Ohio State spent the night chasing No. 10 Nebraska, and while the Buckeyes showed real fight inside Value City Arena, the early hole proved just a bit too deep to fully escape in a 72-69 loss.

Nebraska set the tone early, knocking down its first four shots and jumping out to a 13-5 lead. The Cornhuskers were sharp to open the game, efficient from the floor and confident from beyond the arc as Ohio State searched for rhythm. Devin Royal and Amare Bynum provided some early offense, but the Buckeyes were playing uphill almost immediately.

John Mobley Jr. helped settle things with a big three at the 14:30 mark, and a highlight sequence followed when Gabe Cupps jumped a passing lane and found Bynum for a slam in transition to make it 15-13. Just as Ohio State appeared ready to flip momentum, Nebraska answered with a 6-0 run to reassert control.

The Cornhuskers continued to press their advantage midway through the half, stretching the lead to double digits after making six of seven field goals. Ohio State began to find better spacing and cleaner looks, though, and Mobley stayed aggressive. He and Christoph Tilly knocked down back-to-back threes, and Bynum followed with a shot of his own to cut the margin to five.

Still, Nebraska had answers. Sam Hoiberg buried a timely three, and Ohio State couldn’t consistently get the deficit below eight despite finding an offensive rhythm. Mobley added another late triple, but Nebraska carried a 38-31 lead into halftime.

After the game, head coach Jake Diebler pointed to that opening stretch as the difference.

“We lost too many 50/50 balls all night,” Diebler said, noting the slow start and the challenge of climbing out of an early deficit. “Against a team like that, it’s hard to overcome.”

Mobley was the bright spot in the first half, leading all scorers with 12 points. However, the bigger picture is that Ohio State couldn’t afford another slow start.

The Buckeyes came out of the locker room with urgency. Bruce Thornton opened the second half with a three-pointer, and Ohio State gradually began to chip away. The crowd responded as the lead shrank, rising to its feet when the Buckeyes cut it to four and then two. The Schottenstein Center was ready to erupt.

Ohio State finally broke through when Thornton calmly knocked down two free throws to give the Buckeyes their first lead, 49-48, with 10 minutes remaining. From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth battle. Devin Royal tied it at the free-throw line, and by the under-eight timeout, Ohio State held a 53-52 lead with momentum firmly on its side.

Diebler credited that stretch to a noticeable shift in approach. “We needed to up our ball pressure,” he said. “I thought we made them uncomfortable in the second half. Our spacing was better, we stayed in our running lanes, and we played with more pace.”

But Nebraska didn’t flinch as Mobley and Mast traded threes, and Pryce Sandfort delivered a tough sequence for the Buckeyes, first knocking down free throws to reclaim the lead, then burying a massive three to push the Cornhuskers ahead by five. That was the common theme of the night: Nebraska always had an answer. 

Ohio State made one final push. With under a minute to play, Christoph Tilly came up with a huge steal and finish to cut the deficit to two, giving the Buckeyes life. Nebraska, however, stayed composed at the line and closed it out.

A major storyline loomed after the final horn as Ohio State’s bench was held scoreless. Ohio State’s head coach made multiple statements about the need for contributions from the depth guys to eliminate late-game fatigue, which plagued the Buckeyes tonight. 

“That’s something we’re searching for,” Diebler said. “I want aggressiveness. I want guys to be aggressive.”

Diebler added that he’s still looking for his bench to play with more confidence and assertiveness, saying he believes in them more than they believe in themselves right now. He also noted that players passed up open shots at key moments, limiting Ohio State’s ability to fully capitalize during its comeback.

Despite the loss, Diebler remains confident in his group. “We have the capability to be a really, really good team,” he said.

Diebler called the loss a “missed opportunity,” but emphasized that plenty more chances lie ahead. Ohio State showed some resilience and the ability to rattle a top-10 team, but the margin for error was thin. On this night, Nebraska made just enough plays late, and Ohio State was left to wonder what might have been.