Green Bay hung around for about 28 minutes, getting as close as 6 and trailing by only 8 at the 12-minute mark of the second half, but the Buckeyes outscored the visiting Phoenix 32-7 over the next 9 minutes to pull away and bury the visitors enroute to a 102-69 win and improve to 5-1. The Buckeyes shot 66.7% in the second half, 56% for the game, including 14 of 31 from deep to wear down Green Bay despite the Phoenix coming out of the locker room hot early. Green Bay shot 49% for the game and hit 10 of 24 three balls but the Buckeyes forced 18 turnovers, compared to just 8 themselves, converting them into a 30-2 advantage on the scoreboard. The Buckeyes out rebounded the Phoenix 37-23 and 11-3 on the offensive glass leading to 12 second chance points. Seven Buckeyes scored in double figures led by Bruce Thornton who became the 61st player in school history to reach the 1,000 point mark and added 9 assists to his scoring totals. Meechie Johnson added 17 and John Mobley, Jr. had 14, all in the second half. Sean Stewart chipped in 11 points and 8 rebounds, while Devin Royal added a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Micah Parrish and Evan Mahaffey also scored 10 each for the winners. The nation’s leading scorer, Anthony Roy of Green Bay was the only Phoenix player in double figures, with 30, including 8 of 12 from long range in a performance that did not disappoint, albeit in a losing effort.
It took over 2 minutes for the first bucket of the game and it was Meechie Johnson who found the bottom from beyond the arc on the left wing. Sean Stewart, back after missing a game due to injury, took a Johnson interior pass and dropped in a short jumper from just above the right point. It took nearly 4 minutes, but Green Bay finally got on the board with a runner, but quickly the other way, Johnson buried another triple from the left wing. A Green Bay three preceded the first media timeout with the Buckeyes on top 8-5. Out of the timeout, Micah Parrish went to the stripe and split a pair of free throws and after a defensive stop, Parrish found space on the right point and buried a wide open three. Back-to-back Green Bay triples cut the lead to one before Bruce Thornton got behind a Stewart screen and hit a three from the right point. On the ensuing possession, Thornton found Evan Mahaffey streaking to the bucket for two and at the under 12 in a sloppy start, where each team had turned it over 5 times, Ohio State led 17-11. The Buckeyes extended their lead when Mahaffey scored off the glass from the right block and after a Green Bay bucket, Mahaffey scored from the left block this time. A Devin Royal rebound and put back was quickly answered as the Phoenix beat the Buckeyes down the floor and finished with a dunk. A triple from the left corner by Johnson was answered again by Green Bay, beating the Buckeyes down the floor again for two and after Stewart scored in the middle of the paint, Green Bay once again got down the floor quickly and scored and at the under 8, Ohio State was on top 28-19. Out of the timeout, Johnson buried his fourth three of the half from the top, but Green Bay answered quickly on the other end. A Green Bay three cut the lead to 7, but a couple possessions later, Thornton buried a three from the left point and at the final media timeout of the first half, the Buckeyes led the Phoenix 34-24. Royal extended the lead, scoring at the rim and after Green Bay split a pair of free throws, Thornton drilled a three at the top of the key. A 7-0 Phoenix run cut the lead to 7 before a Johnson triple stopped the run and ended the first half scoring as Ohio State took a 42-32 lead into the locker room. The Buckeyes shot 45.7% from the field which included 9 of 18 from beyond the arc, assisting on 10 of their 16 made buckets, while Green Bay hit on 46.4% of their shot attempts and made 5 of 14 from long range. The Buckeyes dominated the glass, out rebounding the Phoenix 22-12, including an 8-1 advantage on the offensive end. Statistically, the Buckeyes really should have had a bigger lead, but despite dominating nearly every facet of the game, Green Bay sat just 10 down after a half of play, limiting the Buckeyes in transition, not allowing any points on the fast break. Ohio State was led by a game high 15 from Meechie Johnson, who scored all of his points from beyond the arc, knocking down 5 of 8 from deep. Bruce Thornton added 9 points and 4 assists in the first 20 minutes. Green Bay was led by the nation’s leading scorer Anthony Roy, who was as advertised in the first half, scoring 14 on 5 of 9 shooting that included 4 of 7 from beyond the arc.
