Facing their first power-conference matchup, the Buckeyes dug an early 11-point hole but battled back to take the lead midway through the second half. The Irish regained control briefly, but a Christoph Tilly runner off the glass with 13 seconds remaining proved to be the game-winner, giving Ohio State a 64–63 victory and moving the Buckeyes to 4–0.
Ohio State struggled to shoot all day, hitting just 38% from the field and 7-of-23 from three, but their stifling half-court defense and proficiency at the free-throw line provided just enough to secure the home win. The Buckeyes forced 13 Irish turnovers, converting them into 19 points, while committing 11 turnovers themselves—just three in the second half. Ohio State dominated the line, converting 19 of 23 attempts, while the Irish managed only 12 of 20.
Bruce Thornton led all scorers with 24 points, moving into 13th on Ohio State’s all-time scoring list, while Christoph Tilly contributed 18, including 14 in the second half and 10 from the stripe. Notre Dame was led by Markus Burton with 14 points, Jalen Haralson with 13, and Braedan Shrewsbury with 11. The win was a statement early in the season, highlighting Ohio State’s resilience, defensive intensity, and ability to execute in pressure moments.
1st Half
It took a minute and a half for either team to score, and Notre Dame struck first with a three to open the game. Ohio State answered quickly as John Mobley buried a triple from the right point to even things up. The Buckeyes broke the tie when Devin Royal knocked down a three of his own, but the Irish responded with the next eight points, capitalizing on four early Ohio State turnovers to take an 11–6 lead into the first media timeout.
A pair of Christoph Tilly free throws finally halted the Irish surge and trimmed the deficit to three. However, Notre Dame continued its hot start, knocking down its fifth and sixth straight field goals to push the lead to seven before a Tilly layup stopped the bleeding. The Irish added two more free throws and a runner, and riding a 16–4 run, carried a 19–10 advantage into the under-12 media timeout as early shooting woes had the Buckeyes looking up at a big early deficit.
After an Irish bucket extended their momentum, Bruce Thornton briefly steadied Ohio State’s offense with a pair of makes, but Notre Dame’s immediate response prevented the Buckeyes from building any rhythm. Gabe Cupps provided a needed spark, attacking the lane for a lay-in and then generating a transition opportunity with a steal that led to a Thornton three from the left wing. The sequence marked Ohio State’s first sustained stretch of defensive-to-offensive conversion, and following an Irish turnover heading into the under-8 media timeout, the Buckeyes had trimmed the deficit to 23–17—closing the gap but still searching for consistent stops.
Ohio State continued to chip away at the deficit when John Mobley knocked down a corner three off a well-executed baseline inbounds action, briefly shifting the tempo in the Buckeyes’ favor. An Irish runner halted that surge, but Bruce Thornton steadied the offense again, converting a pair of free throws that trimmed the gap to three as part of a 12–4 Buckeye run.
Notre Dame momentarily stemmed the push by splitting a pair at the line, but Thornton immediately drew contact while advancing across half court. With the Buckeyes in the bonus, he added two more free throws to pull Ohio State within two—an indication of both his control of the game and Notre Dame’s increasing foul pressure. The Irish responded with two free throws of their own, and as the under-4 media timeout arrived, Notre Dame held a 28–24 advantage, managing to stay in front despite Ohio State’s improving offensive execution.
Notre Dame briefly rebuilt its cushion with a runner, but Devin Royal answered with a step-back 17-footer to keep the margin at four. The Irish countered with a short jumper in the lane and added another paint touch to push the lead to eight. On the ensuing possession, John Mobley drew significant contact while rising for a three from the top left, and he converted all three free throws to trim the deficit back to five entering the final minute of the half.
An Irish turnover on the next trip allowed Ohio State to hold for a late possession, prompting Jake Diebler to use his “use-it-or-lose-it” timeout with 31 seconds remaining. Bruce Thornton delivered on the design, slipping into the lane for a runner with just over four seconds left to pull the Buckeyes within three. Notre Dame advanced quickly and used its own timeout with two seconds remaining to set up a final look—a contested pull-up just inside the free-throw line that hit front iron. The Irish went to the locker room clinging to a 34–31 lead, despite Ohio State outscoring them 21–13 over the final 9:14 to turn what had briefly been a double-digit separation into a one-possession game.
Ohio State’s first-half profile reflected a team recovering from a frigid start. The Buckeyes shot just 36% overall and 4-for-15 from deep, while Notre Dame—red hot early—finished at 58.3% from the field but only 1-for-4 from three. The Irish controlled the glass 17–10, capitalizing on Ohio State’s cold spells and limiting second-chance opportunities. Turnovers played a modest but important role: Ohio State forced nine and converted them into 10 points, while the Buckeyes’ seven miscues led to seven Notre Dame points.
Thornton, who passed both Terrance Dials and Alan Hornyak to move into 13th on Ohio State’s all-time scoring list, paced all scorers with 11. Mobley added nine, providing essential perimeter offense. Notre Dame was led by Jalen Haralson’s 10, though the Irish scoring was balanced early before cooling late in the half.
2nd Half
Ohio State opened the second half with a Christoph Tilly split at the line, but Notre Dame quickly countered before Brandon Noel found Tilly underneath for a clean finish. The Irish responded with the next six points—first via a three-point play the traditional way, then with a tripled perimeter strike—to stretch the margin to eight and reassert control.
