COLUMBUS, Ohio -- LaQuinton Ross scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half, hitting his first four 3-pointers, to lead No. Dan Hampton Jersey . 5 Ohio State to an early lead and a 76-60 victory over Maryland on Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Sam Thompson added 14 points, including four rim-rattling dunks, and Lenzelle Smith Jr. had 12. Aaron Craft created havoc on defence and chipped in with 10 points as the Buckeyes (7-0) controlled the game at both ends. Ex-Xavier guard Dez Wells had 19 points, former Michigan swingman Evan Smotrycz scored 15 and Charles Mitchell added 12 points and 11 rebounds for Maryland (5-3), which had won four in a row after losing two of its first three. This is Marylands last ACC/Big Ten Challenge -- well, at least as an ACC team. Next year, the Terrapins join the Buckeyes in the new 14-team Big Ten. Down by 17 at halftime, Maryland stayed within shouting range of the Buckeyes for part of the second half before Ohio State pulled away behind a 9-0 burst that pushed the lead to 70-45 with just over 6 minutes left. The Terrapins have lost their last 13 road games against ranked opponents, while Ohio State has won its last 73 home games against unranked teams. Both teams were coming off their best offensive games of the season. Maryland shot 62 per cent from the field and had a season-best 26 assists, including six from freshman Roddy Peters, in an 89-62 win over Morgan State on Friday. The Buckeyes shot 69 per cent -- sixth-best in school history -- in a 99-64 win over North Florida on Saturday. Continuing that strong shooting, the Buckeyes made 60 per cent of their shots from the field in the opening half Wednesday while building a 43-26 lead. When they needed a bucket, they got it. When the Terrapins strung together a couple of baskets, the Buckeyes responded defensively and slammed the door. Ross was the difference early, making those first four shots from behind the arc. After Maryland became more aware of him on the perimeter, Thompson scored on two high-flying, alley-oop dunks that shook the arena. Behind Ross 12 points, the Buckeyes broke out to an 18-9 lead. The Terrapins regrouped to trade baskets and pull to 27-20 before Thompson had five points and Ross the other three in an 8-0 run. Hanging onto a 35-26 lead heading into the final 90 seconds of the half, Ohio State ran off eight more points in a row. Craft, who had three steals and three assists in the opening 20 minutes, stole the ball in a scrum and passed out of it while on the floor in the final seconds. Thompson got the ball, spun in the lane on a breakaway and then banked in a layup just as the buzzer sounded. The Buckeyes improved to 7-6 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. They had won four in a row until blowing a big first-half lead to lose at No. 2 Duke 73-68 a year ago. It was the first meeting between the teams since 1985. Ohio State is 4-2 in the series, winning four of the last five. Maryland came in with 10 wins in the Challenge, including winning four of five on the road. The Terrapins won at Northwestern a year ago. The crowd booed loud and long early in the second half when during a "celebrity look-a-likes" fan-cam segment, an Ohio State booster was shown who looked a lot like the football coach at archrival Michigan, Brady Hoke. The Buckeyes football team plays Michigan State for the Big Ten title on Saturday. Gale Sayers Jersey .Y. - Brooklyn Nets centre Brook Lopez has a strained lower back and will miss at least a week. Dick Butkus Jersey . With the win, the Marlies complete a three-game series sweep of the Admirals and move on to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs. T.J. Brennan added an empty netter with less than 25 seconds remaining for his second of the playoffs. NEW YORK -- Masahiro Tanaka took another positive step toward returning to help the New York Yankees make a run for a playoff berth, facing batters for the first time since he was sidelined six weeks ago with a partially torn right elbow ligament. In front of several dozen reporters and photographers, the Japanese ace threw 35 pitches in a two-inning simulated game Saturday morning and reported no problems with his elbow. His control is expected to come later. "I feel its a little bit still rusty, but there were some good balls that I was able to throw," Tanaka said through a translator. "I want to keep moving forward." Tanaka said he was cautious, thinking about his elbow with each toss, but it didnt prevent him from throwing all of his pitches, including his devastating splitter, while working against teammates Brendan Ryan and Zelous Wheeler. After watching the 25-year-old right-hander from behind the mound, pitching coach Larry Rothschild said he thought Tanaka was on the right track. He felt his arm strength was good --- about the same as it would be during spring training. Devin Hester Jersey. "I thought it was a good progression, as long as hes healthy," Rothschild said. The Yankees will wait until Sunday before deciding on the next step. It depends on how Tanakas elbow responds a day later. The young ace got off to a blazing start after signing a $155 million, seven-year contract in January -- New York also paid $20 million to his Japanese team -- going 12-4 with a 2.51 ERA in 18 starts and earning an All-Star nod. But he was placed on the disabled list two days after a rough start July 8. The Yankees have fallen eight games back of Baltimore in the AL East and 3 1/2 games back of the second AL wild card and could use some help for a rotation that has been ravaged by injuries. Manager Joe Girardi said Tanaka will have to make some sort of rehab starts before he could return. "I was pleased. He felt good, and thats the most important thing," Girardi said. "Big thing is well see how he feels tomorrow then well make a decision. ' ' '
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