Inside Bruce Thornton's career-best night for Ohio State basketball

The Ohio State Buckeyes welcomed Purdue Fort Wayne for their second game of the season, fresh off a 118-102 win over IU Indy.

This 94-68 victory was a completely different game than the last, primarily because OSU didn’t have to break a full-court press for the entire game. Instead, they were able to play at their own pace and settle into their offense.

One similarity to their last outing was the strong start again. The Buckeyes made their first seven shot attempts yet again, including three from behind the arc.

“I hope we can keep that going,” head coach Jake Diebler said. “I love the confidence that we’re playing with. We have this collective confidence offensively. When we see the ball go in it’s almost contagious. It’s going to be important as the season progresses to be able to start well both offensively and defensively.”

Despite an extremely hot start, the Buckeyes cooled down, going three- to four-minute stretches without making a field goal.

But even with the small scoring droughts, Ohio State shot an impressive 66.7% from the field and 57.1% from the three-point line, both improvements from an already impressive season opener stat line.

The offensive depth for Ohio State was apparent yet again, but a career night for senior guard Bruce Thornton is what sealed the deal on OSU’s victory.

Nov 7, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) shoots a free throw during the second half. — Nov 7, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Not only did Thornton have a career-best 38 points, but he moved to 15th place on the all-time scoring list for the program, passing Jon Diebler, head coach Jake Diebler’s brother.

His 38-point performance was also the first time a Buckeye has posted a scoring performance that high since 2010.

Thornton told us in the postgame press conference that he knew he was approaching his career high, but he wasn’t forcing it, rather, flowing with the game and playing with confidence. He credited his teammates for finding him, but he ultimately still came away with the most assists — five of Ohio State’s impressive 22 assists on the night.

When asked about what Thornton means to the program, Diebler said, “In uncertain times, he’s been a source of stability. He’s been critical in helping build our culture in this new program. I’ll forever be thankful to him for that. He’s a Buckeye and our fans hopefully appreciate what he’s given and poured into our program.”

Thornton had backup from John Mobley Jr., who contributed 19 points including five 3-pointers. Christoph Tilley also scored 15 points, and freshman forward Amare Bynum added a career-high nine.

Devin Royal played limited minutes due to a nagging injury, but he was able to contribute six points in his 17 minutes of play. He did not start the second half and sophomore guard Gabe Cupps started in his place.

“Going into halftime we felt like he was a little bothered,” Diebler said about Royal’s injury. “We didn’t know if he’d be available the rest of the game, but in Devin Royal fashion he doesn’t like to miss a minute ever.”

Up next, the Buckeyes will look to keep it rolling as they host Appalachian State on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m.