Every time Ohio State needed a basket, John Mobley Jr. delivered. At least, until the Buckeyes took over the game as a team against UCLA.
Mobley racked up a career-high 28 points and six made 3-pointers to propel Ohio State (12-5, 4-3 Big Ten) to an 86-74 home victory over UCLA (12-6, 4-3) on Saturday. The Buckeyes led by double-digits for the final 18:13 of game action.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 36 | 38 | 74 |
| OHIO STATE | 42 | 44 | 86 |
Bruce Thornton and Devin Royal were Mobley's main co-stars. Thornton scored 22 points and Royal had 21 with a 3-of-3 mark from downtown. Thornton added eight rebounds from his guard position.
UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau provided the Bruins' primary resistance, scoring 30 points and shooting 4-of-7 from 3-point range.
First Half
The first four-and-a-half minutes of action brought plenty of offensive fireworks. Thornton hit a jumper and Christoph Tilly hit Amare Bynum with a clinical bounce pass for a two-handed slam, but after a Mobley 3-pointer, Bilodeau got hot.
He hit two off-balance shots, one a midrange jumper and one a 3-pointer, before another make from Bilodeau set the score at 11-9 Ohio State in the opening stretches. The Buckeyes answered with a 7-0 run, with Thornton hitting a jumper over a defender and Royal knocking down a triple from the right corner.
Triples from UCLA's Donovan Dent and Jamar Brown were answered by another Mobley 3-pointer and a 3-point play in the old-fashioned way by Royal. The lead was back to nine, but the Bruns slashed it straight to one with an 8-0 fueled by 3-pointers from Dent and Bilodeau.
Thornton made a pretty floater while falling through contact on a fastbreak, but yet another UCLA three made it a 30-28 ballgame with five minutes left in the half. But even as Bilodeau stayed hot, finishing the first half with 15 points, the half truly belonged to Mobley.
Mobley drained a 3-pointer from at least six feet beyond the arc, then came sharp off a screen for a long 2. Two free throws from the star shooting guard made it 39-33 Ohio State, then Bilodeau hit a wild fall-away 3-pointer from the left corner with less than 10 seconds left despite a strong contest from Tilly.
But Mobley wouldn't let the Bruins end the half with momentum. He took his inbounds pass, used his body to gain separation from a defender, pulled up from the edge of Ohio State's half-court logo and splashed one last 3-pointer as the clock expired. That gave Mobley 18 points and the Buckeyes a 42-36 lead after 20 minutes.
John Mobley Jr. ends the half with triple No. 4
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 17, 2026
He's got 18 first-half points for @OhioStateHoops.
: CBS pic.twitter.com/aTLVh2bImI
Second Half
Mobley rolled home another 3-pointer, this time through contact, on Ohio State's first possession of the second half. It continued what became a 12-0 run, including Mobley's 3 at the end of the first half. Royal found more space for five points during the jaunt and the Buckeyes suddenly led by a large margin, 54-36.
UCLA responded with a 7-0 run capped with a splash from distance by Brown, but Royal nailed another triple and Thornton hit a diving scoop layup through a foul then a second layup after a disgusting dribble move for an 8-0 run in response. The advantage grew to 19 with 12:56 to play.
Any time Ohio State needed momentum, Mobley generated it. When UCLA cut the lead back to 14, he hit a 3-pointer, his sixth, through a strong contest. Then Bynum flushed a fastbreak feed with two hands to make it 71-53 with 8:20 remaining. The Bruins brought it back to a 12-point deficit, only for Mobley to rise up and hit a midrange basket.
Ultimately, the Buckeyes' edge never dipped below 10 points after their initial run to open the second half. Royal sunk a dagger through the Bruins' fur with 2:08 to play, finishing a layup through a foul and hitting a free throw to re-expand Ohio State's lead to 83-70.
What's Next?
Ohio State wraps its two-game homestand with a matchup vs. Minnesota on Tuesday. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
Game Notes
- Ohio State now has a winning record all-time against UCLA at 8-7.
- It was UCLA's first game at Ohio State since 1968.
- Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. fouled out with 8:55 to play.
