When Ohio State needed a hero on Saturday night, Bruce Thornton didn’t just answer the call - he took over the game.
The Buckeyes found themselves in a hole at halftime against West Virginia, trailing 37-27 after a rough opening 20 minutes where nothing seemed to click. They shot just 31% from the field, and Thornton, their senior leader and four-time captain, was nearly invisible on the stat sheet with only two points and no assists. After a 34-point outburst earlier in the week against Illinois that went to waste in a loss, this wasn’t the bounce-back start anyone expected.
But basketball is a two-half game - and sometimes, two-overtime too - and Thornton made sure the second half told a very different story.
He came out of the break with purpose, attacking the rim, finding his midrange spots, and showing the kind of poise that’s earned him the trust of this Buckeyes team. Thornton poured in 19 points after halftime, finishing with 21 for the game.
His jumper from beyond the arc was off - just 1-for-8 from deep - but he didn’t let that derail his rhythm. Instead, he adjusted, attacked the paint, and found ways to score inside.
That’s what great guards do when the outside shot isn’t falling - they shift gears and find another way.
Then came the moment.
Double-overtime. Tie game.
Just seconds left. And the ball, of course, was in Thornton’s hands.
Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler kept it simple: isolate the best player, clear some space, and let him work.
“We wanted to keep the ball in Bruce’s hands,” Diebler said. “We felt like we could put some action on the weak side to occupy some guys and create a little bit of space for him in the key.”
It worked to perfection. Thornton drove into the lane, used his strength to create just enough separation, and buried the game-winning two-pointer with 3.3 seconds left to give the Buckeyes an 89-88 lead - and ultimately, a massive win.
It was a play that West Virginia will be replaying in their minds for a while.
“I’ll take the blame on that,” Mountaineers head coach Ross Hodge said postgame. “We should’ve gotten the ball out of Thornton’s hands.
He’s just too great a player. At that point, he had woken up and willed them to victory.”
And he really had. Thornton played 49 of a possible 50 minutes.
He was gassed - visibly catching his breath during every stoppage - but he never stopped pushing. Even more impressive?
He wasn’t just leading the offense. He was also tasked with guarding West Virginia’s top scorer, Honor Huff, for nearly the entire game.
Huff, a sharpshooter averaging four made threes per game, is a constant motion machine - the kind of player who forces defenders to chase him through screens, cuts, and constant movement. Thornton stuck with him possession after possession, making sure nothing came easy.
Huff still scored 24 points, but it took him 17 shots to get there, and he hit just five of his 13 threes. For a player who had made 23 of his last 56 three-point attempts over the previous four games, those are numbers Ohio State will take every time.
“He had to really carry a heavy burden for us offensively,” Diebler said, especially after Devin Royal fouled out late in the second overtime. “And then he turned around and defended Huff every time they were on the floor together.
It’s an absolute workout because that guy doesn’t stop moving. If you relax for a second, he gets a shot off.”
Thornton didn’t relax. He rose.
This wasn’t just a great performance - it was a defining one. A senior stepping up in a must-win game, carrying both ends of the floor, and delivering the dagger when it mattered most.
Last season, late-game execution wasn’t always Thornton’s strength. But on Saturday night in Cleveland, with the pressure at its peak, he showed just how far he’s come.
Ohio State needed someone to take control. Bruce Thornton gave them everything he had - and then some.