Basketball is back. Almost.
In its only public exhibition before opening the regular season at home against Cincinnati in a week, Ohio State used a late first-half run to defeat Cedarville, 95-52, on Wednesday evening at the Schottenstein Center.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 41 | 54 | 95 |
| CEDARVILLE | 27 | 25 | 52 |
The Yellow Jackets, by making five of their first eight 3-point attempts, kept it close early and even took a 23-22 lead with eight minutes remaining in the first half. But by the end of the first half, they trailed by double digits, and the Buckeyes pulled away for a hefty advantage.
The same player who led Ohio State in scoring and rebounding last season – Kaleb Wesson – propelled his team on Wednesday. Playing his first game since losing more than 30 pounds in the offseason, Wesson took full advantage of a less athletic, smaller frontcourt than those he'll typically face in the regular season en route to 23 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. He hit 9-of-11 shots and went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | CEDARVILLE |
|---|---|---|
| 95 | POINTS | 52 |
| 33-64 (51.6%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 19-57 (33.3%) |
| 6-19 (31.6%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 8-29 (27.6%) |
| 23-32 (71.9%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 6-10 (60.0%) |
| 8 | TURNOVERS | 23 |
| 44 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 34 |
| 13 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 10 |
| 31 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 24 |
| 42 | BENCH POINTS | 15 |
| 5 | BLOCKS | 4 |
| 12 | STEALS | 4 |
| 15 | ASSISTS | 9 |
DJ Carton caught fire in the second half, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the latter 20 minutes and throwing down a few highlight-reel dunks. He made 7-of-10 shots and added five assists in 19 minutes off the bench.
Kyle Young neared a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in 18 minutes. CJ Walker added 10 points in 17 minutes.
Though Chris Holtmann said he was worried with turnovers on Tuesday, having a 12-to-19 assist-to-turnover ratio in a closed scrimmage with Louisville, the Buckeyes controlled that aspect of the game on Wednesday. They forced 21 turnovers, which led to 30 points, and gave the ball away only eight times.
Ohio State shot 52 percent from the field, and the Yellow Jackets made 33 percent of their shots.
Quinton Green led Cedarville with 16 points. Branden Maughmer had 11 points.
A 95-52 win for Ohio State.
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) October 31, 2019
-Kaleb Wesson: 23 points, 7 rebounds
-DJ Carton: 15 points, 5 assists
-Kyle Young: 10 points, 9 rebounds
The real basketball begins in a week. https://t.co/1ymf9xDIJw pic.twitter.com/xwQnHAVBBq
Game Notes
- No freshmen were in the starting five, which consisted of CJ Walker, Luther Muhammad, Andre Wesson, Kyle Young and Kaleb Wesson.
- Musa Jallow did not play. He has not practiced since getting arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle on Oct. 18 and remains out.
- Terence Dials, the first-year director of professional development, was on the bench for the Buckeyes. He effectively replaced Scoonie Penn on the coaching staff. Penn is now an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies.
- Athletic director Gene Smith was in attendance.
- Cedarville fans made their presence known, especially during the first 13 minutes of the game when the Yellow Jackets kept the game close.
- Justice Sueing spent the game on the bench. Like CJ Walker, who sat out after transferring from Florida State last year, he won't be eligible to play until next fall due to his transfer from California.
- Unlike the rest of the freshmen, Ibrahima Diallo did not play in the first half. He entered the game with 16:22 remaining in the second half.
