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No rhythm. That was the story of an mostly ugly first half for Thad Matta's 8th ranked Buckeyes against the American University Eagles. For the second time in as many games, the Bucks failed to look comfortable on the offensive end of the court.
As the Buckeyes shot under 20% for much of the first half and struggled to the Eagles away, despite forcing 11 turnovers and holding advantages in nearly every statistical category, any fans who switched the channel probably wouldn't be blamed. Any half that Amir Williams is amongst your leading scorers, that probably means your skill position guys weren't exactly in the zone – though to be fair, he did look much better for the second or third time in as many games.
For Ohio State in the second half, they'll need to find themselves offensively. If they can do that, the early sloppy goings will quickly become an afterthought. Though American is overmatched, if they can keep forcing the Buckeyes into bad shots, they'll continue to be in this thing.
KEY STATS:
Amir Williams: 8 points, 2 rebounds
Marc Loving: 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Shannon Scott: 4 points, 7 rebounds