The Buckeyes opened the second half with the first score as high low action from Thornton to Stewart ended with a dunk. After a pair of Green Bay free throws, the Buckeyes scored in transition on back to back possessions leading to 5 straight points, forcing Green Bay to take a timeout with 18:02 remaining and the Buckeyes opening up a 49-34 lead. Out of the timeout, the Phoenix would proceed to go on a 10-2 run with the lone Buckeye bucket coming on a Mahaffey steal and dunk, forcing Jake Diebler to take a timeout with 15:55 to play and the Buckeyes lead trimmed to 51-44. Thornton stopped the momentum briefly with a runner off the glass, but the Phoenix answered with a triple. The Buckeyes proceeded to go on a run of their own, Johnson split the defense and scored off the window at the rim and on the next possession Thornton buried a three from the left wing to put the Buckeyes back ahead by 11. Green Bay would not go away, scoring the next 4 to get back to within 7, but a left corner three by John Mobley, Jr., his first bucket of the game, stopped the run. Green Bay quickly the other way scored through contact and at the under 12, Green Bay was hanging around, trailing the Buckeyes 61-53. Green Bay missed their free throw attempting to complete an old-fashioned three point play and Thornton converted one himself on the other end to put the Buckeyes up 11. A Thornton right corner three and pair of free throws on the next possession had the Buckeyes on an 8-0 run, all by Thornton to put the Buckeyes up 16. A Green Bay bucket stopped the run, but Mahaffey picked up a loose ball and dunked to answer. Green Bay scored on back to back possessions around a Mobley score off the bounce and after Thornton split a pair of freebies, Mobley drilled a three forcing Green Bay to call a timeout with the Buckeyes pulling away, leading 77-59. Another Mobley three, two Thornton free throws, and a Parrish old-fashioned three point play had the Buckeyes on a 12-0 run before Green Bay ended the run with one of two free throws. Mobley and Stewart each completed an old-fashioned three point play on consecutive possessions and Stewart banked in a runner and at the final media timeout, Ohio State was on a 20-1 run to bury the Phoenix, leading 93-60. After Green Bay split a pair of free throws, a Royal dunk was followed by a Green Bay three and a quick Royal bucket on the other end answered and the Buckeyes cleared their bench. Ivan Njegovan scored with a jump hook after an offensive rebound, but another Green Bay three dropped, the 8th from Anthony Roy. Kalen Etzler scored off a dribble drive and after a Colin White steal, he was fouled going for a dunk and a taunting technical was called on the Phoenix. White split the technical foul shots and missed both the personal foul shots. Green Bay knocked down a baseline jumper to end the scoring in the Ohio State win.
The Buckeyes seemed to be sleep walking a bit defensively for the first half plus of this game, and although Green Bay deserves a lot of credit, boasting one the country’s best players, the Buckeyes did what good teams are supposed to do, wearing down their opponent and turning up the intensity and physicality on the defensive end and they were able to get out in transition and create separation on the scoreboard and never looked back. 7 in double figures and 20 assists on 38 made buckets, Ohio State once again showed incredible unselfishness. Feeding off their leader Thornton, the Buckeyes moved the ball offensively and created space and to their credit, they continue to knock down open looks and when they are hitting from the outside, they have a number of players that can create off the dribble and attack the rim with physicality and strength. Clearly they were playing a team that was not as talented and deep as the Buckeyes, but teams around the country have struggled in these types of games and so far Ohio State has not had an issue against these types of teams, closing this one on a 44-18 run to end all thoughts of a potential upset. The schedule will ramp up from here with Pitt upcoming and Big Ten play starting, but Ohio State has put themselves in a position to keep the positive momentum moving forward. If they are able to continue shooting the basketball at a high level, crash the glass and play with the pace and effort they have shown early in the season, they will continue to have success when the opponent’s get tougher.
The Buckeyes hit the floor again after Thanksgiving, hosting Pittsburgh in the Schott on Friday afternoon. Tip time is scheduled for 2:30 pm and airing on Peacock.
-Jason Harris
Photo Credit: Adam Cairns | Columbus Dispatch