Senior guard Bruce Thornton came around an off-ball screen, receiving the ball with some 18 seconds on the clock. He took one dribble, then rose for a midrange jumpshot that would have scored his 30th point of the game and cut No. 15 Virginia’s lead to just one.
It was a shot he had made a handful of times on the day, in a messy game between his Buckeyes and Coach Ryan Odom’s squad that came down to a one possession game in the slow final minutes. This time, however, it would not fall.
Senior center Ugonna Onyenso rose with Thornton, barely tipping the ball with his fingers. The ball found its way to freshman forward Thijs De Ridder, then junior guard Sam Lewis. The Cavaliers (22-3, 10-2 ACC) proceeded to hit three of four free throws to ice the game, edging Ohio State (16-9, 8-6 Big Ten) 70-66 in a back-and-forth non-conference matchup at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Continuing a trend of narrow wins secured by defensive stands towards the end of the second half, Virginia held the Buckeyes to only two points between the 10-minute mark of the second half and the final 60 seconds, stifling the paint-focused offense late as they built a small lead late in the game.
“It was just a dog fight,” Odom said. “They got off to a great start … I think the defense stepped up throughout the night and helped us secure the win.”
Missing its second-leading scorer in sophomore guard John Mobley Jr., Ohio State focused its offense on attacking the paint and seeking transition opportunities. Building an early 11-point lead primarily off of Cavalier turnovers, Coach Jake Diebler’s side relied on consistent shotmaking from Thornton and freshman forward Amare Bynum, who combined for 20 of the Buckeyes’ 37 first-half points.
Virginia managed to reverse the early first-half deficit fairly quickly, outrebounding its Big Ten opposition and attacking the rim with force on the offensive side. Onyenso, De Ridder and freshman guard Chance Mallory all found their way to the free-throw line on multiple occasions, shooting a combined 13 free throws on the half and making 10. The Cavaliers held a five-point lead in the final three minutes of the first half, but a trifecta of baskets from junior forward Devin Royal, Bynum and Thornton brought the game back within one possession — a single Onyenso free throw evened the game at 37-37 heading into halftime.
Thornton spearheaded an early second-half run for Ohio State, scoring with ease in transition and from the midrange. Lewis was able to keep the game close with a big three-pointer and four free throws, though another Thornton-led run built the Buckeyes a six-point lead. Focusing their defense on limiting the Ohio State offensive dynamo by doubling him off of ball-screens, the Cavaliers were able to hold Thornton at 28 points, playing strong defense as they built a shaky two-possession lead off a Mallory floater and a transition layup from graduate guard Dallin Hall.
“I think we did a great job,” Odom said. “Even though [Thornton] ended up with 28 points, it was a hard 28 points, and I think our guys did a good job of just making everything hard for him.”
Playing a non-conference matchup in an ice hockey arena more than halfway through the ACC schedule, both coaches acknowledged postgame that the atmosphere was comparable to an NCAA Tournament game, and thus a valuable experience late in the regular season.
“I thought the energy in the place was really good,” Ohio State Head Coach Jake Diebler said. “And this is an NCAA Tournament-style arena, right? And so when [Coach Ryan Odom] and I talked about this game, those were the aspects we talked about and how this could be valuable … Being able to simulate [a postseason] atmosphere was part of the equation. So I think in that regard, it was a good experience for everybody.”
In that tournament-esque context, Virginia was able to come out on top in the kind of difficult matchup one might expect come March. Struggling early with turnovers and Thornton’s shotmaking, the Cavaliers were able to make good adjustments that allowed them to eke out short runs in the second half. Outrebounding the Buckeyes 40-26 and taking 23 more free throws allowed Odom’s squad to maintain possession and add some points to the tally, even while shooting only 43 percent from the field and attempting a season-low 18 three-pointers.
“We’ve got to be physical from the start,” Hall said. “And we’ve got to weather storms by staying together offensively. We’ve got to move the ball, share it and fight for really great shots.”
With only six games remaining on their ACC slate, the Cavaliers will next travel to Atlanta for a Wednesday evening game at Georgia Tech — their second-to-last away game of the regular season. The Yellow Jackets (11-15, 2-11 ACC) are on a seven-game losing streak, with their only notable win coming over NC State in January. Still, Virginia has been party to a handful of close games against lesser competition as of late, and Georgia Tech’s 36.8 percent shooting from three in conference play could keep the Yellow Jackets in the game. That game will be streamed on ACC Network.
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