Ohio State hits singles in blowout win against Western Michigan: 5 takeaways
A baseball analogy, a mental blur and an adherence to internal principles all played their parts in helping Ohio State to a blowout win Sunday.
In a game they led by as many as 31 points and never trailed, the Buckeyes got hot early and cruised to a 73-56 win against Western Michigan that wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate. Ahead 68-39 with 10 minutes to play, Ohio State substituted liberally in the final moments as the Broncos outscored the Buckeyes 17-5 in the final 9:39 to set the final score.
When the minutes mattered, Ohio State was in control against a team that, on paper, it was expected to dominate. Western Michigan came to Value City Arena winless in its first three games this year, but each loss was by single digits including a four-point defeat at Northwestern on Nov. 14. The Buckeyes put the game away in the first half with a 21-3 run during the span of about seven minutes, building a 9-6 lead into a 30-9 advantage with nine minutes left.
It was a dominating stretch of basketball, but one that graduate transfer forward Jamison Battle couldn’t immediately recall after the game.
“I couldn’t even tell you when we went on a 21-3 run just because of the way we play,” he said. “It’s always next play. We’re not dwelling if someone hits a 3 or someone misses a blockout. It’s always focus on the next play that’s the biggest thing.”
That’s a different message than the one frequently given last season, as Ohio State was losing 14 of 15 at one point and missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016-17. A common talking point revolved around not letting one mistake compound into another, and then another, as a young Buckeyes team unsuccessfully tried to right the ship in time.
This Western Michigan team, ranked No. 303 nationally by KenPom.com entering the afternoon, might not prove to be much of a bellwether for what’s to come for Ohio State. Time will tell on that. But as the Buckeyes steadily built and maintained their lead, there was a consistent message being preached from sophomore guard and captain Bruce Thornton.
“Bruce always comes into the huddle and talks about hitting singles,” Battle said. “That’s the biggest thing: singles lead to runs in the end if you’re consistent with it. Keep being consistent that in the end those things are gonna happen, but we’re not gonna dwell on that or be so hyped up where we lose focus in our main goal.”
That main goal is something coach Chris Holtmann referenced but was disinclined to get into with great details.
“We’ve got to keep the main thing the main thing and what we’re about and what we intend to be about as the main focus,” he said. “I’m speaking general here, but I think our guys know what I’m talking about when I say that. That will get challenged this year.”
Most immediately, it will get challenged this Friday when Ohio State takes on No. 22 Alabama in the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida. The Buckeyes take some positive vibes with them after this win, a 16-point victory earned even as Thornton sat from 11:39 until 6:54, reappeared for the next 2:41 and sat for the final 4:13. Battle subbed out with 13:54 left, returned with 5:30 to play and sat for good with 4:50 to play. Roddy Gayle Jr. sat for the final 6:54.
Those three combined for 38 points and were able to hand the reins off as the second half wound down. That probably won’t be the case Friday night. On this night, Baylor graduate transfer Dale Bonner described the game as a culture win.
Asked why these Buckeyes were able to steadily build their lead without letting it slip, he said, “Sticking to our principles. Sticking to what we do best, flying around and staying connected as a team. It doesn’t really matter who we’re playing. Anybody can get beat. We just keep that mindset of staying focused and staying together.”
Buckeyes playing with more pace
Western Michigan presented a different profile than Ohio State’s first three opponent because the Broncos don’t heavily deploy zone defense. Opening-night foe Oakland and most recent opponent Merrimack almost exclusively played zone sandwiched around No. 15 Texas A&M, which played a hefty dose of it.
Against the Broncos, the Buckeyes were clearly looking to push the ball as much as possible.
“We have been pushing it off of makes more this year than we have in the past,” Holtmann said. “I thought our pace was good, and it also helped that we didn’t face a zone. There’s a rhythm to playing offensive basketball when you practice 75% of your possessions against man. Just a rhythm that naturally happens. Well, we didn’t have that rhythm for the bulk of those first three games.”
