In its final game before taking on the defending national champions, Ohio State coasted to an easy victory.
The Buckeyes defeated The Citadel, 94-65, on Tuesday night, its final tune-up before playing North Carolina on Saturday in New Orleans.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE CITADEL | 23 | 42 | 65 |
| OHIO STATE | 44 | 50 | 94 |
Chris Holtmann's team never trailed in the win, leading by as many as 22 in the first half, in a game that featured a number of highlight reel plays for the Buckeyes.
After jumping out to 22-15 lead, Ohio State rattled off a 15-0 run that featured a pair of dunks from Jae'Sean Tate, the second of which brought most of those in attendance to their feet.
Off a pass from Keita Bates-Diop, Tate drove baseline and threw down a one-handed slam with his off-hand that forced The Citadel head coach Duggar Baucom to call his first timeout of the game.
.@o_tate_ ....
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 20, 2017
graduated Sunday.
Threw it DOWN today.#GoBucks
pic.twitter.com/6JwGPBGThm
Tate finished with eight points against the Bulldogs, adding five boards and three assists in just 18 minutes, playing just six minutes in the second half. Bates-Diop added 17 points to help the Ohio State effort.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | THE CITADEL |
|---|---|---|
| 94 | POINTS | 65 |
| 37-74 (50.0%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 23-71 (32.4%) |
| 13-35 (37.1%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 13-43 (30.2%) |
| 7-9 (77.8%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 6-8 (75.0%) |
| 12 | TURNOVERS | 16 |
| 47 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 39 |
| 16 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 17 |
| 31 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 22 |
| 44 | BENCH POINTS | 31 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 9 | STEALS | 7 |
| 27 | ASSISTS | 13 |
As a team, the Buckeyes dished out a season-high 27 helpers, the most by an Ohio State team since 2011-12, when the Buckeyes collected 30 assists against VMI on Nov. 23, 2011.
Ohio State saw four players score in double digits against the Bulldogs, as Andrew Dakich and Kam Williams poured in 10 and 17 points, respectively. C.J. Jackson also added 13 points, and added seven assists.
After playing just one minute in an 80-67 win over Appalachian State in what was for all intents and purposes a rehab assignment, Micah Potter played 18 minutes against the Bulldogs, recording four points and eight rebounds. Kyle Young also earned extended minutes in his second game back from an ankle injury and collected a career-high eight rebounds in the win.
Due in large part to their lack of size, The Citadel was forced to take many perimeter shots. The Bulldogs attempted 25 of their 35 first-half shots from behind the three-point arc, converting on just five long balls. For the game, The Citadel shot just 32.4 percent from the floor.
The Bulldogs were led by Kaiden Rice, who dropped in 14 points in the loss.
Ohio State can now turn its sights to its showdown against the Tar Heels. The Buckeyes are set to tip off against the defending national champions at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the CBSSports Classic.
