Indiana State has some hoopers, Samage Teel and Jaden Daughtry chief among them. Yet, the Sycamores would have needed a legend – a Larry Legend – to beat Ohio State on Sunday.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| INDIANA STATE | 47 | 36 | 83 |
| OHIO STATE | 52 | 51 | 103 |
Bruce Thornton's career-high 33 points led a collection of five Buckeyes to reach double figures in the team's 103-83 win over the Sycamores, also including Ques Glover (15), Devin Royal (13), Aaron Bradshaw (13) and John Mobley Jr. (11). Sean Stewart, the leader of a second-half surge that saw Ohio State outscore Indiana State 51-36, finished one point short with nine.
Ohio State's wealth of points came from all over the court, as it shot 56% from the floor and 33% from behind the 3-point line. The Buckeyes also had a marked advantage in free throws, connecting on 28 of 41 tries (68%) compared to the Sycamores’ 27 of 32 (84%) and won the turnover battle 19-6.
First Half
The Buckeyes and Sycamores traded blows from the start of the contest to the first media timeout. Then, Ohio State surged for a 9-0 run off a Glover 3-pointer and two-point baskets from Stewart, Mobley and Thornton to take a 24-15 lead around the 10-minute mark.
Indiana State's Bruno Alocen and Camp Wagner answered with a pair of 3-pointers as Glover – keeping his hot hand from the Kentucky game – drained two shots off the dribble to keep Ohio State ahead, 28-21. The Sycamores remained resilient, as Teel, Wagner and K'mani Doughty each made 3-pointers to keep the score close, 43-39, at the final media timeout.
In the last four minutes, Indiana State tied the score at 46 thanks to a couple of 3-pointers from Doughty and Alocen, as well as a pair of baskets from Daughtry that Thornton separated with a 3-pointer. The Buckeyes went into the half with a five-point lead, 52-47, off two Royal free throws, another Thornton 3-ball and a Thornton free throw at the front end of a one-and-one.
17 point first half from BT @Bruce2T_| #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/1FzLGbyNBX
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 29, 2024
Thorton led Ohio State with 17 points and Daughtry led Indiana State with 12 points in the first half. Both teams made more than 50% of their shots in the frame as the Buckeyes went 17 for 33 (51.5%) and the Sycamores went 15 for 28 (53.6%). The former was 5 for 14 (35.7%) from behind the 3-point line while the latter was 9 for 20 (45%).
Second Half
| OHIO STATE | STAT | INDIANA STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 103 | POINTS | 83 |
| 34-61 (55.7%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 23-54 (42.6%) |
| 7-21 (33%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 10-28 (35.7%) |
| 28-41 (68.3%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 27-32 (84.4%) |
| 6 | TURNOVERS | 19 |
| 30 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 36 |
| 7 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 10 |
| 23 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 26 |
| 7 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 11 | STEALS | 1 |
| 15 | ASSISTS | 14 |
Indiana ran into foul trouble at the start of the second half, with starters Daughtry, Teel and Jayan Walker heading to the bench in the opening minutes. Smelling blood in the water, Ohio State attacked the paint and backboard each possession. Stewart and Royal combined for 13 points and six rebounds in a stretch that saw the Buckeyes outscore the Sycamores 13-6 and take a 65-53 lead.
Following an Indiana State timeout, Ohio State maintained its comfortable advantage as six different Buckeyes, including Thornton, Glover, Evan Mahaffey, Colin White, Mobley and Bradshaw, scored points and pushed their team ahead 79-64.
From that point forward, the Buckeyes cruised – for the most part. While Ohio State went on to win, 103-83, the team went ice cold from the free throw line, which made the score closer than it needed to be in the middle portion of the half. Still, Thornton helped the Buckeyes overcome their brutal stretch from that area, connecting on four of their final six attempts from the charity stripe. The team's other makes came from freshman walk-on Braylen Nash.
Game Notes
- Ohio State started Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr., Evan Mahaffey, Devin Royal and Sean Stewart against Indiana State. Mobley started in place of Meechie Johnson (personal), and Mahaffey started in place of Micah Parrish (ankle). Four-time starter Aaron Bradshaw came off the bench.
- This was the first ever meeting between Ohio State and Indiana State.
- This was Ohio State's third 100-point game of the season as a team. The others came against in back-to-back games against Campbell and Green Bay in November.
Up Next
With its win over Indiana State, Ohio State has completed its non-conference schedule. The Buckeyes will face Michigan State on Friday (FOX, 8 p.m.) for their third Big Ten contest of the season. Their previous conference matchups were an 83-59 road loss to Maryland and an 80-66 home win over Rutgers.
