He was the final player announced among the Ohio State starters. Draped in scarlet lighting, Justice Sueing’s name boomed out across Value City Arena as he swayed his way onto the court.
Standing under the basket, he covered his face with his hands, then brought them to his chest as if in prayer. Then, turning, he faced the basket, flexed and let out a guttural scream.
He was back. For the first time in 350 days, Sueing was in a Buckeyes uniform. For the first time in more than a year and a half, he was back in a Buckeyes uniform and healthy. And after missing all but two games of the 2021-22 season with a groin injury suffered during the final weeks of the prior season, Sueing began to make up for lost time by scoring a game-high 20 points as Ohio State (1-0) opened the 2022-23 season with a 91-53 win against Robert Morris (0-1) on Monday night at Value City Arena.
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“It was really emotional,” Sueing said. “I talked to my pops before this, talking about how God put me through these couple of hurdles I had to deal with over this past year and I think it built me to be stronger as a man and as a player. It was just a quick prayer to thank God, and then I yell to get myself hyped and got right into it.On a team with myriad questions, Sueing answered at least a few by halftime. Barely two minutes into the game, the sixth-year graduate forward had drawn two fouls and bounced back up no worse for the wear. After missing both free throws the first time, he sunk both during his second trip to the line for his first points of the season. Two possessions later, he tipped in his own miss for his first field goal. And when he hit his second 3-pointer of the half, Sueing’s 12 points in the first 14 minutes equaled his scoring total from a season ago.
Third-year center Zed Key scored the first points of the season in memorable fashion. Despite having never taken one during his first two seasons, the 6-8, 255-pound center spent the offseason working on a 3-point shot with the hope of potentially knocking down one a game.
On the second possession of the game, he calmly swished one from the top of the key. Then with 11:11 to play in the half, Key hit his second, running back up the court with three fingers extended after giving the Buckeyes the lead at 16-15.
Ohio State wouldn’t trail again, and coach Chris Holtmann’s rebuilt roster got to stretch its legs a bit as the lead continued to grow. When Sean McNeil swished a 3-pointer against a Robert Morris zone during the final minute of the first half, it gave the Buckeyes a 42-28 lead they would take into the break. Key, who had picked up two fouls in the first five minutes of the first half, opened the second with a left-handed hook shot, and the Buckeyes used a 9-3 lead to build a 20-point lead at 51-31 after Key scored on a putback.
From there, the lead would only continue to grow. Holtmann showed off multiple lineup combinations, occasionally playing without a true center or featuring a lineup with four freshmen. The Buckeyes finished with 18 assists on 34 made field goals but also had 14 turnovers.
“This was a good opportunity for us to go against a physical team that was well-coached and has some athleticism,” Holtmann said. “Not pleased with the turnovers, but pleased with the defensive effort and obviously it was great seeing Justice out (there). We’ve seen him behind closed doors, private scrimmage, but I’m sure it was great for our fans to be able to see him and see what he’s capable of and remember what he’s capable of.”
Sueing had missed Ohio State’s exhibition against Chaminade with an ankle sprain. Third-year wing Gene Brown III also missed the game while in concussion protocol, but he remained unavailable. In his absence, Holtmann stuck to a nine-man rotation for the majority of the game that featured four freshmen, three transfers and returners Key and Sueing. Redshirt freshman Kalen Etzler made his Ohio State debut with 4:22 to play, and with 2:33 remaining walk-ons Colby Baumann and Owen Spencer both made their debuts.
Key finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for his third career double-double. Sueing finished two points shy of tying his Ohio State career high. Wright State transfer Tanner Holden, who had averaged 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in four prior games against the Colonials, finished with 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting. Freshman Brice Sensabaugh scored 17 points, slamming home a late dunk that had the Nuthouse student section raising the roof. Nine of his points came in the last 4:22 with the lead at 30 points.
The Buckeyes were 10 for 21 (47.6%) from 3-point range. They hit double-digit 3-pointers in only 11 games last season.
“I worked on it a lot during the summertime,” Key said of his outside shooting. “That was one of my main goals, being able to add a 3-point shot to my game.”
Ohio State has now won 22 straight season openers at home. Its last loss was on Nov. 16, 1999, when Notre Dame won 59-57 as part of the preseason NIT. Its last season-opening loss was a Nov. 21, 2003 defeat at San Francisco, 76-65.
The 38-point win was Ohio State’s most lopsided season-opening victory of the Holtmann era and the biggest since an 89-50 win against Morgan State on Nov. 9, 2013.
