It was a grind game off a holiday break, but the Buckeyes got it done. Ohio State defeated the Miami (OH) Redhawks in a tougher than anticipated matchup Saturday afternoon at Value City Arena, 72-59.
It wasn't easy early. The Buckeyes started just 3-16 from the floor in the first 11:27 for the first half.
As the first half wore on, they started to heat up a little bit, shooting 7-of-10 the rest of the half as both teams started to settle in. C.J Jackson and Keita Bates-Diop led the way in scoring for the Buckeyes with eight points apiece. Kaleb Wesson chipped in with seven points and four rebounds as well.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 35 | 37 | 72 |
| MIAMI (OH) | 28 | 31 | 59 |
The Buckeyes were able to get their biggest lead of the half of 19-11 at 8:19, but that was quickly answered by an 8-2 run two threes and a lay-in for the Red Hawks to bring it to 21-19. The rest of the half saw things go back-and-forth for the most part, as Ohio State would outscore Miami the rest of the way 14-9.
Though Miami would hang around during the early portion of the second half, Ohio State got into a groove that would provide the difference the rest of the way. A 12-2 run at 18:40 gave them the biggest lead of the afternoon at that point with a 49-32 advantage, though Miami would answer.
The Redhawks went on their own run, going 13-1 to make cut Ohio State's lead to five at 10:07, resonating with the theme of the afternoon of neither team being able to decisively either hold a lead or get over the hump.
Overall, the Redhawks didn't shoot well (22-60), but the shots they made were crucial to keeping the game relatively close.
After struggling to get good looks early, Ohio State salvaged the shooting effort, going 23-55 (41.8%) and shooting 8-20 from three.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MIAMI (OH) |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | POINTS | 59 |
| 23-55 (41.8%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 22-60 (36.7%) |
| 12-20 (40.0%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 9-33 (27.3%) |
| 18-23 (78.3%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 6-7 (85.7%) |
| 11 | TURNOVERS | 14 |
| 36 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 38 |
| 9 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 11 |
| 27 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 27 |
| 4 | BENCH POINTS | 15 |
| 5 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 4 | STEALS | 5 |
| 10 | ASSISTS | 11 |
Keita Bates-Diop was big down the stretch of the second half for the Buckeyes. He finished with 19 points on 6-17 shooting and nine rebounds. 11 of those points came in the second half.
Bates-Diop was one of four Buckeyes in double figures on the afternoon.
C.J. Jackson also chipped in with 16 points, five rebounds and 6 assists, with one of those being a key dish to Kam Williams for a corner three at 4:33 to stretch the lead back to nine. Williams had his best game of the year, shooting 5-8 from three point range for 15 points.
Finally, Jae'Sean Tate finished with 11, highlighted by this baseline drive and jam to put Ohio State up by 13 at 69-56.
Finish 101 ... courtesy Prof. @o_tate_ #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/hTdVdN6YKm
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 30, 2017
Miami was lead by Bam Bowman in the loss with 15 points and four rebounds.
Ohio State will have a little break in the schedule before getting back at it. They resume Big Ten play in the new year with a tough road game Thursday Jan. 4 at Iowa at 7 p.m.
