Then-junior guard Bruce Thornton (2) looks to make a pass during the Buckeyes’ 77-70 loss to Iowa in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, March 16. Credit: Ohio State Athletics
Even without a full roster, Ohio State found a way to stay afloat.
After starting 1-for-14 from the field, the Buckeyes steadied themselves and surged late in the first half to take down Appalachian State 75-53 Tuesday at the Schottenstein Center.
Head coach Jake Diebler said the team leaned on a lesson from their summer reading book, Make Your Bed by Adm. William H. McRaven – the story of “carrying the raft”- to remind his team that perseverance comes through unity.
“In the book, they referenced carrying a raft, and it takes everybody,” Diebler said. “When someone is sick or injured, like we faced, guys just got to hold on a little tighter.”
Forward Devin Royal was inactive due to a hip injury, and guard John Mobley Jr. entered the game questionable with an illness. Royal’s absence was felt early, as the Buckeyes only had ten points in the paint through 10 minutes.
After never leading, the Buckeyes were down 25-16 with five minutes left in the first half, when free throws from Christoph Tilly and Gabe Cupps sparked the comeback.
A 15-0 run, capped by a Bruce Thornton buzzer-beating 3-pointer, gave the Buckeyes a 30-25 lead heading into halftime, and for the first time all night, the home crowd felt at ease.
“It was a sign of a very mature and connected group to adjust and close out the half the way we did,” Diebler said.
The Buckeyes never trailed again.
Forward Brandon Noel powered the comeback, scoring 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting with 11 rebounds. Freshman guard John Mobley Jr., who battled illness and missed Monday’s practice, added 16 points off the bench.
“He showed a great deal of toughness,” Diebler said. “You never question his competitiveness or how much he loves to hoop, and that’s part of what I love about him.”
Ohio State also cleaned up one of its early-season weaknesses- turnovers. After averaging 18 giveaways through two games, the Buckeyes committed just four against the Mountaineers.
That composure fueled their offensive rhythm and helped them rely on their defense when shots weren’t falling.
“We knew defensively that would keep us in that game,” Noel said. “Our offense wouldn’t be like that the whole game.”
Another positive trend was Ohio State’s sharp defensive play.
After giving up 102 points in their season-opener against IU Indy, the Buckeyes had their best defensive outing of the young season on Tuesday, holding the Mountaineers to just 35% from the field.
Indiana transfer Gabe Cupps has made his presence felt defensively, even if his impact hasn’t always shown up on the stat sheet.
“The more that I can set that tone, I think guys feed off that,” Cupps said. “We got guys that can guard people, so it’s tough to score on us.”
The Buckeyes outrebounded the Mountaineers 39-31, with the starting frontcourt combining for 16 total boards.
Even with a sluggish start, the Buckeyes showed the kind of resilience Diebler hoped for, a willingness to “carry the raft” together when it mattered most.
“Once that energy starts building, we’re a pretty tough team to stop,” Cupps said
