Despite playing without one of its major contributors, Ohio State coasted to a win over Texas Southern on Thursday night at Value City Arena.
With former Buckeyes Michael Redd and Terence Dials looking on, Ohio State defeated the Tigers 82-64 without the services of freshman forward Kaleb Wesson, who was suspended prior to tip.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEXAS SOUTHERN | 29 | 35 | 64 |
| OHIO STATE | 42 | 40 | 82 |
In addition to Wesson's absence, Ohio State had another roster change as freshman guard Musa Jallow was inserted into the starting lineup, replacing Kam Williams. After being held to just one point in an 82-72 victory over Radford on Nov. 12, Jallow exploded for 10 points and five rebounds in the first half against Texas Southern, finishing with 13 points and six rebounds.
Redshirt junior forward Keita Bates-Diop continued his run of stellar play, recording his third straight double-double to start the season, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
After jumping out to a 17-point lead early in the second half, Ohio State surrendered an 8-0 run to the Tigers, who cut the Buckeye lead to 54-45 with 11:39 to play. During that stretch, Ohio State missed five straight shots and committed five fouls, before Bates-Diop ended the drought with a three-pointer.
The Tigers again responded, this time with a 12-2 run, to cut the Ohio State lead to 59-57 with eight minutes to play.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | TEXAS SOUTHERN |
|---|---|---|
| 82 | POINTS | 64 |
| 30-65 (46.2%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 22-53 (41.5%) |
| 9-28 (32.1%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 6-22 (27.3%) |
| 13-16 (81.3%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 14-15 (93.3%) |
| 10 | TURNOVERS | 16 |
| 39 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 30 |
| 13 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 6 |
| 26 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 24 |
| 10 | BENCH POINTS | 4 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 3 |
| 5 | STEALS | 5 |
| 19 | ASSISTS | 12 |
The Buckeyes, with their lead down to just two, rattled off a run of their own led by Micah Potter. The sophomore from Mentor, Ohio scored seven of Ohio State's points on an 13-0 run to put the game out of reach with 3:41 to play. Potter finished the game with a season-high 17 points to go along with four rebounds.
Jae'Sean Tate also scored in double figures for Ohio State, dropping in 17 points and grabbing seven boards.
Both teams struggled to find offense early, as Ohio State trailed 10-9 just five minutes into the game. The Buckeyes responded with an 8-0 run sparked by a pair of three-pointers from Jallow and never looked back, extending their lead to as many as 17 in the first half, before taking a 42-29 lead into the halftime locker room.
Texas Southern, playing without leading scorer Demontrae Jefferson, was led by Donte Clark. Clark scored 17 points and collected seven boards in the loss.
Ohio State's win also served as the final game for longtime team trainer Vince O'Brien, who after just more than 17 seasons is moving into a new role with Ohio State's Sports Medicine Department.
Congrats and good luck to Vince OBrien on his new position with OSU Sports Medicine!
— gene smith (@OSU_AD) November 17, 2017
24+ years @OhioStAthletics trainer ... 18 with @OhioStateHoops
THANKS VINNIE! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/IJQqFOV6tX
The Buckeyes are set to return to action Sunday at 2 p.m. to take on Northeastern at Value City Arena.
