Ohio State closed its preseason schedule with an 82-73 win over Butler on Sunday afternoon at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, riding a 23-point afternoon from sophomore forward Amare Bynum to finish the exhibition slate on a winning note.
Bynum led the Buckeyes in both scoring and rebounding with 23 points and six rebounds, and he set the tone early in the second half by scoring seven of Ohio State’s first 11 points after the break. John Mobley Jr. added 17 points, LJ Smith scored 12 off the bench — including four of the team’s nine three-pointers — and Justin Pippen also reached double figures.
The game stayed close through a back-and-forth first half. Ohio State fell behind 7-2 in the opening minutes, fought back in front on consecutive threes, and took a 45-38 lead into halftime after forcing a pair of late Butler turnovers. Butler, led by Jalen Jackson’s 27 points, kept the margin within reach well into the second half.
The Buckeyes finally created separation with a 12-0 run that pushed the lead to 72-55, their largest of the day. Butler answered with nine straight points to cut the deficit to six, but late free throws from Pippen and steady defensive pressure closed out the 82-73 final.
Ohio State’s defense forced 16 turnovers and recorded seven steals, holding Butler to 38 percent shooting overall and just 31 percent in the second half. At halftime the program honored former head coach Thad Matta, Ohio State’s all-time winningest coach, who also previously coached at Butler before retiring earlier this year.
Mobley left the game with 2:01 remaining after stepping on a teammate’s foot, but said afterward that he had only rolled his ankle and that it was minor. Ohio State now turns to the regular-season opener on November 2 against BYU in Salt Lake City.
For a team that dropped its first two exhibition outings, Sunday’s finish offered a steadier look heading into games that count — balanced scoring, a defense that created extra possessions, and a frontcourt performance from Bynum that the Buckeyes will look to carry into November.
Photo: JonRidinger, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Schottenstein Center, Columbus