Thornton, Battle lead Ohio State over Minnesota 84-74 in Big Ten opener
AP
Dec 03, 2023
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Bruce Thornton had 26 points, Jamison Battle sank four 3-pointers and scored 25 and Ohio State Buckeyes beat Minnesota Golden Gophers 84-74 in an early Big Ten Conference opener on Sunday night.
Thornton sank 8 of 12 shots with a 3-pointer and 9 of 10 free throws for the Buckeyes (7-1), who have won six in a row. He added five assists and three steals. Battle missed just two from beyond the arc and has made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season. He was 7 for 7 at the foul line. Roddy Gayle Jr. hit 2 of 3 from distance and scored 16.
Dawson Garcia scored a career-high 36 for the Golden Gophers (5-3). The junior made 12 of 25 shots, 12 of 14 free throws, and grabbed 11 rebounds for his second double-double this season. Cam Christie had 11 points off the bench and Elijah Hawkins scored 10.
Thornton had 12 first-half points, Battle and Gayle both scored 10 and Ohio State took a 42-28 lead into halftime.
Scotty Middleton hit a 3-pointer to give Ohio State its biggest lead at 54-34 with 15;22 left to play. Minnesota got within six points twice, the final time at 72-66 on a jumper by Christie with 3;24 to go. Battle and Thornton sandwiched 3-pointers around a basket by Garcia and the Buckeyes maintained a two-score lead over the final 2:41.
Ohio State has 91 all-time victories in the series, 30 more than the Gophers. The Buckeyes have won seven of their last eight to up their record in conference openers to 62-47.
Ohio State will host Miami of Ohio on Wednesday before traveling to Penn State for a Big Ten matchup on Saturday. Minnesota will host Nebraska on Wednesday before playing four straight games out of conference.
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1st Half
MINN
Golden Gophers
28
OSU
Buckeyes
42
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
(Evan Mahaffey gains possession)
19:42
Evan Mahaffey turnover (traveling)
19:21
Braeden Carrington turnover (traveling)
19:01
Evan Mahaffey misses two point jump shot
18:59
Joshua Ola-Joseph defensive rebound
18:55
Joshua Ola-Joseph turnover (Evan Mahaffey steals)
18:45
+3
Roddy Gayle Jr. makes three point jump shot (Felix Okpara assists)
0-3
18:30
+2
Elijah Hawkins makes two point jump shot
2-3
18:14
+3
Jamison Battle makes three point jump shot
2-6
17:51
Bruce Thornton shooting foul
17:51
Joshua Ola-Joseph misses regular free throw 1 of 2
17:51
Joshua Ola-Joseph misses regular free throw 2 of 2
17:51
Felix Okpara defensive rebound
17:37
+3
Jamison Battle makes three point jump shot (Evan Mahaffey assists)
2-9
17:11
Elijah Hawkins turnover (Bruce Thornton steals)
17:01
Roddy Gayle Jr. misses three point jump shot
16:59
Evan Mahaffey offensive rebound
16:37
Isaiah Ihnen shooting foul (Jamison Battle draws the foul)
16:37
+1
Jamison Battle makes regular free throw 1 of 2
2-10
16:37
+1
Jamison Battle makes regular free throw 2 of 2
2-11
16:13
Felix Okpara blocks Pharrel Payne's two point layup
16:11
Jamison Battle defensive rebound
15:58
Jamison Battle turnover (Elijah Hawkins steals)
15:58
Elijah Hawkins misses three point jump shot
15:56
Felix Okpara defensive rebound
15:32
Isaiah Ihnen shooting foul
15:32
TV timeout
15:32
+1
Felix Okpara makes regular free throw 1 of 2
2-12
15:32
Felix Okpara misses regular free throw 2 of 2
15:32
Cam Christie defensive rebound
15:17
Roddy Gayle Jr. personal foul
