COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball improved to 2-0 this season with a 76-56 home win over UMass Lowell on Sunday.
The Buckeyes took a 38-25 lead into halftime behind Kaleb Wesson, who put up a stat line of 11 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in the first 20 minutes. Wesson would finish the afternoon with 13 points, 13 rebounds and a game-high five assists. He was one of five players to reach double figures for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State outscored the River Hawks 38-31 in the second half, when UMass Lowell made just three shots from the field. The Buckeyes shot 48.3 percent from the field. For the second straight game, they managed to miss their first five free throws before having a much-improved second half from the line.
Luther Muhammad made his presence felt drawing the defensive assignment on the River Hawks’ leading scorer Christian Lutete, who was coming off of a 51-point outing against LIU on Friday night. Muhammad held him to nine points on just 4of-12 shooting. Offensively Muhammad joined Wesson in double figures with 11 points.
DJ Carton (13 points), Kyle Young (11 points) and Alonzo Gaffney (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Buckeyes. Obadiah Noel led the River Hawks with 15 points. Connor Withers also was double figures for UMass Lowell with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
What’s next
Ohio State (2-0) will face Villanova on Wednesday, its first opponent ranked in the Top 25. The matchup is a part of an eight-game slate for the 2019 Gavitt Games. Tip-off at the Schottenstein Center is at 7 p.m.
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