A 15-point comeback win on the road in the Big Ten is a 15-point comeback win on the road in the Big Ten. Regardless of how much that Big Ten foe has struggled this season.
Ohio State (10-3, 2-1 Big Ten) opened January with a 15-point comeback win on the road in the Big Ten over Rutgers (7-7, 0-3), who, despite losses to Central Connecticut State and Seton Hall this season, appeared game defending its home Jersey Mike's Arena on Friday night.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 37 | 43 | 80 |
| RUTGERS | 41 | 32 | 73 |
Bruce Thornton and Devin Royal carried the Buckeyes to victory in the second half, scoring a combined 26 points in that period. For the game, Thornton finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, both team highs, while Royal added 16 points. John Mobley Jr. collected 12 points, all on a quartet of 3-pointers. Noel played a major role in keeping Ohio State afloat in the first half, scoring all 14 of his points there.
Guards Tariq Francis and Dylan Grant – the former coming off the bench – led the way for Rutgers, collecting 17 and 14 points each. Second-chance points fueled some of the Scarlet Knights' best stretches, as they finished with 18 of them.
First Half
Slow offensive starts have plagued the Buckeyes in some of their games recently. That was not the case on Friday night, with Christoph Tilly and Devin Royal each collecting three points on their first two possessions, though their defense wasn't stout enough to create separation early. Particularly on the defensive glass.
Seven of Rutgers' first 13 points were second-chance points, the last three of those points being the first of three consecutive 3-point makes that pushed the Scarlet Knights to a 19-15 lead less than eight minutes into the game before Thornton answered with a 3 of his own.
Then the offense did go cold for Ohio State and Rutgers launched a 7-0 run. Francis collected his first five points in a row. Then, as the Buckeyes went more than four minutes without a field goal, Francis truly took over.
With his team ahead 32-24, he looped his way into a wide-open midrange jumper to push the lead to double digits. He crashed down the lane to float in another make, then floated around a screen to nail a triple off the dribble and make it seven consecutive points, already up to 15 on the game. Speaking of 15, that's how big the shot made the Scarlet Knights' lead, 39-24 with 3:58 to play in the first half.
But like the Buckeyes have done with each of their double-digit deficits this season – win or lose – they scraped themselves up from the mat and battled back.
Ohio State launched a 13-2 run to close the half, with Noel continuing a sizzling opening 20 minutes. He finished a layup and a dunk, adding four free throws as John Mobley Jr. drained a deep 3-pointer. Noel finished the first half 5-of-5 shooting with 14 points as the Buckeyes chipped their deficit all the way down to 41-37 at intermission.
Second Half
| OHIO STATE | STAT | RUTGERS |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | POINTS | 73 |
| 27-52 (51.9%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 27-64 (42.2%) |
| 7-16 (43.8%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 6-22 (27.3%) |
| 19-23 (82.6%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 21-25 (84%) |
| 12 | TURNOVERS | 14 |
| 33 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 31 |
| 13 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 18 |
| 20 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 13 |
| 14 | BENCH POINTS | 39 |
| 2 | BLOCKS | 3 |
| 5 | STEALS | 9 |
| 15 | ASSISTS | 14 |
Francis made a bucket to stop the scarlet blood flowing from the Scarlet Knights, but Ohio State immediately started another 7-0 run, capped by a Mobley 3-pointer, to take its first lead since 13-10 at 44-43.
Grant answered with a 3-pointer for Rutgers, but Mobley hit a nasty jab step into another downtown drop. Royal converted a 3-point play to give the Buckeyes a two-score lead, then Thornton cashed in back-to-back layups to make it 14 straight possessions with points for Ohio State. Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell called a timeout to stop the onslaught, his team suddenly down 55-47.
It catalyzed a response. Scarlet Knight guard Kaden Powers hit a 3-pointer and a string of four points from Grant and guard Darren Buchanon Jr. made it a one-point basketball game, 58-57, with 10:20 to go.
Punches started getting traded. Powers snatched the lead back for Rutgers with a fastbreak dunk, then regained it with a layup after Thornton and Royal each finished strong layups through contact in the paint. Rutgers retook the lead off two more second-chance points, Thornton came off a screen and hit a right-wing 3-pointer to make it 67-65 Ohio State.
Thornton got hurt as the clock wound under six minutes, but thankfully for Ohio State, he reentered a few minutes later. Royal collected four points to maintain a tight Buckeye lead in the meantime, up to 71-67. A 1-of-7 Scarlet Knight shooting stretch helped their efforts.
Up 73-69, Mobley caught a pass from Thornton with less than five seconds on the shot clock, pump-faked to have a defender fly by, pulled up to the left wing and sank a 3-point dagger into Rutgers' side with 2:13 remaining. Ohio State led by seven at that point and the lead never shrank any smaller.
What's Next?
The Buckeyes return home to face No. 13 Nebraska on Monday at 6:30. FS1 will have the broadcast.
Game Notes
- Ohio State improved its record to 15-5 all-time vs. Rutgers.
- Bruce Thornton is now 16 assists away from passing Curtis Wilson for the fifth-most all-time at Ohio State.
- Before his outburst on Friday, Noel had combined for just 15 points in his last four games (3.8 per game) since a 29-point outing at Northwestern on Dec. 6.
