Ohio State leads wire-to-wire in an 80-72 victory over the 19th-ranked Texas Longhorns on Monday night, showcasing their dominance throughout the game.
Bruce Thornton was instrumental in the win, contributing 20 points, while Micah Parrish added 17 points and six rebounds. The Buckeyes maintained their lead from start to finish, shooting an impressive 55.6% in the second half.
Devin Royal chipped in with 16 points, and John Mobley Jr. provided a spark off the bench with 14 points, helping Ohio State achieve a significant 33-10 advantage in bench scoring.
On the other side, freshman Tre Johnson shone for the Longhorns, leading all scorers with 29 points and five rebounds. However, the team struggled offensively, with Arthur Kaluma and Kadin Shedrick contributing only 10 points each, while the rest of the squad combined for a dismal 7-of-29 shooting performance (24.1%).
Takeaways
Ohio State established a commanding 15-point lead in the first half, fueled by a remarkable shooting display of 50% (10-of-20) from the field, including a stellar 9-of-12 from beyond the arc.
For Texas, this loss marked an end to their impressive streak of winning 21 of their last 22 season openers.
Key moment
A pivotal moment occurred early in the second half when Texas narrowed the gap to four points. Ohio State’s Evan Mahaffey seized a defensive rebound and quickly converted it into a layup, sparking a 9-3 run that helped the Buckeyes regain control of the game, extending their lead to 49-39.
Key stat
15 – Tre Johnson displayed remarkable poise for a freshman, scoring 15 points in the first half alone on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three-point territory, keeping the Longhorns competitive.
Up next
Ohio State will host Youngstown State on Monday, while Texas is set to open their home schedule against Houston Christian on Friday.
