COLLEGE BASKETBALL

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Tuesday’s games

No. 16 Ohio State 79,

Rutgers 52

COLUMBUS

C.J. Jackson scored 18 points to help No. 16 Ohio State rout Rutgers. Kaleb Wesson added 14, and Kam Williams, playing his last home game, had 13 as the Buckeyes (23-7, 14-3 Big Ten) got a feel-good win on senior night, coming on the heels of tough road losses to Penn State and Michigan that dropped them out of first place in the conference. Corey Sanders had 12 points for the Scarlet Knights (13-17, 3-14). They’ve lost eight of their last nine games. Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State’s best player who missed most of last season to a leg injury, continued to struggle with his shooting. After starting the month as the likely candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year, he has had trouble scoring against more aggressive defenses. He had just six points against Rutgers on 3-for-11 shooting. Bates-Diop has a year of eligibility remaining but likely will leave for the NBA. He graduated from Ohio State in December. Jae’Sean Tate, also playing his last game at Value City Arena, had nine points and 10 rebounds. Ohio State led 32-27 at the half. The Buckeyes had built a 19-point lead coming off an 11-0 run with 5:41 left in the half but then went cold. Rutgers put together a 16-2 run to finish the half, during which Ohio State went 1 for 8 from the floor. But Rutgers, one of the nation’s worst offensive teams, opened the second half 1 for 8, and Ohio State took control with an 18-2 run.

Akron 81,

Bowling Green 79

BOWLING GREEN

Jimond Ivey drove into the middle of the lane to hit a floater and Lucas Smith added a free throw in the final seconds as Akron upset Bowling Green. The teams swapped the lead throughout with Justin Turner nailing a jumper to put Bowling Green ahead 79-78 with 27 seconds remaining. Ivey followed with the floater to retake the lead. Bowling Green’s Dylan Frye missed a 3-point attempt, Demajeo Wiggins grabbed the offensive rebound but Ivey blocked his shot and Smith came away with the ball. He was fouled and split a pair of free throws with 2 seconds left. Daniel Utomi led Akron with 29 points, making 9 of 10 from the line and draining four treys. Malcolm Duvivier added 14 points and Ivey finished with 12 for the Zips (12-15, 5-10), who garnered their first road win of the season. Frye drained 5 of 7 from long range to finish with 24 points and Turner added 15 with six assists for Bowling Green (16-12, 7-8), which has dropped two straight but remains in second place behind Buffalo in the MAC East standings.

Ohio 88,

Kent State 76

ATHENS

Jordan Dartis sank half of his 10 3-point attempts and scored 20 to lead six players in double figures and Ohio won back-to-back Mid-American Conference games for the first time this season. Dartis added four assists, three rebounds and two steals for the Bobcats (12-15, 5-10 MAC). Teyvion Kirk scored 17 and Kevin Mickle and James Gollon added 13 points apiece with Gollon snaring seven rebounds. Mike Laster and Doug Taylor scored 11 and 10, respectively. Ohio hit 7 of its 10 3-pointers in the first half and led 47-39 at intermission. The Bobcats led 62-51 on a Laster layup with 12 minutes left to play, but Kevin Zabo and BJ Duling combined for seven points in a 9-0 surge to pull Kent State within 62-60 with 9:12 remaining. Kirk scored six straight points in an 8-0 run to push Ohio’s lead back to double digits and the Bobcats were never threatened from there. Adonis De La Rosa paced the Golden Flashes (13-15, 7-8) with 13 points, while Jaylin Walker, Desmond Ridenour and Zabo all scored 12.

Associated Press