Ohio State continues to handle business.
Five days before taking on No. 6 North Carolina in a highly anticipated road game, the Buckeyes picked up their seventh win in a row, blowing out Morgan State, 90-57, Friday night at the Schottenstein Center.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| #10 OHIO STATE | 45 | 45 | 90 |
| MORGAN STATE | 18 | 39 | 57 |
The points came easy and often for Ohio State, which improved its record to 7-0 to open the 2019-20 season. It pulled out to a double-digit lead within nine minutes and entered halftime with a 45-18 edge. To put that into perspective, the Bears didn't reach their 45th point of Saturday's game until just nine minutes remained.
The Buckeyes' early run to pull away from Morgan State came during a 10-minute stretch early in the first half when they went on a 26-4 run, turning a 6-5 deficit into a 31-10 lead that they never relinquished.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MORGAN STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | POINTS | 57 |
| 30-63 (47.6%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 21-56 (37.5%) |
| 9-25 (36%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 2-11 (18.2%) |
| 21-26 (80.8%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 13-20 (65%) |
| 10 | TURNOVERS | 15 |
| 43 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 31 |
| 15 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 10 |
| 28 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 21 |
| 46 | BENCH POINTS | 18 |
| 2 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 4 | STEALS | 1 |
| 12 | ASSISTS | 6 |
Andre Wesson powered Ohio State's offense, scoring a season-high 19 points, more than anyone on his team had in a single game this season. He made 4-of-4 field-goal attempts with all four shots coming from beyond the arc. That tied his career high for most made 3-pointers in a single game.
His brother, Kaleb, scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. CJ Walker also finished in double figures, adding 10 points and three assists while hitting 5-of-6 shots. Duane Washington Jr. and E.J. Liddell both scored nine points.
Morgan State, like every other team Ohio State has faced this season, struggled mightily to score. It shot just 37.5 percent from the floor and made 2-of-11 3-pointers. The Buckeyes, though, hit 47.6 percent of their shots and went 9-for-25 from behind the line. They also had a 22-1 advantage in points off of turnovers.
Notably, after entering Friday shooting just 67.5 percent from the free-throw line, Ohio State hit 21-of-26 free throws. Andre Wesson made all seven of his free throws, and Kaleb Wesson went 6-for-6 from the line.
Next up: Ohio State heads on the road to face No. 6 North Carolina (6-1) on Wednesday. The game will tip off at 9:30 p.m. and will be shown on ESPN.
Other Notes
- Once again, despite Andre Wesson having returned to the lineup, Chris Holtmann rode the same starting five: CJ Walker, Luther Muhammad, Duane Washington Jr., Kyle Young and Kaleb Wesson.
- This was Ohio State's seventh home game in a row to begin the 2019-20 season. It'll play its first road game on Wednesday at North Carolina.
- The Buckeyes have just one more mid-major opponent – Southeast Missouri State – on their non-conference schedule.
- Morgan State's Jamar Brown earned a technical foul early in the second half when he was called for a charge and then threw the ball, hitting the head of Kaleb Wesson as he laid on the ground after drawing the foul.
- The Buckeyes now have a 3-0 record against Morgan State and a 22-0 record against opponents from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
