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 Russell, a combo guard from Louisville, Ky., and the top freshman
scorer in the country, scored 23 points, dished out a season-best 11
assists and pulled down 11 rebounds. He scored in double figures for
the 23rd time in 24 games.
He is the third player to register a triple-double for Ohio State
(18-6, 7-4 Big Ten), joining Dennis Hopson and Evan Turner, and the
first triple-double by a Big Ten player since Michigan State's
Draymond Green on March 6, 2012 against LIU.
Russell, who was 8 of 13 from the field, entered the game averaging
19.4 points a game. His 22nd consecutive double-figure scoring
output is the most by a Buckeyes freshman since Jared Sullinger
recorded a 17-game streak in 2010-11. The only time Russell didn't
hit double digits was against Marquette in the second game of the
season.
A projected lottery pick in this summer's NBA draft, Russell wasn't
fazed by the attention aimed at him.
 "I'm too keyed up for the next practice, the next film (session),"
he said. "I feel I have been flirting with it (triple-double) all
year.
"I feel like I'm a rebounder. When I get the rebound, I can start
the break."
Russell may feel like a rebounder, but his ability to distribute and
score and overall court sense impressed Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan,
a former guard in the NBA.
"I've watched him (Russell) on tape and the more I watched him, the
less sleep I got," Jordan remarked. "He's calm, he sees everything,
he's patient, and he delivers and has a real smooth game about
himself. He's going to have a great future."
Ohio State was without sophomore forward Marc Loving, who missed his
second consecutive game after being indefinitely suspended by the
athletic department. Loving is the Buckeyes' second-leading scorer
and the Big Ten's top 3-point shooter.
Buckeyes coach Thad Mata said there is no timetable for his return.
Loving was replaced in the starting lineup by freshman Jae'Sean
Tate, who scored a season-high-tying 20 points.
Rutgers (10-15, 2-10) dropped its eighth game in a row since
defeating then-No. 4 Wisconsin 67-62 on Jan. 11. Junior guard Bishop
Daniels led the Scarlet Knights with 17 points, one shy of his
season best. Forward Junior Etou added 12 points.
The Scarlet Knights got as close as 69-57 with six minutes to play,
but Ohio State used a quick 6-0 run to move the cushion to 75-57
with 3:56 left.
Russell left the game briefly with a leg cramp with 12:29 to play
and the Buckeyes holding a comfortable 60-42 lead.
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The Buckeyes shot 48.4 percent from the floor in the first half and
led 44-26.
Russell dominated the half, pouring in 17 points to go along with
seven assists and six rebounds. He didn't turn the ball over in 20
minutes, and he finished with just two giveaways on the night.
"Those two turnovers are unacceptable," joked Ohio State coach Thad
Matta. "I thought he (Russell) was really, really good tonight. He
had great command on the court and affected the game in many
different ways.
"Tonight was one of the better performances I have seen in my
coaching career. His attention to detail and preparation are as good
as I've seen for a freshman. That includes a guy I had at Xavier in
David West, who was as tuned in as anyone. D'Angelo looks for
advantages on the court and that includes mentally."
The Buckeyes led throughout the half, opening their biggest lead,
41-20, with a 20-8 run that ended with 3:15 left until the half.
Russell contributed 10 points in the burst.
The Scarlet Knights, ranked next to last in the conference in
3-point field goal percentage (.299), failed to convert any of their
10 attempts beyond the arc in the first half. They wound up 4-for-23
(.174) from long range.
For the game, Ohio State shot 50.8 percent from the floor, while
Rutgers shot 29 percent.
NOTES: Buckeyes coach Thad Matta (293-89) is four wins shy of tying
Fred Jones (297-158) for the most wins by an Ohio State coach....
Rutgers won the only previous meeting between the teams, a 97-96
triple-overtime decision in the Holiday Festival at Madison Square
Garden on Dec. 30, 1978. ... Rutgers G Myles Mack played in his
100th game. ... Ohio State entered the game third in the nation in
field-goal percentage and fourth in field goals made.
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