After the game, Ohio State sits at No. 264 nationally in tempo according to KenPom.com. The Buckeyes are averaging 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes, which is their highest tempo during Holtmann’s six-plus seasons.
The Buckeyes also outscored the Broncos 10-0 in fast-break points. Texas A&M is the only team to score any fast-break points against Ohio State this season after the Aggies had 11 such points, but Ohio State has outscored its foes 33-11 on the break this year.
Zed Key shows off all-around game, continues to impress
He’s started 46 of the 54 games he’s been healthy for during the previous two seasons, but Zed Key has taken to a role as a reserve this season. After posting a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in Wednesday’s win against Merrimack, Key had 11 points in only 16:22 against the Broncos. He pulled down two rebounds, blocked two shots and tied a career high with two steals.
One of them came during the first half, when he nabbed a pass in the backcourt, dribbled across midcourt and dunked at the other end. He also added his first 3-pointer of the season, which came on his only attempt from deep so far this season.
Between the two plays, Battle had a clear favorite.
“I liked the 3,” he said with a smile.
In 21.9 minutes per game, Key is third in scoring at 11.8 points per game and leads the team in rebounding average at 7.3.
“Being in the Big Ten for two years (at Minnesota) I’ve seen Zed and been around Zed and you can see the changes he’s made to his body this year and how much that’s impacted his play,” Battle said. “He’s a grinder. He’s always working. He’s always going at it in practice with Felix.”
Key also shared the court with Okpara for the first time this season. The two centers played together alongside Thornton, Scotty Middleton and Bonner for 2:15 during the second half. Ohio State outscored Western Michigan 8-7 during that stretch.
Okpara pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds while staying on the court late in the game in order to work on his game conditioning, Holtmann said.
"He needs to keep rebounding the ball," the coach said. "Really challenging him on that end to rebound the ball at a higher level. I thought he took a step there."
Ohio State tries to go two-for-one to close first half
Leading 41-18, Ohio State moved the ball across midcourt and called timeout with 57.4 seconds left. When play resumed, Holtmann sent out a new lineup of Bonner, Key, Middleton, freshman forward Devin Royal and sophomore Bowen Hardman.
The plan was to try and get two shots in the final minute of the half, Holtmann said. It just didn’t go exactly to plan.
First, Bonner had the ball knocked out of bounds with six seconds on the shot clock and about 43 seconds remaining. Once Hardman inbounded the ball deep in the backcourt to Bonner, he was only able to get up a deep 3-point attempt that didn’t fall.
At the other end, the Broncos got a 3-pointer from forward Anthony Crump. Middleton was called for a foul as the shot was in the air with 15 seconds left, and Holtmann subbed Okpara in for Key for the defensive possession. JaVaughn Hannah missed a 3-point attempt with about five seconds left and Bonner had the ball near midcourt but opted not to shoot at the buzzer as the Buckeyes took a 41-21 lead into the break.
“I think we missed the read (on the first possession),” Holtmann said. “We did it in an early game too, but that plan was to go two for one. They know exactly when the shot’s supposed to be taken. We didn’t quite execute the pass.”
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Chris Holtmann empties bench late
Hardman’s first-half minutes were a rarity for the sophomore, who totaled only 18 minutes of playing time last season. He wasn’t the only player to see more significant playing time against the Broncos than he typically sees.
In 2:43, Hardman missed a 3-pointer but did not record any other stats. Third-year wing Kalen Etzler played the final 3:51 and grabbed two rebounds but went 0 for 3 from the floor including a pair of missed 3-pointers. Freshman center Austin Parks played the final 1:46 and picked up one foul.
“It was exciting,” Bonner said of seeing the reserves close out the game. “They cheer for us when we’re in the game and we’re going to do the same when they get their chance to pay. They put the same amount of work as anybody else on this team. I was extremely happy they were able to be on the floor.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State hits singles in win against Western Michigan: 5 takeaways
