Ohio State
16-9,8-6Big Ten
#15 Virginia
22-3,10-2ACC
Buckeyes Fall in Final Minute to No. 15 Virginia
2/14/2026 10:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ohio State battled No. 15 Virginia right down to the final minute, but the Cavaliers were able to pull ahead late for a 70-66 non-conference victory.
The Buckeyes are now 16-9 overall while Virginia improves to 22-3.
Bruce Thornton led all scorers with 28 points to go along with four rebounds and three steals. Freshman Amare Bynum also had a nice game, stepping up without second-leading scorer John Mobley Jr., who missed the game with a hand injury. Bynum was 3-of-4 from long range to finish with 15 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Christoph Tilly was the third Buckeye in double figures with 11 points. Taison Chatman made his first collegiate start in place of Mobley and finished with four points in a career-high 30 minutes.
The difference in the game came at the free throw line. Virginia was 22-of-32 from the line while the Buckeyes shot just nine free throws, making six.
The Buckeyes got off to a great start, leading 12-4 at the first media timeout. Virginia clawed its way back and would eventually take a 36-31 lead late in the half before the teams headed to the locker room tied at 37-37. Thornton and Bynum each had 10 points in the opening 20 minutes.
Behind Thornton, the Buckeyes took a 57-51 lead with 10 minutes to play. UVA again pushed back and evened the score at 59-59 just three minutes later, setting up a great finish. The game remained tied before Virginia took a 63-61 lead at the 4:43 mark. Neither team scored for the next 3:30. That was the key stretch. Bynum connected on a three-pointer, cutting the UVA lead to 66-64 with 33 seconds left and US was able to do enough at the line to hang on for the win.
Up Next
The Buckeyes return home on Tuesday to take on one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten in Wisconsin. The Badgers are coming off back-to-back Top 10 victories. Tip-off Tuesday is set for 8:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on FS1.
#GoBucks
