The-Ozone, Ohio State Football, Wrestling, Softball, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball and More

Men's Basketball
Buckeyes Whack Samford
By John Porentas

At halftime there were a number of hints that Samford was in trouble.

For starters, three players on the OSU roster had scored as many or more points than Samford (3-2). Samford had been outrebounded 24-13. Their turnover to field goal ratio was 10/3, and the opponent's defense had blocked one more shot than they had made. They shot 13 percent from the field, and the assist to turnover ratio was 1:5.

The game ended with final score of Ohio State (3-0) 59, Samford 22. The last opponent to score that few points in a game vs. the Buckeyes was Wabash College in a 34-22 OSU win in 1939. For those you who are mathematically challenged, that's 69 years ago.

It was like watching a rabbit get run over by a car. You wonder what the heck made that rabbit run out there in front of something that much bigger and faster. Stupid rabbit had to know it was going to get hurt, yet somehow it darted out in the road confident that it was far more cunning that the big ole' car, then ended up a spot on the highway. Same thing for Samford. OSU's zone defense simple killed them and left them a splat on the Value City arena floor.

"They're big down low. The soft spot in the zone is in front of the big guys, but you have to be able to finish," said Samford Head Coach Jimmy Tillette.

The "big down low" Tillette was talking about was Dallas Lauderdale and B. J. Mullens. Samford actually got the ball down low from time to time, but when they got it there they looked like those scared rabbits and didn't get shots up, particularly against Lauderdale. Lauderdale blocked three shots and altered a number of others. More often than not he simply intimidated Samford's players into not shooting.

OSU's big men made the soft part of OSU's zone not soft. That left OSU's guards and wings free to take away what Samford does best, shoot threes.

"They can spread their other guys who are athletic along the wings. We've got shooters but if they (the defense) stand next to you they can't create their own shots," said Tillette.

"The two guys that we have that can go by people at our level to maybe make a play are trumped by their athleticism. We just really had no answers"

"I thought defensively we had a very good effort," said OSU Head Coach Thad Matta.

"One of the biggest things going into this game was we said they score two ways, they score layups or they score three point shots. Our primary focus was on taking the three point shot away."

The Buckeyes got that done and the results were devastating. The halftime score was an embarrassing 30-6. There was actual doubt in the arena that Samford would break double digits. In the face of a thorough shellacking, Tillette found tongue-in-cheek positives.

"For us there are three positives," he said.

"We got a check, it didn't snow so we get back to warmer weather, and I don't have a permanent domicile underneath the bridge over the Olentangy river, so that's a good thing for me at this point," said drawing a laugh from reporters.

OSU's defense determined the outcome of the game, but they got some offense too. Evan Turner scored 16 to go with 13 rebounds for a double-double. Dallas Lauderdale added 10 points to go with his defense. The Buckeyes also showed a lineup with both Lauderdale and freshman center B. J. Mullens on the floor, the first time this season they had played with those two big men on the floor at the same time.

Game Notes:

* Ohio State held the Bulldogs to just six points in the first half – a Value City Arena opponent low - on 3 of 23 (.130) shooting.

* Ohio State limited the Bulldogs to 2 of 18 shooting from three-point range, a team-best this season. All but eight of Samford’s points came in the paint.

* The Buckeyes held Samford to single digits in scoring for the first 25:37 of the game.

* Ohio State held the Bulldogs scoreless for the first 7:25 of the first half while jumping out to a 7-0 lead.

* Samford’s bucket with 3:15 before the first half ended a 17-2 run for the Buckeyes that lasted for 9:04

Box Score

Photo Coverage

Click here to email this the-Ozone feature to a friend...or even a foe.

Return to the-Ozone Columns and Features

Return to the-OZone Front Page