Ohio State Jumps Nebraska With Early Scoring Barrage
Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann doubted the sustainability of relying exclusively on a half-dozen players after using only that many in the second half Sunday to upset No. 7 Maryland.
Fortunately, he was wrong.
Spared the difficulty of a top opponent like the Big Ten-leading Terrapins on Thursday, Holtmann went with a short rotation again because of a depleted roster and reaped a 75-54 victory over woeful Nebraska.
Kaleb Wesson scored 16 points and 18 rebounds and C.J. Walker added 15 for the No. 23 Buckeyes (19-9, 9-8), which climbed over .500 in the league for the first time all season despite missing starting forward Kyle Young with an ankle injury.
"When your big fella has 16 and 18, that's a pretty good night," Holtmann said.
OSU also did not have freshman forward Alonzo Gaffney (illness) or freshman guard D.J. Carton (mental health leave), limiting Holtmann to just eight scholarship players.
"We have to keep being smart with it, because we just don't know when Kyle is going to return," Holtmann said.
Duane Washington scored 14 for Ohio State, which expanded a 14-point halftime lead to more than 20 points by the 10-minute mark of the second half before Holtmann gave extended minutes to anyone but his starting five and sixth man E.J. Liddell.
"I thought our approach was good, understanding we were going to play a team that really competes," Holtmann said. "Defensively, we were pretty locked in. Offensively, we were pretty good with the exception of a couple of stretches."
OSU will seek its eighth win in 10 games Sunday in a 4 p.m. tip against visiting Michigan.
The Buckeyes started the season 1-4 and 2-6 in the conference.
"We've had a great run here in the last four of five weeks," Holtmann said. "We have a very difficult closing stretch with Michigan, which is playing as well as anyone in the country."
Nebraska (7-21, 2-15) lost its 13th straight game.
Ohio State jumped the Cornhuskers with three Washington three-pointers in the first 2:31 to foreshadow its advance to a 14-point halftime lead.
"We had a really good start," Holtmann said. "Duane made those three threes in the first four minutes. That really helped us."
Washington's hot start proved contagious enough for the Buckeyes to make nine of their first 11 attempts, which helped feed the expansion of their early 9-4 margin to 26-12 by the 11-minute mark.
OSU's advantage stayed in double figures despite missing 10 straight field goal attempts before Walker ended a five-minute drought without a basket.
Washington added a layup and his fourth three-pointer of the half to keep the Buckeyes rolling and in control, 43-27.
For the latest on Ohio State follow Sports Illustrated Buckeye Maven on Facebook and @BuckeyeMaven on Twitter.
