Zed Key recorded his second straight double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds as host Ohio State overwhelmed Charleston Southern 82-56 on Thursday in Columbus, Ohio.
Brice Sensabaugh had 14 points and Sean McNeil added 13 points for the Buckeyes (2-0).
Tahlik Chavez scored 13 points and Claudell Harris Jr. had 12 for Charleston Southern.
The Buccaneers (1-1) scored the first two points of the game but that was their lone shining moment as Buckeyes, particularly Key, quickly took control.
They went on an 11-0 run with Key putting in six points. By the time he went to the bench for a breather with 11:12 left in the first half, he had 13 points, hitting 6 of 7 from the floor and a free throw as well as grabbing six rebounds for a 23-6 Ohio State advantage.
During a 91-53 win over Robert Morris three days earlier, Key had his third career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He earned his fourth by halftime with 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Buckeyes took a commanding 46-22 lead.
The Buccaneers could not handle Ohio State’s inside game. They were outscored in the paint 26-10 through 20 minutes, a big reason the Buckeyes made 17 of 33 field goals (51.5 percent).
Charleston Southern, of the Big South, opened the season with an 83-52 win against Toccoa Falls, a member of the Division II-level National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association. It was a stark contrast from Thursday’s opponent, a Big Ten team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
Charleston Southern, which shot 38 percent from the field against Toccoa Falls, struggled for the second game in a row, making 33.8 percent against the Buckeyes.
After making 8 of 34 3-pointers in their opener, the Buccaneers were 5 of 22 Thursday.
Both teams are idle until Wednesday when the Buckeyes host Eastern Illinois while Charleston Southern plays at Tulane.
–Field Level Media