Ohio State handles Miami’s in-state ‘energy’
COLUMBUS — There was a level of focus required that didn’t exactly measure up to the perceived possible challenge for Ohio State.
On Wednesday night, the Buckeyes hosted a team ranked No. 251 nationally according to KenPom.com, one picked in the preseason coaches’ poll to finish tied for sixth in its 12-team, onebid conference. It was a team playing without a player projected during the offseason to be its main contributor and also missing its typical starting point guard.
But this was a team from Ohio, and with that the Miami RedHawks presented a different kind of challenge in what would become an 84-64 win that marked Ohio State’s seventh straight win.
“There’s a reason why (Ohio State) coaches have not played a ton of Ohio schools,” Buckeyes coach Chris Holtmann said. “Ohio schools, they play with a different way about them when they come in here. I was reminded of that before we played them that there wasn’t a ton of Ohio schools that seemingly played here before we were here. There’s always an energy in those games that’s different. We respect it and we knew it was going to be a competitive game.”
It was, at least for a little bit. The RedHawks eked out an early 9-6 lead through the first five minutes, but Ohio State led by 13 at the break and as many as 26 in the second half. Miami got within single digits for just one second-half possession when Evan Ipsaro hit a jumper with 18:35 remaining, but the Buckeyes countered when Jamison Battle drove, stopped, spun and hit a baseline jumper from just outside the paint and Ohio State’s lead remained in double figures for the remainder.
That’s not to say that things didn’t get chippy at times. Miami coach Travis Steele was called for a technical foul with 17:12 to play after a non-call that saw one of his players knocked ot the floor, and Ohio State’s Zed Key and Miami’s Darweshi Hunter were issued offsetting technical fouls with 12:19 after a mini scuffle in the paint.
That came about two minutes after the teams had to be separated following a Ryan Mabrey hard foul on Ohio State’s Roddy Gayle Jr. as he tried to track down a deep pass from an inbounds play.
“I dove on the floor,” Key said of the play resulting in the technical. “I don’t even remember. It was a blur. I was trying to get up and there were people surrounding me and people on my legs. I just wanted to get up and get off the floor. It was a big thing but it really wasn’t a big thing. That’s why I ran away, because I didn’t want nothing to happen.”
Hunter scored 15 points and Mabrey had 13 to lead MIami (4-4). The RedHawks travel to Davidson on Saturday.
Wednesday’s game came at a tricky point in the calendar for the Buckeyes (8-1). Sunday, they beat Minnesota at home in the Big Ten opener for both schools. Saturday, they go to Penn State. In between, they had this game.
The timing, in addition to the location of the opponent, presented a challenge that had little to do with talent and everything to do with attitude.
“I feel like we have a really locked-in group,” second-year wing Evan Mahaffey said. “That’s one thing coach mentioned. Some of his best teams, the little games like this, they don’t let them get out the way. They know we can all get better in these situations and they can really prepare us.
“When you have a really good team coming in that people might not expect to be, they can sneak up and get you. It shows that we stay locked in no matter who we’re playing or no matter when it is, and that’s what you have to do to beat good teams.”
Said Holtmann: “I thought they had a readiness to play. I thought a couple guys looked fatigued and I was cognizant of that. Overall I thought we had a good readiness to play. We knew this was a group that was coming off beating Marshall and that was capable. I’m not sure our effort was always right where it needed to be, or maybe our focus and concentration, but it was for good points of the game.”