From positions 1 through 5, Ohio State put on a scoring exhibition in its exhibition game against Ohio.
All five of the Buckeyes' starters reached double-figures as Ohio State reached triple-figures as a team, crushing Ohio 103-74 in an exhibition game in Value City Arena on Sunday.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO | 37 | 37 | 74 |
| OHIO STATE | 52 | 51 | 103 |
Ohio State received fantastic early returns on its duo of transfer starters in the frontcourt. Power forward Brandon Noel, who migrated from Wright State this offseason, racked up a game-high 18 points. Center Christoph Tilly, who arrived from Santa Clara, amazed with his passing at the position. He picked up seven assists to go with 14 points and five rebounds.
Devin Royal (13 points), John Mobley Jr. (12) and Bruce Thornton (11) rounded out the dynamic double-figured starting lineup, but freshman forward Amare Bynum added a sixth double-figure scorer off the bench, racking up 13 points. All came in the second half as he finished 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Finally, sophomore center Ivan Njegovan made it seven players in double-figures for Ohio State against Ohio.
Ajay Sheldon and Aiden Hadaway paced Ohio with 14 points each.
| OHIO | STAT | OHIO STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 74 | POINTS | 103 |
| 24-67 (35.8%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 35-58 (60.3%) |
| 10-37 (27%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 10-25 (40%) |
| 16-19 (84.2%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 23-29 (79.3%) |
| 16 | TURNOVERS | 14 |
| 31 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 40 |
| 14 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 11 |
| 17 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 29 |
| 27 | BENCH POINTS | 35 |
| 3 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 8 | STEALS | 5 |
| 15 | ASSISTS | 26 |
First Half
Noel started the game off with some authority. He crossed over his defender and knifed to the basket for an easy layup, the game's second basket, then Mobley found him near the hoop for a reverse lay-in. An open two-hand slam generated by great ball movement from Mobley to Tilly to Noel capped a stretch of six points in less than three and a half minutes to start the game for the power forward.
Royal added a two-hand flush of his own, and Ohio State was out to a 12-4 lead in the first four minutes. But Ohio answered by launching an 8-0 run off the back of 3-pointers by Sheldon and Jackson Paveletzke, tying the game at 12.
Njegovan offered some good minutes in the following stretch for the Buckeyes, the seven-footer already looking much improved from his rocky freshman year. He collected a dunk, stuck a missed shot back for two more points and collected a block and a rebound on the defensive end before drawing a foul as he was subbed out.
Still, seven Ohio State turnovers in the first eight minutes and white-hot Ohio shooting kept the Bobcats not only afloat, but ahead for long stretches of the first half. Ohio made four straight shots to take a 24-21 lead with 10 minutes to play in the first period. A pair of triples by Mobley and Royal pushed an 8-0 run to regain momentum and a 29-24 advantage for the Buckeyes.
Devin Royal from deep
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) October 26, 2025
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Thornton got going with a layup and one, plus another smooth drive and finish, then he canned a contested triple from the left wing. The Scarlet and Gray fed off his production, especially Noel, who collected a dunk and two free throws to help cap an 11-0 run for Ohio State, putting it ahead 43-32.
More offensive fireworks flowed from the Buckeyes, especially from Noel and Tilly in the frontcourt. They combined for the last 14 points of the half for Ohio State, sending it into the locker room with a 52-37 lead.
Second Half
Ohio State's impressive ball movement continued into the second half. Tilly found Noel on a pair of backdoor cuts with precise passes, giving him six assists and no turnovers in his first 19 minutes of action. Tilly quickly dished out his seventh assist to Royal, holding the Buckeyes' lead back to 15 at 62-47.
That's good basketball.@ChristophTilly x @bnoel811
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Bynum registered his first points of the game on a floater in the lane. A few possessions later, he swished home his first 3-pointer, building Ohio State's lead to its biggest margin yet at an even 20 points, 72-52.
Bynum made it seven straight points on a slam off a beautiful feed from Njegovan, though a Paveletzke 3 off a turnover by Buckeye guard Taison Chatman cut the lead back to 15. Coach Jake Diebler immediately swapped his starters back into the game. Even in an exhibition contest, he didn't want the Bobcats to make a comeback.
A quick six points from Tilly and Noel made the Ohio State lead its largest yet at 80-59, and all that remained was to continue building chemistry for the regular season. The backups got some more minutes, which led to another Bynum triple, though Royal still had his say with a 3-pointer from the corner.
Ohio State emptied its bench in the final minutes, and one of the loudest pops of the game came when walk-on Braylen Nash hit a triple with seconds left on the clock to close the Buckeye win.
What's Next?
Ohio State opens its regular season at home against IU Indy on Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on B1G+.
Game Notes
- When they've met during the season, Ohio State holds an 18-4 all-time record against Ohio.
- Bynum also led the bench in minutes played with 22. There are clearly big plans for the freshman this year.
- In the spirit of the exhibition game, officials allowed players to commit one extra personal foul before they fouled out – the foul-out number was six instead of five.
- Ohio head coach Jeff Boals coached at Ohio State under Thad Matta from 2009 through 2016.
