Spokesman-Review
National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Ohio St. 106, Sacred Heart 48
When: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 23, 2014
Where: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Officials: # Eric Curry, # Brian Dorsey, # Tim Stewart
Attendance: 12941

No. 20 Ohio State 106, Sacred Heart 48: Shannon Scott dished off a school-record 16 assists while freshman guard D'Angelo Russell recorded 32 points and nine rebounds as the host Buckeyes cruised in the opening game of the Buckeye Classic.

Scott broke the single-game mark of 15 assists previously set by Aaron Craft against George Mason in the 2011 NCAA tournament. Sam Thompson and Jae'Sean Tate each scored 12 points for Ohio State (3-0), Keita Bates-Diop and Scott scored 11 apiece and Marc Loving finished with 10.

Center Filip Nowicki scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Sacred Heart (1-2). The Pioneers, who shot 25.4 percent from the floor and committed 21 turnovers, were the preseason pick to finish 10th in the Northeast Conference.

Ohio State held the Pioneers to one field goal over the first seven minutes while building a 16-5 lead. But Sacred Heart, connecting on four of its first eight 3-pointers, closed to within 29-19 before the Buckeyes pulled away with a 23-8 run capped by a thunderous dunk by Thompson off a lob by Russell to make it 52-27 at halftime.

The Buckeyes built the lead to 86-36 with a little over 11 minutes remaining. Scott got his record when he penetrated and dished off to a wide open Bates-Diop, who drained a 3-pointer from the left corner with less than one minute to go.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ohio State has won 51 consecutive games at home against unranked opponents. ... Ohio State starting C Amir Williams sat out the game to rest a sore knee. ... The Buckeyes finished with a 56-18 edge in points in the paint.
Top Game Performances
 
Sacred Heart   Ohio St.
Filip Nowicki 10 Scoring D'Angelo Russell 32
Phil Gaetano 5 Assists Shannon Scott 16
Filip Nowicki 9 Rebounds Trey McDonald 14
Tevin Falzon 4 Free Throws Made Keita Bates-Diop 5
Tevin Falzon 1 Steals Shannon Scott 3
De'von Barnett 1 Blocks Keita Bates-Diop 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Sacred Heart 48 25.4 6-24 8-12 9 38 2 1 21
Ohio St. 106 56.9 10-23 14-18 24 44 8 9 7