COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Aaron Craft scored 18 points — including eight free throws down the stretch — to help No. 10 Ohio State hold off neighboring rival Ohio 79-69 on Tuesday night.
Amir Williams had a career-high 14 points, reserve Sam Thompson had 12 and LaQuinton Ross added 10 for the Buckeyes (2-0).
Craft became the third player in Big Ten history with 500 assists and 250 steals in a career and now ranks second on the all-time assists list at Ohio State with 540.
Ohio State built a 12-point halftime lead and never trailed in a game with little continuity due to the constant whistles calling the new contact rules. Ohio State was 37 of 50 at the line.
Stevie Taylor and Nick Kellogg each had 21 points for Ohio (1-1), down by as many as 17 before cutting the gap to five points with 4 minutes left.
The teams, just 75 miles apart, hadn’t met on the court since 1994, a 78-67 Ohio victory in the preseason National Invitational Tournament.