Just when the Ducks flew back to make things close in the early in the second half against Ohio State, the Buckeyes shot them down for good with a massive run.
A 21-0 scorcher that featured baskets from five different Buckeyes built a 24-point second-half lead that proved insurmountable, as hard as Oregon tried.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 34 | 38 | 72 |
| OREGON | 29 | 33 | 62 |
Ohio State (11-4, 3-2 Big Ten) bounced back from a disappointing home loss to No. 10 Nebraska with a 72-62 road victory over Oregon (8-8, 1-4).
All five of the Buckeyes' starters reached double figures in the scoring column. Chistoph Tilly and Devin Royal each collected 14 points while John Mobley Jr. had 13, Bruce Thornton had 12 and Amare Bynum scored 10.
First Half
Both teams got off to a horrid offensive start, but Oregon's was especially bad.
The Ducks opened the game by going 2-of-17 from the field, and Bynum became the top Buckeye to take advantage early. He nailed a pair of shots on the inside, including a missed shot he tipped back in. Royal swished a 3-pointer off a slick dribble move and Ohio State was ahead 10-4.
The Buckeyes led by at least two possessions for the rest of the first half. Backup guard Gabe Cupps hit a 3-pointer, providing some much-needed bench production, that pushed the advantage to 18-9. Bynum connected with Royal on a crisp pass for a two-handed flush a few plays later.
Center Christoph Tilly converted a fastbreak opportunity and two Cupps free throws made it a double-digit advantage at 27-17, which Thornton hit a 3-pointer to expand back to 10 at 30-20.
Bruce for 3
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Oregon clawed back into the game by the end of the period, however. Former Buckeye forward Sean Stewart hit a layup, then guard Wei Lin got going with a triple. Cupps responded with a layup, but another make from Stewart with eight seconds remaining closed a 5-of-6 shooting stretch to end the first half for the Ducks that cut their deficit to 34-29.
Oregon shot a meager 26.5% from the field in the first half, but stayed in striking distance thanks to its nine offensive rebounds, 9-of-13 mark at the free-throw line and six Ohio State turnovers.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | OREGON |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | POINTS | 62 |
| 24-53 (45.3%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 20-61 (32.8%) |
| 6-18 (33.3%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 7-30 (23.3%) |
| 18-23 (78.3%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 15-20 (75%) |
| 12 | TURNOVERS | 7 |
| 41 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 32 |
| 13 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 15 |
| 28 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 17 |
| 9 | BENCH POINTS | 11 |
| 2 | BLOCKS | 5 |
| 5 | STEALS | 5 |
| 15 | ASSISTS | 10 |
Second Half
A 3-pointer from forward Kwame Evans Jr. and runaway layup by guard Takai Simpkins pulled Oregon back within four points, but a wild sequence recaptured momentum for Ohio State. Tilly hit a layup with a foul but missed the ensuing free throw. Bynum secured an offensive rebound and missed a layup, which deflected off a gaggle of hands and rolled to Thornton for an open three. He sank it for a five-point possession, and the lead was back to 41-34.
Oregon cut the lead down to one possession for the first time since the score was 7-4 on a quartet of free throws, but Mobley and company got to work re-expanding that advantage. It started with a half-court logo shot from the sharpshooter that sank. Then he hit a floater with a foul and converted the free throw for three points the old-fashioned way.
The latter three-point play sparked the cataclysmic 21-0 run that effectively iced the game for Ohio State, which led 67-43 with 6:59 to play by the end of the sequence. Royal hit a smooth turnaround jumper over Stewart, Bynum hit a layup through a foul and Cupps lost his defender on a crossover and finished a layup. Two more Royal makes capped the game-icing stretch.
The Ducks launched a 14-2 run to try and fight back into the contest, but the Buckeyes played enough ball control to ensure they never had a chance at victory. The lead reached as few as 10 points, but that came with less than 10 seconds remaining and Ohio State dribbled out a win from there for its first double-digit victory over a power-conference opponent this season.
What's Next?
Ohio State caps its two-game West Coast road trip at Washington on Sunday. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. on Peacock.
Game Notes
- Cupps' nine points against Oregon were a season-high, surpassing his previous top mark of five.
- It's the first time Ohio State has started 3-0 in Big Ten road games since the 2017-18 season, when it started 5-0 on the road and finished second in the conference.
- Bruce Thornton passed Jim Jackson for seventh all-time on Ohio State's scoring list, now with 1,787 points on his career.
