Eric Boggs
Ohio State basketball once again found itself on the wrong end of heartbreak, dropping its first game of the 2025-26 season as Pitt stunned the Buckeyes with a half-court buzzer-beater for the second straight year. Panther guard Damarco Minor delivered the dagger, drilling a desperation heave from the logo that sealed a 67-66 loss and left Ohio State fans with a familiar, gut-punching feeling.
From an Ohio State perspective, this one hurts—badly. The Buckeyes entered the matchup 6-0 and looked poised to maintain their early-season momentum, but far too many self-inflicted wounds opened the door for Pitt. The Panthers controlled the offensive glass all night, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds to Ohio State’s six. Combined with a costly 13 turnovers, the Buckeyes simply gave Pitt too many extra opportunities, and the Panthers made them pay.
Devin Royal was the bright spot in a tough defeat, putting together the best game of his career with 22 points and leading the second-half surge that got Ohio State back into the fight. Bruce Thornton added 18 and several clutch buckets, but the Buckeyes lost a significant piece when star sophomore John Mobley Jr. exited in the first half with an ankle injury and did not return. Without him, the offense occasionally lacked the spacing and shot creation needed to keep pace.
The night started poorly for Ohio State as Pitt raced out to a 16-4 lead behind consecutive 7-0 bursts. The Buckeyes briefly stabilized thanks to a barrage of threes from Mobley, Amare Bynum, and Royal, followed by a strong post finish from Ivan Njegovan to cap an 11-0 run. But defensive rebounding and turnovers quickly swung momentum back to Pitt, which used nine straight points to rebuild a double-digit advantage. Considering the Buckeyes’ struggles, trailing just 34-24 at halftime felt like a blessing.
Whatever was said in the locker room woke up Royal, who opened the second half with back-to-back layups and a three to reel the Panthers in. Ohio State continued chipping away, ultimately grabbing its first lead at 48-47 behind free throws from Christoph Tilly and Gabe Cupps. Thornton added a highlight moment soon after, finishing through contact and flexing directly into the baseline camera as the Buckeyes regained the edge.
It became a back-and-forth battle in the final minutes, with Royal scoring tough baskets inside to counter Pitt’s steady trips to the free-throw line. When Bynum cleaned up a miss to give Ohio State a 66-64 lead with under four seconds remaining, it felt like the Buckeyes had finally dodged disaster.
Then Minor launched. And just like last season—when Pitt’s Zack Austin buried a clutch overtime three to shock the Buckeyes—Ohio State watched another Panther celebrate at the horn.
The Buckeyes now regroup quickly as their first road trip of the year continues with the Big Ten opener at Northwestern on Dec. 6. With Mobley’s status uncertain and a tough conference slate ahead, Ohio State will need to learn quickly from this painful repeat of history.
