Ohio
Ohio State Earns Season’s First Ranked Win Over No. 24 Wisconsin, 86-69
Ohio State answered one of its most brutal heartbreaks with its best performance of the season on Tuesday.
With NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance, Devin Royal carried the Buckeyes through the first half before Bruce Thornton finished the job in the second. Amare Bynum and Taison Chatman had their say, too.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| #24 WISCONSIN | 26 | 43 | 69 |
| OHIO STATE | 38 | 48 | 86 |
A complete showing from the squad earned Ohio State (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten) its first ranked win of the season over No. 24 Wisconsin (18-8, 10-5), 86-69, after an offensive collapse cost the Buckeyes a win against No. 15 Virginia on Saturday.
The win also avenged an earlier road loss to the Badgers for the Buckeyes.
Bruce Thornton started slow but starred again, scoring 27 points with 24 of them coming in the second half. He nearly reached a triple-double, with nine rebounds and eight assists. Devin Royal racked up a season-high 25 points, 16 in the first half, on a 10-of-17 shooting night. Bynum tacked on 13 points and Chatman scored 11.
Guard Braeden Carrington led the way in the loss for Wisconsin, scoring 19 points and shooting 5-of-12 from three.
First Half
| WISCONSIN | STAT | OHIO STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 69 | POINTS | 86 |
| 27-59 (45.8%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 31-57 (54.4%) |
| 7-26 (26.9%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 11-21 (52.4%) |
| 8-16 (50%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 13-19 (68.4%) |
| 12 | TURNOVERS | 14 |
| 27 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 35 |
| 10 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 11 |
| 17 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 24 |
| 28 | BENCH POINTS | 8 |
| 5 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 4 | STEALS | 3 |
| 13 | ASSISTS | 16 |
Royal struggled when Thornton needed aid in Ohio State’s previous loss to No. 15 Virginia, shooting 2-of-12 from the field for just four points. Against the Badgers, his hot start fueled a hot start for the team.
He hit a turnaround jumper over a strong contest, drained a 3-pointer and cashed in an open layup on his first three shots for a quick burst of seven points in the first four minutes. Bynum tacked on a 3-pointer and Ohio State held a 12-6 lead at the outset.
Royal didn’t stop. He carved out space for a layup and collected his first assist of the contest on a Thornton 3-pointer. Then Royal hit his second triple of the night to make it 12 points in the first 6:30 of game action, handing Ohio State a 22-10 advantage that it worked to maintain the rest of the first half.
The first bit of that maintenance work was also done by Royal. Two more fancy post moves granted him two more clean layups. Star guard John Blackwell sank a corner 3-pointer to bring Wisconsin back within six points, but then picked up his second foul on defense and had to sit. Bynum hit a sky-high floater in response.
Up 30-24, the Buckeyes launched an 8-0 run in the final minutes of the first half. Bynum led the charge, flying out of nowhere to swat a shot from Wisconsin guard Braden Carrington and splashing home his second 3-pointer in three attempts. Chatman hit a triple and Puff Johnson a circus floater as the Schottenstein Center erupted. The standing ovation rang in a 14-point lead for Ohio State.
Wisconsin center Nolan Winter hit a layup under the to cut the lead to 38-26 at halftime. Smothering defense aided Ohio State in gaining its separation: The Buckeyes had nine points off turnovers and held Wisconsin to 1-of-8 from 3-point range in the first half.
Second Half
A Chatman drive and finish, combined with a Thornton 3-pointer, stretched Ohio State’s lead to its largest yet at 15 points. Thornton kept coming alive after he scored just three points in the first half.
He put together a nice series of dribble moves and finished strong at the rim, then got downhill to draw a foul. Royal added a mid-range jumper in the eye of his defender in between as the Buckeyes’ advantage grew to 16. Carrington kept splashing impossible-looking 3-pointers, but the Badgers still weren’t clawing back into the game.
Thornton converted a layup through a foul and Royal hit a 3-pointer for a quick 6-0 run that gave Ohio State’s lead its largest yet at 57-39. Bynum strung together five points before Wisconsin strung a couple of baskets together and cut its deficit back to 13 – only for Royal to can another 3-pointer and stop the momentum.
