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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Northern Kentucky did a good job of containing Ohio State superstar forward DeShaun Thomas on Saturday.
But LaQuinton Ross stepped up and scored a career-high 22 points to lead the cold-shooting, fourth-ranked Buckeyes to a 70-43 victory over the visiting Norse in front of a crowd of 16,548 in Value City Arena. Ross was 8-for-12 from the field and made a trio of 3-pointers as Ohio State (5-1) bounced back from a loss at Duke on Wednesday night.
“We figured someone would make shots, but we didn't know which one,” Northern Kentucky head coach
Dave Bezold said of Ross. “To his credit, he stepped up. We couldn't extend pressure to everyone; we gave up the jump shot. We didn't take away his confidence by breaking his rhythm. (Aaron) Craft found him in the right spots and he knocked them down.”
Bezold said his team wanted to stop Thomas from having a huge day, and the Norse accomplished that goal. Thomas entered Saturday averaging 22.4 points per game to lead the Big Ten in scoring, and Northern Kentucky held him to 14.
“Against Thomas, we wanted to jam everyone into the lane and force him to his right,” Bezold said. “If he makes a play off you, it shows how great of a player he is and how ready he is to take it to the next level.”
Ohio State shot just 38 percent from the field against Northern Kentucky (0-5). But the Buckeyes did force 20 turnovers, which led to 22 points.
"We didn't come out putting it in the hole," Thomas said. "But, you know, it's us staying together and preparing in practice and shooting the ball well."
Ross covered up for the thin spots in Ohio State's offensive game. The sophomore wing scored 13 points in the first half as the Buckeyes built a 36-22 lead.
"My coaches really pushed me in practice and told me to shoot the ball, to have my feet ready," Ross said. "I just got the opportunity and I had to take advantage of it."
Northern Kentucky crowded players around Thomas and forced the Buckeyes to hit outside shots. Ross obliged.
"It's important for a guy like Q to come in and step up," Thomas said. "It's a big key to this team."
The Buckeyes, who blew a second-half lead to fall 73-68 at Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, didn't shoot well again against the Norse. But they bounced back with a victory, something the team needed after the loss to the Blue Devils.
"Our whole motto, really since Thursday morning, was that we had gotten punched in the mouth," said starting wing Sam Thompson, who scored 10 points Saturday. "Coach (Thad) Matta was really big these past few days on seeing how we would respond. He definitely wanted to see a toughness element out of us, see us play hard, and he wanted to see us leave the Duke game in the past."
Jalen Billups scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Northern Kentucky, in its first year in Division I. The Norse haven't beaten a Division I team in a regular-season game since a 66-64 win over Tennessee State on Jan. 14, 1984.
Ohio State struggled to pull away from the Norse through the first 13 minutes. But the Buckeyes built on a 22-16 lead with a 12-0 run.
Thomas started it with two free throws, and Smith hit a 3-pointer before Thompson added two foul shots. Craft was credited with the basket on a goaltending call and Ross ended the surge with a 3-pointer from the right wing.
Eshaunte Jones buried a long 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, but NKU went to the locker room trailing by 14 points (36-22). Jones finished with nine points, all on 3-pointers.
NKU shot just 27.1 percent from the field, including 7-for-29 from 3-point range.
“If we make a few more shots, [the score] gets even tighter,” Bezold said. “There are some things that were positives we can take away from this. Moving out of Division II into Division I play, we need time on the floor against this level of competition to see how fast the shooting window closes against this type of team.”
Ohio State won the rebounding battle by a 43-41 count. The Buckeyes were 17-for-20 from the free-throw line, while NKU was 4-for-8.
“We're headed in the right direction. We have a lot of young kids who are learning right now, so this game is definitely a building block,” said Jones, a senior guard. “Ohio State went to the Final Four last year, and there aren't too many teams that come into this arena and leave with a win.”
It marked the first regular-season game between Northern Kentucky and Ohio State. The two met in an exhibition game in 2004, with the Buckeyes posting a 77-67 win against the Norse.
Saturday also marked the first time Northern Kentucky had played a team from the Big Ten in a regular-season game. Ohio State is also the first nationally ranked Division I team the Norse have ever faced.
Northern Kentucky continues its season-opening 10-game road trip Tuesday night (7 p.m. EST) at Texas Tech. It will mark the first meeting between the Norse and Red Raiders in men's basketball.
