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Sports TwitterPractice makes perfect for OSU
Buckeyes shoot 71 percent from the floor in an 87-43 rout of Presbyterian.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
COLUMBUS — Coach Thad Matta says his team plays exceedingly well in practice, but it doesn't show in games.
So when a snowstorm hit an hour before the tip-off of Saturday's game against Presbyterian, he almost relished the fact there wouldn't be many observers for what turned out to be an 87-43 rout before a sparse crowd at Value City Arena.
Extras
"I told them right before we went out today I said, 'Look, they said it's a blizzard. I'm almost excited because maybe nobody'll be able to make it to the game. You guys play your tails off in practice. So we're going to just take this as a glorified practice with uniforms today,' " Matta said.
That pressure-free approach seemed to work as Kosta Koufos scored 21 points, including nine in a 16-0 first-half run, to lead the way.
Jamar Butler had 16 points and eight assists and Othello Hunter added 13 points for Ohio State (6-3), which shot 71 percent from the field after making just 36 percent of its shots over its last three games. That was the highest shooting percentage for a Buckeyes team since 1981 and is the highest by any team in a game in the arena's 10 years.
"We got a lot of shots up and we shot well in practice all week," Butler said. "I guess practice pays off."
Pat Kiscaden scored 18 points — all on 3-pointers — for the Blue Hose (1-11), in the first of a four-year transition from NCAA Division II to Division I status.
The Blue Hose have won their last eight home games, but have played only once at their arena in Clinton, S.C., so far and play 25 of their 30 games this season on the road. This game was their third in a season-long 11-game road trip.
Coach Gregg Nibert grew up in suburban Columbus as an Ohio State fan.
"I wasn't a Buckeye fan today," he said. "But as I told Thad after the game, I think we got his team going and he owes me a little bit more than that $60,000 they paid for us to come up here."
In 20 minutes, Koufos hit all but one of his nine shots from the field, his only 3-point attempt, four of five free throws and had three rebounds.
Presbyterian, which trailed 11-5, reeled off nine points in a row to go ahead 14-11 on Kiscaden's 3-pointer from the left corner at the 11:23 mark.
Not long after that, Ohio State came out of a timeout and took over the game.
Over the next 6 minutes, the Buckeyes went on a 16-0 tear while the Blue Hose missed seven shots in a row and Ohio State scored on seven consecutive possessions.
"We were much more aggressive, on both sides of the ball," Matta said. "We were able to generate some easy points in transition. We did a good job of moving the basketball and guys were ready to shoot the basketball moreso than we had in the past. We've put a premium on shooting here the last few weeks and it was good to see us finally make some shots."
