Ohio State
10-3,2-1Big Ten
Rutgers
7-7,0-3Big Ten
Buckeyes Pull Out Gritty 80-73 Road Win at Rutgers
1/2/2026 11:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Bruce Thornton recorded a double-double to lead four Buckeyes in double figures as Ohio State pulled out a tough 80-73 road victory at Rutgers on Friday evening.
The Buckeyes are now 10-3 on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten play.
Thornton finished with 20 points and game-high 10 rebounds. With his 20 points, he passed Jay Burson for eighth place on the program’s all-time scoring list.
Devin Royal scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half as he also had four assists. Brandon Noel was key in the run at the end of the first half and finished with 14 points and four rebounds.
Sophomore guard John Mobley Jr. made four more three-pointers, including three in the second half, to finish with 12 points and four assists.
For Rutgers, Tariq Francis scored 15 points in the opening half to help Rutgers build a lead, but he scored the opening bucket of the second and was held scoreless the rest of the way.
Behind the hot shooting of Francis and an 18-12 rebounding edge, Rutgers opened up a 15-point lead with just under four minutes left in the half. After the media timeout, the Buckeyes finished the half on a 13-2 run and trailed 41-37 at the break. Noel had eight points during the closing run.
The spurt continued into the start of the second half as the Buckeyes opened on an 18-6 run to build a 55-47 lead and force a Rutgers timeout. But the Scarlet Knights settled in and got the lead back to a single possession with 10 minutes to play.
The margin remained one possession for the next five minutes until a 6-0 Buckeye run shoved the lead out to 73-67 with 3:23 to play. That was the breathing room the Buckeyes needed as they went on to an 80-73 victory.
Up Next
Ohio State returns home to host No. 13 and undefeated Nebraska on Monday night at the Schottenstein Center. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game is televised on FS1.
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