Football
Turner Overcomes First-Half Struggles to Earn Second Triple-Double
By Brandon CastelCOLUMBUS, Ohio – It took him 39 minutes, but Evan Turner got his second triple-double of the season Tuesday night, and Ohio State got its fourth victory in the process, an 84-64 win over Lipscomb University.
Evan Turner became the first Buckeye ever to record two triple-doubles in a career. Turner had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against Lipscomb.
Photo by Jim DavidsonIn a game that looked eerily similar to the one they played against James Madison two weeks ago, the Buckeyes allowed Lipscomb to hang around far too long before pulling away for the 20-point win behind 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists by Turner in their return to Value City Arena.
“I was nervous going into the game because I told the guys this was the best 0-3 team I’ve ever seen,” OSU Head Coach Thad Matta said after the game.
“Just with their low-post game and the way they can shoot the ball, I knew it was going to be a tough game.”
After giving up the first bucket of the game, Ohio State (4-1, 0-0 Big Ten) got out to an early 10-point lead. But costly turnovers – including five in the first half by Turner – allowed the Bisons (0-4) to pull within a point of the heavily-favored Buckeyes on three different occasions.
“They came out spitting fire and we didn’t really start fighting back until the second half,” said forward Dallas Lauderdale, who had eight of his 13 points in the first half.
The third came on a triple by guard Josh Slater with 1:57 to play in the half, but Jon Diebler dialed up two of his own from long-range, and the Buckeyes took a 36-27 lead into half time thanks to an 11-3 run to close out the first half.
“The last two minutes of the first half was a one-point game and they go on an 11-3 run,” said Lipscomb coach Scott Sanderson, who was extremely disappointed his team allowed Diebler to shoot 5-of-11 on threes.
“Then they open the second half with six straight points and end up on a (20-5) run, and we can’t expect to compete with these guys when that happens.”
But Sanderson’s Bisons refused to go away despite the fact OSU shot 58 percent from the floor while hitting 11 of their 22 tries from behind the arc.
David Lighty scored a career-high 22 points against Lipscomb.
Photo by Jim Davidson“It’s a little frustrating but they were hitting shots,” said captain David Lighty, who posted a career-high 22 points to go with seven rebounds and three steals.
“Give them credit, they’re a good team and they never gave up.”
Taking page out of North Carolina’s defensive playbook, the Bisons clogged the paint in the first half in an attempt to keep Turner from getting to the basket. It worked, as the two-time Big Ten Player of the Week finished the half with just two points on 1-of-6 shooting to go with his five turnovers (also five rebounds and five assists).
The second half was a different story.
After a calm but stern talk from Matta at half time about the need for more focus and intensity in the second half, Turner went to work. Over the next 20 minutes he scored 14 points, grabed five rebounds and dished out six assists to record his second triple-double of the season, and the third in school history.
Just as importantly, he started taking care of the basketball after what can only be labeled as a careless first half.
“He had five turnovers in the first half and then didn’t turn it over once in the second half. That’s what great players do,” Sanderson said.
But it wasn’t just Turner who picked it up in the second half. Although he went just 1-of-4 from the free throw line (part of the reason the Buckeyes were 7-of-17 from the charity stripe), Lighty scored 14 of his career-high 22 points in the second half.
“We were trying to keep (Turner) from driving. I can live with Lighty hitting threes. If he’s going to do that, we’re not going to win anyways, so I can live with him shooting those shots,” Sanderson said.
“We closed out too strong in the second half on some shots we shouldn’t have and he blew right by us.”
Lighty’s dunk at the 9:01 mark gave the Buckeyes a 13-point lead, and it would never dip back into single-digits as they pulled away over the final five minutes for a 20-point victory.
With the win, the Buckeyes improve to 4-1 on the season. They play again Saturday when they host St. Francis (Pa.) at 1:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, but they will do so without sophomore Walter Offutt, who opted to leave the program this week in search of more playing. He had been averaging 7.0 minutes per game this season, but did not play in either game at Madison Square Garden last week.
Game Notes:
- Junior guard Evan Turner had his second triple-double of the season with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He becomes the first OSU player to get multiple triple-doubles in a season. It was the third accomplished in school history.
- Junior guard David Lighty led the team in scoring with a career-high 22 points. He also tied a career high with three made three-point baskets.
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