In the season opener at UD Arena, Ohio State aims to duplicate the poise and patience displayed there.
One thing that was undeniable in Dayton last week—despite inconsistent outcomes on the court—was Ohio State’s resolve.
After Ohio State’s charity exhibition game victory over Dayton last weekend, 78-70, point guard Bruce Thornton was questioned about a period in the second half where the Buckeyes appeared completely lost. Dayton was able to overcome a nine-point deficit and tie the game at 52 with 12 minutes left in the second half because Ohio State fouled the ball six times in seven possessions during a four-minute period early in the half.
But moments after Marvel Allen tied it up for Dayton with a couple of free throws, Roddy Gayle came back at the other end and banged home a three to put the Buckeyes up, 55-52 once again. Chris Holtmann immediately called timeout. Ohio State did not trail again from this point on.
Perhaps a youthful Ohio State squad from the previous season lacked the maturity to take a deep breath, stop the bleeding, and then step back on the gas pedal to win the game. The team from the previous season might have allowed Dayton’s 9-0 run to balloon into a 13-0 or 16-3 run, then allowed the game to escape their control as the rival crowd erupted all around them.
“We’re going six for seven (possessions) with turnovers instead of points, but we’ll bounce back, remain calm, and continue to play through it.” That’s encouraging, said Thornton. “You have to figure out how to win and maintain your composure.”
Maybe an inexperienced Ohio State team from the previous year lacked the maturity to calm down, stop the bleeding, and then ease off the gas to win the game. Maybe the team from last year let Dayton’s 9-0 run turn into a 13-0 or 16-3 run, then let the game get out of hand as the opposing crowd went wild all around them.
“We’re going six for seven (possessions) with turnovers instead of points, but we’ll bounce back, remain calm, and continue to play through it.” Thornton found that to be encouraging. “You have to figure out how to win and maintain your composure.”
’s why Thornton’s response was telling — he didn’t spend much time talking about the turnovers or the poor stretch where things began to get out of hand. “Offense just takes a minute. It takes everyone (a minute) for their rhythm, their timing,” he said. “So you understand all that, but we knew it wasn’t going to be perfect (tonight).”
“It’s a road game. When they go on a run, you have to keep your composure and keep the team together,” he added. “We all knew this was the first time we’d all played with each other against someone else in a road environment. So I feel like this was a great experience, great cause for mental health and I feel like it was a good day today.”
That was a sharp retort from a player who, although playing at times like a rookie point guard, was a freshman last season. Even though Thornton outperformed everyone, he occasionally made mistakes, made bad shots, and lapsed in defence. This season, he will likely lead Ohio State as captain once more, and it was captain-like of him to highlight how his team overcame that difficult period rather than focusing on the errors.
This team cannot afford to turn the ball over 16 times in any game this season, especially once conference play begins. Ball security will be paramount for Ohio State’s success, and will be scrutinized even more than last season with senior Dale Bonner now in the mix, as well as Gayle and Thornton, who are sophomores but “really aren’t sophomores” in the eyes of head coach Chris Holtmann.
Holtmann believes that his sophomore guards now have the look of seasoned veterans after they were thrown into the fire last season and learned on the job. Unfortunately, being a seasoned vet also means having higher expectations, which applies to Gayle and Thornton. 16 turnovers is not going to be enough.
The game was won by Ohio State in spite of the turnovers. Despite being the overwhelming favourite to win the A-10 this season, Ohio State defeated Dayton by eight points on their home court, but it didn’t matter. Although Chris Holtmann did not play as much as he would have during the season, Anthony Grant, the head coach of Dayton, did not play his starters as much.
Nobody who supported Ohio State was present. It sounded loud. The offence appeared to be lost as things began to spiral out of control. However, Thornton, Gayle, and their teammates pulled on their big boy pants, controlled their emotions, and persevered to win the away (exhibition) game.
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