Six Buckeyes scored eight or more points and Ohio State shot 50% from the field in defeating UCLA 77-70 in Cleveland.
OSU was led in scoring by Dwayne Washington with 14 points. Freshman Zed Key added 11 off the bench, C.J. Walker chipped in 10, E.J. Liddell and Eugene Brown III nine each and Musa Jallow eight. Brown’s nine came on three-for-three shooting from the three point line. For the game OSU shot 37% from three.
The game was very closely contested thoughout. OSU led by as many as five early but the halftime score was 39-38 OSU. UCLA led by six midway through the second half, but OSU battled back to keep the game nearly even.
The game was tied at 63 when Brown hit a three to put OSU up by three. After a UCLA basket cut the lead to one Brown hit another three to make it a four-point OSU lead late in the game. OSU was then able to keep UCLA at bay by converting their free throws down the stretch.
With the win OSU moves to 6-1 on the season. The loss drops UCLA to 5-2.
The game marked the return of E.J. Liddell to the OSU lineup. Liddell sat out several games due to mono.