Bruce Thornton (2), on offense during the basketball game against Illinois Tuesday. The Buckeyes fell 88-80 to the Illini. Photo Credit: Brailee Rathburn | Lantern Photographer
Keaton Wagler held the ball at the top of the key as all 9,974 fans in attendance rose to their feet.
The sound of the PA announcer boomed: One minute to go.
Down three points, the question lingered: would the Buckeyes lose yet another close game, or would they claw back and prove this year’s team is different?
Fourteen seconds later, a Tomislav Ivišić three-pointer from the corner supplied clarity. Eighteen seconds after, a Bruce Thornton turnover provided the answer.
Despite a 34-point performance from Thornton, Ohio State’s upset bid against No. 13 Illinois ultimately fell short Tuesday at the Schottenstein Center, losing 88-80 in Jake Diebler’s tenth single-digit defeat in two seasons as head coach.
“There were some stretches where we didn’t play with the poise that we needed to,” Diebler said. “Against a really good team, that’s how you come up short.”
Although Ohio State never led in the game’s final 23 minutes, momentum never fully slipped away.
That steadiness started with Thornton, who carried the Buckeyes through the first 20 minutes. The senior was unconscious, scoring 24 first-half points with four rebounds and four assists.
Illinois tried to cool him with double teams, full-court pressure and constant switches. None of it mattered.
Each time Thornton crossed half court, the crowd pulsed with energy, waiting for whatever he would do next. He continued to bury shot after shot, knocking down six three-pointers and leaving the Illini searching for answers.
But outside of Thornton, the Buckeyes struggled to generate consistent offense. Only six of their 15 first-half field goals came from players other than their senior guard.
The Buckeyes also saw Illinois’ size take a toll. The Illini, ranked as the third-tallest team in the country, outrebounded Ohio State by seven and limited second-chance opportunities throughout the night.
Ohio State went into the locker room down six, and it was clear Thornton would need help if they wanted to win their first game against a ranked opponent since February.
Help arrived after the break as Thornton shifted from shot-maker to facilitator. Drawing extra defenders nearly every possession, he assisted on the first two Buckeye baskets of the half and created clean looks for Brandon Noel and John Mobley Jr.
Then the game changed.
Fouls piled up, slowing what had been a fast-paced back-and-forth into a whistle-heavy grind. The second half featured 37 fouls, and both teams spent most of the final 20 minutes in the bonus.
Even with the extended trips to the line, Ohio State left crucial points behind, going 11 for 16 from the stripe in the second half.
“We didn’t rebound well, we turned the ball over at times and we missed free throws,” Thornton said. “It’s hard to win like that.”
While the Buckeyes never trailed by more than eight, every run they pieced together was met by Wagler.
The freshman repeatedly quieted surges, hitting big shots that pushed the Illini’s lead, as he led Illinois with 23 points.
A late 6-0 Buckeye run cut the lead to three, but it wasn’t enough to avoid its first Big Ten loss of the season.
“We didn’t play nearly as well as we’re capable of, and didn’t play as well as we’re capable of for enough stretches, and it was a one-possession game,” Diebler said. “The end score doesn’t tell the whole story.”
