The Ohio State men’s basketball team huddles up to regather near the end of the second half against Oakland. The Buckeyes won 79-73 at Value City Arena Monday. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
Upset alerts in the NCAA came in late Saturday night down in Niceville, Florida.
The Buckeyes defeated No. 17 Alabama 92-81 in the second round of the Emerald Coast Classic Friday at Raider Arena, thanks to red-hot shooting and career-scoring games from sophomore guards Roddy Gayle Jr. and Bruce Thornton. Thornton finished with a career-high 29 points and four assists, while his backcourt partner, Gayle, also paired a career-high 23 points.
The Buckeyes (4-1, 0-0 Big Ten) and the Crimson Tide (5-0, 0-0 SEC) battled back and forth throughout the first half, but a 3-point clinic from Ohio State in the second allowed it to pull ahead.
Ohio State started the game off slowly, with turnovers on its first three offensive possessions, which allowed Alabama to jump out to an early 6-point lead, the largest of the half for either team.
Thornton led the way for the Buckeyes, scoring 14 points on 50 percent shooting from the field to open the contest.
The Buckeyes also dominated the Crimson Tide on the glass through the first 14 minutes of play, out-rebounding Alabama 13-5 overall and 4-0 on offensive boards.
However, Alabama returned the favor by taking advantage of turnovers from the Buckeyes in the opening period, scoring 12 points off 10 Ohio State turnovers.
Ohio State finished the half making five of its last seven field goals, helping it secure a 38-33 lead heading into the locker room.
Buckeye sophomore guard Evan Mahaffey knocked down a turnaround hook shot in the second period, giving Ohio State a 7-point lead to begin the half.
Graduate forward Jamison Battle was scoreless through the first 22 minutes of play but caught fire with seven of the Buckeyes’ first 11 second-half points.
As a team, the Buckeyes got streaky from 3-point range through the first eight minutes of the half.
Three-for-three shooting from beyond the arc, including two makes from graduate guard Dale Bonner, helped push Ohio State’s lead to 11.
Thornton’s hot hand continued as he hit back-to-back 3-pointers, giving Ohio State a 69-56 lead with nine minutes left in the affair.
Alabama graduate guard Aaron Estrada attempted to fight fire with fire, scoring 20 points and six rebounds for the Crimson Tide, but it wasn’t enough to outscore a Buckeye team firing on all cylinders.
Through the final six minutes of play, the Crimson Tide attempted to shoot their way back into the game, but their plans were foiled by a foul-filled finish.
The Buckeyes completed 23-of-25 free throws in the second period, allowing them to ride a comfortable lead for most of the second half until the finish line.
Ohio State advanced to the championship round of the Emerald Coast Classic and will face the winner of Oregon versus Santa Clara at 7 p.m. Saturday in Niceville.
CBS Sports Network will broadcast.
