There wasn't much life inside the Schottenstein Center on Wednesday night. A 10-2 second-half run by Ohio State changed things a little bit.
Jae'Sean Tate converted a three-point play, Kam Williams hit a deep 3-pointer and Marc Loving scored inside during that span to help the Buckeyes turn a 44-all game into an eight-point lead before eventually securing a 67-54 win over Northern Illinois.
| 1 | 2 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 31 | 23 | 54 |
| OHIO STATE | 33 | 34 | 67 |
With the victory, Ohio State moves to 5-5 on the season. The Huskies fall to 7-2.
Things both ways lacked flow throughout as the Buckeyes shot just 39 percent from the floor and made 8-for-20 from behind the 3-point line. Northern Illinois was worse, shooting 27 percent for the game and making just 5 of 18 from deep.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | Northern Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| 67 | POINTS | 54 |
| 20-51 (39) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 15-56 (27) |
| 8-20 (40) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 5-18 (28) |
| 19-30 (63) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 19-24 (79) |
| 14 | TURNOVERS | 14 |
| 44 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 36 |
| 12 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 12 |
| 32 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 24 |
| 9 | BENCH POINTS | 28 |
| 7 | BLOCKS | 4 |
| 5 | STEALS | 4 |
| 10 | ASSISTS | 13 |
Tate led the way for Ohio State with a team-high 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Keita Bates-Diop scored 14 points and had 10 boards while Trevor Thompson finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Ohio State held a 33-31 at halftime after a less-than-impressive opening 20 minutes from both teams. The game lacked flow, there were 24 total fouls called and neither team shot it well from the field.
Thompson had eight points and six rebounds to lead the way for the Buckeyes in the first half. Tate and Bates-Diop each scored six, while JaQuan Lyle added five.
Ohio State shot just 36 percent from the floor and made only 3-of-9 tries from 3-point range. The entire first half was played within a 10-point window as Northern Illinois' largest lead was just four and Ohio State's was only six. The Buckeyes had just two first-half assists.
Ohio State will next be in action Saturday in Brooklyn, New York, against Kentucky as part of the CBS Sports Classic.
