Ohio State first year guard rises, through the defense, to the rim during Ohio States (9-3) 90-59 win over Alabama A&M (4-9) in Columbus on Thursday. Credit: Caleb Blake | For The Lantern

Led by freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh’s 21 points and a strong second half, Ohio State defeated Alabama A&M 90-59 Thursday at Value City Arena.

The Buckeyes (9-3, 1-0 Big Ten) went into halftime with a slim 36-33 lead, but shot 58.8 percent in the second half to lead by as many as 31 points. Junior forward Zed Key and freshman guard Bruce Thornton led Ohio State with 10 rebounds and five assists, respectively.

“I was really concerned about their ability to attack,” head coach Chris Holtmann said. “I thought our guys did some really good things, and some things we got to get better with. I think our offense in general has really come along. It was clunky today in the first half, but it’s really been effective.”

 Ohio State fourth-tear guard Justice Sueing (14) watches a three during Ohio States (9-3) 90-59 win over Alabama A&M (4-9) in Columbus on Thursday. Credit: Caleb Blake | For The Lantern

The Bulldogs (4-9, 0-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) held Ohio State to 44.4 percent from the field in the first half, with 14 different players seeing on-court action. But they were held to 38.7 percent shooting for the game, with the Buckeyes defense recording 17 turnovers and seven blocked shots.

Both teams struggled in the first half, with the Buckeyes shooting a measly 2 for 12 from 3-point range, compared to Alabama A&M converting at a 5-for-11 clip from downtown. Despite that, Ohio State shot 18 free throws compared to the Bulldogs shooting three.

“There are times where you have to challenge your guys,” Holtmann said. “And I’ve certainly had to do that. But I think this was more about some X and O adjustments, and I thought the ball needed to move more.”

Coming out of the locker room, Ohio State erupted offensively, shooting 53.8 percent from 3-point range on 13 attempts to give themselves an insurmountable lead. The Buckeyes had 12 different players score, while the Bulldogs were led by senior guard Garrett Hicks’ 11 points and six rebounds.

Junior guard Eugene Brown III made his first appearance of the season after dealing with a concussion to begin the year. He scored two points in seven minutes, while graduate guard Isaac Likekele returned to the rotation after missing three games due to personal matters.

 Ohio State third-year forward Zed Key (23) and fourth-year guard Justice Sueing (14) help Ohio State first year guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (1) to his feet. Ohio State (9-3) defeated Alabama A&M (4-9) in Columbus on Thursday 90-59. Credit: Caleb Blake | For The Lantern

Ohio State out-rebounded Alabama A&M 42-30 and committed 10 turnovers compared to the Bulldogs’ 17. Four different Buckeyes recorded a block, with Key tallying three.

The Buckeyes again struggled from the free throw line, shooting 17 of 29, while the Bulldogs only attempted seven shots from the charity stripe.

Holtmann said despite the dominant second half, he still has concerns over a few areas, specifically at rebounding.

“I think the biggest concerns are really our transition defense and rebounding,” Holtmann said. “Our defense with some of these guys — individually and collectively — can improve. We struggled to get stops, and we needed to get stops consistently. And I think that’s where we got to keep getting better.”

Ohio State travels next to Evanston, Illinois, to face Northwestern in its first road conference matchup Sunday. Big Ten Network will broadcast.