COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State was a different team Monday night than it had been in the first two games of the season.

Jamari Wheeler made that difference evident from the very first time he touched the ball.

The redshirt senior guard sat in the far right corner. As the ball traveled around the outside of the 3-point line, the ball landed in his hands, taking the open shot for the first three points of the day for Ohio State, showing a level of aggressiveness Wheeler didn't show in his first two games with the Buckeyes.

Ohio State followed suit and started hot, beginning the game with an 11-0 run against Bowling Green and didn’t turn back, beating the Falcons, 89-58, Monday night.

The Buckeyes had two 11-point runs in the first half, ballooning its lead to as many as 28 points in the first half after forcing the Falcons to shoot 25.8% from the field and 20% from deep in the first 20 minutes.

While Bowling Green's offense heated up a bit in the second half, Ohio State's lead continued to roll, exploding into as much as a 42-point deficit with the help of sophomore guard Eugene Brown III who had 10 points in the final 20 minutes of his career high 12-point night off the bench.

Ohio State is clearly E.J. Liddell’s team. But Liddell wasn’t the only player the Buckeyes could count on Monday night, something that was the narrative in the first two games of the season.

Liddell left for halftime with seven points, making three of his five shots from the floor. Senior forward Justin Ahrens held the team lead with eight points, hitting two 3-pointers with two foul shots to go along with five rebounds in the first 20 minutes. Sophomore forward Zed Key, redshirt senior forward Kyle Young and Wheeler each added six points in the first half.

That trend continued into the second half, as both Ahrens and Key entered double digits in points before Liddell did.

Back-to-back layups but Liddell back in front in the second half, leading the team with 13 points, while making six-of-eight from the field.

Ohio State freshman guard Meechie Johnson Jr. tied Liddell for the team lead with 13 points, hitting five of his 12 attempts from the field, including three 3-pointers

Ahrens finished with 11 points and five rebounds, making three-of-four attempts from deep, while Key finished with five points and nine boards. with three rebounds and an assist.

Wheeler finished the game with six points, five rebounds and five assists.

This was an offense that seemed much more confident in each other, starting the game with a pass around the 3-point line to find the open shooter.

It wasn’t just the Liddell show, even though the junior forward will still define what kind of team Ohio State is going to be in 2021-22.

All throughout the preseason, Ohio State players and coaches were preaching this defensive-first mentality, one that replicates the intensity Wheeler brought from his four seasons at Penn State.

Through the first two games, it was not evident, allowing an average of 70 points in their first two games. Against Bowling Green, that defense showed up.

In the first 20 minutes, the Buckeyes limited the Falcons to eight makes on 31 attempts, making only two-of-10 from deep. Ohio State dominated a stretch where Bowling Green missed 12 straight from the field, including six layups.

Bowling Green had six turnovers in the first half, while Ohio State added two blocks and three steals.

The Falcons heated up their offense in the second half Shooting 53.5% from the field in the final 20 minutes.

Ohio State was aggressive, showing its length, especially in the paint against the Falcons, securing a plus-11 rebounding margin including 13 offensive boards.

Johnson was a pest in transition, leading the team with four steals. Young added two steals along with five rebounds and eight points.

Ohio State redshirt senior forward Justice Sueing was unavailable for Monday night’s game against Bowling Green.

According to a statement released from the team prior to kickoff, Suing is having his existing lower body injury evaluated, and was not on the bench with the team until after halftime.

Redshirt senior guard Cedric Russell was back with the team after missing Friday night’s game against Niagara after a death in his family. In eight minutes of playing time, Russell recorded 0 points, missing both of his attempts from 3, with an assist.

Ohio State will travel to Xavier to take on the Musketeers in its first road game of the season at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.