Badgers Fall To Ohio State 86-69 As Bruce Thornton Nearly Moves Into Third All-Time In Buckeye Scoring

The Badgers fell to Ohio State in men’s basketball 86-69 on Tuesday night. The win for the Buckeyes was their first victory of the season against a ranked team. Bruce Thornton scored 27 points for the Buckeyes, and Devin Royal added 25.

In fact, against the Badgers, Thornton nearly posted a triple-double, adding nine rebounds and eight assists. He moved to third all-time on the Ohio State scoring list in the big win for Ohio State. However, was the win big enough for Ohio State to make the NCAA Tournament?

Badgers Fall to Buckeyes Summary

The NCAA Tournament hopes of the Buckeyes were hanging in the balance against the Badgers, and they came up big, as did their best player. However, he got big-time help. This was a rare complete showing from the Ohio State Men’s Basketball Team. Ohio State is now 17-9 overall, and 9-6 in the Big Ten Conference. Number 24 Wisconsin is now 18-8, and 10-5 in the Big Ten Conference.

This 86-69 win for Ohio State over Wisconsin came after an offensive collapse cost the Buckeyes a win against number 15 Virginia on Saturday. The win also avenged an earlier road loss to the Badgers for the Buckeyes. Thornton started slow but finished with great numbers. He scored 27 points, 24 of them came in the second half.

He also had nine rebounds and eight assists, nearly reaching a triple-double. Devin Royal helped him by scoring 25 points, which was a season-high. He scored 16 in the first half alone and shot 10-of-17 from the field. Freshman Andre Bynum added 13 points, and Taison Chatman scored 11 as he started for the injured John Mobley Junior.

First Half

Royal did not deliver against Virginia, so it was good to see him start fast. He scored on his first three shots and the seven points in the first four minutes. Ohio State led the Badgers 12-6 right away. He did not stop. He had 12 points in the first 6:30 of the game.

With Ohio State up 30-24, they went on an 8-0 run as the first half wound down. They played well and opened up a 14-point lead. They earned a standing ovation from the crowd, and they led 38-26 at halftime. In this first half, the Buckeyes had nine points off turnovers and held Wisconsin to 1-of-8 from 3-point range.

Second Half

The Buckeye onslaught kept coming. In the second half, Ohio State received contributions from many players; however, Thornton stood out. He converted a layup and got fouled. Then Royal hit a three-pointer for a 6-0 run in the second half that gave Ohio State’s lead its largest of the game at 57-39.

Later in the second half, the Badgers got a layup from star guard Nick Boyd and a tip-in from forward Hayden Jones, which cut it back to a 12-point game, but Thornton drained another three-pointer and had a three-point play, and Ohio State had a 17-point lead again. 

Ohio State never trailed in the game, and four more points from Thornton made it a 20-point advantage at 83-63 with just 1:37 left to play. Coach Jake Diebler took him out with one minute remaining, allowing the crowd to welcome him with a standing ovation. He is now third all-time in points on the Ohio State scoring list.

Player of the Game

Bruce Thornton was the player of the game. He led all scorers with 27 points, and he added 9 rebounds and 8 assists for a near triple-double. He may have just had his greatest game as a Buckeye against Wisconsin.

Parting Shots

This was a good win for Ohio State, as it never trailed and dominated the Badgers at home. However, they may also need to win Sunday against Michigan State. That would give them a second win against a ranked opponent. Wisconsin also plays Iowa on Sunday.