Bruce Thornton scored 21 points and hit two late throws to help Ohio State secure an 89-82 win over USC on Wednesday.
Ohio State (16-6, 8-6 Big Ten) trailed 43-40 at halftime after opening 2 of 13 at the free-throw line, but Thornton steadied the Buckeyes in the second half. He became the fifth player in program history to reach 1,935 career points and moved into fifth all-time in Ohio State scoring.
The Buckeyes grabbed their largest lead at 67-60 with eight minutes left after a Devin Royal layup and a John Mobley Jr. 3-pointer. USC (18-7, 7-7) answered with a 7-0 run capped by a Jordan Marsh 3 to cut it to 70-69, but Christoph Tilly scored inside, and Royal added a jumper to push the margin back to five.
Alijah Arenas hit a 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining to pull USC within 82-81, but Thornton responded with a driving layup and converted the free throw to make it 85-81. USC missed two shots in the final 30 seconds, and Thornton closed it out at the line.
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