Ohio State Outlasts Minnesota in Overtime Battle Behind Mobley and Thornton
In a game that had all the makings of a Big Ten classic, Ohio State held off a furious Minnesota rally to come away with an 82-74 overtime win at the Schottenstein Center. The Buckeyes leaned on the explosive backcourt duo of John Mobley Jr. and Bruce Thornton, who combined for 49 points to help OSU improve to 13-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
But this one was anything but easy.
Minnesota, now 10-9 and 3-5 in the Big Ten, erased an 11-point second-half deficit behind a career night from sophomore forward Crocker-Johnson, who poured in 26 points and grabbed eight boards. He scored 20 of those after halftime, leading a second-half surge that nearly flipped the script on the road.
The Gophers clawed back from a 41-30 hole early in the second half, riding a 17-3 run sparked by Isaac Asuma’s energy on both ends. The freshman guard was everywhere-knocking down threes, finding teammates, and coming up with key steals. He finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals in one of his most complete performances of the season.
Cade Tyson added 15 points before fouling out in the extra period, while Langston Reynolds chipped in 12 points and five assists. But despite all the effort, Minnesota couldn’t finish the job in regulation. Reynolds had a chance to win it with a driving layup in the final seconds, but the ball rolled heartbreakingly off the rim, sending the game to overtime tied at 67.
That’s when Ohio State’s experience and depth took over.
Mobley, who matched Crocker-Johnson with 26 points, was a steady force all night. He hit big shots in key moments, including a clutch three in the final minutes of regulation and a couple of daggers in overtime. Thornton, meanwhile, was relentless-scoring 23 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and hitting timely free throws down the stretch.
Devin Royal added 16 points, and Christoph Tilly contributed 11 as the Buckeyes shot 47.7% from the field and controlled the paint with a 46-26 scoring edge inside. They also dominated the glass, outrebounding Minnesota 42-31.
The game started with a bang for Ohio State, who jumped out to a 10-0 lead as Minnesota missed its first six shots. Head coach Niko Medved had to burn a timeout just four minutes in to stop the bleeding. Eventually, the Gophers found their rhythm, with Tyson getting them on the board at the line and Reynolds hitting four straight free throws to cut the deficit.
From there, Minnesota went on a 16-2 run, flipping the early script and taking a 16-12 lead midway through the first half. Crocker-Johnson was active inside, and Durkin and Asuma each knocked down threes to keep the pressure on. But Mobley’s second three-pointer and a floater in the lane helped OSU regain control, and the Buckeyes took a 31-28 lead into the break.
The second half was a back-and-forth chess match. OSU opened with a 7-0 run, but Crocker-Johnson responded with a three and a handful of tough buckets in the paint.
Asuma and Tyson hit from deep, and Reynolds kept attacking the rim. Minnesota tied the game at 43, then took the lead on an Asuma three that capped a 17-3 run and had the Gophers up 50-46 with eight minutes to play.
The final four minutes of regulation were chaos. The lead changed hands 11 times during that stretch.
Big shots from Mobley, Royal, and Thornton were matched by Crocker-Johnson’s relentless scoring inside. Tyson’s and-one gave Minnesota a late 65-64 lead, but Thornton answered with one of his own.
Crocker-Johnson tied it again at 67, but missed the potential go-ahead free throw. After a defensive stop, Reynolds’ layup rimmed out, and the game went to overtime.
In the extra frame, Crocker-Johnson tied things at 69 with a layup, but OSU responded with a 7-2 run to create separation. Asuma missed a three, but Crocker-Johnson cleaned it up to pull the Gophers within three.
That was as close as they’d get. Thornton hit a pair at the line, and Grove split two free throws to make it 78-74.
Thornton sealed it with two more from the stripe with 25 seconds left.
Minnesota shot just under 40% from the field and went 8-of-28 from deep. They were solid at the line, hitting 20-of-25, but the rebounding gap and OSU’s interior dominance proved too much to overcome.
The Gophers now head back to Williams Arena, where they’ll face No. 7 Nebraska on Saturday, Jan.
- Tipoff is set for 11:00 a.m.
CST on FS1. If they can bottle up the fight they showed in Columbus-and maybe get a few more bounces to go their way-they’ll have a shot to make some noise at home.