By Danielle Daniels

12/21/2023

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After a bit of a slow start, Ohio State got on track and put a bow on home non-conference play with a 78-36 victory over New Orleans on Thursday evening.

The Buckeyes are now 10-2 on the season and will break for Christmas before closing non-conference play against West Virginia in Cleveland on Dec. 30.

Senior big man Zed Key made his first start of the season and finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Jamison Battle knocked-down five three-pointers and had a game-high 17 points.

A strong defensive display by both teams would be the story of the opening stage of the game as both teams were gridlocked at a 14-11 Buckeye lead for over four minutes. Each team shot under 30 percent in the opening 10 minutes.

Graduate transfer Dale Bonner would kickstart the Buckeye offense with an and-one layup followed by back-to-back threes from Battle, spurring a five minute, 17-2 scoring run. Ohio State held a firm 31-17 lead at the half as Battle led the charge with eight points and sophomore Bruce Thornton adding seven.

Ohio State would stay on the attack to open the second half as Key and sophomore Evan Mahaffey kept the run alive from the first half, pushing the lead to 41-21 just over five minutes into the second half.

An offensive rebound by freshman Devin Royal would see a Key and-one dunk stretch the lead to 52-25 with just under 10 minutes to go. The Buckeyes would not look back as Battle knocked down three three-pointers to give the Buckeyes a 70-33 lead with just under four minutes to left in the game.

Sophomore Colby Baumann and freshman Austin Parks both earned their first collegiate points in the final minutes of the 78-36 victory.

• Head coach Chris Holtmann and sophomore center Felix Okpara missed the game due to illness.
• Associate head coach Jake Diebler served as acting head coach. He also served as acting head coach on Jan. 9, 2022, when Holtmann also missed the game due to illness.
• Senior center Zed Key made his first start of the season and finished with 16 points and five rebounds.
• This was the first change to the starting lineup this season. The previous lineup, that included Okpara at center, started the first 11 games of the season.
• Evan Mahaffey grabbed a career-high six rebounds and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor.
• Jamison Battle tied a season-high with five three-pointer and eight rebounds. He had a game-high 17 points.
• Freshman Devin Royal grabbed a season-high seven rebounds.
• Freshman Austin Parks and sophomore Colby Baumann scored their first collegiate points late in the second half.
• The 36 points allowed were the fewest since allowing 31 in a 71-31 victory over Louisiana Monroe on Dec. 27, 2013. That was also the last time an opponent failed to have a double-figure scorer.

COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS