Eric Boggs
The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team saw its long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament end in dramatic and painful fashion, falling 66-64 to the TCU Horned Frogs in a first-round thriller.
After climbing back from a 15-point halftime deficit and even reclaiming the lead late, the Buckeyes’ season came down to the final seconds. A go-ahead layup from Xavier Edmonds with four seconds remaining proved to be the difference, and a last-ditch heave from Bruce Thornton fell short, bringing Ohio State’s 2025-26 campaign to a close.
TCU (23-11) leaned on a trio of standout performances from Micah Robinson, David Punch and Edmonds, who scored 18, 16 and 16 points, respectively. The Horned Frogs also controlled the glass, securing 12 offensive rebounds that created crucial second-chance opportunities throughout the game.
For Ohio State (21-13), John Mobley Jr. led the offensive effort with 15 points, continuing his strong late-season play. Devin Royal added 14 points, while freshman Amare Bynum impressed in his NCAA Tournament debut with 12 points and several highlight-reel finishes. Thornton, playing what could be his final collegiate game, was limited to 10 points, four rebounds and four assists as TCU consistently sent double teams his way.
Ohio State started the game with promise, as Thornton knocked down the opening three-pointer of the NCAA Tournament. But that early momentum quickly vanished. The Buckeyes missed seven consecutive shots after that basket, allowing TCU to build an early lead behind an 8-0 run.
While Ohio State briefly found success attacking the basket—getting contributions from Christoph Tilly and Royal at the rim—the Horned Frogs’ defensive pressure proved disruptive. Robinson caught fire from the perimeter, Edmonds stretched the defense with his own outside shooting, and turnovers began to pile up for the Buckeyes.
A late scoring drought proved especially costly. Ohio State failed to score over the final 3:45 of the first half, while TCU closed strong to take a commanding 39-24 lead into the break. The Buckeyes shot just 35.7 percent from the field and struggled mightily from three-point range, hitting only 18.2 percent of their attempts in the opening 20 minutes.
The second half, however, told a completely different story.
Ohio State emerged from the locker room with renewed energy, sparked by Mobley and Tilly attacking the basket. A deep three-pointer from Mobley ignited the comeback, and the Buckeyes methodically chipped away at the deficit. A 10-0 run trimmed the lead to just three points, and suddenly momentum had shifted.
Even when TCU attempted to regain control, Ohio State responded. After the Horned Frogs pushed the lead back to nine, the Buckeyes delivered their most impressive stretch of the game—a 15-1 run that gave them their first lead since the opening minutes.
During that surge, contributions came from across the roster. Gabe Cupps knocked down a timely three-pointer, Royal scored through contact and in transition, and Bynum electrified with a circus layup and a powerful tomahawk dunk that briefly put Ohio State ahead.
The final minutes turned into a back-and-forth battle. Royal tied the game at 61 from the free-throw line, Robinson answered with a clutch three-pointer, and Thornton responded with a deep triple of his own with just 34 seconds remaining, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
But in the end, it was Edmonds who delivered the decisive blow. Driving to the basket in the closing seconds, he converted the go-ahead layup to give TCU a two-point edge. Ohio State had one final chance, but Thornton’s desperation heave from beyond half court missed the mark.
The loss marked Ohio State’s first defeat in five all-time meetings with TCU and brought an end to a season that saw the Buckeyes fight their way back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years.
While the ending stings, the late-season surge, breakout performances from young players, and Thornton’s historic campaign provide a foundation that Diebler can build upon for the future of the Ohio State men’s basketball program.
