The Ohio State basketball program came into a matchup against Purdue with desperation. Failures to close games early in the season left the Buckeyes with a severe need for a good win. The Buckeyes had just one Quad 1 win entering this game against the Boilermakers.
Beating eight-ranked Purdue would give them their second-ranked win on the season and could take them off the bubble and firmly into the NCAA Tournament. The Ohio State Buckeyes knew that coming in, and they played like a team that was playing with their season on the line.
Early on, Ohio State was able to play well, keeping a halftime lead. Still, good starts haven't been the problem. Finishing those games has been. While things got a little scary at the end of the game, Ohio State was finally able to close out a win against a good team, beating the Boilermakers 82-74.
Ohio State basktetball team finally gets the marquee victory they desperately needed
John Mobley Jr. was the offensive star in this game. His 3-point shooting was on point, and he finished the game with 21 points. He was able to make the Boilermakers pay for overplaying him along the 3-point arc. He wasn't the only reason why Ohio State won this game, though.
Ivan Njegovan had this best game as a Buckeye, even if the stats don't show it. His ability to keep possessions alive with his offensive rebounding, along with his defensive skills, helped in a massive way. While he isn't the biggest star, he did all of the little things right.
This is the win that could put the Buckeyes in the NCAA Tournament. If they can take down Penn State and Indiana to finish out the year, they might be in March Madness regardless of what they do in the Big Ten Tournament. Jake Diebler finally got his team to close a big game.
Bruce Thornton is close to playing in his first NCAA Tournament. All he needs to do is beat two teams that the Buckeyes should beat.