Ohio State seemed to have Saturday's game against Bucknell in control, pulling out to a double-digit lead with five minutes to go in the first half. Then, the Bison got hot.
Bucknell ended the first half on a 15-2 run to pull ahead in the final minute of the half for the first time since the first minute of the game. A 9-2 run to open the second half extended the lead to eight points.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| #15 OHIO STATE (9-1) | 39 | 34 | 73 |
| BUCKNELL (4-4) | 40 | 31 | 71 |
But a 17-3 run put Ohio State back on top, and the Buckeyes controlled the lead for the remainder of the game, beating the Bison, 73-71, on Saturday afternoon at the Schottenstein Center.
Bucknell nearly came back in the final minutes of the game, cutting Ohio State's lead to two points with 14 seconds remaining, but the Bison missed two shots in the final 10 seconds.
Keyshawn Woods, who had just four points in the first half, hit a pair of 3-pointers and a jumper during Ohio State's second-half comeback run, eventually forcing Bucknell to call a timeout after his second triple. C.J. Jackson had five points during the run, including the shot that gave the Buckeyes a 53-52 lead.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | BUCKNELL |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | POINTS | 71 |
| 27-56 (48.2%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 23-55 (41.8%) |
| 6-15 (40.0%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 12-30 (40.0%) |
| 13-18 (72.2%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 13-18 (72.2%) |
| 14 | TURNOVERS | 8 |
| 39 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 29 |
| 9 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 5 |
| 30 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 24 |
| 21 | BENCH POINTS | 16 |
| 3 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 2 | STEALS | 6 |
| 15 | ASSISTS | 13 |
Kaleb Wesson, who dominated the paint against an undersized Bucknell frontcourt, led Ohio State with a career-high 22 points. He added 10 rebounds and four assists for his second career double-double. Jackson had a team-high six assists to go along with 10 points. Woods also finished in double digits with 13 points.
Despite exiting the game early in the second half after a collision in which he lost three teeth, Andre Wesson returned to action with a mouthguard and had nine rebounds. He also scored Ohio State's first four points of the game.
Bucknell found early success against Ohio State from beyond the 3-point line.
Despite entering the game ranked No. 113 in the country with a 36.1 percent 3-point percentage, Bucknell hit 9-of-17 triples in the first half, which accounted for 27 of 39 first-half points. No single player led the outburst. Five players scored either six or eight points in the opening half, and four players hit two 3-pointers.
In the second half, the Buckeyes managed to keep the Bison in check. Bucknell went 3-for-13 from 3-point range in the second half. Ohio State shot nearly half as many triples as the Bison, but hit 6-of-15 shots from beyond the arc.
