Recap: Ohio State vs. Northern Ky

Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - LaQuinton Ross had 22 points and eight rebounds, as the fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes bounced back with a 70-43 victory over the Northern Kentucky Norse.

Deshaun Thomas added 14 points and eight boards for the Buckeyes (5-1), who lost to Duke on Wednesday. Sam Thompson tallied 10 points.

"It was great having more playing time tonight," Ross said. "Our coaches told me to shoot more and get more comfortable with my footwork, and that's what I did."

Jalen Billups ended with 11 points and nine rebounds for the Norse (0-5), who shot just 27.1 percent from the field.

Holding an 18-14 lead with nine minutes left in the first half, Ohio State went on an 18-3 run. Ross tallied seven points during the burst to make it a 36-17 contest with two minutes to go.

Northern Kentucky scored the final five points of the half to cut the gap to 36-22.

The Buckeyes started the second half on a 9-3 spurt to build a 45-25 margin.

"It is an absolutely tremendous opportunity for us to play with one of the most historical teams in the country," Northern Kentucky coach Dave Bezold said. "It is a special moment for our kids to be on this floor and play against such a great program. We are going to take great things away from this experience."