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Second half surge guides Buckeyes over Miami-Ohio

Dec 23, 2011 - 5:47 AM Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - William Buford paced No. 2 Ohio State with 18 points as the Buckeyes ran away with the game in the second half to take a 69-40 decision over Miami-Ohio.

Deshaun Thomas added 15 points, while Jared Sullinger contributed 11 with six rebounds in Ohio State's (12-1) fourth straight win after its lone loss of the season.

"We just have so far to go with continuing to mature and doing the little things to make us a better basketball team," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said about his team. "We have some battles coming up. We have to be ready."

Julian Mavunga recorded a double-double for Miami-Ohio (3-7) with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but was also the only member of the RedHawks to score in double digits.

The Buckeyes jumped out of the gate hot as Miami-Ohio struggled, missing its first four shots and turning the ball over twice over the first four minutes, to give Ohio State an 11-0 lead.

Drew McGhee's jumper stopped the run, but neither team would score over the next three minutes until Thomas put back a missed shot by Sullinger for a 13-2 Ohio State lead a little over seven minutes into the first half.

Miami-Ohio would not cut the deficit lower than seven points for the remainder of the half, but with the Buckeyes holding a 26-12 advantage with four minutes left, Miami-Ohio held Ohio State scoreless for the remainder of the half and got within 26-17 at the break.

Ohio State then found its offense in the second half after shooting just 39.3 percent in the first, shooting 50 percent from the floor and 3-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Josh Sewell opened the second half with a layup to bring Miami-Ohio within 26-19, but Ohio State responded with a 15-2 run to stretch its advantage to 20 points at 41-21 with 14:11 left in the game.

The Buckeyes cruised to the finish from there, leading by no less than 18 points and by as much as 31.

"We played against what I think is the best team in the country, the smartest team in the country," Miami-Ohio head coach Charlie Coles said. "They know what is important and they let the unimportant things go."

Game Notes

Ohio State holds a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series...Over the last three seasons, Ohio State holds a 48-1 record at home...Miami-Ohio turned the ball over 18 times, while Ohio State recorded just five turnovers.