Ohio State Rolls UCLA, 80-66, Behind 26 Assists On 28 Made Shots – Eleven Warriors

For much of the first half of Saturday afternoon’s game, UCLA seemed to be daring Ohio State to take control of the game.

A poor shooting performance for the majority of the game allowed the Bruins – who hit 43.9 percent of their shots from the field – to hang around, but the Buckeyes’ 12-2 run that began with six minutes remaining extended their lead to 16 points with 4:19 remaining. UCLA never cut the lead to below 11 points the rest of the way, and No. 15 Ohio State won its 11th game of the season, 80-66, Saturday afternoon at the United Center in Chicago as part of the CBS Sports Classic.

The Buckeyes moved the ball around well despite shooting just 41 percent from the field. They assisted on 26 of their 28 shots and had just 11 turnovers. Keyshawn Woods led the game with 10 assists, and C.J. Jackson added six assists.

Jackson rebounded from being pulled early in the game after committing a pair of ugly turnovers with 22 points to go along with his assists. He also snagged seven rebounds.

For the second time in three games, Kaleb Wesson picked up a double-double. He had 15 points and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds. Kyle Young, who came off the bench with Woods inserted into the starting lineup, scored 11 points, his second most of the season.

In the first eight minutes of the game, UCLA turned the ball over just once. But in the final 12 minutes of the first half, the Bruins racked up 11 turnovers, seemingly allowing the Buckeyes an opportunity to go on a run.

Kris Wilkes bothered the Buckeyes with 18 points, 13 of which came in the first half. Jaylen Hands (13 points) and Cody Riley (10 points) also finished in double digits. Moses Brown, the Bruins’ 7-foot-1 freshman center, lost the battle in the post to Kaleb Wesson. Wesson forced Brown to pick up two early fouls, then controlled the interior, allowing Brown to score just nine points and grab two boards.