Ohio State freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh (10) shoots a layup during the No. 25 Ohio State-St. Francis game Saturday. Ohio State won 96-59. Credit: Katie Good | Asst. Photo Editor
Freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh scored 15 points, as No. 25 Ohio State defeated St. Francis 96-59 Saturday at Value City Arena.
The Buckeyes (6-2) never trailed at any point during the game, and six players scored in double-figures. Alongside Sensabaugh, freshman center Felix Okpara and graduate guard Sean McNeil led Ohio State with 12 rebounds and four assists, respectively.
St. Francis allowed Ohio State to shoot 57 percent from 3-point range, and shot seven free throws compared to the Buckeyes’ 18. Redshirt junior forward Josh Cohen led the Red Flash with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Junior forward Zed Key opened up the scoring, and the Buckeyes never looked back, leading by as many as 39 points in the contest. Ohio State’s hot start led to a 27-11 lead at the 11:48 mark of the first half.
St. Francis managed to keep the half competitive by outshooting the Buckeyes 55.2 percent to 51.6 percent from the field. Despite that, the Red Flash went into the locker room down 44-36.
After a Cohen layup cut the Buckeyes lead to six to open the second half, Ohio State managed to outscore St. Francis 25-11 in the first half of the frame and never looked back. A 14-0 Buckeyes run from 12:58 to 9:03 left in the half effectively sealed the game early, as the Red Flash were unable to cut the deficit to single digits past the 2:00 mark.
Okpara scored a career-high 10 points and hauled in six of the team’s 17 offensive boards. The Buckeyes outrebounded the Red Flash 47-25 on the day.
Four different Buckeyes recorded a block, while Okpara led the Buckeyes with two steals.
In addition, Ohio State scored 12 points off 11 turnovers and scored 17 second-chance points compared to the Red Flash’s four points.
Furthermore, redshirt freshman forward Kalen Etzler played a career-high eight minutes and made his first collegiate 3-point shot in the second half.
Ohio State next hosts Rutgers to open Big Ten conference play Thursday at Value City Arena.
