After three routine victories to begin the season, Ohio State was not expecting to get its first test from Morehead State.
Nevertheless, the Eagles, led by forward Kenneth Faried, gamely battled the Buckeyes for most of the night before finally succumbing to OSU's vast advantage in talent.
Ohio State was dealt was dealt a bit of bad news before the game when Thad Matt and the Buckeyes learned they would be without the services of William Buford. The junior guard was suffering from back spasms, but he does expect to return to the team in time for Friday's game with Miami University.
Even without Buford, the Buckeyes should still have been able to easily dispatch of the Eagles. However, Faried, who is labeled by some experts as a future 1st round draft pick in the NBA, dropped an impressive double-double on Ohio State as the imposing big man poured in 15 points and grabbed 12 boards.
Matta's squad was bailed out by Jon Diebler and his 20-point night. Diebler made four of seven three-point attempts, and it was his timely shooting that enabled Ohio State to eventually put away the feisty Eagles.
The turning point in the game came when Faried picked up his fourth personal foul early in the 2nd half. From that point on, the Buckeyes attacked the basket at will while MSU struggled to mount any kind of offensive attack.
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