COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- It took Ohio State three games to regain its Final Four form.

Using the pressure defense and fast-break offense that was its trademark last season, Ohio State (No. 17 ESPN/USA Today, No. 15 AP) routed Duquesne 87-55 Saturday night in the second game of the Black Coaches Association Classic.

Ohio State (2-1) lost its season opener to Notre Dame in the Preseason NIT and beat Vermont on Wednesday despite a sluggish first half. The outcome on Saturday night was in doubt only for about eight minutes.

The Buckeyes used a 14-0 run midway through the first half, followed by a 16-3 surge after Duquesne (2-2) broke a seven-minute scoreless streak, to take a 42-20 halftime lead and cruise to victory.

"Everything gets helped by making shots," said Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien. "We didn't make shots against Notre Dame and we struggled. Tonight we made shots and looked better."

Scoonie Penn had 16 points, and Michael Redd and George Reese had 15 each as the Buckeyes -- like last season when they reached the Final Four before losing to eventual national champion Connecticut in the semifinals -- scored quickly off missed shots, turnovers and blocked shots.

It was more of the same in the second half. Ohio State's up-tempo attack and half-court execution got the Buckeyes a 40-point lead before Duquesne hit a couple late baskets against Ohio State's reserves.

"We jumped on them and stayed aggressive," Redd said. "This is how we should win every game."

Freshman Cobe Ocokoljic started Ohio State's first surge with two offensive rebounds and an 8-foot turnaround jumper, and Penn hit a 3-pointer to give Ohio State the lead for good, 17-14.

On Ohio State's next trip, Redd followed Penn's missed 3-pointer with a layup, and Penn scored on a driving layup after Ken Johnson's blocked shot for a 21-14 lead.

Shawn Tann's 3-pointer ended the run and made it 26-17, but Ohio State scored the next nine points, sparked by a steal and layup from Reese and a Reese jumper following Will Dudley's block, to go up 35-17.

"They hit some early 3-pointers to keep them in the game and keep their confidence up," Penn said. "But as you know, when you start missing them, that allowed us to start running and get in our game. And that's what happened."

Redd led Ohio State with 11 rebounds. Reese added nine rebounds, Johnson had 12 points Ocokoljic scored nine as the Dukes, using mostly perimeter players once they fell behind, had trouble with Ohio State's big men.

"We felt they were going to have a hard time guarding us with that kind of lineup, and it worked out pretty nicely," O'Brien said.

The Dukes hit just 7-of-29 shots in the first half, missing 11 of their last 13. They hit 17-of-60 for the game, including 11-of-28 3-pointers.

Wayne Smith was the only Dukes player to reach double figures, finishing with 24. He also had 10 rebounds and four of Duquesne's 11 turnovers.

Ohio State had just four turnovers and won the rebound battle 51-37 while holding the Dukes, who came in averaging 81.3 points a game, to a season low 55.

"Obviously we didn't shoot well," said Duquesne's Matt Barker. "We took a lot of bad shots in the first half. They pounded us on the boards on and dominated inside.

"The main problem in the game was that they executed their stuff and we didn't execute ours."

O'Brien said he is pleased with how the team is progressing, but cautioned about being too optimistic after one performance that resembled last season.

"We've played three games, we're making progress, we're getting better. It's the same type of process that we went through a year ago, and that's where we are," he said.

Kent defeated Youngstown State 72-53 in the first game of the doubleheader.