Ohio State fans are living in the moment. One day after the Buckeyes took home the national championship with a win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Ohio State doubled down and beat No. 11 Purdue in West Lafayette, 73-70.
The win snaps a 26-game home winning streak for the Boilermakers, and the way that it was orchestrated was quite frustrating, and then remarkable. OSU looked lost and tentative in the first half and went down by as many as 16 points, but got a last-second three-pointer from Bruce Thornton to cut the deficit 41-28 heading into the half.
The second half saw Ohio State come out with more intensity and purpose on both ends of the floor. The Buckeyes reeled in Purdue and were eventually able eventually take the lead and go up by nine points with just over 2:42 left when Micah Parrish nailed a three-pointer.
But Purdue would not go quietly into the night and forced some turnovers and hesitant play from Ohio State with a desperate defense, eventually cutting getting to 68-67 with 1:02 remaining. But that’s when John Mobley Jr. came up big by hitting a shot from the corner to put OSU up by 73-70 with just :29 second left. The Buckeyes would then win the foul and free throw game from there and hold on for the victory.
BUCKEYES COME BACK AND BEAT THE BOILERMAKERS 🌰#Team126 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/sVPcb6hFCS
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 22, 2025
Parrish led Ohio State in scoring by pouring in 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. Devin Royal (16) and Bruce Thornton (11) also finished in double figures.
With the win, Ohio State improved its overall record to 11-8 and 3-5 in the Big Ten. Hopefully, this is a win that the team can build upon.
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