The Buckeyes finally halted the surge when Bruce Thornton drilled a right-wing three, and a foul off the ball on the ensuing possession gifted Ohio State an unexpected chance to build momentum. But the Buckeyes couldn’t capitalize; John Mobley’s contested baseline runner was off the mark, and Notre Dame immediately answered with a physical finish through contact. That sequence sent the game into the under-16 media timeout with the Irish holding a 44–37 advantage and owning the early second-half tempo.
Coming out of the timeout, Notre Dame failed to complete the three-point play, and Bruce Thornton immediately made them pay with a short-corner jumper that trimmed the deficit. A strong closeout by Devin Royal forced a traveling violation on the next Irish possession, and with the extra opportunity, Thornton buried another three to pull Ohio State within two.
The Buckeyes had a chance to draw even but squandered a transition opportunity, and Notre Dame pushed the lead back to four. On the ensuing possession, Royal lost his footing while trying to attack and was forced to call timeout to preserve the ball at the 13:34 mark, the Irish still holding a 46–42 edge.
Ohio State again crept within a single possession when Ivan Njegovan jumped a passing lane to create a steal that led to an Amare Bynum finish off the glass. But both teams hit a lull offensively over the next several trips, and the game reached the under-12 media timeout with the Buckeyes appearing to build momentum yet still trailing 46–44.
Two free throws from Tilly finally pulled Ohio State even, and after a defensive stop, Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry elected to halt the action with 10:45 remaining and the game tied at 46. Out of the timeout, a video review—initiated by Notre Dame—overturned the original out-of-bounds call and returned the ball to the Irish. It didn’t matter. Royal’s on-ball pressure forced a turnover, and Tilly attacked downhill on the ensuing possession, drawing another foul. He calmly sank both free throws, capping an 11–2 Buckeye run and giving Ohio State its first lead since the opening minutes.
Notre Dame briefly reclaimed the lead with a three, but Thornton immediately pushed the ball up the floor and found Amare Bynum underneath for a dunk to swing the advantage back Ohio State’s way. After Bynum missed a free throw in an attempt to complete a three point play, the lead changed hands again on an Irish dunk, but Bynum answered by feeding Tilly on the block, where Tilly finished through contact and converted the and-one to put the Buckeyes ahead by two.
The back-and-forth continued as Notre Dame tied the game with a pair of free throws, and the teams reached the under-8 media timeout locked in a 53–53 battle.
Royal broke the 53–53 deadlock with a pair of free throws at the 7:55 mark, and after an Irish turnover, Tilly attacked off the bounce and drew another foul, sinking both shots to stretch the Ohio State lead to four. Notre Dame missed a free throw on the ensuing trip, and the Buckeyes capitalized as Thornton stepped into a 15-footer along the baseline to make it a six-point game.
But the Irish responded, stringing together a 6–0 run to tie the game once again with just over four minutes remaining. Thornton halted the surge in veteran fashion—shot-faking to send his defender airborne before drilling a three straight on to reclaim the lead. After another strong defensive stand, Tilly was fouled driving to the rim, sending the game into the final media timeout with Ohio State clinging to a 62–59 advantage and 3:24 left in regulation.
Out of the timeout, Tilly had a chance to extend the lead at the line but came up empty on both attempts. Ohio State responded with a stop on the defensive end, but as Thornton pushed the ball into the front court, he was stripped and whistled for a foul in the scramble, sending Notre Dame to the line. The Irish converted both free throws to trim the deficit to one, and on the next Ohio State possession, another turnover handed Notre Dame an opportunity they cashed in with a mid-range jumper to move back in front with two minutes remaining.
Both teams came up empty on their next trips, and after the Buckeyes secured a rebound, Jake Diebler used a timeout with 23 seconds left, Ohio State facing a 63–62 deficit and holding the ball for a potential game-winner.
A Tilly runner with 13 seconds left put Ohio State ahead and the Irish raced up the floor and a final long three clanged off the mark as the Buckeyes pulled out a big time win.
Game Wrap
This was a game that Ohio State loses a year ago, but with a newly constructed roster and a fresh start, they were able to finish and come out victorious. While the team wasn’t flawless over 40 minutes and occasionally struggled in transition defense, their half-court defense—especially in the final 30 minutes—was outstanding. The Buckeyes displayed remarkable poise and resilience after falling behind early, they faced adversity but refused to panic and closed the first half on a strong run to cut the deficit to a single possession at the break. In the second half, Ohio State executed a more effective inside-out approach, feeding the post to allow Christoph Tilly to operate, draw fouls, and capitalize at the line. Bruce Thornton, who played all 40 minutes, took command offensively late in the first half and carried that leadership through the second, anchoring the team on both ends of the court. Devin Royal, clearly still laboring from a hip injury that kept him out of their last outing, will need to continue to regain his health for the Buckeyes to reach their ceiling, but for them to be able to win a highly competitive game without their junior leader at 100% says something about the makeup of this ball club. The bottom line is they move to 4-0, win a tough ballgame against a decent opponent in front of the Big Ten and Ohio State basketball GOAT, Jerry Lucas on his day and have a chance to continue the positive momentum into the next one. .
Ohio State will be back in action again on Thursday evening, hosting Western Michigan for an 8PM scheduled tip, airing on BTN.
-Jason Harris