Ohio State Buckeyes Cure Their Shooting Woes In Win Over Chicago State

Nothing cures shooting woes like a game against a woeful opponent.

Ohio State shot 57 percent from the field in its 87-44 drubbing of Chicago State on Saturday afternoon and it was a performance the Buckeyes needed after losing their shooting touch in a showdown against Kansas a week earlier.

The Buckeyes shot 31 percent against the Jayhawks, but their effort against the Cougars brought a smile to the face of Ohio State head coach Thad Matta.

“When we made our first shot today, I turned to the coaches and said, ‘Hey, we’re 1-for-1. That’s 100 percent. This is awesome,'” Matta said in a post-game press conference. “I was pleased with how we shot the ball today.”

Deshaun Thomas led the way with 17 points. LaQuinton Ross dropped in 15 points, Lenzelle Smith Jr. pumped in 13 points, Amedeo Della Valle scored 11 and Aaron Craft clicked for 10 points.

The Buckeyes put a lot of emphasis on shooting after the disappointment against Kansas, and at least on Saturday, it paid off nicely.

“If you look at the numbers, we shot more game-like shots throughout practice and the week we had off,” Craft said in a post-game press conference. “We’re taking shooting a little more seriously.”

Ohio State has the talent to shoot the ball well, and while not every opponent going forward will be a pushover like Chicago State, the Buckeyes understand that good shooting combined with a relentless effort on defense will put them in a position to contend for the Big Ten championship.

Thomas is confident the Buckeyes are ready for the challenges ahead of them.

”Yeah, I think we are,” Thomas said in a post-game press conference. ”Coach is going to have us ready for the challenge.”

Brian Lester is a featured Big Ten columnist and college basketball writer for Rant Sports. He is a member of the United States Basketball Writers Association as well.

Follow him on Twitter @BLester1993 or send him an email at [email protected].