15:16
Dawson Garcia misses two point jump shot
15:14
Roddy Gayle Jr. defensive rebound
14:45
Dale Bonner misses two point jump shot
14:43
Buckeyes offensive rebound
14:37
Cam Christie shooting foul (Bruce Thornton draws the foul)
14:37
+1
Bruce Thornton makes regular free throw 1 of 2
2-13
14:37
+1
Bruce Thornton makes regular free throw 2 of 2
2-14
14:18
Zed Key shooting foul (Dawson Garcia draws the foul)
14:18
+1
Dawson Garcia makes regular free throw 1 of 2
3-14
14:18
+1
Dawson Garcia makes regular free throw 2 of 2
4-14
14:01
Zed Key misses two point jump shot
13:59
Pharrel Payne defensive rebound
13:49
Evan Mahaffey shooting foul (Dawson Garcia draws the foul)
13:49
+1
Dawson Garcia makes regular free throw 1 of 2
5-14
13:49
+1
Dawson Garcia makes regular free throw 2 of 2
6-14
13:32
Mike Mitchell Jr. personal foul
13:19
Jamison Battle misses two point jump shot
13:17
Evan Mahaffey offensive rebound
13:13
Zed Key turnover
13:07
Elijah Hawkins turnover (Evan Mahaffey steals)
13:05
Dale Bonner misses three point jump shot
13:03
Golden Gophers defensive rebound
12:50
+2
Mike Mitchell Jr. makes two point jump shot
8-14
12:27
+2
Jamison Battle makes two point jump shot
8-16
12:01
+2
Mike Mitchell Jr. makes two point layup (Pharrel Payne assists)
10-16
11:53
Dawson Garcia personal foul
11:53
TV timeout
11:37
+2
Bruce Thornton makes two point jump shot
10-18
11:37
Braeden Carrington shooting foul (Bruce Thornton draws the foul)
11:37
+1
Bruce Thornton makes regular free throw 1 of 1
10-19
11:14
+2
Pharrel Payne makes two point dunk (Parker Fox assists)
12-19
10:58
Roddy Gayle Jr. misses two point layup
10:56
Cam Christie defensive rebound
10:52
Cam Christie turnover (Bruce Thornton steals)
10:47
+2
Bruce Thornton makes two point jump shot
12-21
10:30
Mike Mitchell Jr. misses two point jump shot
10:28
Scotty Middleton defensive rebound
10:17
+2
Bruce Thornton makes two point layup
12-23
10:17
Parker Fox shooting foul (Bruce Thornton draws the foul)
10:17
+1
Bruce Thornton makes regular free throw 1 of 1
12-24
9:57
Dawson Garcia misses two point jump shot
9:55
Jamison Battle defensive rebound
9:41
+2
Roddy Gayle Jr. makes two point jump shot
12-26
9:16
Dawson Garcia misses three point jump shot
9:14
Braeden Carrington offensive rebound
9:14
Braeden Carrington turnover (out of bounds)
8:57
+2
Zed Key makes two point dunk (Roddy Gayle Jr. assists)
12-28
8:44
Cam Christie misses three point jump shot
8:42
Dale Bonner defensive rebound
8:35
+2
Dale Bonner makes two point layup
12-30
8:34
Golden Gophers 30 second timeout
8:21
+3
Joshua Ola-Joseph makes three point jump shot (Braeden Carrington assists)
15-30
7:55
Dale Bonner misses three point jump shot
7:53
Dawson Garcia defensive rebound
7:23
Parker Fox turnover (Dale Bonner steals)
7:18
Braeden Carrington shooting foul (Scotty Middleton draws the foul)
7:18
TV timeout
7:18
Scotty Middleton misses regular free throw 1 of 2
7:18
Scotty Middleton misses regular free throw 2 of 2
7:18
Dawson Garcia defensive rebound
6:59
+2
Dawson Garcia makes two point jump shot
17-30
6:49
+2
Roddy Gayle Jr. makes two point jump shot
17-32
6:22
Mike Mitchell Jr. turnover
6:17
+2
Scotty Middleton makes two point jump shot (Evan Mahaffey assists)
17-34
5:55
Joshua Ola-Joseph misses two point layup
5:53
Evan Mahaffey defensive rebound
5:47
Evan Mahaffey misses two point jump shot
5:45
Dawson Garcia defensive rebound
5:36
Felix Okpara blocks Pharrel Payne's two point jump shot
