Following a nine-day break for the holidays, Ohio State opened a stretch of four games in nine days and began 2026 with a successful return, earning its second consecutive Big Ten road win with an 80–73 victory at Rutgers. The win improves Ohio State to 10-3 and 2-1 in conference play, while Rutgers drops to 7-7, 0-3. Looking up at a 15-point deficit with 3:47 remaining in the first half, Ohio State used a 31-8 run spanning nearly 10 minutes over both halves and fought off a pesky Rutgers team to hush the home crowd and steal victory from the jaws of defeat. The Buckeyes shot 52% for the game, including 7 of 16 from long range, holding Rutgers to just 43% and 6 of 22 from three. Outscoring Rutgers 40-30 in the paint and 19-12 from the line, the Buckeyes assisted on 15 of 27 made baskets taking the lead to stay at the 5:23 mark and pulled away late to finish an all-important road victory. Bruce Thornton led Ohio State with a near triple double, scoring 20 points to pass Jay Burson for 8th all time in OSU scoring, adding 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Devin Royal added 16, Brandon Noel scored 14, all in the first half and John Mobley chipped in 12. Rutgers was led by Tariq Francis with 17 and Dylan Grant added 14 in a losing effort.
1st Half
Ohio State opened the game with two three-point possessions, starting with an old-fashioned three-point play from Christoph Tilly. After a Rutgers bucket, Devin Royal knocked down a left-wing three to keep the Buckeyes rolling early. Rutgers responded with four straight points before Bruce Thornton answered with a 10-footer from just right of the lane. The Scarlet Knights then scored the next four to take their first lead, and at the first media timeout, Rutgers held a 10–8 advantage.
Out of the break, high-low action led to Amare Bynum finding Brandon Noel for a layup to tie the game. Following a defensive stop, Bynum split a pair of free throws to put Ohio State back in front, then capitalized after Thornton tracked down the rebound on the miss, with Bynum finishing at the rim. Rutgers answered with back-to-back threes to regain the lead. Noel stopped the 6–0 burst with a basket inside, but another Rutgers three pushed the margin to four. Thornton responded with a three of his own to pull Ohio State within one, but Rutgers answered again, and at the under-12 media timeout, the Scarlet Knights led 21–18.
Rutgers extended its advantage with three free throws and a basket, before Noel scored to stop a 7–0 run and trim the deficit to six at the under-8 timeout. Two Bynum free throws cut into the lead further, but Rutgers broke the Buckeyes’ backcourt pressure for an easy score. The teams traded interior baskets before an Ohio State turnover led to another Rutgers layup, forcing Jake Diebler to call timeout with 6:29 left in the half and Rutgers ahead 32–24. The Scarlet Knights continued the surge, scoring seven more to stretch the lead to 15, and at the under-4 media timeout, Rutgers surprisingly led 39–24.
Ohio State finally halted the 11–0 run with a pair of Thornton free throws, then closed the half with a strong response. John Mobley Jr. drove and kicked to Noel for a basket, Noel followed with two free throws, and after a Rutgers dunk briefly stopped the run, Mobley buried a three. The Buckeyes forced a turnover, and Noel converted two more free throws before Mobley again found Noel for a dunk to cap the first-half scoring. Despite Rutgers taking a 41–37 lead into the locker room, Ohio State closed the half on a 13–2 run over the final 3:47.
The Buckeyes shot 52 percent from the field in the first half, including 3-of-9 from three and 10-of-11 at the free-throw line. Rutgers shot 47 percent and 4-of-14 from deep but held an 18–12 rebounding edge, including nine offensive boards that led to 11 second-chance points. Brandon Noel led Ohio State with 14 points off the bench, while Bynum and Thornton added seven apiece. Rutgers was paced by Tariq Francis with 15 points, and Dylan Grant chipped in nine.
