Buckeyes’ Victory Over Morehead State Gives O’Brien 300 Career Wins – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 16, 2000%^$%^$
%^$%^$%^$%^$Box Score|%^$Quotes|%^$Notes%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$
%^$By RUSTY MILLER
%^$AP Sports Writer%^$
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sean Connolly scored 15 points and hit two 3-pointers%^$in a 16-4 first-half surge as Ohio State beat Morehead State 93-62 on Saturday%^$night.%^$
The Buckeyes’ fifth win in a row was the 300th victory of coach Jim%^$O’Brien’s 19-year career. O’Brien coached four seasons at St. Bonaventure and%^$11 years at his alma mater, Boston College, before coming to Ohio State four%^$years ago. He is now 300-257.%^$
Will Dudley came off the bench to score 12 points and Zach Williams added 12%^$points and 11 rebounds for Ohio State (7-2). Brian Brown had 10 points and%^$seven assists and Ken Johnson also had 10 points for the Buckeyes, who led by%^$as many as 35 points in the second half.%^$
David Aliu and Ricky Minard each scored 12 points and Marquis Sykes had 11%^$for Morehead State (3-3).%^$
The Buckeyes took control after the Eagles pulled even at 16-16 on a%^$3-pointer by Greg Hendricks at the 12:06 mark. Over the next 5 1/2 minutes, Ohio%^$State built its lead to 32-20. Connolly’s six points led five Buckeyes who%^$scored during the surge.%^$
Ohio State led 44-31 at the half, piling up a 23-9 rebounding advantage.%^$
Morehead State trailed 49-35 after Ricky Minard’s bucket at the 16:49 mark%^$of the second half, but Ohio State ran off the next nine points with four%^$players scoring.%^$
The Buckeyes finished with a 43-19 edge on the boards while shooting 55%^$percent from the field.%^$
Connolly hit 5-of-6 3-point attempts, missing both of his shots inside the%^$arc.%^$
The game was a homecoming of sorts for three Morehead State players: Minard%^$and Sykes, former high school teammates in Mansfield, and Andy Keating of%^$Germantown.%^$
The game was Ohio State’s fifth in a nine-game home stand that continues%^$through the Buckeyes’ Big Ten opener Jan. 3 against Northwestern. The last time%^$Ohio State hosted nine games in a row was at the start of the 1910 season.%^$
