HALFTIME: Ohio State Buckeyes Lead No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide, 38-33

Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton sits at the top of the box score after one half of play between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are off to a great start at the Emerald Coast Classic as they lead the No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide 38-33 after 20 minutes of play.

In their first road game of the season, the Buckeyes are looking just as comfortable against the Crimson Tide as they would be playing back in the Schottenstein Center.

Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton's 14 points are not only the most from an Ohio State player in the first half, but the most of either team. Sitting in second place on the box score is Alabama senior guard Aaron Estrada with 12 points.

The Buckeyes are playing their second ranked team of the season in the Crimson Tide, following a contest with the then-No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies earlier this season on Friday, November 4. Ohio State shot 17 percent from three-point range against the Aggies, but are finding the mark 42 percent of the time from the same distance against Alabama.

Ohio State also holds an edge with field-goal shooting, having buried 54 percent of their shots compared to 52 percent for Alabama. The Buckeyes lead the Crimson Tide in total rebounds (17-9), second-chance points (6-2) and bench points (14-8).

The Crimson and White are ahead of the Scarlet and Gray in points off turnovers (12-6), points in the paint (18-14) and fastbreak points (7-2).

Second-half action between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Alabama Crimson Tide is set to begin shortly from Raider Arena in Niceville, Florida. Live coverage of the game can be found nationwide on the CBS Sports Network.