The venue was different, but the result was much of the same.
Ohio State traveled downtown Wednesday evening to play a "neutral site" game against North Carolina A&T at Nationwide Arena in order to fill the requirement by the NCAA to host second and third-round NCAA tournament games.
But like every other non-conference game in the city of Columbus this season, this one wasn't close. Ohio State turned 26 North Carolina A&T turnovers into 40 points and shot nearly 70 percent from the field in the second half as it cruised to an easy 97-55 win.
"I think we all did a good job out there, we all found a way to get ourselves in position to score, position to help our teammates out," said senior point guard Shannon Scott, who finished with eight points, 12 assists and a career-high seven steals. "I think we as a team did a great job. For our next game we gotta play the same way."
That next game, of course, is a date Saturday with 24th-ranked North Carolina at the United Center in Chicago as part of the CBS Sports Classic. It will be the Buckeyes' second big test of the season and their first since losing to Louisville back on Dec. 2.
And much like heading into that game against the Cardinals, Ohio State (9-1) is rolling again. It has won four straight games all by at least 16 points. The Buckeyes are doing it with their defense, too, holding opponents in that four-game stretch to an average of just 54.8 points per game.
Against the Aggies on Wednesday, Ohio State dominated on the defensive end, specifically in the second half when it held North Carolina A&T to just 39 percent shooting from the field and a 2-for-12 effort from behind the 3-point line.
“In the second half, they weren’t trying to break it to score a whole lot so we were able to keep trapping as they were going down the floor," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said. "I thought we were pretty active, especially in the second half, of just reading the passer’s eyes out of traps and that sort of thing."
But offensively, the Buckeyes looked pretty efficient too as they scored their second-highest total of the season.
Granted, North Carolina A&T (1-11) is one of the worst teams in Division I, but Ohio State did exactly what it was supposed to do on the offensive end.
The Buckeyes put three in double figures, led by freshman D'Angelo Russell's 21. Sophomore Marc Loving and redshirt freshman Kam Williams each added 15 points. But Ohio State's balance again rang true as Trey McDonald scored nine, Scott and Sam Thompson had eight and Amir Williams and Jae'Seaon Tate finished with seven points apiece.
Ohio State shot 56.5 percent from the field and made 20 of its 22 attempts from the free-throw line and held a 37-8 edge in fast-break points. It was an all-around dominant performance, as it should have been.
"I was very pleased with the start we got to both halves," Matta said. "I loved the energy coming out in the second half and getting the jump that we wanted.”
Against the Tar Heels, though, the Buckeyes will need that energy Matta alluded to for a consistent 40 minutes. It'll certainly be a step up in competition for Ohio State, but one it needs as it preps for the Big Ten season.
"North Carolina's a very athletic team, they crash the offensive glass very hard and rebounding will be a key part to the game," Loving said. "So it's just getting some scouting report and film on North Carolina and going from there."
