Ohio State
17-9,9-6Big Ten
#24 Wisconsin
18-8,10-5Big Ten
Thornton Tops 2,000, Buckeyes Beat No. 24 Wisconsin 86-69
2/18/2026 12:38:00 AM | Men's Basketball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Behind a dominant second half from Bruce Thornton and a bounce-back performance from Devin Royal, Ohio State led for the majority of the night in an 86–69 victory over No. 24 Wisconsin on Tuesday at the Schottenstein Center.
The Buckeyes improve to 17–9 overall and 9–6 in Big Ten play, while Wisconsin falls to 18–8 overall and 10–5 in conference action. The nine Big Ten wins matches last season’s total.
Ohio State built early momentum behind Royal, who erupted for 16 first-half points and helped the Buckeyes take a 38–26 lead into the break. Ohio State shot efficiently from the perimeter in the opening 20 minutes, knocking down six three-pointers while holding Wisconsin to just one.
Thornton took control in the second half, finishing with 27 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists while reaching a major milestone. A driving layup with 3:34 remaining pushed Thornton past the 2,000-point mark for his career, moving him into third place on Ohio State’s all-time scoring list and highlighting one of the most productive nights of his Buckeye career.
Royal delivered one of his strongest performances of the season, scoring 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting and tying his season high with four three-pointers. His scoring helped Ohio State extend its lead to as many as 20 in the second half as the Buckeyes shot 54.4 percent from the field and 52.4 percent from three-point range for the game.
Amare Bynum added 13 points, while Taison Chatman contributed 11 in his second start in place of John Mobley Jr.
Wisconsin was led by Braeden Carrington, who scored 20 points and knocked-down five three-pointers, while Nick Boyd and John Blackwell each added 14 points.
Up Next
The Buckeyes hit the road this weekend for a big matchup with No. 15 Michigan State. Tip-off from the Breslin Center is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on CBS.
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