Preview: Grambling Tigers at No. -- Ohio State Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — The Ohio State Buckeyes look to rebound from a last-second defeat when they host the Grambling Tigers in nonconference men’s basketball Tuesday afternoon at Value City Arena.

Ohio State (8-3) enters the contest coming off a heartbreaking 71-70 home loss to North Carolina on Saturday. The Buckeyes have shown resilience this season, with their three losses coming by a combined four points, including an overtime defeat at Pittsburgh and a double-overtime win over West Virginia.

Forward Devin Royal has been a consistent force for the Buckeyes. He is coming off an 18-point, 8-rebound performance against the Tar Heels and has scored in double figures in eight of Ohio State’s 11 games. He will be a primary focus for an Ohio State offense averaging 84.5 points per game.

Grambling (5-6) arrives with momentum from back-to-back wins, including an 81-72 victory at Hampton on Friday. The Tigers are led by guard Antonio Munoz, who is averaging 19.8 points over his last four games. He erupted for 23 points and five assists in the win at Hampton.

The Tigers have faced a challenging road schedule, with eight of their first 11 games away from home. Their losses include competitive setbacks at Tulane (65-63) and Southern Mississippi (68-60).

This marks the first-ever meeting between the programs. For Grambling, it is a final major nonconference test before opening Southwestern Athletic Conference play on Jan. 3. For Ohio State, it is a chance to steady itself before beginning Big Ten Conference action at Rutgers on Jan. 2.

The Buckeyes are 6-0 at home this season, winning those games by an average of 33.2 points. Containing Munoz and overcoming Grambling’s defensive pressure will be key to maintaining that dominance.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.