In Dallas Lauderdale’s first rodeo as a head coach, the throwback Buckeyes were able to pull away late and claim a tough 89-75 win.
The Buckeyes were led by fan-favorite Aaron Craft who had 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. More importantly, Craft’s 3 steals and multiple tipped passes were vital to OSU’s success. Craft’s defense was insane as always. He abused fellow ex-Buckeye and Big X’s starting point guard, CJ Jackson, forcing him into 4 turnovers.
Without DeShaun Thomas, Lenzelle Smith Jr., Leon Rodgers, and minimal minutes from John Diebler, Carmen’s Crew had to find other ways to get the ball through the cylinder. That other way was William Buford. He was scorching the nylon, hitting a tremendous 6-6 from behind the arc. David Lighty also had a nice game totaling 12 points. Every shot he made seemed to stop a run from Big X, making his fadeaway seem even more valuable.
Carmen’s Crew will be back in action tomorrow as they go up against the Dayton throwback team, Red Scare.
MVP: William Buford 24 PTS/1 AST/5 REB/1 BLK
