Ohio State probably let James Madison hang around a little longer than it would have liked, but ultimately the Buckeyes used a strong second half to pull away from the Dukes for a 73-56 win Friday evening.
After leading by as many as 17 in the first half, the 16th-ranked Buckeyes only led by 10 at halftime. But Ohio State started the second half on a 12-4 run to coast to its fifth-straight win.
| 1 | 2 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES MADISON | 27 | 29 | 56 |
| OHIO STATE | 37 | 36 | 73 |
The Buckeyes, who entered Friday's game leading the country in field-goal percentage, shot just 41 percent from the field against the Dukes and were just 6 for 18 from 3-point range after starting the game 6 for 10 from deep.
Leading the way for Ohio State was freshman D'Angelo Russell, who scored a team-high 15 points and also dished out five assists. Senior Sam Thompson scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Trey McDonald, Anthony Lee and Marc Loving each finished with eight points, while Amir Williams added seven points and nine rebounds for the Buckeyes.
Next up for Ohio State is its biggest test of the season as the Buckeyes will travel to take on sixth-ranked Louisville on Tuesday as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
GAME NOTES
| OHIO STATE | STAT | JAMES MADISON |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | POINTS | 56 |
| 26-63 (41.3) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 22-56 (39.3) |
| 6-18 (33.3) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 4-21 (19.0) |
| 15-21 (71.4) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 8-11 (72.7) |
| 15 | TURNOVERS | 21 |
| 43 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 36 |
| 21 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 15 |
| 22 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 21 |
| 24 | BENCH POINTS | 24 |
| 7 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 12 | STEALS | 4 |
| 13 | ASSISTS | 16 |
| 27 | PTS OFF TURNOVERS | 25 |
| 6 | FAST-BREAK POINTS | 0 |
| 24 | SECOND-CHANCE POINTS | 21 |
| 32 | POINTS IN PAINT | 30 |
- Ten Ohio State players recorded 10 or more minutes against James Madison while nine Buckeyes who saw action scored.
- The Buckeyes held James Madison to zero fast-break points. That's the first time since a game against Louisiana-Monroe in 2013.
- Ohio State is 114-6 all time vs. non-conference opponents at the Schottenstein Center. The last loss came to Kansas in 2012.
- Ohio State has now won 53-straight game at home against unranked non-conference opponents.
- Five Buckeyes recorded steals. Shannon Scott led the way with five, while D'Angelo Russell had three.
- Scott's five steals move him to fourth all time on Ohio State's list. Scott has 166 for his career and is now 25 behind David Lighty for third all time.
- Sam Thompson's 13 points put him in double figures for the fifth time this season. He massed the 700-point mark for his career and how has 703.
