The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - Playing his first game in an Ohio State uniform, transfer Emonte Jernigan hit two big baskets down the stretch as the Buckeyes held off Coppin State 58-51 Monday night.

Ohio State (1-0) - short-handed after losing two of its top players with injuries - was in trouble most of the night but never trailed by more than three points.

Coppin State (0-3), which had lost at No.13 Marquette 64-46 and to Idaho State 63-55 in its first two games, led 49-48 on Darron Bradley's 3-pointer with 3:48 left.

Jernigan transferred to Ohio State a year ago after playing one season at Santa Rosa Junior College and the 2000-2001 season at Oregon State. He followed Bradley's 3-pointer with one of his own from the left wing, keying a 10-0 run by the Buckeyes.

After the Eagles missed two shots inside, Zach Williams hit a free throw to make it 52-49.

Brent Darby, who led Ohio State with 18 points, then stole the ball and Jernigan threw a 40-foot pass to Sean Connolly for an easy layup with 1:44 left.

Ohio State's Matt Sylvester blocked Labeeb Muhammad's layup and seconds later fed Jernigan with a crosscourt pass for a backdoor layup that made it 56-49.

Darby then added two free throws to end the surge.

Connolly added 12 points and Williams had 11 for Ohio State.

Larry Tucker led Coppin State with 20 points, but he scored just two in the second half.

Earlier in the day, Ohio State announced that it would be without starting point guard Brandon Fuss-Cheatham and backup forward Shun Jenkins for 3-to-5 weeks.

Fuss-Cheatham underwent arthroscopic surgery Monday to repair a torn ligament in his left knee. Jenkins broke his left little finger - also in the Buckeyes' last preseason game on Friday night - and will have the injury evaluated today.

COPPIN ST. (0-3)-Tucker 9-15 2-2 20, Boykin 5-9 0-0 11, Bradley 2-2 0-0 4, Thompson 2-4 3-4 8, Scott 2-6 0-0 4, Muhammad 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 22-41 5-6 51.

OHIO ST. (1-0)-Radinovic 1-2 1-2 3, Williams 4-8 3-5 11, Connolly 5-10 0-0 12, Darby 6-11 3-3 18, Sylvester 1-2 0-0 2, Jernigan 3-5 0-0 8, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Dials 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 22-41 7-10 58.

Halftime-Ohio St. 33, Coppin St. 30.