Eric Boggs
Ohio State needed every minute of the 40 in regulation to stay unbeaten, and once again it was Bruce Thornton who set the tone. The Buckeyes’ four-time captain showed exactly why he’s the heart of this team, pouring in 24 points from all three levels and locking down the perimeter against a Notre Dame squad that thrives from deep. His competitive fire has never been in doubt, and on Sunday night he proved it again.
But even with Thornton leading the charge, it was Christoph Tilly who delivered the decisive moment. Tilly, who finished with 18 points, rolled perfectly to the basket in the final seconds, took a well-timed feed from John Mobley Jr. and calmly converted through contact with 10 seconds remaining. Notre Dame’s last shot missed its mark with Tilly be the defender on the shooter, and Ohio State walked away with a thrilling 64-63 win to move to 4-0 on the season.
Notre Dame entered the matchup 3-1 and played like a veteran group determined to steal a road win. Markus Burton led the Irish with 14 points, while Jalan Harrelson and Braeden Shrewsberry added 13 and 11. Forward Carson Towt was a force on the glass with 12 rebounds as Notre Dame controlled the interior, something Ohio State will need to improve moving forward.
Ohio State’s start resembled its slow opening against Appalachian State, only this time Notre Dame’s defense made scoring even harder. Forced looks late into the shot clock and contested jumpers piled up as the Buckeyes began just 3-for-13 with five turnovers. Notre Dame built a 21-10 lead behind a balanced effort, as seven different Irish players scored early.
The Buckeyes responded with exactly what they needed—toughness and timely shot-making. Gabe Cupps sparked an 8-0 run with a steal and drive to the hoop, while Mobley and Thornton buried back-to-back threes to pull within 23-20. Even with Notre Dame stretching the lead once more, free throws from Mobley and a skyscraping floater from Thornton cut the halftime deficit to 34-31.
The Irish continued to dominate in the paint early in the second half, building a 42-34 lead behind interior buckets and a Shrewsberry three. But Thornton refused to let the game slip away. He drilled consecutive threes and scored eight straight to make it a one-possession game again. Tilly followed with two free throws to tie the contest at 46, and moments later gave Ohio State its first lead in nearly 25 minutes.
From there, the game became a heavyweight exchange. Amare Bynum hammered home a dunk through a foul, Towt answered with a dunk of his own, Tilly finished a three-point play, and Burton tied the game at the line. Thornton elevated again, scoring on a smooth step-back jumper after four straight free throws helped Ohio State build a 59-53 edge. Notre Dame punched back with a 6-0 run, but Thornton responded with a perfectly timed pump-fake and a top-of-the-key three to put the Buckeyes ahead once more.
Notre Dame reclaimed a 63-62 lead in the final minutes, and both teams went cold until Ohio State called timeout with 24 seconds left. The Buckeyes executed beautifully: Mobley threaded the pass, Tilly finished it, and the defense closed the door.
Ohio State now turns its attention to Western Michigan on Thursday as the six-game homestand continues. With the Buckeyes off to a perfect start, there’s plenty to be excited about—especially as this team continues to grow behind its veteran star and its emerging hero.
During halftime, Ohio State honored legend Jerry Lucas, whose new statue outside the Schottenstein Center commemorates his place in program history. Lucas also became the first Buckeye basketball player ever to dot the ‘i’ in Script Ohio at a basketball game, a fitting tribute to one of the program’s all-time greats.
While Ohio State extended its series lead over Notre Dame to 10-4, the interior battle remains an area for improvement. The Irish outscored the Buckeyes 38-18 in the paint and won the rebounding margin 36-28. Yet even on a night when the matchup underneath the rim posed problems, Ohio State found a way—led by Thornton’s relentless will and Tilly’s timely finish. The Buckeyes are now 4-0 to start the season.
