Bruce Thornton and Devin Royal decided to go unconscious in a game that had the potential to put Ohio State's season in an early sleeper hold.
The Buckeyes' star point guard and power forward combined to shoot a blistering 17-of-25 from the field (68%), with Royal racking up a career-high 22 points while Thornton tallied 22 himself.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| RUTGERS | 31 | 35 | 66 |
| OHIO STATE | 39 | 41 | 80 |
Their performances pushed Ohio State (6-3, 1-1) past Rutgers (5-4, 0-1), 80-66, despite the efforts of projected top-five NBA draft pick and Scarlet Knight guard Dylan Harper, who racked up 15 points in his squad's loss.
Ohio State entered Saturday in desperate need of momentum off back-to-back losses, an overtime buzzer-beater it dropped vs. Pitt and a 24-point blowout defeat at Maryland. Thornton and Royal led the way to a 55.2% shooting performance from the Buckeyes against the Scarlet Knights and they closed out the win in comfortable fashion, leading by double digits for the final 5:28 of gametime.
First Half
There were fireworks in the first five minutes between the Scarlet Knights and Scarlet and Gray.
Rutgers center Emmanuel Ogbole collected three points the old-fashioned way and guard Jordan Derkack knocked down a pair from beyond the arc. Ohio State kept pace with a quick six points from Royal, all near the rim, and a triple of its own from guard Micah Parrish, which tied the contest at 13 with 15:14 still to play in the half.
Thornton found a smooth stroke from the opening tip, grabbing seven points in the first eight minutes. He splashed two baseline jumpers over strong contests from defenders, then nailed a left-wing triple to give the Buckeyes a 20-18 lead.
A third baseline J from the same spot over another contest made it a 5-of-5 shooting start from Thornton as he bookended a 7-0 run, extending Ohio State's advantage to 31-23. The Scarlet Knights answered with a 6-0 run of their own only for Thornton to bang home his second left-wing 3 of the game.
John Mobley Jr. hit a casual step back 3-pointer from near the halfcourt logo, pushing the edge to double digits before a Parrish turnover and Harper layup made it a 39-31 ballgame at halftime.
Thornton closed the first half with 14 points and three assists, going 6-of-7 from the field. The Buckeyes shot 56.7% from the field and moved the ball crisply with assists on 10 of their 17 made shots.
Second Half
| OHIO STATE | STAT | RUTGERS |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | POINTS | 66 |
| 32-58 (55.2%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 24-57 (42.1%) |
| 6-18 (33.3%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 7-19 (36.8%) |
| 10-13 (76.9%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 11-12 (91.7%) |
| 11 | TURNOVERS | 14 |
| 32 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 27 |
| 10 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 10 |
| 22 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 17 |
| 13 | BENCH POINTS | 16 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 4 | STEALS | 4 |
| 14 | ASSISTS | 10 |
A pair of makes from Bailey helped Rutgers cut the lead to four but Royal retorted with back-to-back shots, the second coming off an offensive rebound and putback.
Then Thornton intercepted a pass on the perimeter and flew down the court to throw down a one-handed slam. The student section at Value City Arena raised the roof in unison while Thornton hit a flex and chest-bumped Meechie Johnson Jr., the crowd rocking as the lead rose to 47-39.
Royal helped the Buckeyes build their lead as he hit a beautiful spin move in the post for an easy layup, knocked down an open 3 from the top of the key and later drew a foul in the post, hitting both free throws to make it seven consecutive points for Ohio State.
His onslaught didn't stop. Royal finished an and-one layup that touched every part of the rim and hit the ensuing free throw, then recovered a pass he threw that deflected off a defender and stuck it in to make it 22 points in just 17 minutes of action following some first-half foul trouble. A fastbreak layup from Parrish pushed the lead back to double digits with nine minutes remaining, 63-53.
A 3-pointer from Parrish re-extended the lead to 10 after the Scarlet Knights chipped away, making it 66-56 with 5:28 to play. Buckeye center Austin Parks put Rutgers on the ropes with a two-handed slam on the team's next possession.
Royal lobbed an emphatic alley-oop to Sean Stewart for a slam with three minutes to play, sticking a dagger in Rutgers to make it 74-59 as Jake Diebler unleashed a massive fist pump and the crowd rose to its feet in applause. Ohio State closed out an 80-66 victory from there.
What's Next?
Ohio State's nonconference schedule resumes but gets no easier, with the Buckeyes traveling to State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia for a neutral site game against No. 2 Auburn on Saturday, Dec. 14. Tipoff is at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.
Game Notes
- Ohio State center Aaron Bradshaw remains away from the team while under investigation by the university for a domestic incident. Guard Ques Glover and forward Colin White remain out with injuries.
- The Buckeyes improved their all-time record to 12-5 over the Scarlet Knights.
- A fan was escorted out of the building for inappropriate behavior with less than seven minutes to play in the game.
- After a 3-of-6 start from the free-throw line, Ohio State hit seven consecutive free throws to close the contest to go 10-of-13.
