{
  "id": 12715536,
  "title": "Five observations and musings from Ohio State’s 79-68 loss to Cincinnati in the CareSource Invitational",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/five-observations-and-musings-from-ohio-states-79-68-loss-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-07T21:15:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/five-observations-musings-ohio-state-211510117.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 7, 2026, Ohio State faced Cincinnati in the CareSource Invitational in Mason, Ohio. The game took place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, with sunny weather and light wind. Despite the beautiful conditions, Cincinnati emerged victorious, defeating Ohio State 79-68.\n\nOhio State started the game with John Mobley Jr., Curtis Givens, Anthony Thompson, Amare Bynum, and Ivan Njegovan on the court. However, the Buckeyes struggled in multiple areas. They were out-rebounded by Cincinnati 27-15 in the first half and went 2-for-22 on jump shots. Cincinnati did not score any jumpers in the first 20 minutes, registering a mere 2-for-22.\n\nOhio State took a 35-30 lead into halftime, but Cincinnati's offensive struggles continued. They managed just five second-chance points off Ohio State's 11 offensive rebounds. John Mobley was the only Ohio State player to score in double-digits in the first half, hitting 3-of-7 shots. Cincinnati's Tyler Tejada, a Towson transfer, was the catalyst for the Bearcats' offense, leading the team with a 10-0 run halfway through the first half, which put them up 58-56 with 8:21 remaining in the game.\n\nDespite being in the bonus for almost the entire second half, Ohio State failed to capitalize on their free-throw opportunities. Tejada was a force on the defensive end for Cincinnati, controlling the paint and disrupting Ohio State's attempts to score near the basket. The two teams traded leads several times in the closing minutes, with Cincinnati ultimately pulling away 68-62 with 4:07 left in the game.\n\nOhio State's performance against Cincinnati raises several observations. The Buckeyes' big men struggled in the first half, with Josh Ojianwuna, Andrija Jelavic, and Ivan Njegovan contributing just five points combined and committing nine fouls. Cincinnati out-rebounded Ohio State 26-14 in the first half and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds. Freshman guard Justin Pippen was a key player for the Bearcats, using his physicality and tenacity to disrupt Ohio State's offense. However, LJ Smith, another freshman, was the more impressive performer for Ohio State, scoring on back-to-back possessions in the paint and showing no hesitation or uncertainty on the court.",
  "summary": "We got our first look at Ohio State on Wednesday afternoon in an outdoor exhibition against the Cincinnati Bearcats.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}