Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch
John Mobley’s 28 points led the way as Ohio State upset UCLA 86-74 to notch an important January victory at home.
Ohio State returns to Columbus coming off the heels of a West Coast trip and a tough loss against a middling Washington team. They did so against UCLA, led by Ohio native Mick Cronin. The Bruins haven’t mirrored a traditional Mick Cronin team that over- emphasizes defense and discipline, but rather rely on the 3-point shot. However, it was clear early that not much was going to come easy for the Buckeyes.
Early on, Ohio State had its hands full with Senior Forward Tyler Bilodeau, who caught fire going 5-8 from the field for the Bruins by the 13:00 minute mark. Bilodeau would eventually cool off, but UCLA continued to make the game a back-and-forth affair with efficient play on both ends of the court.
However, Ohio State’s tenacious attitude on the boards led to a plethora of second-chance opportunities, and the Buckeyes made the most of it, out-rebounding UCLA 18 to 9 by Half- 6 of those brought down by Devin Roya,l who had a very solid all-around performance as this effort kept UCLA from ever taking the lead.
Bruce Thornton, coming off a 28 Point performance, continued to orchestrate the offense at a high level, going 5-6 from the field and finding John Mobley Jr for a slew of open threes down the stretch. Mobley Jr would finish the half with 18 points while shooting at a 50% clip from beyond the arc- one of those threes coming as time expired in the first half. OSU went into the locker room with a 42-36 lead over UCLA.
John Mobley Jr picked up right where he left off by draining a three to start the second half for the Buckeyes. This proved to be a tone-setter as the Buckeyes took over in the second-half. They continued to feast on the boards and take advantage of their open looks. By the 16:00 mark, Ohio State led 54-36 after Royal and Thornton went 4-4 from the line in back-to-back possessions. From that point on, the Bruins struggled to stay within striking distance.
Savvy passing and clutch shot-making from Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr overwhelmed UCLA mightily. A relentless Thornton, who would finish with 18 points and 8 rebounds, went airborne for a huge and-one, which he converted at the 13:22 mark. He would follow that up with a transition lay-up on the next possession to extend OSU’s lead to a game-high 62-43. By this point, Ohio State hadn’t missed a single free throw.
The Bruins had a tough time getting anything to fall as they would finish just 32.4% from the field in the 2nd-half. Their issues in the paint would persist as well, with Devin Royal and Amare Bynum combining for 14 rebounds and 29 points. UCLA would cut the lead to 11 at the 3:00 mark, but it would be too little too late.
Ohio State picks up its first home conference win of the year with an emphatic 86-74 win over UCLA. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for Jake Diebler and the Buckeyes, as the talent and potential are glaringly evident for this team.
The Buckeyes will be back in action on Tuesday at home against Minnesota, starting at 6:30 PM
Grant Kincaid was born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Dayton. He serves as Creative Director and basketball contributor at The Silver Bulletin. At one point, Grant, a collegiate baseball player, also holds a B.A. in Management and Leadership Studies. Aside from the Buckeyes, he is an avid supporter of both the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals. His favorite Buckeyes include Braxton Miller, AJ Hawk, and Ted Ginn Jr.