Ohio State leads the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils 38-29 at the half. The Buckeyes got off to a hot start, led by a 13-point effort from LaQuinton Ross. A deep field goal by Ross and a three-pointer by Aaron Craft put Ohio State up by 14 points early on, and they kept a comfortable lead for most of the half. The Buckeyes also brought the intensity on defense in the opening stages of the game, only allowing 2 points in the first 4 minutes of play.
The Blue Devils capitalized on five Buckeye turnovers to pull within 5 points in the closing minutes of the half, but Ohio State pushed the lead back to 13 before giving up a quick pair of field goals in the final minute.
Sam Thompson had a monster block for the Buckeyes midway through the half, which was turned into two successful free throws by Amedeo Della Valle on the other end. Amir Williams added three blocks of his own to go with his 9 points. Ohio State will look to shore up their inside defense and reduce their turnovers when play resumes.