Sacred Heart
1-2
Ohio St.
3-0
Pioneers Fall to 20th Ranked Ohio State
11/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
COLUMBUS – The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team dropped a non-conference matchup with Big Ten and 20th ranked opponent Ohio State, 106-48, on Sunday night before a crowd of 12,941. The loss drops the Pioneers to 1-2 to start the year. The Buckeyes, led by 32 points from D'Angelo Russell and six players scoring in double figures, improve to 3-0 on the season. They shot 56.4 percent from the floor.
After the teams traded misses for the first 1:48 of the game, Ohio State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead 2:50 into the game after back to back dunks by Sam Thompson. Cane Broome ended the run with a three point basket.
The Buckeyes increased their lead to double digits for the first time just over six minutes into the first half when Russell made a jumper at the 13:54 mark. Over the next 4:05, Phil Gaetano, Evan Kelley, and Steve Glowiak, all made three point baskets to cut the Buckeye lead to eight, seven, and seven respectively. Glowiak's bucket got the Pioneers within seven with 9:41 remaining in the half at 21-14. It was the last time SHU would be within single digits. Broome got Sacred Heart within ten one last time at the 6:41 mark after a three point play.
From that point the Buckeyes would close the half on a 23- 8 run, including a 19-4 edge over the next 4:35. Sam Thompson beat the halftime buzzer with a dunk to send the Buckeyes into the locker room with a 52-27 lead, tying their largest lead of the first half.
Filip Nowicki was one rebound shy of a double double as he scored 10 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in 22 minutes of action, while Broome added eight. Sacred Heart grabbed 20 offensive rebounds to Ohio State's 14 in the contest, led by five each from Tevin Falzon and Nowicki. The Buckeyes held the overall advantage in the rebounding battle, 47-39. The Pioneers struggled from the floor, only shooting 25.4 percent.
Nowicki and Anthony Lee traded two buckets each over the first 1:39 of the second half to keep the deficit at 25 before Ohio State increased the lead to 34 after a 9-0 spurt with 16:34 remaining. Nowicki scored the first six points of the second half for SHU. After his layup at the 16:15 mark, the Buckeyes would then go on a 17-0 run over the next 3:42, started by three straight three point baskets by Russell, to increase their advantage to 49 at 82-33 with 12:33 remaining.
Gaetano led the Pioneers with five assists to move into 8th place on the all-time NEC assists list with 559. Vince Fritz and Chris Robinson both scored their first career baskets in the second half.
In addition to Russell and Thompson, Marc Loving, Shannon Scott, Jae'Sean Tate, and Keita Bates-Diop were the double digit scorers for the Buckeyes. Scott added 16 assists. Trey McDonald scored eight points and led the team with 14 rebounds. Ohio State outscored SHU in the paint 56-18, 29-2 in points off turnovers, and 18-2 in the fast break.
The Pioneers will be back on the road for one more contest, as they travel James Madison for a 2 pm tip on Wednesday. The Dukes are 2-1 on the year and will face Colgate on Monday.
