ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Kam Williams scored 23 points, and Keita Bates-Diop added 14 points and 14 rebounds as Ohio State defeated Navy, 78-68, at the Veterans Classic on Friday night.

Williams, a 6-foot-2 guard from nearby Baltimore, made seven of nine shots overall, including five 3-pointers and added four rebounds as the Buckeyes pushed back the host Midshipmen in the season opener for both teams at Navy.

The second half is when Williams stepped up. He finished with 16 of his points in the final 20 minutes. He made four 3-pointers and went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Bates-Diop, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, did not score in the second half but his rebounding proved crucial.

In addition, Bates-Diop blocked three shots as the bigger Buckeyes often kept Navy from getting close to the basket and finding high-percentage shots.

Ohio State shot better than Navy, hitting 57 percent from the floor. The Midshipmen struggled with their shooting all game, making only 38 percent of their shots.

Navy missed 10 shots in a row from the field during the first part of the second half as the Buckeyes slowly stretched the lead.

For Ohio State, Marc Loving also scored 13 points.

Hasan Abdullah paced the Midshipmen with 22 points. Both teams struggled at the free-throw line, especially Navy, which made only 14 of 21 shots.

Navy led early before Ohio State went on an 8-0 run and went up, 14-9. The Buckeyes led most of the rest of the first half and took a 33-28 lead into the break.

Bates-Diop led the way early, scoring his 14 points in the first half. He made six of eight from the field in the opening 20 minutes.