Ohio State men’s basketball gifted its fans an early Christmas present, upsetting No. 4 Kentucky 85-65, at Madison Square Garden. The Buckeyes added a statement win to their resume through a strong defensive performance and 30-point game from guard Bruce Thornton.
It’s the Wildcats second loss of the season, worst shooting performance of the year and the program’s biggest loss in nearly two years.
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Although Kentucky shot just 29.8% from the field and 18.2% from three in the first half, Ohio State didn’t create separation until nine minutes remained before the break. The Buckeyes turned great defense into better offense, mounting a lead as high as 10 points backed by not allowing the Wildcats to not find the bottom of basket for over eight minutes.
By halftime, Ohio State led 39-30.
And it only got worse for the Wildcats after halftime — largely due to Thornton. After a quiet first half, the preseason All-Big Ten Team member dropped 22 points in the second half. Kentucky struggled to get the lid off the rim even more, shooting just 26.5% from the field with multiple scoring droughts.
Shot clock cheese! 😱 @Bruce2T_| #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/QN6EefkmYO
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 22, 2024
The 20-point win potentially puts the Buckeyes (8-4, 1-1 Big Ten) back on track after suffering back-to-back losses to Pitt and Maryland to begin December. They started the season on a high note with a ranked-win against Texas at the Hall of Fame series.
The team is still without starting guard Meechie Johnson, who reportedly took a leave of absence to “address some personal matters” according to a team spokesperson on Dec. 17.
The Wildcats (10-2, 0-0 SEC) will look to bounce back on Dec. 31 against Brown.
