Ohio State defeated Indiana 91-78 in their regular-season finale at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 7, 2026. Senior guard Bruce Thornton scored 25 points and became the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer, surpassing Dennis Hopson's 2,096 career points. The loss leaves Indiana's NCAA Tournament hopes in jeopardy as they enter the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 10 seed.
The game tipped off at 5:30 p.m. ET with Indiana jumping to a 5-0 lead, but Ohio State quickly responded with a 6-0 run capped by a dunk from Amare Bynum to take the lead. Midway through the first half, Indiana mounted an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to three points at 28-25, but Ohio State then outscored the Hoosiers 22-8 over the next 7.5 minutes, shooting 9-for-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range to lead 50-33 at halftime.
Ohio State shot 67.9% from the field and 8-of-13 from beyond the arc in the first half, finishing the game at 59.2% overall and 11-of-24 from three. Thornton sealed his record-breaking moment with a three-pointer late in the half, passing Hopson's mark and drawing a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 18,809 at the Schottenstein Center. He finished with 25 points on 7-of-9 shooting, seven assists, and three rebounds.
Indiana struggled defensively, allowing Ohio State to average 1.422 points per possession. The Hoosiers shot just 1-of-8 from three in the first half and committed eight turnovers that led to 13 Buckeye points. In the second half, Indiana improved to 65.2% from the floor and 4-of-10 from deep, cutting the lead to 10 points with three minutes left on a 9-2 run. However, Devin Royal's and-one three-pointer pushed the margin back to 14, sealing the win.
Lamar Wilkerson led Indiana with 18 points, followed by Tucker DeVries with 17, Sam Alexis with 14, Conor Enright with 12, and Reed Bailey with 12 points and five rebounds. For Ohio State, Bynum added 18 points and nine rebounds, John Mobley Jr. scored 18 with three threes, and Taison Chatman contributed 11 points off the bench.
Indiana coach Darian DeVries said postgame, “We weren't able to get a stop there the end of that first half... the lead exploded.” Reed Bailey added, “We were right where we wanted to be... we just got to find something to be able to dig deeper.” Ohio State coach Jake Diebler praised Thornton: “He has embraced the moment... focused on winning.” Thornton reflected, “Tonight was how Ohio State basketball should be. I’m a Buckeye for life.”
With the victory, Ohio State (20-11, 12-8 Big Ten) earns a double bye and will be the No. 7 or 8 seed in the tournament starting Thursday in Chicago. Indiana (18-13, 9-11) plays at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday as the No. 10 seed, needing at least two wins to bolster NCAA Tournament chances after losing five of their last six games.
