This was, by far the most important game of the day for Ohio State.
While the football team was playing in the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis, the men's basketball team took on UCLA in the Champion's Classic and knocked off the Bruins, 77-70.
| Team | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 38 | 32 | 70 |
| #20 OHIO STATE | 39 | 39 | 77 |
In a game that went largely how it was expected to (a grind-it-out, close affair) Ohio State took a one-point lead into the locker room behind a balanced scoring effort. The second half featured more of the same, with the Buckeyes pulling away in the last four minutes after trailing by as many as six midway through the second half.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | UCLA |
|---|---|---|
| 77 | POINTS | 70 |
| 25-50 (50%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 24-60 (40%) |
| 8-22 (36%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 4-13 (31%) |
| 19-26 (73%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 18-24 (75%) |
| 7 | TURNOVERS | 6 |
| 31 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 37 |
| 11 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 18 |
| 20 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 19 |
| 31 | BENCH POINTS | 26 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 2 | STEALS | 3 |
| 11 | ASSISTS | 13 |
Duane Washington was the leading scorer for Ohio State, who scored 14 points on an inefficient 4-12 shooting. Freshman Zed Key added 11, while Eugene Brown knocked down three triples. Seth Towns made his Buckeyes debut after transferring from Harvard in the offseason, playing two minutes and missing his only field goal attempt. It was his first action since 2018, when he was named the Ivy League Player of the Year.
For the Bruins, Cody Riley led all scorers with 15 in the loss. Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang had 13, while Tyger Campbell outdueled Duane Washington's inefficiency with a 1-10, three-point effort.
Up Next: Ohio State continues Big Ten play with a contest against No. 19 Rutgers on Wednesday in Columbus. The game will tip off at 4:30 p.m.
The Buckeyes are 0-1 in the Big Ten, after losing to Purdue.
Other Notes
- Ohio State forward Seth Towns made his season debut against UCLA. The Harvard transfer played two minutes and missed his only field goal attempt.
- UCLA coach Mick Cronin is now 0-2 against Buckeyes head boss Chris Holtmann. In 2018, Ohio State knocked off Cronin's former employer, Cincinnati, at the opening of the brand-new Fifth Third Arena at UC.
- EJ Liddell made his return from mononucleosis, scoring nine points with three rebounds before fouling out in the second half.
- Ohio State was not supposed to play UCLA. The Buckeyes were originally supposed to play North Carolina until the Champions Classic rearranged the matchups earlier this week. Instead, North Carolina beat Kentucky.
