Instacap: Ohio State Stuns No. 4 Kentucky, 74-67

By Tim Shoemaker on December 19, 2015 at 5:42 pm
Kam Williams scores inside.
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BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Ohio State stunned No. 4 Kentucky on Saturday, 74-67.

The Buckeyes survived a late second-half run by the Wildcats after leading by as many as 16 in what was by far the biggest win of the season.

Keita Bates-Diop led the way for Ohio State with 14 points. Marc Loving had 12, Jae'Sean Tate finished with 11 and Trevor Thompson had 10 for the unranked Buckeyes.

  1 2 F
KENTUCKY 25 42 67
OHIO STATE 37 37 74

Ohio State's 9-for-18 effort from behind the 3-point line got things done and clutch free throws down the stretch by Daniel Giddens and Bates-Diop helped put things on ice.

OHIO STATE STAT Kentucky
74 POINTS 67
26-64 (41) FGM-FGA (PCT.) 25-63 (40)
9-18 (50) 3PM-3PA (PCT.) 9-19 (47)
13-17 (76) FTM-FTA (PCT.) 8-14 (57)
12 TURNOVERS 11
42 TOTAL REBOUNDS 40
13 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS 13
29 DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS 27
21 BENCH POINTS 12
7 BLOCKS 5
9 STEALS 6
10 ASSISTS 14

Kentucky, once down 55-39 midway through the second half, used a 21-8 run to surge back into the game. Jamal Murray was unconscious during that stretch as the freshman guard had 20 second-half points, including a 7-for-8 effort from behind the 3-point line.

Nobody inside the Barclays Center expected to see what they did in the first half.

Ohio State went into the locker room with a 12-point advantage, up 37-25, on the fourth-ranked Wildcats after playing its best half of the season, despite a scoring drought that lasted 6 minutes, 35 seconds.

JaQuan Lyle nailed a 25-footer at the buzzer to give the Buckeyes their halftime their lead and led the way with eight first-half points. Kam Williams had seven and Trevor Thompson and Keita Bates-Diop each had six as eight Ohio State players scored in the opening 20 minutes.

The Buckeyes were aided by a 20-9 run in which they hit nine out of 10 shots from the field. Williams, Bates-Diop and Marc Loving hit 3-pointers during that stretch for Ohio State. The Buckeyes were 7 for 12 from behind the arc in the first half.

Ohio State held its own on the glass, as well, as Kentucky held just a slight 23-21 edge. Kentucky got only six points off of seven Buckeye turnovers.

Ohio State will next be in action Tuesday at home against Mercer.

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