Coming off a tough loss to 12th-ranked North Carolina, Ohio State bounced back with a dominant 89–63 win over visiting Grambling to close out the 2025 calendar year at 9–3. Despite 14 first-half turnovers, the Buckeyes used a 16–4 run to end the first half with a 15-point lead and a 20–6 stretch midway through the second half to put the game out of reach.

Ohio State shot 62% from the floor, hitting 6 of 18 from three, and dominated inside with a 42–20 advantage while outrebounding the Tigers 31–23. The Buckeyes also shared the ball well, assisting on 19 of 31 field goals, and received 13 points from the bench. Defensively, Ohio State held Grambling to 38% shooting, including 6 of 21 from three, and forced 15 turnovers, converting them into a 29–13 points-off-turnovers edge. While not a flawless performance, the Buckeyes’ size, efficiency in the paint, and defensive pressure made the difference in a game they were clearly favored to win.

John Mobley, Jr. led Ohio State with a game high 20, while Bruce Thornton and Devin Royal added 18 and 16 respectively. Amare Bynum, making his second straight start, added 12 points and 9 rebounds and Christoph Tilly chipped in 10. Grambling was led by 19 points from Antonio Munoz, while Derrius Ward added 12. Jamil Muttilib and Jimel Lane each scored 10 for the Tigers who had their 2-game winning streak snapped and fall to 5-7.

1^st Half

Ohio State struck first as Tilly spun into the lane and finished with a finger roll. A Royal bucket on the right block was briefly answered by five straight Grambling points, giving the Tigers an early edge. The Buckeyes responded when Royal scored at the rim to reclaim the lead, and at the under-16 timeout Ohio State was up 6–5.

The lead grew when Amare Bynum converted in transition off a Tiger turnover and Christoph Tilly added two free throws, pushing the margin to 10–5 despite five early turnovers. A Bruce Thornton floater capped an 8–0 run as the Buckeyes took a 12–5 advantage into the under-12 break.

Ohio State kept the run going out of the timeout when Royal found a cutting John Mobley for two, extending it to 10–0 before Grambling snapped a nearly seven-minute scoring drought at the line. A Tiger three prompted a 30-second Ohio State timeout as Grambling trimmed the deficit to 14–10. The Tigers briefly made it a 6–0 spurt before Bynum halted the momentum with a three, sending Ohio State into the under-8 media timeout ahead 17–12.

Out of the break, Brandon Noel set up Royal for a wide-open dunk, and after a Grambling dribble-drive score, Royal knocked down a tough, contested pull-up from 15 feet. Grambling capitalized on another Buckeye turnover in transition, but Thornton answered with a strong short jumper. Crisp interior ball movement led to another Tilly finish, and at the under-4 timeout, Ohio State led 25–18.

Tilly attacked the rim out of the stoppage, drew a foul, and converted both free throws, with Thornton following by knocking down a pair of his own to push the Buckeyes into double figures. Ohio State added more separation when Noel found Colin White for a layup. After Grambling halted an 8–0 Buckeye run with a three, Thornton penetrated and set up Bynum for a dunk.

The Tigers split a pair at the line, but Thornton answered again, scoring through contact and converting the free throw to complete a three-point play. Grambling connected on a long jumper, yet Thornton closed the half by finding Mobley on the right wing for a three just before the horn. Ohio State entered the locker room up 39–24, having outscored Grambling 16–4 over the final 4:23.

Ohio State was highly efficient shooting in the first half, hitting 68% from the field and 2-of-8 from three, while holding Grambling to just 32% shooting, including 3-of-13 from beyond the arc. Despite committing 10 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes keeping Ohio State from enjoying a larger lead, the Buckeyes forced 10 Grambling miscues and capitalized with a 16–6 edge in points off turnovers. Ohio State did most of its damage in the paint, outscoring the Tigers 22–4 inside to build a 15-point halftime lead. Bruce Thornton paced the Buckeyes with nine points, while Christoph Tilly and Devin Royal chipped in eight apiece. Antonio Munoz led Grambling with seven.

