Senior guard Aaron Craft (4) attempts a lay up during a game against Ohio Nov. 12 at the Schottenstein Center. OSU won, 79-69.
Credit: Ritika Shah / Asst. photo editor
The No. 10 Ohio State men’s basketball team (3-0, 0-0) outlasted No. 17 Marquette (2-1, 0-0) to snap the Golden Eagles’ 27-game home winning streak, which started with an 81-77 victory against Villanova Jan. 1, 2012. The streak was the second longest in the nation.
The Buckeyes took down Marquette with a final score of 52-35. In what was OSU’s first win against a ranked opponent so far this season, the 35 points was the fourth lowest total by a ranked team since 2008.
A slow first half came to an end just after Buckeye freshman forward Marc Loving hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left to tie the game at 19.
The 38 combined points at halftime were a low for a Division I game this season.
At the half, both teams were shooting below 30 percent while Marquette held the advantage in rebounds by a total of 28-18. Buckeye senior guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. led the team in points with five while junior forward Sam Thompson provided a spark off the bench with two points, six rebounds and one assist.
The second half was a different story for the Buckeyes as senior guard Aaron Craft and junior guard Shannon Scott helped lead OSU to a 12-4 run to start the half, and never gave up its lead.
The Buckeyes continued to capitalize with an improved shot selection as the team made 15 of its 26 shots from the field in the second half, with a field goal percentage of nearly 58 percent, almost double its first half percentage. The Golden Eagles were never able to get on a roll and finished the second half shooting just 4-24.
Turnovers were also a problem for Marquette, who turned the ball over 20 times during the game compared to just 11 for the Buckeyes.
Craft ended the game with totals of 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds while both Scott and Thompson led the team in points with 13.
Buckeye junior forward LaQuinton Ross, who has been projected by many to lead the team in scoring this season, did not score, missing all six of the shots he attempted. Ross only played for 18 minutes in the game, which was the least amount by any Buckeye starter.
The Buckeyes are scheduled to return to Columbus to take on American University Wednesday. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center.
