Balanced Bucks batter Oakland, improve to 11-0

Associated Press

Columbus

One team was tired, the other was in a hurry.

Deshaun Thomas scored 17 points and five teammates also hit double figures to lead No. 2 Ohio State past weary Oakland 92-63 on Thursday night, giving coach Thad Matta his best start in his seven years with the Buckeyes.

“Let’s make this quick. I’ve got to go Christmas shopping,” Matta joked at the outset of his postgame comments.

His latest team eclipsed the 11-0 mark by Matta’s second Ohio State team in 2005-6, on the way to a 26-6 mark.

Freshman Jared Sullinger had 16 points, Jon Diebler and David Lighty 13 each and Aaron Craft and William Buford 12 apiece for the Buckeyes (12-0). Craft’s point total was a career high and he added seven assists.

“They’re a good team; a really good team,” Oakland coach Greg Kampe said. “I know. I’ve seen some good teams; we’ve played against enough of them.”

It was just another top opponent for Oakland, Mich., which has also played road games at West Virginia, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State and Michigan. The Golden Grizzlies upset then-No. 7 Tennessee 89-82 on Dec. 14 — the program’s only victory against a top 10 team — and has played four games in the last six days and five in the last 10.

Travis Bader had 17 points and Larry Wright added 12 for the Golden Grizzlies (7-8), who were outscored 55-35 in the second half. Keith Benson, averaging 17.4 points a game, fouled out with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Leading by nine points at halftime, the Buckeyes scored 11 of the first 14 points in the second half. Five players scored, with Lighty, making his 100th career start, hitting a 3-pointer and Sullinger, Dallas Lauderdale, Buford and Craft each adding a basket.

“We just weren’t making shots today,” Lighty said of the Buckeyes, who shot 47 percent for the game. “We were getting a lot of good looks but they just weren’t falling for us. When that happens you just have to find ways to put it in the basket.”

Down as many as 17 points, the Golden Grizzlies got as close as 50-40 on Benson’s flip over his shoulder at the 13:53 mark before Ohio State pulled away by scoring the next 10 points.