2^nd Half

Bynum opened the second half scoring with a finish at the rim. Grambling answered with four straight points, but Thornton drove for two, and after a defensive stop, Mobley knocked down a three from the left wing. Following a pair of split free throws by both the Tigers and Ohio State’s Thornton and Noel, the Buckeyes extended their lead to 19. A Tiger three was countered by a Noel layup, and after another Grambling basket, Noel found Royal for a dunk, prompting a Grambling timeout with 15:36 remaining and Ohio State ahead 52–34.

Back-to-back short jumpers from Thornton were offset by a pair of Grambling triples, cutting the Buckeye lead to 16 at the under-16 media timeout. The Tigers’ run reached 7–0 before Ohio State pulled away again, with Mobley knocking down consecutive threes. The lead swelled to 20 when Bynum drove baseline and delivered a wraparound pass to Royal for two, then extended further as Tilly found Bynum on a break for a basket-plus-foul, converting all three.

The Buckeyes’ run grew to 14 points after Mobley hit a long three from the top of the key, before Grambling scored on a baseline jumper. Mobley, fouled on a three-point attempt, made all three free throws, pushing Ohio State’s lead to 27. Following a split by the Tigers at the line, Tilly added two more free throws for the Buckeyes. A final Grambling basket just before the under-8 timeout sent the teams to their benches with Ohio State comfortably in front, 75–49.

Out of the timeout, Noel went to the line and made one of two free throws, but Grambling responded with a 5–0 spurt. Tilly then found Royal for a dunk to halt the mini run. After another Tiger basket, Royal answered with a runner, and Grambling made two free throws on the ensuing possession. Thornton added a pair of free throws of his own, giving Ohio State an 82–58 lead heading into the final media timeout.

After the timeout, Grambling split a pair at the line, but Ohio State responded with Thornton feeding Noel for a layup. The Tigers added two free throws, followed by two from Taison Chatman, pushing the Buckeye lead to 25 with 2½ minutes remaining. Following a contested Tiger dunk, Chatman knocked down a 12-foot jumper from the left wing as Ohio State cleared its bench. Ivan Njegovan then drew a foul and made one of two free throws, sealing the scoring in Ohio State’s convincing win.

Game Wrap

That wraps up the 2025 and mid-major “paycheck” portion of the 2025–26 season. While the Buckeyes have taken care of business against lesser competition, something many teams around the country have failed to do as convincingly—they have struggled to find consistency against power-conference opponents. Still, Ohio State heads into the new year in a solid position at 9–3, already owning a road conference win, but January looms and with it comes the grind of what looks to be a very competitive Big Ten conference. How they navigate this stretch will ultimately determine whether they are dancing in March or watching from the outside for a fourth straight season.

The Buckeyes clearly have the talent to be part of the field of 68. The starting five can compete with anyone in the conference, and as the season progresses, the rotation will naturally tighten. The lingering question, however, remains depth off the bench—who can consistently step up and provide meaningful production when called upon. That uncertainty will continue to shape this team’s ceiling moving forward.

The next few weeks will be critical in defining Ohio State’s trajectory. With several winnable games on paper, stringing together victories now could allow for more of a margin for error later in the conference season, particularly in tougher road environments. Everything is in front of this group. Despite a few losses already on the ledger, their competitiveness and fight have been evident. The next step is turning those close games into wins and building a résumé with Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories.

For now, the Buckeyes will take a brief holiday break before turning their full attention to conference play—where the focus will be on stacking wins and continuing to move toward their preseason goals.

Box Score

*Official statistics provided courtesy of The Ohio State University and Sidearm sports

The Buckeyes get back to action on Friday January 2 in Piscataway, NJ taking on Rutgers for an 8PM tilt airing on Peacock.

-Jason Harris