COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — In a game defined by a relentless back-and-forth struggle, the Ohio State Buckeyes outlasted the Minnesota Golden Gophers 82-74 in overtime on Tuesday night at Value City Arena.

A crowd of 8,750 watched as the Buckeyes, who led for the majority of regulation, needed a late surge to force the extra period before dominating it to secure the Big Ten Conference victory.

Ohio State improved to 13-5 overall, while Minnesota fell to 10-9.

The most critical phase of the contest arrived in the final minute of regulation. Trailing 67-64, Ohio State’ Bruce Thornton, who finished with 23 points, drove for a floating jumper to cut the deficit to one with 54 seconds left. After a defensive stop, Thornton was fouled on another drive and calmly sank both free throws to give the Buckeyes a 68-67 lead with 39 seconds remaining.

Minnesota answered immediately. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, who led all scorers with 26 points, powered through contact for a layup and drew a foul. He converted the free throw to put the Golden Gophers back ahead 70-68 with 40 seconds on the clock.

On the ensuing possession, Ohio State worked the ball to John Mobley, who missed a three-pointer. But Colin White secured a crucial offensive rebound, kicking it back out to Mobley, who drained a second-chance three-pointer from the wing to put the Buckeyes up 71-70 with 17 seconds left.

Minnesota, refusing to fold, executed its final play of regulation. Langston Reynolds drove and found Cade Tyson for a layup, and Tyson was fouled. He completed the three-point play with 17 seconds left, giving Minnesota a 73-71 edge.

With the clock winding down, Thornton took the inbounds pass, raced upcourt, and hit a pull-up jumper in the lane with 10 seconds left to tie the game at 73. Minnesota’s Isaac Asuma saw his potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer rim out, sending the game to overtime.

The overtime period belonged entirely to Ohio State. The Buckeyes scored the first nine points, fueled by their defense. Thornton stole the ball from Crocker-Johnson on Minnesota’s first possession, leading to a Devin Royal jumper. After a Minnesota miss, Thornton hit another pull-up. Following another Golden Gophers turnover, Royal converted a three-point play. When Christoph Tilly scored inside with 2:11 left in overtime, Ohio State had built an 82-73 lead and effectively sealed the game. Minnesota managed just one free throw in the extra session, missing all five field goal attempts.

The game began with Ohio State establishing an early lead, going up 10-2 and later 22-12 in the first half. Minnesota chipped away, using a 13-2 run fueled by threes from Bobby Durkin and Asuma to take a brief 27-26 lead. The Buckeyes responded and took a 31-28 advantage into halftime.

The second half saw six ties and 10 lead changes. Minnesota’s backcourt of Asuma and Reynolds each finished with 12 points and five assists, while Tyson added 15 points. For Ohio State, Mobley matched Crocker-Johnson’s 26 points, Royal contributed 16, and Tilly added 11 points and several key defensive plays.

The loss extended a difficult stretch for Minnesota, which has now dropped three consecutive games, all by single digits, including two in overtime. Ohio State, meanwhile, bounced back from a road loss to UCLA last Saturday and will prepare for a trip to Michigan on Friday. Minnesota returns home to face Nebraska on Saturday.