The competition may not have been that great, but there were definite signs of development and progress for the Ohio State basketball team on Thursday night. After a dramatic win over Notre Dame on Sunday, the Buckeyes came out and dominated Western Michigan from the start through the finish in a 91-58 drubbing.
It sure felt like the Buckeyes were trying to figure out how to play together and which player rotations were the best to go with, but tonight the team seemed to be more connected, energized, and sure of what they have. In fact, OSU had a whopping 19 assists, and outrebounded the Broncos 49 to 30.
Ohio State raced out to an 18-6 lead before Western Michigan reeled things back in a wee bit in the first half, but the Buckeyes began to take control midway through the half when it went on a 14-0 run to take a 35-12 lead. Ohio State would keep a big advantage and head into halftime up 49-24.
The second half was much of the same, with the Broncos never getting anywhere close to making a run and falling down by as many as 49 points. The Buckeyes held Western Michigan to just 34% from the field, while shooting 49% themselves. Ohio State also hauled in 17 offensive boards, scored 32 points off turnovers, and outscored the Broncos in the paint by a 46-26 margin.
Bruce Thornton scored in double figures again by pouring in a modest 11 points on just 3-of-5 shooting on a night in which he looked to get others involved. Thronton did knock down 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and had just one turnover all night.
One of those guys who got involved for Ohio State was big man Christoph Tilly. He led OSU in scoring with 17 points on 5-of-11 from the field. John Mobley Jr. (15), Amare Bynum (12), and Devin Royal (10) all scored in double figures for another balanced night. All but one OSU player tallied a score in this one.
Wire to wire ✔️#GoBucks | #FightToTheEndpic.twitter.com/1jWWT76mTQ
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 21, 2025
With the win, Ohio State improves its record to 5-0 and will next be in action Tuesday when it hosts Mount St. Marys.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State basketball hammers Western Michigan Thursday night
