Ohio State basketball team bounces back with big win vs. Rutgers

The Ohio State basketball team was embarrassed by Maryland on Wednesday. They were down 50-17 at the half, something that should never happen. Saturday afternoon against Rutgers was a chance for the team to bounce back and play with greater effort.

That's exactly what they did. After taking the lead late in the first half, they never gave it up again. They ended up winning the game 80-66. The Buckeyes were led by Bruce Thornton, who once again proved that he is the best player on the team. He continues to be the guy who does the most for the program.

Thornton finished with 22 points on 8-13 shooting. He also added three assists and a steal. He was hot early and really helped the Ohio State Buckeyes get that early lead. He's the leader on the team who really wanted the Buckeyes to bounce back with better effort.

The Ohio State basketball team beats Rutgers in a bounce-back effort

Devin Royal is also someone who played extremely well. He finished with a career-high 22 points on 9-12 shooting. He also added six rebounds and two assists. Royal has really made a big jump this season and has turned into Ohio State's second-best player.

After how poorly they played on Wednesday against Maryland, it was really nice to see them put the hurt on a talented Rutgers team. This win gives them their first victory in the Big Ten this season. Jake Diebler clearly got the attention of his team after that bad performance against the Terps.

The Ohio State basketball team has a week off before they travel to Atlanta to play the number-two team in the country, the Auburn Tigers. While that's technically a neutral-site game, it will be heavily tilted towards Auburn with it being down in the South.

If Ohio State wins that game, that could be a program-defining win under Diebler.