA TECH | 42 | 40 | 82 |
| OHIO STATE | 38 | 36 | 74 |
The Buckeyes had trouble defending the balanced Louisiana Tech attack, as the Bulldogs put four players in double-figures, led by Alex Hamilton's team-high 24 points. Erik McCree (17), Jacobi Boykins (16) and LeAntwan Luckett (10) were also double-digit scorers for Louisiana Tech.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | Louisiana Tech |
|---|---|---|
| 74 | POINTS | 82 |
| 26-57 (46) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 29-70 (41) |
| 5-14 (36) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 10-25 (40) |
| 17-27 (63) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 14-18 (78) |
| 14 | TURNOVERS | 8 |
| 40 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 41 |
| 15 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 18 |
| 25 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 23 |
| 13 | BENCH POINTS | 20 |
| 7 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 4 | STEALS | 5 |
| 8 | ASSISTS | 11 |
For Ohio State, Marc Loving led the way with 25 points and six rebounds. Keita Bates-Diop had 12, while Jae'Sean Tate and JaQuan Lyle each had 10. The Buckeyes shot 46 percent from the field and committed 14 turnovers
Ohio State certainly didn’t get off to the start it had hoped to as Louisiana Tech scored the game’s first seven points. The Bulldogs also used a 7-0 run with the game tied at 25-all to help build a 42-38 advantage at halftime.
The Buckeyes struggled to contain dribble penetration in the first half and had difficulty defending the perimeter, as well. Louisiana Tech had eight first-half offensive rebounds which led to 12 second-chance points and it also connected on six of its first-half 3-point attempts.
Ohio State certainly didn’t do itself any favors, turning the ball over seven times in the game’s opening 20 minutes. The Buckeyes also struggled at the free-throw line again, connecting on just 10 of 17 tries from the stripe in the first half. Loving led the way for Ohio State with 11 first-half points, while Lyle added eight.
Ohio State will next be in action Friday when it takes on Memphis as part of the Hoophall Miami Invitational.
