COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Deshaun Thomas scored 17 points and No. 10 Ohio State regained its shooting touch with an 87-44 victory over Chicago State on Saturday, the Buckeyes' final tuneup before beginning Big Ten play.
LaQuinton Ross added 15 points, Lenzelle Smith Jr. had 13, Amedeo Della Valle had career-high 11 and Aaron Craft scored 10 for the Buckeyes (10-2), who complete an eight-game homestand when they host Nebraska in the conference opener on Wednesday.
The game was Ohio State's first since losing 74-66 to No. 6 Kansas a week earlier. In that game, the Buckeyes played good defense and worked to get open on offense but could not hit shots - even when unguarded. They mustered just 31 percent shooting from the field (20 of 65). Against the Cougars, they hit 33 of 58 shots from the field (57 percent).
Quinton Pippen, a nephew of ex-Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen, had 12 points for Chicago State (3-12), which fell to 0-11 away from home with its fourth straight defeat. The Cougars' regular season is half over already with one more game to play in 2012.
After hitting five of their last six shots from the field to end the half and build a 13-point lead, the Buckeyes opened the second half by making their first four attempts from the field. A 10-2 blitz at the outset of the second half swelled the lead to 47-26.
The Cougars never got closer than 17 points again.
Fact Box
Men
No. 10 OHIO ST. 87, CHICAGO ST. 44
CHICAGO ST. (3-12)
Robinson 0-4 0-0 0, Ross 2-4 0-2 5, Gray 1-3 0-0 3, Pippen 4-8 1-2 12, Rosenberg 0-6 0-0 0, Dismukes 3-11 1-3 7, Gage 0-0 0-0 0, Chamberlain 0-1 0-0 0, Williams 1-4 0-0 3, Duhon 1-4 7-7 9, Ukaigwe 0-1 1-2 1, Starks 1-3 2-2 4. Totals 13-49 12-18 44.
OHIO ST. (10-2)
Thomas 7-13 2-6 17, Thompson 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 1-2 2-4 4, Craft 4-6 1-1 10, Smith, Jr. 6-12 0-4 13, Scott 3-3 0-0 6, Ross 4-7 5-6 15, Rogers 0-0 0-0 0, Ravenel 2-6 1-2 5, Della Valle 3-4 2-4 11, McDonald 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 33-58 13-27 87.
Halftime-Ohio St. 37-24. 3-Point Goals-Chicago St. 6-18 (Pippen 3-6, Williams 1-1, Ross 1-3, Gray 1-3, Rosenberg 0-1, Dismukes 0-4), Ohio St. 8-17 (Della Valle 3-4, Ross 2-3, Craft 1-2, Smith, Jr. 1-3, Thomas 1-5). Fouled Out-Ukaigwe. Rebounds-Chicago St. 22 (Ross, Ukaigwe 3), Ohio St. 48 (Ravenel 10). Assists-Chicago St. 5 (Robinson 3), Ohio St. 20 (Craft 6). Total Fouls-Chicago St. 26, Ohio St. 16. A-16,881.
