Buckeyes Use Big Second Half To Beat Gators 93-75

Freshman Jared Sullinger dominated inside with 26 points and 10 rebounds on 13-of-17 shooting, and fourth-ranked Ohio State pulled away late to notch a key road victory over ninth-ranked Florida, 93-75.

Sullinger, one of the top-billed first-year college players this year, highlighted the game with several emphatic dunks for Ohio State (2-0), which has beaten Florida twice since Greg Oden and the Buckeyes lost to Joakim Noah's and Al Horford's Gators in the 2007 NCAA Tournament championship game.

David Lighty made 9-of-11 shots for 26 points, and William Buford added 16 in the win. Jon Diebler had 14 for Ohio State.

Kenny Boynton made 5-of-8 from three-point range in a 21-point game for Florida (1-1), which opened up its season with a 77-60 victory over UNC- Wilmington. Erving Walker scored 15 points, while Chandler Parsons and Vernon Macklin had 13 and 12 points, respectively, in defeat.

Both teams shot remarkably well. Ohio State made 62.9 percent of its shots, while the Gators shot 61.2 percent from the field.

Florida held a 57-56 lead with 12 1/2 minutes to play in the game, but Ohio State put together a 13-3 run to take control.

Diebler quickly put OSU ahead with a three-pointer on the next possession, and Sullinger's dunk was followed by William Buford's layup for a 63-57 advantage.

After Boynton got Florida to within three on a trey, Sullinger got inside again for another dunk, and Lighty hit a jumper on the next touch. Sullinger capped the burst with his third slam for a 69-60 lead with just over nine minutes remaining.

Ohio State's lead reached double digits for the first time, 76-65, on Lighty's basket with a little more than six minutes to go, and Florida never got closer than nine down the stretch.

The first half featured runs from both teams.

Ohio State took the early lead, 14-9, following a Sullinger dunk, but Florida scored the next six points to take the lead on a Walker jumper just past the 12-minute mark.

The Gators eventually went up by seven, 25-18, following a Boynton three with nine minutes left, but the Buckeyes scored seven of the next nine points to cut their deficit to 27-25 following consecutive buckets by Buford.

Two jumpers from Macklin gave Florida a 39-32 edge with 3 1/2 minutes before halftime, but Sullinger and Diebler both scored in the final 1:15 to make it a 41-38 game at the break.

Sullinger hit a pair of shots to begin the second half and give Ohio State a one-point lead, and neither team led by more than three until the Buckeyes' run.

Ohio State leads the all-time series, 7-4...Buckeyes freshman forward Deshaun Thomas, who had a team-high 24 points in his first game, scored only two on Tuesday...Sullinger has totaled 45 points and 24 boards in his first two games.

Buckeyes Face First Hoops Test At Florida

Top-10 foes collide in Gainesville this evening, as the fourth- ranked Ohio State Buckeyes come calling on the ninth-ranked Florida Gators in a nationally-televised showdown at the O'Connell Center.

Thad Matta's Buckeyes are primed for a big season and one of the real favorites to win the Big Ten this year. The team has a great blend of productive veterans on the roster, but what separates this team is the abundance of youthful talent that could carry OSU far in the postseason. That youth was on full display in the season-opener, as the Buckeyes made light work of NC A&T, 102-61.

Billy Donovan's Gators are back among the SEC elite this year and definitely among the favorites to take home the conference crown. Florida opened its much anticipated 2010-11 season with a solid 77-60 victory at home against UNC Wilmington.

This is the 11th meeting in this series, with Ohio State holding a 6-4 series advantage, including a win in the last meeting in Columbus in 2007.

The Buckeyes are young and extremely talented, as evidenced by the season- opening rout of NC A&T. Ohio State's freshmen class combined for 60 points and 27 rebounds in the lopsided victory. Deshaun Thomas led all scorers with 24 points. Jared Sullinger posted a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Aaron Craft chipped in eight points and nine assists in the victory. Veterans like Dallas Lauderdale (12 pts, 13 rebs), William Buford (11 pts, seven rebs, four assists) and David Lighty (10 pts, seven rebs) got into the act as well, as OSU shot a solid .487 from the floor, while owning the glass with a 60-22 edge in rebounding. They certainly all won't come that easy for the Buckeyes this season, but it was a nice adjustment to live action for the younger players on the roster heading into this matchup with the Gators.

Speaking of Florida, the team is much more veteran-driven, with three seniors in the starting lineup, a junior and a sophomore. It was seniors Chandler Parsons and Alex Tyus that led the charge in the season-opening win against UNC Wilmington, netting 16 and 13 points, respectively. Sophomore guard Kenny Boyton chipped in 10 points to the cause, while Vernon Macklin and Erving Walker finished with nine points apiece. Erik Murphy was productive off the bench, finishing with 10 points in 16 minutes of action. The Gators shot a solid .479 from the floor in the game and held a 36-22 advantage on the boards, while converting 20 turnovers into 24 points.

The young Buckeyes can really do themselves a service by posting an early season victory over a top team on the road. With the strong play both inside and out, look for OSU to do enough to pick up that win here.

GAME NOTES: Top-10 foes collide in Gainesville this evening, as the fourth- ranked Ohio State Buckeyes come calling on the ninth-ranked Florida Gators in a nationally-televised showdown at the O'Connell Center.

FACTS & STATS: Site: Stephen C. O'Connell Center (12,000) -- Gainesville, Florida. Television: ESPN. Home Record: Ohio St. 1-0, Florida 1-0. Away Record: Ohio St. 0-0, Florida 0-0. Neutral Record: Ohio St. 0-0, Florida 0-0. Conference Record: Ohio St. 0-0, Florida 0-0. Series Record: Ohio State leads, 6-4.