First Half Notebook: No. 23 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Rutgers

Here are some first half thoughts as the Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights battle in an early-season Big Ten Top 25 showdown.

Halftime Score: Ohio State 28, Rutgers 38

The first three defensive possessions made an early statement for Ohio State, forcing a turnover and also bleeding down the shot clock which resulted in missed field goals for Rutgers.

Kyle Young started 2-for-3 from the field, scoring four of the first seven points for the Buckeyes, after averaging only four points per game over the last four contests. It’s good to see him get in a little bit of a rhythm offensively.

The Buckeyes’ defense held the league’s second-leading scorer in Ron Harper Jr. scoreless for the first seven minutes of the game but then Harper Jr. drilled three-pointers on back-to-back attempts.

Halfway through the period, Ohio State turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions. That’s uncharacteristic for the Buckeyes, who came into the contest in the top-10 nationally with only 9.1 turnovers per game. Nothing to be alarmed about yet, but definitely something to watch.

E.J. Liddell, the Buckeye’s second-leading scorer, didn’t notch his first points until the 9:31 mark but his effort elsewhere isn’t going unnoticed. His aggressiveness on the offensive glass put Mamadou Doucoure on the bench with two fouls.

Game Preview: No. 23 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Rutgers

Young has made an impact in the first half, scoring six points and grabbing a few key offensive rebounds. He’s helping the Buckeyes get good looks on offense that they’re just not able to convert, only shooting 33.3 percent from the floor.

Ohio State could not get the deep ball going as they were only 1-of-10 from beyond the arc with less than four minutes to go in the half.

Also uncharacteristic for the Buckeyes was a 5-for-8 showing from the free throw line. Coming into the game, Ohio State led the B1G in free-throw shooting at a 77.0 percent clip.

Liddell got more involved in the offense late in the half and led Ohio State with eight points. A traditional 3-point play put Myles Johnson on the bench with three fouls. This could be an interesting development as Johnson is starting in place of injured freshman center Cliff Omoruyi.

Fouls became an issue for both teams as Washington Jr. also found himself in foul trouble with just over a minute left.

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