Three Key Takeaways From Ohio State Basketball's Win Over Penn State

Ohio State defeated Penn State 84–78 at home after seeing an 18-point halftime lead nearly slip away.

Here are three key takeaways from the game.

Bench players were required to step up

Ohio State’s starting center Christoph Tilly was ruled out before the game due to a lower leg injury, meaning his responsibilities fell primarily on Ivan Njegovan, who started in his place. After going scoreless in the first half, Njegovan came out with back-to-back baskets to start the second and finished with eight points and two blocks before fouling out late in the game.

Sixth man Gabe Cupps was also out with injury. This required Taison Chatman to play meaningful minutes, and he rose to the occasion, scoring his career-high 11 points, shooting 4-of-6 from the field.

“We stay ready on the bench,” Chatman said. “We know we need more bench production.”

Puff Johnson also made his debut at home for the Buckeyes—his second game in an Ohio State uniform—going up against his previous team Penn State.

He scored his first basket as a Buckeye, an and-one, but missed the free throw and finished with two points after 14 minutes on the court.

Ohio State Buckeyes guard John Mobley Jr. (0) celebrates during the second half of the NCAA men's basketball game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on Jan. 26, 2026. Ohio State won 84-78. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

John Mobley Jr. is on an unstoppable roll

For the fourth straight game, Mobley led the team in scoring, finishing with 25 points and shooting 5-of-11 from three.

This is the fourth consecutive game that Mobley has made at least four threes, a mark that ties a feat previously accomplished by head coach Jake Diebler’s brother, Jon. Diebler joked that he hopes Mobley surpasses that mark so that it helps win their next games and gives him a chance to call his brother about it.

“He’s got good self-awareness,” Diebler said about Mobley. “We’re at a point now where he’s kind of telling me what he did wrong before I can even get to him.”

Bruce Thornton, who has typically been the team’s leading scorer until the recent Mobley burst, had a lower-scoring night with nine points on six shots. This comes off of his 10-point showing against Michigan, also below his usual output. However, he finished with five assists, three steals, and zero turnovers, showing he can contribute in other ways, and Diebler has no concern about him moving forward.

“Bruce is one of the toughest players I’ve ever been around,” Diebler said. “I thought there were a couple opportunities he passed up shots… we’re best when he’s really aggressive. He’s human. He’s played at a superhuman level all season, but he’s human. If I were a betting man I’d say he’s going to come out and have a great game next game and go on a run.”

Mobley had scoring support from Amare Bynum and Devin Royal. Bynum finished with 15 points and Royal added 14, a bounce-back performance after Michigan.

Another second half breakdown from the Buckeyes

The Buckeyes were up 18 points at the half, 50-32, but Penn State started clawing their way back, cutting the lead to just one point in the second. With a shortened rotation and multiple players thrust into expanded roles, Ohio State struggled at times to maintain its rhythm.

This has been a recurring pattern for the Buckeyes this season—building early leads, then struggling to close—but Diebler was proud of the way his team handled the adversity of two players out with injury and ultimately did enough down the stretch to secure the win.

The Buckeyes will hit the road to face Wisconsin on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2:00 p.m.