Ohio State wrapped up non-conference play with a landslide victory on Thursday.
To follow up on a 34-point win over the Maine Black Bears last week, Ohio State claimed a 90-59 win over Alabama A&M at home to finish the 2022 portion of its 2022-23 season with a 9-3 record.
| Team | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 36 | 54 | 90 |
| ALABAMA A&M | 33 | 36 | 59 |
Brice Sensabaugh, a back-to-back recipient of the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, was Ohio State's primary source of offense against the Bulldogs, connecting on 9-of-14 shots (64.28%) for 21 points and six rebounds in the contest.
As he has done several times this season, Zed Key made his presence felt on both sides of the floor. The 6-foot-8, 255-pound big man contributed nine points and snagged 10 rebounds while adding three blocks in the contest. As a team, the Buckeyes finished with a 30-28 edge in points in the paint and swatted seven Alabama A&M shots overall.
Sensabaugh, Justice Sueing (18) and Bruce Thornton (12) finished in double figures for the Buckeyes as the team relied on its best scorers in the win. For the game, Ohio State shot 52.5% from the floor and recorded an impressive 58.8% clip in the second half.
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First Half
Sensabaugh opened up the scoring for Ohio State with a 3-pointer from the deep corner, signaling that the Buckeyes may be heading for another blowout in the Schottenstein Center. However, that's not exactly how the first half played out in Columbus.
By the first media timeout, the Buckeyes held a 9-4 lead over the Bulldogs behind seven points from Sensabaugh, who made three of his first four field goals, including one 3-pointer that counted as Ohio State's first bucket of the contest.
After that break, Bruce Thornton and Sensabaugh added two more scores before Alabama A&M went on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 13. Each of the Bulldogs makes came from long range as they started the contest 3-of-5 shooting from deep in the first six minutes.
Over the next four minutes, A&M continued to capitalize with 3-pointers and took advantage of the Buckeyes' lack of focus to get back defensively. With 11:22 remaining in the first half and Ohio State holding a 21-17 lead, Holtmann was forced to call a timeout to address those lapses in coverage and subbed in Eugene Brown III, who made his season debut in the contest, to spark a change.
Brown's stint on the floor didn't last long, as he secured a rebound but picked up a foul in two minutes of action. Holtmann subbed his starters back on the floor as his next attempt to ignite the offense, but even that wasn't the trick for Ohio State, who turned the ball over four times in two minutes amid a three-minute scoring drought.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | ALABAMA A&M |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | POINTS | 59 |
| 32-61 (52.5%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 24-62 (38.7%) |
| 9-25 (36.0%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 6-18 (33.3%) |
| 17-29 (58.6%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 5-7 (71.4%) |
| 10 | TURNOVERS | 17 |
| 42 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 30 |
| 13 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 9 |
| 29 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 21 |
| 21 | BENCH POINTS | 28 |
| 7 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 5 | STEALS | 4 |
| 19 | ASSISTS | 12 |
By the half, Ohio State clung to a 36-33 advantage over the visitors from Huntsville, Alabama, courtesy of a Zed Key layup courtesy of an Isaac Likekele assist and a made free throw from Sueing. Likekele's helper was his first contribution after checking in at the 1:03 mark after missing three consecutive games while attending to family matters back home in Arlington, Texas.
In the first 20 minutes, Ohio State was 12-of-27 shooting (44%), 2-of-12 (17%) from deep and only 10-of-18 (55.5%) from the charity stripe. Still, the Buckeyes managed to outrebound the Bulldogs 22-15 in the first half and held a 6-0 advantage in blocks, including three from Key.
Second Half
Sueing opened the second half with a dunk that acted as a representation of Ohio State's mentality in the final 20 minutes. After the Honolulu, Hawaii, native's flush, the Buckeyes began their dissection of Alabama A&M, leaving their offensive struggles in the past and moving forward with plenty of made buckets in the second half.
Sensabaugh led the charge with 10 second-half points as Ohio State outscored its opponent 54-26 in the final period. Sueing and Thornton were also crucial contributors to the Buckeyes' success down the stretch, as they combined for nearly 20 points and a handful of assists to keep their team on track offensively.
Key was also as physical as he had been to this point in the season, battling down low on both ends. Offensively, Key used a number of well-executed post moves to convert from block to block, including baby hooks and drop-steps toward the rim. Defensively, he used his wide frame to create havoc for the Bulldogs' big men, frequently disrupting their shots from the interior.
The 3:13 mark of the second half was the final break point of the second half. At that time, the Buckeyes held a 79-55 lead over the Bulldogs and began to bring in reserves Tanner Holden, Roddy Gayle Jr., Brown, Bowen Hardman and Felix Okpara. Soon after, Kalen Etzler, Colby Baumann and Owen Spencer checked in to accompany Hardman and Brown. That group of five wrapped up the contest with a brief run to bring the game to its 90-59 final.
Game Notes
- Eugene Brown and Isaac Likekele were dressed and active for the Buckeyes. It was the first time this season Ohio State fielded a fully intact roster for a game.
- Thursday's contest was the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Buckeyes previously held a 10-0 all-time record against current teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference and claimed their 11th win with the victory over the Bulldogs.
- Entering the game, Ohio State had won 26 consecutive home games vs. non-conference opponents. The Buckeyes' win over Alabama A&M improves that number to 27, the longest current streak in the Big Ten.
- Brice Sensabaugh has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week in each of the last two weeks. The Orlando, Fla., native led the Buckeyes with 22 points vs. North Carolina on Dec. 17 and paced the team with 19 points, seven rebounds and a season-high seven assists vs. Maine on Dec. 21.
