Las Vegas witnessed an exciting clash on Monday night, as the Ohio State Buckeyes triumphed over the 19th-ranked Texas Longhorns with a score of 80-72.
Bruce Thornton was instrumental in the Bucks’ victory, contributing 20 points, while team member Micah Parrish rounded out his performance with 17 points and six rebounds.
The Buckeyes maintained control throughout the game, demonstrating an impressive shooting skill with a 55.6% accuracy in the second half.
Devon Royal and John Mobley Jr. also made their mark, scoring 16 and 14 points respectively off the bench.
This bench strength was evident, as Ohio State outscored Texas 33-10 in that category.
On the other side, the Longhorns were led by freshman Tre Johnson, who topped the scoring chart with 29 points and secured five rebounds.
Arthur Kaluma and Kadin Shedrick each added 10 points, but the remainder of the team collectively struggled, hitting only 7 out of 29 attempts from the floor for a low 24.1% shooting percentage.
The Buckeyes showcased dominance from the very beginning, carving out a 15-point lead in the first half.
Their strong start was highlighted by a 50% shooting display (10 of 20), which was bolstered by a sensational 9 of 12 from three-point territory.
For Texas, the result marked a disappointing end to a remarkable trend, as they had won 21 of their last 22 season openers prior to this setback.
A pivotal moment in the match came when Texas closed the gap to four points at the beginning of the second half.
Ohio State’s Evan Mahaffey quickly responded by grabbing a defensive rebound and completing a transition layup, which kick-started a 9-3 run, allowing the Buckeyes to regain control with a 49-39 lead.
One of the standout performances of the game was by Johnson, who, without showing any hesitation typical of newcomers, delivered an impressive first-half performance.
He netted 15 points, shooting 6-of-13 overall and 3-of-6 from behind the arc during the opening half.
Looking ahead, the Ohio State Buckeyes are set to host Youngstown State next Monday,
while the Texas Longhorns will start their home schedule on Friday against Houston Christian.