Ohio State had to overcome a poor shooting night to outlast Liberty 75-65 Friday in Las Vegas during the opening round of the annual South Point Thanksgiving Shootout.
The 11th-ranked Buckeyes (3-2) shot 40.3 percent from the field in the game and missed 14 of 32 free throws to give the Flames (2-3) a chance to pull off the upset.
Liberty began the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run to take a 61-60 lead with 7:29 to play. Shayla Cooper returned the lead to the Buckeyes with a 15-foot jumper and OSU held on for dear life from there.