Ohio State opened its 2025-26 basketball season by scoring its second-most points ever in a game.
In a high-octane game with 130 combined field-goal attempts between the two teams, Ohio State shot 63% from the field to rack up 118 points in a 118-102 season-opening win over IU Indy.
Ohio State came within three points of the school record of 121 points, set on Jan. 8, 1995, against George Mason.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| IU INDY | 50 | 52 | 102 |
| OHIO STATE | 66 | 52 | 118 |
Three Buckeyes crossed the 20-point threshold, with center Christoph Tilly leading the way at 28 points in his Ohio State debut. Guard Bruce Thornton picked up 26 while forward Devin Royal added 22. Guard John Mobley Jr. had 16 points and eight assists, but also five turnovers.
Ohio State set a new school record for free throws made in a game as the Buckeyes hit 42 of their 53 attempts from the charity stripe. The previous record for free throws in a game was 38, set against Ohio in 2013 and Washington State in 1968.
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for the Buckeyes, however. Especially on the defensive end. A mid-major, no matter how fast-paced, racking up 102 points leaves clear areas for Ohio State to grow. The Jaguars hit 12 3-pointers. Guard Kyler D'Augustino and forward Kameron Tinsley paced them in scoring with 21 and 22 points.
It's the first time the Buckeyes have allowed 100 points to a team in regulation since 1998.
First Half
| IU INDY | STAT | OHIO STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 102 | POINTS | 118 |
| 38-76 (50%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 34-54 (63%) |
| 12-38 (31.6%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 8-22 (36.4%) |
| 14-20 (70%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 42-53 (79.2%) |
| 13 | TURNOVERS | 16 |
| 25 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 41 |
| 12 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 11 |
| 13 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 30 |
| 51 | BENCH POINTS | 20 |
| 0 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 6 | STEALS | 6 |
| 20 | ASSISTS | 19 |
IU Indy's entire program is built around pace. They never use much of the shot clock and apply a full-court press play as many possessions as possible, constantly swapping in and out five players at a time to run, run, run. It played into Ohio State's hands early.
The Buckeyes connected on each of their first eight field-goal attempts, getting a pair of 3-pointers from Thornton alongside one each from Mobley and Royal. A layup from center Christoph Tilly capped a 10-0 run that put Ohio State up 16-6 3:07 into the first half.
But the Jaguars hung tough. Their pace started giving the Ohio State defense problems, but some great contested makes were mixed in as well. A triple from IU Indy guard Maguire Mitchell cut the Buckeye lead to 20-15, though Ohio State extended it to back to nine with a pair of fastbreak baskets, including a beautiful passing sequence from Mobley to sophomore wing Colin White to freshman forward Amare Bynum for an alley-oop flush.
THAT'S OHIO STATE BASKETBALL
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 3, 2025
Amare's first bucket as a Buckeye #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/GWYfO0ZZ2c
IU Indy responded with a 9-2 run that included a couple of contested makes around outside the restricted arc, cutting the Buckeye lead to 28-26, and the edge got as slim as 33-32 for Ohio State. But that's when OSU finally took control of the game.
Two intercepted passes by Royal kicked off a stretch of not one, not two, not three, not four, not five but six Jaguar turnovers in a span of 2:20. The Buckeyes took full advantage, launching a 13-0 run that included Tilly's first 3-pointer for Ohio State and four more fastbreak points from Royal.
A beautiful drive and reverse layup from Mobley, combined with a floater from Thornton and a Tilly fastbreak bucket, capped an 8-0 run a few minutes later and extended the Buckeyes' lead past 20 points for the first time at 56-35.
IU Indy cut back into the advantage a little bit with a few more fast makes, but a Royal second-chance layup off his own free-throw miss made it a 66-50 lead for the Buckeyes at halftime.
Second Half
Tilly burst forth with offense to open the final period, collecting the first seven Ohio State points of the half to push the lead back over 20, 73-52. After another Mobley finish at the rim, Tilly showed off some gorgeous post footwork with a spin move to work himself open for a basket.
A D'Augustino triple capped a quick 5-0 stretch by the Jaguars that placed them back within 13 of the Scarlet and Gray, but Buckeye guard Taison Chatman answered with his first 3-pointer of the season on a clean pump-fake and step over. Forward Brandon Noel followed a Thornton miss with a hook shot, then Thornton stole a ball and took it coast-to-coast for a layup that re-extended the lead to 89-69 with 11:25 to play.
IU Indy never let the game get much further out of hand, however, as Ohio State's defense continued struggling with switches and communication against the Jaguars' relentless pace and space. A 10-2 run featuring five points from Tinsley pulled them back to within 14.
Two more triples, including one from D'Augustino, made it a 10-point game once more in the final six minutes. A 7-0 run from Ohio State effectively iced the game from there.
What's Next?
Ohio State continues its season-opening home stand with another mid-major opponent, Purdue Fort Wayne, on Friday. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
Game Notes
- IU Indy's constant press resulted in a lot of fouls from the Jaguars. They had 16 fouls in the first half alone, six of their players entered the locker room with two or more fouls. They finished with 36 fouls after adding 20 in the second half.
- Ohio State experimented with a small-ball lineup with three guards briefly, featuring Gabe Cupps, Mobley and Thornton as three guards with Royal at power forward and Bynum at center.
- The Buckeyes had some rough moments as the game went on against the press, finishing with 17 turnovers.
- There were 162 combined possessions in the game.
