It was not pretty, it was not fun, and it was not easy –– but it was a win.
Ohio State, with Keita Bates-Diop sitting the game out because of illness, had to play extra minutes to knock off a feisty Akron team 72-63 in Tuesday night's NIT opener.
Played in front of just under 4700 fans, three different Buckeyes (Marc Loving, Kam Williams and JaQuan Lyle) scored 18 points, giving the Scarlet and Gray a balanced attack on a night they were short another of their most important players.
The Buckeyes will host another NIT game, the time and date are yet to be determined.