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No. 23 Ohio State rallies past UMass-Lowell in 2nd half

AP

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Duane Washington Jr. scored 21 points and No. 23 Ohio State had to rally from a second-half deficit to defeat UMass-Lowell 74-64 on Sunday.

Washington took a pass from teammate C.J. Walker and hit a 3 from the left wing for a 70-63 lead with 1:07 left to all but clinch it for the Buckeyes (2-0).

Justice Sueing had 15 points and six rebounds for Ohio State. Walker added 13 points and five assists while E.J. Liddell had 11 points and eight rebounds.

Obadiah Noel, coming off a 35-point game against Illinois State on Saturday, led UMass-Lowell (1-2) with 15 points and seven rebounds. Allin Blunt and Bryce Daley each had 11 points.

The game was tied 33 at halftime after Ohio State shot just 34% from the floor and was 0 for 8 on 3s. UMass-Lowell led by as many as five points on three occasions early in the second half.

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Ohio State benefited from a four-point play with 9:35 left when Daley fouled Sueing on a drive. Daley was assessed a technical foul for arguing, giving him five fouls and ruling him out for the rest of the game. He was the River Hawks' leading scorer with 11 points at the time. The four free throws put Ohio State up 53-51.

Noel tied it at 59 with a 3 for UMass-Lowell with 5:57 left. But Liddell scored inside and Sueing had a layup off a long rebound to give the Buckeyes a 63-59 lead.

Washington’s 3 with 1:07 left just beat the shot clock, and Ohio State put away the game at the foul line.

BIG PICTURE

Ohio State: The Buckeyes found out that all games will not be as easy as their opener, when they defeated Illinois State 94-67 and were hardly threatened. Ohio State struggled at the offensive end, especially on 3-point shooting, where the Buckeyes made 22% (4 of 18) behind the arc.

UMass-Lowell: The River Hawks played a much better game Sunday against a better opponent than they did in an 82-72 loss to Illinois State on Saturday. That should bode well as UMass-Lowell moves toward America East Conference play.

NEW SURROUNDINGS

The game was played at the 18-month-old Covelli Center. The move was necessitated due to a hockey game at Value City Arena, Ohio State’s usual home floor. There were no fans in attendance in accordance with Ohio and Franklin County COVID-19 protocols.

UP NEXT

Ohio State: Hosts Morehead State on Wednesday.

UMass-Lowell: Hosts Sacred Heart on Friday.

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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