Wooster 59, Marietta 57
WOOSTER (10-2)
Evan Pannell 4 2-2 12, Xavier Brown 2 4-4 10, Jake Mays 4 1-3 9, Josh Claytor 4 0-2 8, Doug Thorpe 4 1-3 10, Kenny DeBoer 2 0-0 4, Zach McCorkle 1 1-2 3, Geoff McQuay 1 0-0 3; TOTALS: 22 9-16 59
MARIETTA (8-3)
J.J. Martin 4 3-3 12, Tyler Hammond 2 1-2 5, Brennan McKean 2 0-0 5, Jason Humphrey 1 1-2 3, Scott Kimmey 0 1-2 1, Matt Napier 5 0-1 10, Jacob Owens 4 0-1 10, Tyler Worstell 3 3-5 9, Garrett Stephenson 1 0-0 2; TOTALS: 22 9-16 57
Shooting: W 22-56 (39%), M 22-62 (36%); Rebounds: W 43 (DeBoer 9), M 40 (Napier 7); Assists: W 7, M 6; Steals: W 1, M 4; Blocks: W 4, M 4
Halftime score: Wooster 34, Marietta 23
Next game: Ohio Northern at Marietta, Wednesday
Women
Marietta College 74,
Hiram College 45
HIRAM (5-6)
Danielle Day 3 0-2 6, Samantha Morford 1 2-4 4, Alexis Kemper 1 1-2 4, Calysia Smyers 2 0-0 4, Marisa Thomas 1 0-0 3, Kelsey Koskinen 3 0-0 8, Christy Griffin 2 3-4 7, Chelsea Kovach 2 0-0 5, Brenna Host 0 3-6 3, Chrissy Robinson 0 1-2 1; TOTALS: 15 10-20 74; 3-point goals: Kemper 1, Thomas 1, Koskinen 2, Kovach 1
MARIETTA (6-6)
Candice Alexander 8 5-5 21, Tori Dixon 5 0-0 15, Paige Lamb 4 0-0 9, Heather Booth 2 2-2 6, Krissy Rowe 1 0-0 3, Shelby Maloney 3 0-0 8, Bailey Topf 2 1-1 5, Emily Jones 1 2-2 4, Tasha Helmstetter 1 0-0 2, Lindsay Deemer 0 1-2 1; TOTALS: 27 10-13 74; 3-point goals: Dixon 5, Lamb 1, Rowe 1, Maloney 2, Topf 1
Shooting: H 15-55 (27%), M 27-54 (50%); Rebounds: H 35 (Day 8), M 40 (Deemer 9); Assists: H 11 (Thomas 5), M 15 (Alexander 5); Steals: H 7 (Host 2), M 13 (Rowe 3)
Halftime score: Marietta 35, Hiram 25
Next game: Baldwin-Wallace at Marietta, Saturday
Although Ohio State shot much better from the field, it had an awful day at the free throw line. The Buckeyes managed to make just 13 of 27 free throws. It got so bad there was derisive cheering whenever a player hit a foul shot in the second half.
College of Wooster 59,
Marietta College 57
WOOSTER, Ohio - Marietta College's last second three-point shot glanced off the rim as the No. 13-ranked College of Wooster escaped with a 59-57 win Saturday evening in the final game of the 50th annual E.M. Mose Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic.
The Pioneers trailed by 11 points at the half and gradually cut away at Wooster's lead. Marietta missed a game-tying jumper and was forced to foul with 6.5 seconds left on the clock.
The Fighting Scots missed the front end of the one-and-one and senior Jacob Owens collected the rebound and raced up the left side of the court. Owens got off a three-point shot that was off the mark as time expired.
After committing less than 10 turnovers in each of the last five games, the Pioneers turned the ball over 10 times in the first half resulting in 11 Wooster points. The Fighting Scots led 34-23 at the break.
Wooster extended its lead to 16 points, 39-23, early in the second half. The Scots maintained a double-digit advantage throughout most of the period. Following a jumper from Doug Thorpe with 3:21 left in the game, Wooster lead 57-47.
Marietta responded with a 10-2 run cutting the lead to two, 59-57, with 39 seconds left.
Senior J.J. Martin led the Pioneers with 12 points. He had six rebounds, blocked two shots and was named the tournament's defensive MVP. Owens and junior Matt Napier each added 10 points. Napier grabbed a team-high seven boards.
WOMEN
Marietta College 74, Hiram College 45
HIRAM, Ohio - Marietta College used a barrage of three-point baskets to post a 74-45 win over Hiram College Saturday afternoon in women's basketball. The Pioneers buried 10 shots from behind the arc in the game.
Marietta (6-6 overall) scored the final eight points of the first half to take a 10-point lead, 35-25, into the locker room.
Sophomore Candice Alexander was nearly unstoppable scoring 19 points in the opening period. She was a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the line. Alexander finished the game with a career-high 21 points.
While the first half belonged to Alexander, junior Tori Dixon took over in the second. Dixon scored 12 of her 15 points in the final period. She drained four treys in the half and had five for the game.
Dixon opened the second half with a three-pointer to give the Pioneers a 38-25 lead. Hiram was unable to cut the deficit to single digits as Marietta kept the lead around 20 points for most of the period.
Alexander led all scorers with 21 points. She also grabbed four rebounds and had five assists. Dixon finished with 15 points and three assists.
Junior Paige Lamb scored nine points, while sophomore Shelby Maloney added eight. Sophomore Lindsay Deemer pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and also blocked three Hiram shots.
