Live Game Thread & Updates for No. 8 Purdue vs. Ohio State

No. 8 Purdue and Ohio State take centerstage on Sunday in an important Big Ten clash for both teams. The Boilermakers are looking to end a two-game losing streak to the Buckeyes, while OSU is looking to pick up a signature win to boost its NCAA Tournament resumé.

Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler is 2-0 against Purdue, defeating the Boilers each of the last two years. So, Purdue won't be taking Sunday's game lightly. Plus, Matt Painter's team is coming off a heartbreaking loss to No. 13 Michigan State and is hoping to respond.

Follow along with Purdue Boilermakers On SI for the latest updates and analysis throughout the game. You can refresh this page frequently throughout the day for the latest news.

#8 Purdue vs. Ohio State game blog

2nd half

FINAL — Ohio State 82, Purdue 74. Braden Smith ends wit 20 points and seven assists. Trey Kaufman Renn gets 19 points and nine rebounds. CJ Cox had 13 and Fletcher Loyer had 15.

John Mobley Jr. scored 21 for Ohio State and Bruce Thornton added 20. Amare Bynum had 14 and Devin Royal finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.

19.7 — Braden Smith misses a layup and Ohio State gets the rebound. This one is over.

30.3 — Purdue, somehow, remains in this game. Jack Benter got an tough three-point play to get the score to 77-71. The Boilermakers nearly stole the ensuing inbounds pass, but Bruce Thornton grabbed it and then was fouled.

1:32 — Ohio State hit some critical shots to extend the lead back out to double digits. The Boilermakers are able to get two back and take a timeout. It's 74-65 in favor of the Buckeyes.

2:42 — Fletcher Loyer with a 3-pointer and an offensive foul against Devin Royal, Purdue was able to cut into the Ohio State lead at 69-63.

3:27 — Purdue trails this game by nine points at the final media timeout. Oscar Cluff fouls out of the game. The Boilermakers would have to have a massive surge to escape Columbus with a win today.

4:15 — Purdue has whittled this game down to just nine points at 67-58. Trey Kaufman-Renn is up to 19 points and eight rebounds. Thanks to TKR, Purdue is right back in the game.

7:41 — Media timeout. The score is still Ohio State 65, Purdue 51.

8:05 — Purdue can't get a stop in any way, shape or form right now. Ohio State is playing like a team with its NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance. The Boilermakers look disinterested and disjointed. Buckeyes lead 65-51.

10:29 — Jack Benter has given Purdue maximum effort, but he went to the bench with a wrist injury. It's just been a bad all-around day for the Boilers.

11:44 — Ohio State leads 55-45 at the second media timeout of the second half. Purdue has played most of this half without a center on the floor, and Ohio State's Chirstoph Tilly took advantage. He gave the Buckeyes three opportunities on the last offensive possession by simply tapping a rebound out to the perimeter. Bruce Thornton then buried a triple.

Buckeyes are winning the battle on the glass 25-15.

13:48 — Finally, Purdue is finding some life on both ends of the floor. The Boilermakers are on a 6-0 run and Ohio State's lead is down to 50-42. Braden Smith got a big steal to get CJ Cox an open layup. More of that energy is necessary on both ends.

14:59 — Trey Kaufman-Renn is going to have to be the focal point of the offense. He is the one who can create buckets in the painted area for Purdue. But, at the same time, none of that means anything if the Boilers cannot get stops. Defense has been rough again today. Ohio State leads 50-38.

17:06 — Oscar Cluff picks up his fourth foul and sends Amare Bynum to the free throw line. He makes 1-of-2, but the Buckeyes grab the offensive board, Devin Royal is fouled and Ohio State gets two more. It's 48-34. Purdue looks lethargic. Similar to the vibes against Indiana in Assembly Hall.

17:59 — The Buckeyes are on a 9-3 run to start the second half. They own a 45-34 advantage. Purdue really has no answer defensively right now.

18:58 — Ohio State comes out as the aggressor to start the second half. Buckeyes get a quick bucket than Christoph Tilly gets to the free throw line. OSU now has a nine-point lead, its biggest of the day.

20:00 — Interesting start to the second half, as Jack Benter is starting in place of Oscar Cluff.

