COLLEGE BASKETBALL Matta wins debut with Buckeyes

Ohio State advanced to the second round of the Guardians Classic with an easy win over Towson.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Even though it was far from flawless, Thad Matta was glad to get a win in his first game as Ohio State coach.
Terence Dials scored a career-high 23 points and J.J. Sullinger led two scoring spurts to guide the Buckeyes to a 74-53 win over Towson on Monday night in the first round of the Guardians Classic.
"In coaching, unless you give up zero points and pitch a shutout, you're not going to be happy," Matta said. "We have to continue to raise our standards."
Up next
The Buckeyes (1-0) advance to meet Robert Morris in the second round tonight at Value City Arena. The Colonials beat Morgan State 68-49 in the first game of the doubleheader.
"It's a relief to get the first win because I still don't know this team well," said Matta, 37. "I still need to learn about how we start games and come out of timeouts and other things."
The game also marked Pat Kennedy's coaching debut at Towson. A coach for 24 years at Iona, Florida State and DePaul, Kennedy came to Towson after two losing seasons at Montana.
Dials, from Boardman High, hit 8-of-11 shots from the field and 7-of-11 free throws to surpass his previous scoring high of 22, set against Illinois in the Buckeyes' last game at home a year ago.
"We weren't sure how good Dials was -- we found out he's a better scorer than we thought," Kennedy said. "He made shots and we didn't. It looks like he's really improved his offense."
Sullinger and Tony Stockman each added 12 points for the Buckeyes, coming off a 14-16 season.
Mike Green scored 10 points for Towson (0-1), which hit all 15 of its free throws but just 16-of-51 shots from the field for 31 percent.
On the defensive
"Coach has been preaching defense and we've tried to take pride in that," Dials said.
Down 7-6 early, the Buckeyes took the lead for good on Sullinger's 3-pointer from the left wing. He then scored on a driving layup and, after a free throw by Dials and a 12-foot jumper by Matt Sylvester, Sullinger scored inside in traffic and was fouled to push the lead to 17-9.
Sullinger said Matta has remained positive during the preseason.
"I haven't seen a time when coach's intensity level isn't up," Sullinger said with a wide grin. "I think he wakes up with a high intensity level."
The Tigers hit just 26 percent from the field in the opening half and trailed 37-23.
Sullinger blocked a shot on Towson's first possession of the second half and then later dunked and assisted on Stockman's 3-pointer as the Buckeyes opened up a 46-25 lead by scoring nine of the first 11 points.
"The first four minutes of the second half are always huge," Dials said. "We wanted to put them away and we came out fast. We didn't give them any confidence to get back in the game."