Game Notes and Post Game Quotes From Ohio State’s Victory Over Vermont – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/29/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 1999
recap
GAME NOTES
Ohio State notched its first win of the season in the 74-51 win over Vermont. The Buckeyes stand 1-1 on the season. OSU leads the series with the Catamounts 2-1, improving to 5-2 vs. the America East Conference. Vermont falls to 0-4 with the defeat.
OSU, ranked No. 12 in the Associated Press top-25 poll, improved to 278-88 all-time when ranked in the AP poll.
After Vermont rallied to within four points, 44-40, with 15:02 left, Ohio State put the game out of reach with a 19-2 run over the next 8:38. The Buckeyes allowed just 11 points over the final 15:02.
With Scoonie Penn’s three-pointer early in the first half, Ohio State now has connected on at least one three-point goal in 222-consecutive games. The last time an OSU team missed all attempts from three-point range was Feb. 2, 1992, when the Buckeyes went 0 for 5 in a 68-58 OSU win over Michigan.
The Buckeyes had an exemplary night at the charity stripe, hitting 17 of 21 free throws (80.9%). Michael Redd led OSU from the stripe, drilling all eight of his attempts.
OSU also controlled the ball well, tallying just nine turnovers.
Penn’s three three-pointers moved him past Damon Stringer into seventh place on the all-time three-point field goals made list. Penn now has 91 career three-pointers at Ohio State.
Penn tied his OSU-best with six steals, tying his previous best, set last year vs. Indiana (1/9/99). Penn’s career best is eight, set vs. Pittsburgh during his sophomore season at Boston College.
Freshman Brent Darby scored his first collegiate points in the contest, drilling two free throws in the first half. Sophomore Doylan Robinson earned his first minutes as a Buckeye, making his first appearance in the second half.
Ken Johnson blocked five shots in the game, giving him 10 this season. He holds fourth place on the all-time list with 168, one behind third-place Jim Smith’s 169. Johnson had a fine all-around game, tallying 12 points and six rebounds in a team-high 36 minutes of action, committing just one personal foul.
Michael Redd tallied 19 points vs. Vermont, his 20th-consecutive double figure scoring game. He has reached double figures in 66 of his 68 career games. The last time Redd failed to break into double figures was Jan. 16, 1999, at Michigan when he tallied eight points.
POST GAME QUOTES
Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien
“Obviously we are happy to get the win. It is evident that we need to play more games. We played well in spurts but especially in the first half we didn’t click offensively and had several mental lapses.”
“Michael Redd is the guy we are going to go to this year. That is nothing new. We want him to shoot, score and make plays. What I liked about Michael tonight is he became assertive in the second half. He didn’t settle for the 3-pointers but drove to the basket. That is how we need him to play.”
“I am not sure what our identity is. We are still searching for it. We are a work in progress and an ongoing process. Contrary to what the media believes we are still trying to break in many players and find a team unity.”
Scoonie Penn
“This was a good win for us. After two weeks of rest, we needed to play someone other than ourselves. The tempo tonight favored our style. We did a good job getting the ball into transition.”
“When it got to four points, we had to remain calm and play our style. We knew we could take over.”
Michael Redd
“It feels good to get out and play. Two weeks off from the game is a long break.”
“I only had two points at the half, so I had to come out and take over, and I did.”
“We needed to win. Vermont played hard, but we held them. They only scored 11 points in the last 13 minutes.”
“It is important for us to get the ball inside. Kenny stepped it up tonight. We need that on a consistent basis.”
Vermont head coach Tom Brennan
“Johnson might be the best-kept secret in the country. His presence really bothered us.”
“I thought we handled the pressure well. I was pleased with the effort we gave tonight. We competed better than we did against Boston College. When we got close, Redd took over the game. It was simply Redd.”
Tobe Carberry
“In the first half we wanted to come out and correct the mistakes we had made at Connecticut. In the second half we wanted to maintain intensity. We knew they would come out strong. We wanted to be able to take some hits, but also issue some of our own.”
