Ohio State Upsets No. 8 Purdue 82-74, Revives NCAA Tournament Hopes

COLUMBUS, Ohio — John Mobley Jr. scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, to lead Ohio State to an upset 82-74 victory over No. 8 Purdue on Sunday, March 1, marking their third straight win over the Boilermakers.

A Pivotal Win for Tournament Hopes

A crowd that included a loud contingent of Boilermakers fans watched the Buckeyes revive their fading NCAA Tournament hopes with this crucial Quad 1 victory. Purdue (22-7, 12-6 Big Ten) led by as many as seven in the first half, but Ohio State (18-11, 10-8) used a 14-3 run to open up a 23-19 lead on Amare Bynum's 3-pointer with 6:44 remaining in the first half.

The Buckeyes led by five at the half despite Purdue making 8 of 14 from 3-point range. Ohio State made up the deficit at the free-throw line, converting 8 of 11 from the charity stripe while Purdue was just 1 for 2—and dominated the line throughout, outscoring Purdue 25-7 from the stripe for the game.

Second Half Dominance

Ohio State took a commanding 16-point lead on a pair of free throws by Devin Royal with 7:41 remaining in the second half. Purdue responded with a 12-2 run to get within six, but Bynum answered with a 3-pointer and Royal added a put-back slam to push the Buckeyes back up by 11.

The Boilermakers made one final push, getting within six with 31 seconds left, but Bruce Thornton sealed the win with a pair of clutch free throws.

Scoring Leaders

Ohio State:

• John Mobley Jr. — 21 points (5 threes)

• Bruce Thornton — 20 points

• Amare Bynum — 14 points

• Devin Royal — 12 points

Purdue:

• Braden Smith — 20 points

• Trey Kaufman-Renn — 19 points

• Fletcher Loyer — 15 points

Trey Kaufman-Renn was Purdue's main offensive weapon in the second half as the Boilermakers went ice-cold from outside, shooting just 3 for 15 from beyond the arc after going 8 for 14 before halftime.

Up Next

• Purdue: At Northwestern on Wednesday, March 4

• Ohio State: At Penn State on Wednesday, March 4

This victory gives Ohio State a major Quad 1 resume boost as March Madness approaches.