Sunday’s home game against Notre Dame was the Ohio State men’s basketball team’s first major contest of the season. The Buckeyes won the game, 64-63, on a lay-up by Christoph Tilly with 13 seconds remaining in the contest, but the catalyst for the victory was senior guard Bruce Thornton, who played all 40 minutes for OSU.

Thornton, who came into the game as Ohio State’s leading scorer, paced the Buckeyes once again with 24 points against the Irish. The Fairburn, Ga. native was 4-7 from behind the arc and made all four of his free throws. Tilly was the only other Buckeye in double figures with 18 points.

Notre Dame had three players with 10 or more points – Markus Burton (14), Jalen Haralson (13), and Braeden Shrewsberry (11). The Ohio State defensive effort caused the Irish to have an off day shooting, going 24-51 from the field and 3-10 from three. They also struggled at the line, making 12 of 20 free throws.

With the win, the Buckeyes remain undefeated after four non-conference games. They host Western Michigan this Thursday at Value City Arena with the tip-off slated for 8:00 p.m. The Broncos are led by FIU transfer Jayden Brewer, who is averaging 17.2 points per game.