Sometimes grounding a flying object is a gradual process.
It wasn't any one big run that removed the RedHawks from their flight path against Ohio State on Saturday, but a matter of the Buckeyes slowly pulling away from their penultimate mid-major opponent, Miami (Ohio), in an 84-64 win at Value City Arena.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIAMI (OH) | 26 | 38 | 64 |
| OHIO STATE | 39 | 45 | 84 |
Ohio State saw six players reach double figures in the contest. Roddy Gayle Jr. led the way with 15 points, Bruce Thornton followed with 14, Jamison Battle had 13, Zed Key also picked up 13 in addition to a career-high seven offensive rebounds, Dale Bonner scored 11 and Evan Mahaffey collected 10.
Guard Darweshi Hunter picked up 15 points for Miami in a losing effort.
First half
Neither team got a stop for six consecutive possessions as Miami jumped out to a 7-6 lead.
The RedHawks extended that edge to 9-6 out of the under-16 media timeout, but Gayle combined a drive and smooth finish with a steal and slam to give Ohio State its first advantage at 10-9. The steal required Gayle to leap forward into a passing lane a slap the ball with his hand at full extension.
Miami was hanging around thanks to a hot shooting start, going 6-for-9 across the first eight minutes. Where problems arose were in ball security, as the RedHawks also turned it over six times in that stretch.
Thornton got his scoring going with a pair of free throws, then cashed in a triple after Key rebounded an initial miss from his point guard.
Offensive rebounding and second-chance points were a big reason why Ohio State started building its lead in the first half. The Buckeyes pulled in 11 offensive rebounds and scored 15 second-chance points.
Key slammed one home after a miss, then went a combined 2-for-4 at the line after getting fouled on a pair of putback attempts. It capped a 9-0 run that put the Scarlet and Gray up 21-13.
Both teams hit a cold stretch from the field, going a combined 2-for-17 in one segment, but Ohio State converted enough free throws to push ahead by double digits. Six makes in eight tries made it 32-19.
It was an odd opening 20 minutes overall for the Buckeyes. They shot a mere 38.2% from the field but racked up 10 points at the line to go with their glut of second-chance points, paving the way for a 39-26 lead at intermission.
Second half
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MIAMI (OHIO) |
|---|---|---|
| 84 | POINTS | 64 |
| 28-62 (45.2%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 24-55 (43.6%) |
| 9-23 (39.1%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 7-12 (58.3%) |
| 19-25 (76%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 9-11 (81.8%) |
| 10 | TURNOVERS | 17 |
| 40 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 29 |
| 18 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 10 |
| 22 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 19 |
| 30 | BENCH POINTS | 11 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 5 | STEALS | 5 |
| 16 | ASSISTS | 9 |
Miami cut its deficit down to 42-33 before Battle scored four points during a 6-0 Ohio State run to make it 48-33.
From there it was a long sequence of RedHawk punches with Buckeye counter-punches. Hunter hit a mid-range jumper for Miami, Thornton answered with a 3. Evan Ipsaro and Reece Potter each cashed in buckets, a Scotty Middleton triple and a make from Key followed.
After a few more exchanges, Battle scored five points in a row before Mahaffey finished a 3-point play the old-fashioned way for an 8-0 run that made it a 22-point Ohio State lead at 66-44 with 6:55 to play.
Miami never cut its deficit back below 20. An emphatic putback dunk from Key made it 73-47 Buckeyes with 5:15 to play and starters began exiting the game.
What's next?
Ohio State travels to Penn State on Saturday for its first Big Ten road game of the season and second conference contest overall. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
Game notes
- Mahaffey's 10 points came on a 4-of-7 shooting performance, a good sign after he went a combined 3-of-23 in Ohio State's past five games.
- Ohio State finished with a 40-29 advantage on the glass and a 25-9 edge in second-chance points.
- The Buckeyes finished with 16 assists against 10 turnovers.
