Bruce Thornton (2) drains a three for Ohio State (Photo by Ohio State Athletics)
A good Week 1 for the State of Ohio was built on by most teams in Week 2, as Ohio State, Cincinnati, and Miami (OH) stay undefeated!
Ohio State 4-0 (0-0 in the Big Ten)
The Buckeyes beat the Appalachian State Mountaineers in their first game of the week, 75-53. They had a special game where they honored Jerry Lucas, the greatest Buckeye of all time. Lucas had a statue of him unveiled on campus this week, was honored at the Ohio State-UCLA football game, and was honored when the Buckeyes battle Notre Dame on Sunday. Ohio State needed a last-minute bucket from newcomer Christoph Tilly. Tilly made the shot, looking a lot like legend Jerry Lucas, as Ohio State beat Notre Dame, 64-63. Ohio State’s lone game this week is on Wednesday against Mount St. Mary’s.
Cincinnati 4-0 (0-0 in the Big 12)
The Bearcats battle Dayton in a Southwest Ohio rivalry game on Tuesday. UC got the better of the exchange, winning 74-62. That means Middletown is part of the greater Cincinnati area until the Flyers and Bearcats play again. UC finished their week with a win on Sunday over Mount St. Mary’s. The Bearcats won 72-55. Senior guard Day Day Thomas led the Bearcats in scoring in both wins, putting up 20 against Dayton and 16 against Mt. St. Mary’s. Cincinnati has one game this week, but it is a big one; they play #6 Louisville on Thursday.
Xavier 2-2 (0-0 in the Big East)
On Monday night, Xavier got pummeled by Santa Clara, 87-68. The week didn’t get any better for the X-Men as they fell to Iowa on Friday, 81-62. They have a busy week ahead of them and need to rally fast as they play Old Dominion on Tuesday, then Georgia on Friday. Xavier will finish the week on Sunday against either Clemson or West Virginia.
Dayton 3-1 (0-0 in the Atlantic 10)
Dayton traveled south on I-75 in their first game this week to play the Cincinnati Bearcats. UC would beat UD, 74-62. The Flyers would bounce back on Saturday with a win over Bethune-Cookman. Dayton won 91-82. UD has another road game against a team from a major conference on Wednesday when they play at Marquette. They’ll return home to play North Carolina Central on Saturday.
Miami (Ohio) 3-0 (0-0 in the MAC)
The RedHawks had only one game this week, and it was on Saturday, November 15th, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They traveled out west to take on Air Force in the Falcons’ gym. Miami won 76-61. This week they’ll play Merchurst at home on Wednesday, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday in Millett Hall.
Ohio 1-3 (0-0 in the MAC)
In their game against Saint Mary’s, the Bobcats got run out of the gym, losing 90-60! The weekend didn’t bring the men from Athens any relief, as they got beaten by Louisville on Saturday, 106-81. Ohio will try to get back in the win column on Wednesday when they host Bethune-Cookman, which is their only game this week.
Bowling Green 3-1 (0-0 in the MAC)
The Falcons had only one game this week, and it was a road trip to play Davidson. Bowling Green battled hard, closing the game with a 23-9 run, but ultimately still fell, 91-87. BGSU has only one game this week, and it is a home game against William and Mary on Wednesday.
Toledo 2-2 (0-0 in the MAC)
The Rockets played in-state foe Wright State on Tuesday night. Toledo would defeat the Raiders, 81-71. The Rockets kept their momentum going into the weekend, too! Toledo defeated Detroit Mercy 90-83 on Saturday. It was a good rebound week for Toledo, going 2-0 after starting 0-2. This week, they have one game at home on Wednesday against Youngstown State.
Akron 3-1 (0-0 in the MAC)
Akron beat Penn State-Shenango, 109-51, on Wednesday. The defending MAC Champions then had to hit the road and play at #2 Purdue. The Zips gave a decent accounting of themselves, were competitive, but ultimately fell, 97-79. Akron returns home this week for their only game on Friday against Iona.
Kent State 4-1 (0-0 in the MAC)
Kent State had a good week! They beat UNC Wilmington on Monday and then took down Cleveland State and Wright State on Saturday and Sunday to move to 4-1 on the season. This week, they play Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday before battling Cleveland State again on Saturday.
Youngstown State 2-2 (0-0 in the Horizon League)
On Monday night’s game, Youngstown State beat Penn State-Shenango, 115-53. They lost a close one against St. Bonaventure on Saturday, 84-80. This week, they’ll play at Toledo on Wednesday and then play UNC Greensboro on Sunday.
Wright State 2-3 (0-0 in the Horizon League)
The Raiders played Toledo on Tuesday night and fell to the Rockets, 81-71. They bounced back on Saturday with a 92-59 win over Radford, but fell again on Sunday to Kent State, 76-72 in overtime. They have one game this week, at home against Ohio Wesleyan on Thursday
Cleveland State 2-3 (0-0 in the Horizon League)
The Vikings began their week with a terrible defeat against Northwestern. Cleveland State fell to the Big Ten foe, 110-63. They then played a tight game against Kent State, falling 102-95. They got back in the win column on Sunday with an 87-82 win over Radford. This week, they play Valparaiso on Wednesday and then Kent State again on Saturday.
Jerry Lucas-Oscar Robertson Player of the Week
I have a feeling Ohio State’s senior guard, Bruce Thornton, will be getting a lot of these this year. Thornton had 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists against Appalachian State in the 75-53 win. He had 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in the 64-63 win over Notre Dame.