2nd Half
Rutgers opened the second half with a baseline jumper, but Ohio State quickly responded by breaking the zone as Christoph Tilly lobbed to Devin Royal for a dunk. Bruce Thornton followed with a short jumper in the paint to cut the deficit to two, and John Mobley Jr. drilled a three to put the Buckeyes in front. After Rutgers briefly regained the lead with a three, Mobley answered with another triple, and at the under-16 media timeout, Ohio State held a 47–46 advantage.
Out of the break, Tilly and Rutgers each split trips to the free-throw line before Royal powered through the lane for an and-one, extending the Buckeye lead to four. Thornton then scored on back-to-back possessions, capping a 7–0 run and forcing a Rutgers timeout with 13:53 remaining as Ohio State went ahead 55–47.
Rutgers snapped a nearly four-minute field-goal drought with a driving layup and trimmed the margin further after a Buckeye turnover led to a free throw. Tilly split another pair at the line to push the lead back out, but the Scarlet Knights answered with a three off a baseline inbounds play. Thornton responded with a short jumper, and at the under-12 media timeout, Ohio State led 58–53.
Out of the timeout, Rutgers knocked down two free throws to trim the deficit to three, then added a jumper to pull within one. Royal steadied the Buckeyes with a pair from the line, but the Scarlet Knights answered in kind and, following an empty Ohio State possession, took the lead on a transition dunk. Thornton responded by finishing at the rim to swing the lead back, and after Royal countered a Rutgers basket with a score from the right block, Ohio State held a 64–63 edge at the under-8 media timeout.
Rutgers briefly regained the lead with two free throws out of the timeout, but Bruce Thornton answered with a three from the right point to put Ohio State back in front. After the Scarlet Knights tied it, Devin Royal attacked the rim, finishing through contact and completing the three-point play. Following a defensive stop, Royal split a pair at the line to extend the advantage, and at the under-4 media timeout, Ohio State led 71–67.
Out of the break, Christoph Tilly scored at the rim to push the lead to six, but a Rutgers steal and dunk trimmed the margin, prompting a Scarlet Knight timeout with 2:43 remaining and Ohio State ahead 73–69. John Mobley Jr. then buried a left-wing three to stretch the lead to seven with just over two minutes to play. Two Amare Bynum free throws with 1:16 remaining further extended the cushion, and after a Rutgers basket and timeout with 23 seconds left, Ohio State broke the press and sealed the win with a Tilly dunk. A late Rutgers jumper rounded out the scoring as the Buckeyes secured a big road victory.
Game Wrap
For the first 17 minutes, it appeared the long holiday layoff might cost the Buckeyes. Ohio State came out flat and was slow to the glass, allowing a young Rutgers team to seize the momentum and build a 15-point lead by the under-4 media timeout of the first half. Head coach Jake Diebler challenged his group to dig deeper, and the response was immediate. The Buckeyes closed the half with a late surge to cut the deficit to four, then carried that momentum out of the locker room, extending the run and building an eight-point lead six minutes into the second half.
Rutgers refused to go away, but Diebler’s adjustments—most notably mixing in zone defensive looks—disrupted the Scarlet Knights and created timely stops. Ohio State also tightened up on the defensive glass, limiting Rutgers to mostly one-and-done possessions, while the offense found rhythm behind the leadership of Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr., and Devin Royal, who delivered when it mattered most. The result was a critical road win the Buckeyes simply had to have.
If Ohio State hopes to return to the NCAA Tournament, this was the type of game it needed to win. For the final 23 minutes, the Buckeyes looked the part and finished the job, setting up a marquee home matchup Monday night against 12th-ranked Nebraska. While consistency and rebounding remain areas for growth, Ohio State is showing clear signs of coming together in stretches. They’ll need a full 40-minute effort Monday before heading west for two more games, but a strong week could put them in prime position to break the tournament drought. At 10–3—and just a few plays away from 13–0—the Buckeyes have plenty to feel good about, with much basketball still ahead.
Box Score
*Official statistics provided courtesy of Rutgers University and Statbroadcast
Ohio State gets back in action at home on Monday night, hosting 13th ranked Nebraska in the Schott for a 6:30 tip with television coverage provided by FS1.
-Jason Harris