The Ohio State basketball team finally played a Power 4 team in the non-conference portion of its schedule, taking on Notre Dame in the Schott. Heading into the game, but teams were undefeated and looking to put a solid victory on their NCAA Tournament resume.
Bruce Thornton came into the game as one of the hottest scorers in the Big Ten. He scored 64 points total in the last two games. Thornton is the best player that the Buckeyes have, and he has been for all four seasons that he's been with the program. That was the same again on Sunday.
Thornton scored 24 points against the Fighting Irish to help Ohio State squeak by Notre Dame 64-63. He led the way for the Buckeyes as he was just one of two players for Ohio State to score in double digits. The other one was Christoph Tilly, who scored 18 points.
The Ohio State Buckeyes finally get a solid victory under Jake Diebler
Under Jake Diebler, Ohio State has had issues closing close games against quality opponents. Last year, the Buckeyes choked away several games against opponents who could have been good resume boosters to actually make the NCAA Tournament.
This win gives hope that Diebler has learned from last season. On the final shot of the game for Ohio State, Diebler drew up a play that gave Tilly a chance to score, which he did. That level of confidence and calmness is something that he didn't have last year in his first full year as a head coach.
There is plenty of basketball still to be played, but the Buckeyes get a solid early-season win. Having a win over Notre Dame will look good in March when the NCAA Tournament resumes are being compared. They have to pick up these wins now while they have the chance.