COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It was the substitutes turn to step into the spotlight for No. 3 Ohio State. Amedeo Della Valle had 15 points, Marc Loving scored a career-high 13 and the bench provided 38 points as the Buckeyes sprinted past Nebraska 84-53 on Saturday. "We just try to bring a lot of energy," said Loving, a freshman forward. "We feel like our energy off the bench can affect the game in a major way, whether its scoring or rebounding or, like today, Amedeo had a lot of deflections on defence. That added a little extra spark to the game and really got us going." Coach Thad Matta has had several teams that he seldom relied on more than six or seven players. This year he has gone with nine players, all of whom have contributed. "I like this group," Matta said of his second unit. "Because the big thing that you want as a coach is guys to understand what theyre supposed to do when they go in. I think they saw today that maybe we werent as focused as we needed to be in a couple of areas and they brought that to the table." The starters also carried their end of the load. LaQuinton Ross scored 11 points, including two critical 3-pointers as the Buckeyes (15-0, 2-0 Big Ten) pulled away early in the second half. Shannon Scott had 13 and Amir Williams chipped in with 10 points for Ohio State, which shot 54 per cent from the field (27 of 50) and 47 per cent on 3-pointers (9 of 19). A blend of starters and bench players fueled a 7-0 run to close out the half that gave the Buckeyes a 10-point lead. After the lead had swelled, Nebraska (8-6, 0-2) failed to hit a field goal over the last 8 minutes. Della Valle, a native of Italy, helped turn the tide in the final 100 seconds of the first half with a tip-in. He also made plays that led to turnovers as the Buckeyes pulled away. Shavon Shields slashed across the lane and tossed up a shot that cut Ohio States lead to 33-30 with 2:29 remaining. But the Buckeyes defence turned up the pressure. Aaron Craft got things going with a 3 from the right wing at the 1:17 mark -- his first made 3-pointer in four games -- before Scotts deflection and steal led to Della Valle tipping in Scotts missed layup. Ohio State blocked Nebraskas final two shots of the half -- both by David Rivers -- with Trey McDonald batting away the first and Sam Thompson the second. Thompson was then fouled with 2.7 seconds left and hit both free throws to make it 40-30. "I think it was huge going into the half knowing we had a 10-point lead, especially playing the last 4 minutes with that energy compared to the first 4 or 5 minutes (of the game) when we didnt have that energy," he said. "And that led to a great start of the second half." The Buckeyes, leading the Big Ten in scoring defence at 55.1 points a game, limited the Cornhuskers to 38 per cent shooting from the field (21 of 56) while forcing 17 turnovers. Terran Petteway scored 15 points and Leslee Smith had 11 for the Cornhuskers, who have lost 20 consecutive road games to ranked teams since beating No. 22 Texas A&M on Feb. 23, 2008. "I thought Ohio State came out with better pace on offence in the second half," Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. "(Ross) made the consecutive 3s. When we let them go 9 for 19 from 3, youve got a problem on your hands with Ohio State." It was a last tuneup before the biggest test of the season for the Buckeyes, at No. 5 Michigan State on Tuesday night. "Collectively we have a very good mindset going into our next game," Loving said. "Michigan States a very tough team." Matta said he was pleased that the Buckeyes had opened with two victories in the Big Ten to add lustre to the showdown. They won 78-69 before a loud, hostile crowd at Purdue on Tuesday. "Most importantly, we took care of what we needed to do," Matta said. "Tuesdays environment over there in West Lafayette was probably very, very similar to what were going to see on Tuesday night (at Michigan State). Our guys have a great appreciation for how good Michigan State is. Weve got a couple of days here where we have to get ourselves ready." Koji Uehara Cubs Jersey . - The Toronto Blue Jays have optioned pitchers Kyle Drabek, Chad Jenkins and Sean Nolin to triple-A Buffalo. Robel Garcia Jersey .com) - Its fair to call Mike McCarthy one of the best coaches in the NFL but its also more than objective to point out that the veteran mentor bookended the Green Bay Packers season with two, truly awful game plans in Seattle. https://www.cheapcubs.com/1620t-bob-dernier-jersey-cubs.html .S. international midfielder Michael Bradley is complete. Kosuke Fukudome Jersey . "Im proud, obviously. Its been a long day, but now Im a Crystal Palace player, Im very happy," Bannan said. "The seasons been started now for a couple of weeks and Ive not featured at Villa. Joe Girardi Cubs Jersey .com Tours season-opening Colombia Championship on Sunday, breaking the course record with an 8-under 63 in the completion of the third round before rain washed out play.Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Cam Talbot made 28 saves and the surging New York Rangers went into Staples Center and beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in a rematch of last years Stanley Cup Finals. The Kings led 2-0 early on a pair of first-period goals, but New York scored four straight to claim control. Justin Williams second goal of the game with 4:03 remaining made it a one-goal game and LA went on a power play following Rick Nashs tripping penalty with 36 seconnds left, but Talbot turned aside the only shot he saw before the final horn sounded.dddddddddddd Dan Boyle, Kevin Klein, Lee Stempniak and Martin St. Louis lit the lamp for New York, winners in four straight and 12 of its last 13 games. The Kings, meanwhile, are trending the opposite direction having lost four of five. Williams scored twice and Tanner Pearson found the back of the net while Jonathan Quick was responsible for all four goals on 26 shots. ' ' '