OSU expected Odle's explosion

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jim O'Brien had a plan Saturday: let Jarrad Odle score at will, let Jared Jeffries score every so often and don't let IU's guards get any momentum from the three-point line. \nHis plan worked like a charm in Ohio State's 73-67 victory in front of 19,200 in Value City Arena. \nOdle tied a career high with 16 points, Jeffries scored 22 and IU hit just six three-pointers. The Hoosiers didn't hit their first three-pointer until 2:42 remained in the first half. \nNo. 25 IU (11-6, 4-1 Big Ten) shot two of six from beyond the arc in the first half, far from equaling the impressive performances it achieved in its two previous Big Ten games. In victories over Michigan State and Iowa, IU hit 18 of its 29 first-half three-point tries, but Saturday was a different story. \nAnd O'Brien, OSU's fourth-year head coach, had it all figured out. \n"We were committed to getting them off the three," O'Brien said. "We didn't think we'd be able to beat them if they made a lot of threes, so we extended on the threes and tried to help out on Jeffries whenever we could. You have to pick somebody, and we picked Odle. It's no surprise he had a great game."\nOdle hit seven of his eight shots, including his first three-pointer of the season. Ten of his 16 came in the first half and kept the Hoosiers within striking distance. But outside of Jeffries, who scored at least 20 points for the third consecutive game, and Odle, IU didn't have much punch. \nDane Fife missed both of his three-pointers, and Tom Coverdale connected on two of four. Kyle Hornsby and A.J. Moye hit their only attempts, and Jeffries missed all but one of his five. Jeffries began the game shooting 43.6 percent from the three-point line. \nOn several occasions, Jeffries passed out of double-teams to open IU guards, who passed up solid looks from beyond the arc and attempted to drive toward the bucket. \nThat concerned and puzzled Mike Davis. \n"When (Jeffries) kicked the ball out of the double-team, our guards, instead of taking shots like they normally do, they tried to get closer," Davis said. "And (Ohio State) did a great job defensively."\nTaking it personally\nDespite his offensive production, Odle took the blame for IU's lack of inside defense. OSU grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded IU 34-24 for the game. OSU hit only one three pointer in the second half and attempted only two. Instead, the Buckeyes packed the offense inside the paint. \n"I didn't do my part on the defensive end," said Odle, a senior who has started all five Big Ten games. "I didn't get defensive rebounds that I should've. I didn't hold up my end of the bargain on the other end of the court. Tonight, I didn't play up to par." \nDefensive deception\nPart of IU's problem from the three-point line might have stemmed from O'Brien's defensive schemes, which included mixing up the Buckeye approach. \nOn several occasions, OSU (14-2, 5-0) played man-to-man one trip down the floor, switched to a 1-3-1 zone the next time and then back to man-to-man. Other times, OSU used a soft full-court press.\nThat flip-flopping kept IU from getting open looks from the arc and clogged up the Hoosiers' inside attack. \nIn the previous two games, IU attempted at least 20 three pointers.\n"He (O'Brien) changes his defense and keeps you off-guard," Davis said. "I knew it would be challenge for us, and it was."\nWhere's the bench?\nIn the first half, IU's bench attempted only one field goal -- a miss by junior Jeff Newton. Newton and freshman Donald Perry combined to hit five of eight free throws for the only bench points of the half. \nThe bench scored only three second-half points -- a three-pointer from Moye. \nOSU's bench out-scored the IU bench 19-8. \nWhen IU reserves did play, they struggled.\nPerry committed three turnovers and had no assists in 11 minutes. Newton didn't hit a field goal and didn't score in the second half. Sophomore George Leach played only thee minutes and did not score. Since spraining an ankle on the opening tip of the Big Ten opener at Northwestern, Leach has not played more than four minutes in a game. He is yet to score in the Big Ten, dropping his season average to 3.8 points per game.\nTwo for three ain't bad\nDavis figured no Big Ten team would complete the conference slate unbeaten, so he wasn't devastated by Saturday's loss. \nThe goal remains to win at Penn State Wednesday and meet Illinois and Purdue at home in back-to-back games starting Saturday. \n"I knew it was impossible to go 3-0 (during this three-game road swing)," Davis said. "It we get two out of three, that's super. If we get one out of three on the road, that's pretty good."\nJeffries has the same positive outlook. \n"Good teams go on from this," Jeffries said. "They don't worry about it, and they don't dwell on it"