Ohio State Basketball opens March with a much-needed upset over No. 8 Purdue at home, earning a signature Quad 1 win for its resume.
Coming off a tremendously disappointing pursuit at Iowa this past Wednesday, the Buckeyes backed themselves into a corner and made this home matchup against No. 8 Purdue a must-win to keep tournament hopes alive.
Devin Royal drew a foul to open up scoring for Buckeyes, which would become a theme for Ohio State as they finished the half 8 of 11 at the line compared to Purdue’s 1 of 2. However, the Boilermakers would make a living from 3-point land throughout the half, drilling 8 of 14 from beyond the arc. A stark contrast to Ohio State, which was relentless in the paint, dominating the points-in-paint category 14 to 6 at half.
Coming off the Iowa game, Ohio State was still looking for a second scoring option to step up, especially against a team as talented as Purdue.
John Mobley Jr. started cold, going 0-3 from three early despite open looks. This wouldn’t last long, though, as Mobley caught fire and ended up with 11 points by the 3:30 mark after answering a Purdue three, making it 30-24 Buckeyes at that point. Ohio State, as a team, had trouble getting open threes to fall midway through the half, but still matched Purdue through tough defense and elevated play in the paint.
Purdue amassed six fouls by the 8:00 min mark, compared to just one for Ohio State. That helped the Buckeyes keep the Boilermakers honest when heading to the basket. Purdue also didn’t make it to the line until inside the 1:00 mark of the first half. Overall, Coach Diebler was pleased with the way the game plan unfolded. His team went into the locker room with a 36-31 lead. John Mobley Jr. and Braden Smith both led their teams with 11 points at the break.
Ohio State carried its momentum into the second half, this time through an uptick of rebounds and three-point shots made. Defense continued to be nails for the Buckeyes, and Purdue’s three-point shooting clinic cooled off in a big way as they were 0-7 from three by the 8:00 min mark and finished the half at just 20% from deep, giving the Buckeyes the opportunity to hold and extend leads throughout the second half.
John Mobley Jr’s scoring wouldn’t slow down either as he drilled 5 threes en route to a 21-point performance. Mobley wouldn’t have to shoulder the load himself, though, with four Buckeyes finishing in double-figures. Bruce Thornton returned to his usual self, finishing with 20 points, followed by Amare Bynum with 14 and Devin Royal with 12.
Having this many guys contributing on offense is a very rare sight for Ohio State, which has leaned heavily on the scoring prowess of Thornton and Mobley Jr. throughout the year. That was a huge reason they were able to pull off the upset today, 82-74.
The effort on the glass and defense were visibly dominant for Ohio State. Purdue coach Matt Painter even noticed, saying, “Ohio State did a great job of getting to…[and] playing in the paint…They were quicker to the basketball.” Perhaps this game could give players like Bynum and Royal the confidence to carry that mindset into the remainder of the season and, of course, the potential postseason.
Ohio State still has two games against Big Ten opponents, Penn State and Indiana, that it must win to finish the job and make the tournament. With this win, Ohio State has afforded itself the opportunity to do just that.
Matt Painter on Bruce Thornton:
🗣️ “He’s great. He’s professional. He’s what College Basketball is all about.”
Painter continued: “He’s about winning and all about his team. He’s gold, man.” pic.twitter.com/bfCmiBN8yb
— Blake T. Biscardi (@BlakeBiscardi) March 1, 2026
Bruce Thornon finished with 20 points and is now 30 points away from becoming Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer. Matt Painter recruited Thornton hard in high school and had high praise for the Buckeye star.
“He’s great. A lot of young people aren’t professional. He’s professional. He’s what college basketball is all about…Dudes like that are gold.” Matt Painter said postgame.
“We didn’t know who was going to be playing in this game until this morning,” Diebler said. He praised his team’s ability to respond and prepare, and took time to highlight the chemistry and toughness of his players as well as the dedication from the training staff to get guys healthy and available for this afternoon’s game.
PANDEMONIUM AT THE SCHOTT ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Y1U8j0QaTi
— Grant Kincaid (@HGKincaid8) March 1, 2026
Diebler also mentioned how happy he was for the students and fans storming the court. “It’s great. The nuthouse was great. I’m glad my guys got to have that moment.”
Watch Jake Diebler’s full postgame remarks here:
“We have to prepare like we did, play together as we did. You have to have some tremendous toughness to play in this league,” Diebler said on how to play their best basketball down the stretch. He closed that portion of his remarks by describing his team in one word: “Close.”
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.