For most of the first half, No. 5 Ohio State's game against Southeast Missouri State looked like anything but a blowout.
Thirteen turnovers from the Buckeyes, many unforced, allowed the Redhawks to hang around. Southeast Missouri State even led in the 11th minute of the game. By halftime, Ohio State had pulled out to a nine-point lead before pouring it on in the second half en route to a 80-48 victory on Tuesday night at the Schottenstein Center.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| #5 OHIO STATE | 35 | 45 | 80 |
| SE MISSOURI STATE | 26 | 22 | 48 |
The Buckeyes, who responded to their first loss of the year to Minnesota on Sunday, improved their record to 10-1. The Redhawks fell to 3-8.
Despite the 21 turnovers in regulation, Ohio State's other offensive numbers showed no signs of a unit struggling to score. The team hit 58.8 percent of its shots and assisted on 23 of its 30 makes. It also went 13-for-27 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Kaleb Wesson picked up his fourth double-double of the season, recording team highs in both points (18) and rebounds (10). The big man had a significant size advantage inside yet did some of his damage from outside, hitting 3-of-4 3-pointers. Kyle Young added 10 points and nine rebounds. DJ Carton scored 10 points, and Andre Wesson had 14 points, including back-to-back triples in the second half.
The Buckeyes held a 44-25 rebounding advantage.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | SE MISSOURI STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | POINTS | 48 |
| 30-51 (58.8%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 16-60 (26.7%) |
| 13-27 (48.1%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 4-19 (21.1%) |
| 7-12 (58.3%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 12-14 (85.7%) |
| 21 | TURNOVERS | 12 |
| 44 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 25 |
| 7 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 8 |
| 37 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 17 |
| 28 | BENCH POINTS | 27 |
| 6 | BLOCKS | 0 |
| 4 | STEALS | 3 |
| 23 | ASSISTS | 5 |
Southeast Missouri State, which entered the game ranked No. 299 in the country per KenPom, shot just 26.7 percent from the field and appeared unable to take advantage of Ohio State's mistakes. It scored just three points off of the Buckeyes' 21 turnovers.
For the second game in a row, Duane Washington Jr. did not play. He's considered day-to-day with a rib injury. He averages 11.4 points per game, the second-most on the team.
Next up: Ohio State heads to Las Vegas to face No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday as part of the CBS Sports Classic. The game will tip off at 5:15 p.m.
Other Notes
- With Washington not available, Ohio State started Andre Wesson in his place alongside CJ Walker, Luther Muhammad, Kyle Young and Kaleb Wesson.
- Kaleb Wesson left the game with 17:04 remaining in the first half due to an apparent knee injury. Just minutes later, he returned to the bench. And with 14:58 remaining in the first half, he reentered the game without any signs of injury.
- Former boxer Buster Douglas was in attendance. He also was at the Buckeyes' game versus Kent State at St. John Arena.
- Alonzo Gaffney, E.J. Liddell and DJ Carton each entered the game before the under-16 timeout in the first half.
- This was Ohio State's final non-conference game against a mid-major opponent.
