Jake Diebler and Ohio State came within inches of cinching up a signature rivalry win in the head coach's first season, but it wasn't to be.
No. 20 Michigan (20-5, 12-2 Big Ten), the first-place team in the Big Ten, escaped Value City Arena with an 86-83 victory over Ohio State (15-11, 7-8).
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| #20 MICHIGAN | 44 | 42 | 86 |
| OHIO STATE | 39 | 44 | 83 |
Center Vladislav Goldin starred for Michigan with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and fellow seven-foot forward Danny Wolf followed right behind with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Wolverines held a stark edge on the glass, outrebounding the Buckeyes 46-31.
Devin Royal led the way for Ohio State with 26 points. Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr. followed with 17 and 16 points, though Thornton missed a potential game-tying basket with just seconds to play in regulation.
First Half
| MICHIGAN | STAT | OHIO STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 86 | POINTS | 83 |
| 33-68 (48.5%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 28-61 (45.9%) |
| 7-21 (33.3%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 9-25 (36%) |
| 13-17 (76.5%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 18-27 (66.7%) |
| 12 | TURNOVERS | 9 |
| 46 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 31 |
| 19 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 12 |
| 27 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 19 |
| 22 | BENCH POINTS | 9 |
| 1 | BLOCKS | 5 |
| 5 | STEALS | 6 |
| 13 | ASSISTS | 13 |
Outside of two Ohio State turnovers, both offenses came out with a ruthless precision that was unsurprising for the rivalry tilt.
Twenty-two points were scored before the first media timeout as Thornton and Mobley each splashed threes for the Buckeyes while Burnett canned two from downtown for the Wolverines. But Ohio State stayed hot for a few more moments.
The Buckeyes rattled off four consecutive makes including three from Royal, who knocked down one triple from the left wing and another from the top of the key. Ques Glover added his own from the left wing while getting knocked down by a defender and Ohio State took the first multi-score lead of the game at 21-16.
Meanwhile, the intensity of the Schottenstein Center was ever-present. Roddy Gayle Jr., who transferred from Ohio State to Michigan this past offseason, was met with a chorus of boos every time he touched the ball. Tension rose as the Wolverines launched an 8-0 run to take the lead back, then erupted in cheers when Thornton recaptured it with a contested baseline jumper.
Then the early-game precision faded in an instant. Ohio State missed nine straight shots, but because Michigan missed six straight itself, a Micah Parrish breakaway slam to end the Buckeyes' drought held them within striking distance at 35-33. The Wolverines gained a bit of separation off a 3-pointer from L.J. Cason, but a Mobley floater and circus layup by Glover cut the score to 42-39.
OH MY QUES GLOVER @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/YP0Du3BX4j
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) February 16, 2025
Goldin tipped back in a miss in the first half's final seconds to give Michigan a 44-39 lead going into halftime.
Second Half
Michigan tried several times to pull away in the first handful of minutes in the second period, but Ohio State had a retort each time.
Wolf converted a layup through a foul to give the Wolverines a seven-point lead, Aaron Bradshaw answered with a slam through a foul before Royal hit his third 3-pointer in as many tries. Tre Donaldson converted three consecutive contested layups to make it 57-51 Michigan, but two Mobley triples combined with baskets from Royal and Sean Stewart eventually knotted the contest at 61.
Thornton converted a layup through a foul to give Ohio State its first second-half lead, then slapped a high-10 with a fan in the front row. Like the first half, though, the middle minutes of the second period were cold for the Buckeyes, who went on a 1-for-8 stretch from the field as the Wolverines wobbled ahead 71-68. Bradshaw fouled out with more than nine minutes to play after just 11 minutes of action.
Wolf seemed unstoppable, hitting turnaround jumpers and crazy layups, but still the Buckeyes wouldn't die. Royal threw down a ridiculous alley-oop off a feed from Thornton through a foul to make it a 78-76 ballgame with less than four minutes to play.
A few possessions later, Thornton tied the game with a floater and Michigan coach Dusty May had to call a timeout to quell some of the noise in Value City Arena.
The pause worked to fuel his team. Gayle and Goldin combined to put the Wolverines up 84-80. Parrish answered with a 3-pointer, just his second make of the game, before Wolf made one free throw and missed one to give Michigan a two-point lead. That gave Ohio State a chance to tie or win the game in the final seconds, but a mid-range shot from Thornton fell short with Rubin Jones grabbing a game-sealing rebound for the Wolverines.
What's Next
Ohio State closes its three-game home stand on Thursday with Northwestern, who is tied for 16th in the Big Ten. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. on FS1.
Game Notes
- The Buckeyes are now 102-83 vs. Michigan all-time.
- After Ohio State fans booed at the end of the Buckeyes' last two home wins when the team fell one assist short of free Chick-fil-A for the crowd, the number of assists required was dropped from 16 to 12.
- Former Buckeye basketball captains from across the decades were honored at halftime, with Scoonie Penn, JJ Sullinger, current support staffer Terence Dials and Aaron Craft among those in attendance.
