Ohio State Falters Down the Stretch Against No. 15 Virginia Despite 28-Point Outing From Bruce Thornton

Ohio State's offense flatlined in the final 10 minutes of play, scoring seven points in the game’s final quadrant as the Buckeyes (16-9, 8-6 Big Ten) fell to No. 15 Virginia (22-3, 10-2 ACC), 70-66.

It was a team effort from the Cavaliers, which had seven players reach five points and nine total in the scoring column. Guard Malik Thomas led the way with 13 points, with Sam Lewis and Chance Mallory each adding 12. Forward Ugonna Onyenso proved a defensive menace, picking up eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Thornton racked up 28 points for Ohio State in the loss. Freshman forward Amare Bynum picked up 15, trying to pick up the slack with star guard John Mobley Jr. out with injury, but forward Devin Royal fouled out after a 2-of-12 shooting night.

First Half

Taison Chatman made his first career start in place of Mobley, but didn't show any nerves in the opening minutes.

The redshirt sophomore buried his first pair of mid-range jumpers, one off the dribble over two defenders, and dimed up center Ivan Njegovan for an easy layup. It fueled a 9-0 run that gave Ohio State early control, capped by a Thornton and-one. A Christoph Tilly tip-in and Thornton 3-pointer gave the Buckeyes a 17-6 lead six minutes into the action.

Virginia answered back immediately with a 9-0 run. Cavalier freshman guard Chance Mallory catalyzed things with a triple, forward Thijs De Ridder collected a 3-point play and the Cavaliers were back to within 17-15. Then a flow of traded punches began.

Ohio State and Virginia alternated scores for a total of nine baskets before either team strung four points together on its own. Amare Bynum hit a 3-pointer and two free throws during the stretch, while guard Malik Thomas got going for Virginia with a pair of layups. Thornton hit a floater before Onyenso and Jacari White broke the stretch with two Cavalier buckets, giving Virginia its first lead since 4-3 at 29-28.

Tilly nailed a triple, but a few lapses cost him and the Buckeyes during a 7-0 Cavalier run that followed. He got backed down by De Ridder for an easy layup and missed a transition bunny of his own on the other end of the floor. Ohio State went 3:32 without scoring any points, all told.

Royal snapped the stretch with a second-chance bucket, then Thornton found Bynum with an outlet pass in transition for a two-handed dunk. Thornton created another splash play with a circus floater to cap a 6-0 run that placed the Buckeyes ahead 37-36. Onyenso knotted things at 37 with a free throw before halftime.

Second Half

Thornton stayed locked in at the start of the second half, hitting a double-clutch scoop layup through a foul and a floater to put Ohio State up four in short order. Virginia guard Sam Lewis rattled off five points and Thornton responded with a short jumper before Bynum continued his hot start with a steal and coast-to-coast layup.

Another scoop layup from Thornton and a later free throw extended the Buckeyes' early second-half lead to 50-44. Virginia cut it back to 50-46 and Thornton sank another shot in close.

Much like the first half, the middle stretch of the second period turned into a massive back-and-forth between Ohio State and Virginia. Or, more aptly, Bruce Thornton and Virginia. Thornton crossed over his defender for a disrespectful 3-pointer and found his way to the rack for another bucket, setting the score at 59-53 Buckeyes. He had 26 points just 30 minutes into the contest.

Bruce Thornton for three @OhioStateHoops

: FOX pic.twitter.com/QAfmL6Xqxr

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 15, 2026

Virginia answered with an 8-0 run to tie the game, four of the points coming from Willis. Thornton answered to tie things at 61 with a fadeaway jumper. But Ohio State went ice cold as the minutes wound down.

In a 1-of-9 stretch from the field for the Buckeyes, Virginia did just enough to take advantage. A turnover from Royal led to a coast-to-coast layup and 65-61 Cavalier lead with 1:11 to play as Jake Diebler called for a timeout. Ohio State came out of that break and Tilly missed a triple.

Trailing 66-61, Bynum sank a top-of-the-key three off the dribble. With 30 seconds to play, the Buckeyes got the ball back trailing 67-64. But a Thornton jumper was blocked by Onyenso and Virginia iced the win from there.

What's Next?

Ohio State caps a stretch of five games in 12 days with a rematch against Wisconsin, which beat the Buckeyes in Madison on Jan. 31. The two squads meet Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. in the Schottenstein Center, with FS1 carrying the broadcast.

Game Notes

• Ohio State falls to 3-4 all-time against Virginia. It was the first meeting in 10 years between the two schools after Virginia beat Ohio State 63-61 on Nov. 30, 2016, during Thad Matta's last season as head coach of the Buckeyes.
• The Cavaliers took full advantage of their superior depth against the Buckeyes, with nine Cavaliers playing 15 minutes or more in the win.
• Thornton is now 119 points away from breaking Ohio State's all-time career scoring record of 2,096 points, set by Dennis Hopson.
• Jake Diebler won a challenge on an out-of-bounds call early in the second half, keeping his perfect record on challenges.