COLUMBUS, Ohio – An opening 17-3 burst helped carry No. 16 Ohio State past No. 10 Villanova 76-51 on Wednesday night in the Gavitt Games at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes improved to 3-0 overall while the 'Cats fell to 1-1 overall.
 
"Much credit to Ohio State," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "I thought Chris (Holtmann) had them well-prepared and dialed in right from the start. We didn't do as good a job with our guys getting them ready and prepared. That's something we've got to learn.
 
"We've got a lot of guys playing major minutes for the first time. That was a great lesson from a well-drilled, very disciplined team that knows its roles. I knew we'd have a lot to learn but I didn't think we'd be that far behind at this point. It looks like we are. We've got to stick together and go back to work."

Jermaine Samuels led the Wildcats with 14 points. Sophomore Cole Swider added 11 points. 
 
The Buckeyes converted their first three 3-pointers of the night and jumped out to a 9-0 lead 87 seconds into the contest. The first 3-ball of freshman Jeremiah Robinson Earl's career got the Wildcats on the board but Ohio State's C.J. Walker scored and was fouled in the act of shooting in the next OSU possession. His free throw extended the edge to 12-3 two minutes into the contest.
 
Ohio State drained its next three field goal attempts while the Wildcats' were unable to ignite their own offense. Villanova connected on 1-of-6 field goals and committed three turnovers as the Buckeyes rolled out to a 17-3 lead after 4:02 of the first half. Further complicating matters were two early fouls called on the 'Cats Collin Gillespie.
 
The Wildcats trailed 25-7 as the game approached the midway point of the first half. Ohio State was 9-of-13 from the field while Villanova was just 2-of-9 with six turnovers.
 
Try as it might, Villanova could not gain its traction. Ohio State expanded the margin to 38-12 at the final official timeout of the first period.  A 9-0 spurt keyed by six points from Gillespie helped Villanova shave its deficit to 40-22 at intermission.
 
The Wildcats were 8-of-30 (.267) from the floor while the Buckeyes were 15-of-28 (.536).
 
Ohio State was sharp early in the second half, extending its advantage to 62-32 midway through the period and extinguished any hopes of a Villanova rally.
 
"We're a young group and we're learning but we can't really have that excuse anymore," stated Gillespie, who finished with 10 points. "We've been together since the summer. We've got to be more attentive to detail and work harder for the full 40 minutes."
 
"Ohio State's a great team," added Jermaine Samuels, who contributed 12 points. "They hit a lot of shots early. We've got to go back and get better."
 
The 2019-20 season – Villanova's 100^th college basketball campaign – is presented by Hartford Funds and Coca-Cola.