Buckeyes Reject Eastern Kentucky, 72-40 – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/19/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 19, 1999
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%^$By RUSTY MILLER
%^$AP Sports Writer
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Coach Jim O’Brien says No. 12 Ohio State is tired.%^$Overmatched Eastern Kentucky grew tired of watching its shots get swatted back.%^$
Ken Johnson blocked eight shots in the Buckeyes’ 72-40 victory over the%^$Colonels on Sunday. Ohio State (5-2) blocked a total of 13 shots, two under the%^$team record and the most by a Buckeye team since 1981.%^$
“We haven’t seen a shot-blocker like Ken Johnson,” said Eastern Kentucky%^$coach Scott Perry.%^$
The Colonels (4-2), who came in making 49 percent of their shots from the%^$field, managed only 15 field goals in 62 attempts (24 percent). Eastern%^$Kentucky, which had won four straight, went 7:42 in the first half and 13:32 of%^$the second without a point.%^$
Most of that ineffectiveness was a reflection of Johnson’s activities%^$inside.%^$
“I really sensed it was hard for them to shoot over me and I was fortunate%^$to take advantage of that,” he said. “One of my goals is to break a%^$blocked-shot record, so I’m satisfied with my performance.”%^$
Johnson’s career-high eight blocks were one fewer than the team record%^$shared by Brad Sellers and Herb Williams. No Buckeye has blocked as many shots%^$in a game in 13 years.%^$
The 6-foot-11 senior now has 195 career blocked shots to take over second%^$place behind Williams’ unreachable 328.%^$
The Colonels came in averaging 81.4 points a game but Perry said Johnson’s%^$intimidation took them out of their game.%^$
“We played very poorly today,” he said. “The team you watched today -%^$that’s not the way we usually play.”%^$
O’Brien agreed.%^$
“I think we were good defensively, but Johnson was probably something they%^$hadn’t seen this year,” he said. “When you look at the tapes of those guys,%^$they’re like a track team. They are out and running, shooting 3s and pressing.%^$They didn’t play like they showed on tape and Ken had a lot to do with that.”%^$
Michael Redd, Scoonie Penn and George Reese each scored 11 points and Brian%^$Brown and Brent Darby had 10 for the Buckeyes.%^$
Chris Garnett and Whitney Robinson each had 10 points for the Colonels, who%^$hit only 3-of-20 from 3-point range.%^$
Lavoris Jerry’s follow with 14:43 left in the opening half drew Eastern%^$Kentucky to 14-11. But that was it for the Colonels’ offense for almost eight%^$minutes. They missed their next 12 shots as the Buckeyes reeled off 13 straight%^$points for a 27-11 lead.%^$
Five players scored during the Ohio State spurt, with Reese hitting the%^$first five points.%^$
Ohio State, which led 36-21 at the half, was ahead 42-29 after the Colonels’%^$Robinson hit a basket off an Ohio State turnover with 16:44 remaining. Eastern%^$Kentucky didn’t score again until the 3:12 mark on a layup by Robinson, missing%^$23 consecutive shots from the field while the Buckeyes ran off the next 20%^$points.%^$
Ohio State lost 80-67 at No. 8 Kansas on Thursday night, then didn’t arrive%^$home until 3 a.m. Friday. O’Brien said the Buckeyes were sluggish in practice%^$on Saturday.%^$
“I think they’re all tired right now. All of them,” O’Brien said.%^$
Ohio State hosts Toledo on Wednesday before breaking for the holiday.%^$
“We’re just trying to get past Toledo and then have a couple of days off,”%^$O’Brien said.