1st half

HALF — Ohio State 36, Purdue 31. Purdue's defense has been poor in the first half. The Buckeyes are shooting 57% from the floor and have just four turnovers. Amare Bynum is up to 10 points and three rebounds and John Mobley Jr. leads the way with 11 points.

For Purdue, Braden Smith has 11 points and thhree assists, and Fletcher Loyer and CJ Cox each have nine. Those tree have accounted for 29 of Purdue's 31 points. The Boilers are also losing on the glass 15-13.

2:00 — Braden Smith and CJ Cox have accounted for a majority of Purdue's offense, combing for 19 of the team's 27 points to start. The one crazy stat today is that Ohio State leads Purdue on the glass 14-13.

3:28 — Finally Purdue gets a bucket. Great ball movement leads to a three-pointer for CJ Cox. Fletcher Loyer was then shaken up by a moving screen that went uncalled. As a result, Ohio State gets anoter three to push the lead back out to 30-24. Media timeout.

4:35 — Purdue can't do anything offensively right now and Ohio State has taken full advantage. Buckeyes lead this game 27-21. Ohio State is shooting 50% from the floor today.

6:20 — Purdue has made just one of its last 10 shots from the floor, allowing Ohio State to take a 23-19 lead. It has allowed the Buckeyes to go on another 7-0 run. The Boilers have been solid defensively, but offense is hard to come by.

7:57 — Despite Purdue shooting 5-of-7 from three, the game is tied 19-19 at the under-8 media timeout. John Mobley Jr. has been lethal with his jab step, getting defenders off balance, pulling back and knocking down shots.

8:44 — Both Purdue and Ohio State have struggled to score since the break, but Fletcher Loyer knocks down an open look from the corner to give Purdue te 19-16 lead.

10:46 — After Purdue broke the game open a bit, Ohio State came firing back. Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr. bot knocked down threes to bring the Buckeyes within one point at 16-15. Ohio State is now on a 6-0 run over the last two minutes.

C. J. Cox is cooking for the Boilers 🔥 @BoilerBall pic.twitter.com/QStqowIcaU
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 1, 2026

13:09 — CJ Cox has knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to give Purdue a 16-9 lead on Ohio State. The Boilermakers are 4-of-5 from behind the three-point line. It's also interesting to note tat Matt Painter kept Oscar Cluff and Cox on the floor after the first media timeout. Usually you see Daniel Jacobsen and Gicarri Harris in off the bench.

15:40 — Immediately out of the media timeout, Purdue gets a turnover and races to the other end for an easy layup. A good start today for the Boilermakers.

Braden Smith with the triple to give @BoilerBall an early lead pic.twitter.com/aCVU9trYDk
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 1, 2026

15:46 — Both Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith have knocked down early threes to give Purdue an 8-6 advantage to start the game. Both teams are kind of feeling each other out early in Columbus.

17:08 — Fletcher Loyer takes a long three-pointer and buries it. That shot gave Purdue an early 5-4 lead. Offense has been a little hard to come by to start this game.

Starting lineups

Ohio State — #0 John Mobley Jr. (G), #2 Bruce Thornton (G), #1 Amare Bynum (F), #21 Devin Royal (F), #13 Christoph Tilly (C).
Purdue — #0 CJ Cox (G), #2 Fletcher Loyer (G), #3 Braden Smith (G), #4 Trey Kaufman-Renn (4), #45 Oscar Cluff (C).

Availability report

Purdue — OUT: None. QUESTIONABLE: None.
Ohio State — OUT: Brandon Noel, Josh Ojianwuna. QUESTIONABLE: Christoph Tilly, Amare Bynum.

Tipoff between Purdue and Ohio State is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET. The game will air on CBS.

What's at stake

Purdue is no longer in the race for a Big Ten championship, as Michigan has already secured that title. But the Boilermakers can still finish in the top four of the conference standings, which would result in a triple bye for te Big Ten Tournament in a few weeks.

The Boilers are also stilly jockeying for the highest seed possible when March Madness rolls around. They were considered a No. 2 seed when the NCAA selection committee released its top 16 teams a week ago. Purdue needs to win its remaining three games to give itself the best chance to secure that spot.

Meanwhile, Ohio State is hoping to add a signature win to its NCAA Tournament resumé. The Buckeyes are 17-11 but still have some work to do if they want to earn a spot in the 68-team field later this month.

A win over Purdue would certainly boost Ohio State's chances of playing in March Madness. It would be the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2022.

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