Field Level Media
Nov 23, 2018
Kaleb Wesson tied his career high with 19 points when No. 23 Ohio State defeated Cleveland State 89-62 in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday.
Wesson, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, had 18 and 19 points in his previous two games for the Buckeyes (6-0). C.J. Jackson added 17 points.
Stefan Kenic had 13 points for Cleveland State (2-4).
Ohio State led 38-29 at the half but quickly increased the margin to 54-36 with 14:44 left in the game by hitting 7 of 9 shots while Cleveland State made 3 of 8.
The torrid shooting continued to increase the lead to 71-43 with nine minutes left as the Buckeyes made 13 of their first 17 shots in the second half.
The Buckeyes jumped to a 20-10 lead with under eight minutes left in the first half, but the Vikings responded with a 7-0 run over a 1:35 span to pull to within three points.
Ohio State then used its transition game to forge a 31-19 lead only to see Cleveland State move to within nine at the half.
C.J. Jackson led OSU with 10 points in the first half. Tyree Appleby had seven points for the Vikings.
The game drew a sellout of more than 13,000 to the Buckeyes' former home, St. John Arena.
Ohio State played in St. John Arena from the 1956-57 season through the 1997-98 season. The Buckeyes are 6-0 there since their move to Value City Arena in 1998-99, with the most recent game in St. John Arena on Dec. 2, 2012.
Keith Wesson, father of Wesson, and his OSU teammate and brother Andre Wesson played in the building for the Buckeyes from 1983-87.
The Vikings are 1-9 vs. Ohio State. They have not played since a 72-59 win for the Buckeyes in December 2009. Cleveland State's lone victory in the series was 75-73 in 1994.
Cleveland State hosts Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday. The Buckeyes next host Syracuse on Wednesday back in Value City Arena.
--Field Level Media