Buckeyes Exact Revenge, Defeat Rutgers 76-62

Tony Gerdeman

8 years ago

COLUMBUS — Ohio State sophomore center Kaleb Wesson scored 21 points in the first half and senior point guard CJ Jackson scored 17 in the second half to give the Buckeyes (14-7, 5-6) a 76-62 win over Rutgers (11-10, 4-7).

Wesson finished with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting in 38 minutes of action.

Ohio State shot well on the afternoon, hitting 27-of-51 shots from the field (.529), and more impressively 13-of-28 (.464) from three-point range.

Perhaps the most important statistic for the Buckeyes on the day was just six turnovers, compared to the 19 they committed just a few days ago at Michigan.

It also didn’t hurt that Ohio State got off to a fast start thanks to Kaleb Wesson.

Wesson scored the Buckeyes’ first 12 points, all on jumpers. His scoring streak was finally ended by a three-pointer from freshman guard Luther Muhammad. Muhammad’s basket gave Ohio State a 15-8 lead with 12:17 remaining in the first half.

Muhammad scored 12 points on the day, all via the three-pointer.

Wesson got right back to his scoring ways, however, adding in a pair of free throws and his third three-point basket of the half.

The Buckeyes were able to build an 11-point lead, which was quickly whittled back down to just four points. Following a layup by Wesson, the Buckeyes got three-pointers from Keyshawn Woods, CJ Jackson, and Muhammad to build the lead up to 12 points.

A three-pointer in the final minute from Rutgers guard Geo Baker made it 37-29 at the half.

The Scarlet Knights opened the second half quickly with a layup from Shaquille Doorson, but that was answered by a three from Jackson. Jackson then picked up a steal and hit another jumper to build the lead back up to 11 points.

The two teams then traded three-pointers for a bit, which did Rutgers no good because Jackson was matching them almost every step of the way.

Jackson continued his hot shooting with a three-pointer followed by a two-point jumper to keep the lead in the double digits. Jackson went on a run, scoring nine points in a 13-point stretch for the Buckeyes, building a 61-47 lead with under seven minutes to play.

Clutch shooting for the Buckeyes down the stretch then made sure the Scarlet Knights would never make a run.

Jackson finished the game with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting and 4-of-7 from three-point territory. He had a game-high +22 in plus/minus.

The Star

Kaleb Wesson scored 21 points in the first half on 8-of-9 shooting. Almost none of those baskets were of the typical big-man-scoring-variety, and instead were jumpers from deep or the baseline, capping a flawless possession each time. He finished with 27 points, and after the game head coach Chris Holtmann was pleased that Wesson didn’t settle for bad shots or quick three-pointers in the second half. Instead, Wesson continued to look for better shots for himself and his teammates.

Quick Hits

+ Not to be lost in the Kaleb Wesson starshine was the performance by CJ Jackson. Jackson was in complete control in the second half, hitting 7-of-11 shots, grabbing five rebounds, and handing out three assists while turning it over just once for the entire game. He hit 3-of-5 three-point attempts in the second half

+ Not to be lost in the CJ Jackson hullabaloo was the performance by Luther Muhammad and Keyshawn Woods, who both shot the ball well and were confident in each shot they took. Woods finished with 11 points in 30 minutes, hitting 2-of-4 from three.

+ Duane Washington’s minutes are down as the freshman continues to struggle in several areas. Chris Holtmann said on Friday that he could do a better job as a head coach in not putting such young lineups on the court at times. It would appear that Washington’s minutes were a victim of Holtmann’s realization, as well as Washington’s ongoing shooting slump.

+ After the game, Chris Holtmann congratulated former Buckeye D’Angelo Russell on his All-Star bid.