The Ohio State men’s basketball team sings ‘Carmen Ohio’ following Ohio State’s 101-57 win over Chaminade in Columbus on Tuesday. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
The Ohio State men’s basketball team played its final exhibition game of the preseason Tuesday, defeating Chaminade 101-57 at Value City Arena.
The Buckeyes held the Silverswords to 27.6 percent shooting from the field and forced 15 turnovers in a strong defensive outing that saw 12 different players see game action. Senior guard and Wright State transfer Tanner Holden led the way on offense with 25 points while freshman guard Bruce Thornton dished out 11 assists.
Alongside Holden, fellow graduate transfer guards Isaac Likekele and Sean McNeil combined for 19 points, with the team shooting 55.4 percent on the evening. Junior forward Zed Key also put up 15 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Chaminade only saw two players in double figures, shooting under 30 percent in both halves. Graduate guard Braden Olsen led the Silverswords with 12 points, six rebounds and two assists.
Both teams got off to slow starts, with the game tied at 15 with 10:40 left in the first half. The Buckeyes inside defense looked sharp throughout, with the team collecting five blocks in the first half and forcing eight turnovers despite the inconsistent offense.
In the final six minutes, Holden outscored the entire Chaminade roster 13-2 with Ohio State taking a 46-23 lead into halftime and never allowing it to shrink.
Chaminade’s offensive struggles were in no small part due to redshirt freshman guard Ross Reeves and junior forward Scott Ator shooting a combined 4-for-18 on the night. The Buckeyes defense induced 15 turnovers on the night while the Silverswords only had four assists.
Ohio State played Tuesday without redshirt senior forward Justice Sueing or junior guard Eugene Brown III while both players nursed injuries. Even without Sueing and Brown, Ohio State saw five players put up double figures in the point column, including freshman guard Bowen Hardman scoring 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3.
Aside from Hardman, four first-year players saw meaningful action, highlighted by freshman guard Roddy Gayle Jr. scoring 14 points and freshman center Felix Okpara hauling in nine rebounds and recording three blocks.
Ohio State held Chaminade to 18.8 percent on 3-point shots and picked up eight steals, led by Likekele who had three.
Ohio State opens its regular season Monday against Robert Morris at Value City Arena at 7 p.m.
