Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Eastern Illinois went toe-to-toe in the opening half with its second Big Ten opponent of the season but in the second half Ohio State used a 15-2 run to pull out to a 65-43 win at Value City Arena.
The Buckeyes led 21-5 with 9:15 left to play in the opening half as Brice Sensabaugh scored ten points off the bench to spark a 14-0 lead. Sensabaugh scored 20 points in the game to lead OSU as the Buckeyes had a 40-7 advantage in bench production.
EIU countered with a 12-2 run of its own with Yaakema Rose Jr scoring eight points in the run adding a steal and assist. EIU trailed 26-20 at the half as the Panthers held their own on the glass in the first half trailing 25-21 in rebounds at the half.
The Panthers trimmed the OSU lead to 26-23 in the early minutes of the second half on a Rose lay-up and free throw by Nick Ellington.  Rose finished with 17 points for EIU, the lone Panther in double figures.Â
OSU began to dump the ball down low and feed the post going on a 9-0 run that eventually turned into a 15-2 run. Zed Key had two baskets in the run finishing with ten points and 14 rebounds, his third straight double-double this season.
Rose drained a 3-pointer with 11:25 left in the game to cut the lead to 41-28 but the Panthers were never able to get closer.
EIU fell to 0-4 on the season. OSU improved to 3-0.
Kinyon Hodges had seven rebounds to lead EIU. Sincere Malone and Rose both had three steals as EIU finished with eight.
Isaac Likekele had ten rebounds for OSU.