Battle scores 21 as Ohio State defeats Virginia Tech 81-73 in NIT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jamison Battle had 21 points in Ohio State's 81-73 victory against Virginia Tech on Saturday night in the NIT.

Battle added 10 rebounds for the Buckeyes (22-13). Felix Okpara scored 13 points and added six rebounds. Bruce Thornton shot 5 of 12 from the floor and scored 12.

The Hokies (19-15) were led by Sean Pedulla, who posted 18 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Hunter Cattoor added 18 points for Virginia Tech. Lynn Kidd also had 13 points and six rebounds.

Ohio State took the lead with 6:13 to go in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 36-26 at halftime, with Roddy Gayle Jr. racking up nine points. Battle scored 16 points in the second half for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes will play the winner of Sunday's matchup between Georgia and Wake Forest on Tuesday in the quarterfinals.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.