By Danielle Daniels

Ohio State vs. UCLA
Date: December 16, 2023
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Venue: State Farm Arena – Atlanta, Ga.
Watch: CBS
Game Notes: Ohio State | UCLA
Rosters:Ohio State | UCLA
Season Stats:Ohio State | UCLA

TICKETS: Season, single-game, group and mini plans are available men’s basketball games this season. Use promo code TMN241 to unlock a special Buy One, Get One holiday offer! Visit OhioStateBuckeyes.com or call the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office in the Schottenstein Center at 1-800-GOBUCKS.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State looks to rebound this weekend when it heads to Atlanta to take on UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena. The game tips at 3 p.m. and will be televised on CBS. Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery and Jenny Dell will call the action.

• This will be the 13th all-time meeting between the Buckeyes and Bruins and the fourth in the CBS Sports Classic. The series is tied 6-6 overall and the Buckeyes have a 2-1 edge in the previous three CBS Sports Classic games.
• The most recent meeting came in 2020 when the Buckeyes won 77-70 in Cleveland. Duane Washington Jr. led the Buckeyes with 14 points while Zed Key, then a true freshman, scored 11 points and pulled-down a team-high six rebounds.
• Ohio State is 4-4 all-time in the CBS Sports Classic, which is the second-best record among the four teams. The Buckeyes had won three-consecutive games before losing to North Carolina in overtime last year.
• The Buckeyes have scored 80 or more points in six consecutive games, marking the first time that has happened since early in the 2011-12 season. They haven’t had seven-consecutive games of 80 or more since the start of the 1990-91 season. But a seventh game won’t be easy as UCLA has neither scored or given up 80 points in a game yet this season.
• The Buckeyes are coming off a tough 83-80 setback at Penn State last Saturday. Bruce Thornton led the way with 17 points. The Buckeyes made 11 three-pointers and assisted on 21 of 27 made field goals. Zed Key recorded his second-consecutive double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The loss snapped Ohio State’s seven-game win streak.
• UCLA is also coming into the game with a full week off, having last played at Villanova on Saturday. The Bruins lost 65-56 and come into the weekend at 5-3 overall. Their other two losses came by a combined six points to No. 4 Marquette and No. 11 Gonzaga. UCLA has the sixth-best scoring defense in the country, allowing just 58.8 points per game.
• As a team, the Buckeyes lead the Big Ten and are 9th in the country in three-point percentage at 40.4 percent. They have made 10 or more three-pointers four times this season.
• Bruce Thornton leads the team at 18.5 points per game and his 5.38 assist-to-turnover ratio is third-best in the country.
• Big man Felix Okpara has made 15 of his last 19 shot attempts (78.9 percent) and has blocked at least one shot in each of the last 17 games.