COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — Bruce Thornton scored 21 points and Ohio State used a strong second half to defeat Southern California 89-82 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at Value City Arena.

The Buckeyes, who improved to 16-8, trailed 43-40 at halftime but outscored the Trojans 49-39 after the break. Southern California’s Alijah Arenas led all scorers with 25 points. The Trojans fell to 18-7 despite forcing 12 turnovers and converting them into 20 points.

Ohio State was efficient from the free-throw line, making 24 of 25 attempts. Southern California shot just 26 of 62 from the field. Devin Royal added 19 points for the Buckeyes in front of a crowd of 11,367.