Coral Gables, FL (My Sportsbook) - Tonight's ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup at the BankUnited Center features the Ohio State Buckeyes against the 21st-ranked Miami-Florida Hurricanes.
The Buckeyes have played three games on the year, winning each one of them on their home floor. The team was last in action on Saturday, when it clamped down on defense and defeated Samford, 59-22. The 22 points was the lowest total against OSU since it defeated Wabash, 34-22, all the way back in 1939.
As for Miami, it has played five games already, boasting a 4-1 mark during that stretch. On Saturday, the squad kicked off a two-game homestand with a 79-65 triumph of Stetson. It was the second win in a row for the Hurricanes, whose lone loss came to second-ranked UConn (76-63) in the Paradise Jam Tournament.
Miami leads the head-to-head series with OSU, 2-1, and that includes a 75-62 victory in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
The Buckeyes held Samford to just a 3-of-23 shooting effort from the floor in the first half, as they took a 30-6 lead to the break and never looked back in a lopsided victory on Saturday. OSU absolutely owned the boards, 47-25, in the game and it also forced Samford into 19 turnovers. Evan Turner headed the charge with a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds and he also added five steals. Dallas Lauderdale chipped in with 10 points and he grabbed eight caroms as well. After three games, Turner paces the club in scoring (12.0 ppg), rebounding (7.7 rpg) and steals (10), while Jon Diebler contributes 10.3 ppg. As a team, OSU is holding its opponents to just 40.3 ppg thanks to its performance against Samford.
The Hurricanes drained 45.8 percent of their shots from the floor and 7-of-16 from long distance, as they defeated Stetson on Saturday. The team also had success at the foul line (18-of-26), in addition to controlling the glass, 48-36. Cyrus McGowan led the way with 14 points and eight boards, while James Dews chipped in with 10. Dwayne Collins and Jack McClinton each logged 12 points, with Collins grabbing seven caroms and McClinton dishing out six assists. On the season, McClinton paces the squad in scoring at 15.8 ppg, and Collins is averaging a double-double with 13.6 ppg and a team-high 10.0 rpg. Overall, Miami is outing scoring its opponents by 16.4 ppg, while also outrebounding them by 7.6 rpg.
