Field Level Media
Jan 18, 2022
Sophomore Eugene Brown III scored a career high 14 points as No. 19 Ohio State routed IUPUI 83-37 in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday.
Brown's previous high was 12 points against Bowling Green on Nov. 15.
E.J. Liddell scored 13 points in 26 minutes and Cedric Russell added 12 points for the Buckeyes (12-4), who outscored the Jaguars 46-13 in the second half and had a 19-0 run the final 6:23 of the game.
IUPUI (1-15), which has lost 10 straight, was led by Bakari LaStrap with 12 points.
The Buckeyes opened the second half with a 24-6 outburst, including a 9-0 stretch for a 61-30 lead.
Ohio State took a 37-24 halftime lead on the strength of seven points each for Liddell, Malaki Branham and Zed Key. Bakari surpassed his 6.3 season average with eight first-half points for the Jaguars.
The Buckeyes looked as if they would blow out the Jaguars as expected when they raced to a 9-0 lead. IUPUI was able to hang close before trailing 26-13.
A mini-surge from the Jaguars made it 30-22, but Russell capped a 7-0 run for the Buckeyes with a 3-pointer for a 15-point advantage with 44 seconds left before the break.
The game wasn't scheduled until Jan. 10. Each school had multiple games canceled in the past month, and Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said Monday he preferred to play a game this week instead of practices. The Buckeyes, who defeated Penn State on Sunday, return to Big Ten play on Saturday by hosting Nebraska.
IUPUI coach Matt Crenshaw said prior to the game that Holtmann had contacted him just before Christmas and Ohio State assistant coach Ryan Pedon followed up after the Jaguars' string of cancellations.
The Jaguars host Wright State on Thursday.
IUPUI last defeated a Big Ten opponent when it won at Northwestern on Nov. 27, 2002. Since then, the Jaguars have dropped 11 in a row to Big Ten foes.
--Field Level Media