Eric Boggs
Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler secured a memorable victory against his alma mater, Valparaiso, as the Buckeyes dominated the Beacons 95-73. The win was highlighted by a career-best performance from sophomore forward Devin Royal, who delivered a stunning 31-point, 15-rebound effort to lead the way.
The Buckeyes (7-4) leaned on Royal’s stellar play as he shot an impressive 11-of-16 from the field. Guards Evan Mahaffey, Micah Parrish, and Bruce Thornton contributed strongly, scoring 15, 14, and 14 points respectively. Thornton also added six assists to the effort, keeping the Buckeyes in control throughout the game. Despite Valparaiso guard All Wright’s 22-point outing, the Beacons (5-5) had no answers for Ohio State’s offensive firepower.
Ohio State got off to a shaky start, missing its first four shots before Bruce Thornton broke the ice with a right-wing three-pointer and a layup to put the Buckeyes ahead. Valparaiso hung tough early, with Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro scoring six quick points and Cooper Schweiger knocking down a three-pointer to give the Beacons a 12-8 lead.
The Buckeyes responded quickly, with Royal and Thornton combining to tie the game at 14. Although Valparaiso briefly regained a 16-14 lead, Ohio State began to pull away. Freshman guard John Mobley Jr. sparked a 10-0 run with back-to-back three-pointers, including one from NBA range and another off a slick stepback. Micah Parrish added four points during the run, while Valparaiso endured a scoring drought of over seven minutes.
Royal’s dominance was on full display late in the first half. He converted an old-fashioned three-point play, threw down a two-handed dunk, and finished an alley-oop off feeds from Mobley and Parrish. The Buckeyes closed the half in style as Parrish’s steal and and-one layup capped a strong finish, giving Ohio State a 41-30 lead at the break. Royal had already tallied 18 points by halftime.
Royal picked up where he left off in the second half, scoring just 12 seconds in. By the 17-minute mark, he had set a new career high with 24 points, thanks to a pair of free throws and a putback layup. Ohio State’s lead swelled to 56-39 after a post-spin layup from Royal, and the team never looked back.
The Buckeyes’ supporting cast kept the momentum going. Mahaffey added a dunk, a baby hook, and a layup, while Sean Stewart chipped in with a coast-to-coast layup, a two-handed slam, and another and-one finish to stretch the lead to 31 points at 85-54. Royal exited the game to a standing ovation with 4:24 remaining, having delivered one of the most dominant performances of his young career. Mobley added his third three-pointer as Ohio State cruised to its seventh win of the season.
Ohio State was without several key players in this matchup. Ques Glover and Colin White remained sidelined with injuries, while Aaron Bradshaw continues to work his way back from an extended absence due to a university investigation. Meechie Johnson Jr. is currently on a leave of absence for personal reasons. John Mobley Jr. made his first career start in place of Johnson. Bruce Thornton faced foul trouble in the first half and briefly left the bench in the second half for an unspecified reason before returning to the game. Forward Kalen Etzler also saw late minutes, hitting the third three-pointer of his career.
Ohio State now turns its attention to a daunting challenge against No. 4 Kentucky at Madison Square Garden. The matchup, part of the CBS Sports Classic, tips off Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on CBS. The Buckeyes will look to carry the momentum from this victory into what promises to be one of their toughest non-conference tests of the season.
