They needed a few minutes to get on the board, but once they did the rout was on. Ohio State didn’t score its first points until the 15:40 mark of the first half on its way to a 66-45 win over Miami University.
The Buckeyes missed their first four shots from the field. If you think that is bad, Miami’s shooting will make you cringe. The RedHawks did not make a field goal for nearly eight minutes to begin the game. Julian Mavunga finally hit a three-point basket at the 12:09 mark. Miami made five field goals in the first half and just 15 for the game on their way to a 29.4 percent shooting performance.
David Lighty continued his stellar play, leading all scorers with 21 points. He made four three-pointers and had six rebounds and six assists. Deshaun Thomas had 15 points and Jared Sullinger 12.
“It’s definitely an accomplishment,” Lighty said on winning his 100th game as a Buckeye. “I have been here for awhile, so I guess a lot of wins can be expected. Right now, though, I’m just focused on this team and taking one step, one game at a game.”
After grabbing a 2-0 lead on a pair of free throws, Miami went dry for eight minutes. During the spell Ohio State used a 22-3 run to build a 22-5 lead. At one point, 13 straight points were scored by freshman, eight of which came from Thomas. Ohio State led 28-16 at the break. They held Miami to a paltry 5-of-22 from the field in the half.
Miami played at a slow pace, routinely running down the shot clock to under 10 seconds before settling for a shot. The pace clearly affected Ohio State and got them out of its comfort zone, which is running up and down the court.
“I think today was a unique game because of the limited possessions,” Thad Matta said. “I think Miami came in trying to bring the shot clock into play. Our guys played great defense and our defensive numbers were good.”
A 13-0 Miami run that began in the first half and went into the second half cut Ohio State’s lead to 28-23 with 16:40 remaining. The Buckeyes answered with an emphatic 22-6 run to put the game away. Lighty scored 14 points during the nearly eight minute stretch and 19 in the second half.
“The ball just fell in his hands and we started to run,” Matta said. “It started to free him up and it was big for him to get going and start scoring.”
