It’s never easy to win on the road, and that notion was on full display again on Monday night when the Ohio State basketball team went on the road and took on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in “the barn,” outlasting the Gophers, and pulling off a thrilling 89-88 victory.
The game was nip and tuck throughout with some chaotic moments that either kept a team from winning it in regulation and at the end of overtime, but then provided just enough for the Buckeyes to hang on. Neither team could get much of the upper hand in the first half with Minnesota headed into the halftime break up just one point, 28-27.
The second half would continue to be a tense and competitive affair with the biggest lead (seven points) coming from Minnesota with about five minutes left. Ohio State would reel things in though and have a shot to win it at the end when Devin Royal made a layup while getting fouled but missed the opportunity to make good on the three-point opportunity to send the game into overtime. It would take two extra periods to settle things from there.
FOUGHT TIL THE END.#Team126 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/ydl1JHqfGN
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 7, 2025
The Buckeyes finally wrestled away control of the game in the second overtime by going up 7-0, but still had to hang on. It almost never made it that point, but Minnesota’s Mike Mitchell (91% from the free-throw line), missed two free throws to keep the door open before John Mobley Jr. was inexplicably fouled by the Golden Gophers with four seconds remaining. He made good on both to force that second OT.
Royal and Bruce Thornton led Ohio State in scoring with 18 and 17 points respectively, with Thornton taking over in the second with five points. Amazingly enough, the Buckeyes won mainly because of a massive free throw advantage on the road — something not often seen in the Big Ten.
OSU made 29-of-33 free throws to Minnesota’s 12-of-27. With the win, the Buckeyes improve their record to 10-5 overall and 2-2 in the conference. Ohio State will next be in action against Oregon in the Schott on Thursday.