Ohio State handled business in emphatic fashion against its final overmatched mid-major opponent before a difficult five-game stretch.
Mount Saint Mary's (1-6) tied the Buckeyes (6-0) one time in the first few minutes of the contest and were otherwise dominated wire-to-wire in a 113-60 demolition by Ohio State.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOUNT ST. MARY'S | 26 | 34 | 60 |
| OHIO STATE | 52 | 61 | 113 |
Guard John Mobley Jr. put together his most complete performance of the season, racking up a career-high 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range, with only one turnover.
Four other Buckeyes finished in double figures. Devin Royal grabbed 17 points in an efficient 7-of-10 shooting night. Bruce Thornton picked up 14 with five assists, five rebounds and two steals. Then there was backup center Ivan Njegovan, who flashed improved offense with a career-high 15 points in a 7-of-7 shooting night. Ohio State shot a gaudy 64.1% from the floor and 48.4% from 3 as a team.
The win over the Mountaineers closed a six-game homestand for the Buckeyes before a telling set of games early in the season. Ohio State travels to Pitt and Northwestern before returning home to face Illinois, then plays neutral-site games against West Virginia and North Carolina.
| MOUNT ST. MARY'S | STAT | OHIO STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | POINTS | 113 |
| 22-59 (37.3%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 41-64 (64.1%) |
| 6-32 (18.8%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 15-31 (48.4%) |
| 10-18 (55.6%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 16-19 (84.2%) |
| 13 | TURNOVERS | 8 |
| 22 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 41 |
| 8 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 7 |
| 14 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 34 |
| 8 | BENCH POINTS | 35 |
| 1 | BLOCKS | 0 |
| 4 | STEALS | 6 |
| 14 | ASSISTS | 18 |
First Half
Mount St. Mary's hung tough early, trailing just 10-8 five minutes into the game despite individual five-point stretches from Mobley and Royal. Then, Ohio State mounted an 8-0 run catalyzed by an Amare Bynum 3-pointer and it was off to the races.
A 6-0 run followed shortly thereafter with some smooth midrange skill flexed by Mobley, then Christoph Tilly followed the jolt with a triple that made it a 29-15 lead for the Buckeyes less than 10 minutes into the game.
The fast pace of the first half fought forward as the Mountaineers chipped away again, with Mason So canning a 3-pointer complemented by a pair of midrange jumpers from guard Alrandus Keyes and forward Luke McEldon. The momentum was short-lived.
Ohio State closed the half on a 21-3 run. A left-wing 3-pointer and floater by Bruce Thornton mixed with an old-fashioned 3-point play from Tilly got things started, then two more 3s by Thornton and Brandon Noel pushed the Buckeye lead out past 20 points. A Mobley midrange made it an even doubling of Mount St. Mary's by Ohio State on the halftime scoresheet at 52-26.
Second Half
Mobley and Royal ensured the offensive outpouring continued for Ohio State to start the second period.
Mobley canned a 3-pointer from near the Buckeyes' midcourt logo and nailed another midrange jumper. Royal showed a bit of offensive evolution from the perimeter by driving to find a spot to shoot from the mid-block, then took a foul while he canned a left-wing triple and converted the free throw for a rare four-point play. The Ohio State advantage grew to 69-31.
Njegovan gave Ohio State some great minutes as it maintained the lead. He scored seven of the Buckeyes' nine points during one stretch, including a top-of-the-key triple.
OH YES IVAN
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 26, 2025
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Mobley comboed yet another midrange jumper with a 3-pointer to make the score 95-50 Ohio State, then took the bench alongside Royal to a standing ovation. It was mostly backups to close the game for Ohio State. A sick coast-to-coast layup and dunk by Bynum put the Buckeyes at triple-digits, and Ohio State finished with 113 points, its second-highest scoring total of the year.
Your weekly Amare hammer
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 26, 2025
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What's Next?
Ohio State hits the road for the first time this season to take on Pitt, trying to avenge a loss in Value City Arena from last year. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Game Notes
- Bruce Thornton has continued his climb up Ohio State's all-time assists leaderboard this season, now standing at No. 6 in program history with 431 for his career.
- It was the third all-time meeting between the Buckeyes and Mountaineers. Ohio State now holds a 3-0 edge in the series.
- Christoph Tilly sustained an injury near the end of the first half and had to exit for the rest of the game. He reappeared with a warm-up shirt over his jersey, cooling down on an exercise bike as he laughed and smiled before returning to the Ohio State bench. Jake Diebler stated after the game that it was a lower-body injury, but his absence in the second half was "mostly precautionary."
- In addition to Njegovan and Mobley's career-highs, Taison Chatman posted a career-high nine points.