The Badgers got a layup from star guard Nick Boyd and a tip-in from forward Hayden Jones, which sliced it back to a 12-point game, but Thornton drained another triple before an and-one layup from the Buckeyes’ brightest star made it a 17-point lead once more.
Four more points from Thornton made it a 20-point advantage at 83-63 with 1:37 to play. Coach Jake Diebler took him out with one minute remaining, allowing the crowd to welcome him with a standing ovation. Ohio State dribbled out the win from there.
What’s Next?
After finally getting a layoff longer than two days, Ohio State hits the road to East Lansing for a clash with No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday. Tipoff is at 1 p.m. on CBS.
Game Notes
- Ohio State improves to 92-78 all-time against Wisconsin.
- Royal’s 12 points in the first 6:30 were already triple what he scored against Virginia.
- Thornton passed Jerry Lucas and William Buford’s mark of 1,990 points to go into third all-time in career points for the Buckeyes. Ohio State played a video tribute featuring both Lucas and Buford at the break after it happened. He is now 92 points from passing Dennis Hopson for the most in Buckeye history, surpassing 2,000 for his career.
- Ohio State was 0-6 against ranked teams this season before beating the Badgers.
The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 was a monumental, year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Coming in the aftermath of the turbulent 1960s, the political disillusionment of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974, and the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Bicentennial served as a crucial moment of national healing.
The festivities culminated on the Fourth of July 1976, with spectacular events staged across the country. The most enduring legacy of the celebration in Columbus is Bicentennial Park, located in the Downtown riverfront area along the Scioto River.
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, this 4.7-acre green space was built to permanently commemorate the nation’s 200th birthday. The park’s initial centerpiece was a massive fountain system featuring four circular pools that could shoot water 60 feet into the air.
From May 22 to June 2, 1975, Columbus served as the 11th official stop for the American Freedom Train. This massive, steam-powered rolling museum carried more than 500 priceless historical artifacts – including copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – across all 48 contiguous states.
The train was displayed at the Defense Construction Supply Center [DCSC] in Whitehall and drew massive crowds of local families. Columbus held a special distinction during the tour: it was one of only three cities nationwide where the “Splendid Spirit” car was included with the train.
Warren Motts, the founding director of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, traveled with the train for its entire 25,000-mile journey, capturing the official photos that documented this historic event.
Beyond these massive metropolitan events, the true spirit of the Bicentennial thrived at the grassroots level. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) encouraged local communities to form their own committees, leading to thousands of unique municipal projects.
Towns across the nation hosted local parades, commissioned historical murals, dedicated new parks, and sealed time capsules intended for the tricentennial in 2076.
It also triggered a resurgence of interest in local history and genealogy, as everyday citizens sought to trace their own roots back to the nation’s founding eras.
The civic energy and patriotism generated by the 1976 celebrations also helped pave the way for other major local traditions. Just a few years later, in 1981, Columbus launched its annual Red, White & Boom! celebration, which grew into the largest Independence Day fireworks display in the Midwest—a tradition deeply rooted in the community pride revived during the Bicentennial era.
Get involved in America 250 at your library this year! Visit columbulibrary.org for a full list of America 250 events.
Angela O’Neal is Local History & Genealogy Manager with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
NORTHEAST OHIO (WOIO) – Thousands are without power Friday after severe weather sweeps across Northeast Ohio counties, creating weather-related damage.
FirstEnergy reports more than 71,000 in Northeast Ohio are without power Friday night.
More than 22,000 are without power in Cuyahoga County.
The utility company reports that more than 700 are without power in Erie County.
Lake County reports over 1,000 outages, and Portage has over 4,000 outages.
Trumbull County is experiencing over 1,000, and Ashtabula reports over 3,000.
Lorain County is experiencing more than 3,000 reported outages, and Geauga County has more than 7,000.
Medina County reported more than 1,000.
Chardon fire crews field wave of storm calls
The Chardon Fire Department shared the calls it responded to concerning storm damage Friday evening.
Fire crews said they responded to a tree in a house at 127 Burlington Oval.
The department said a tree fell on a gas line, causing a gas leak at 408 Charleston Avenue.
Wires were reported down on South Claridon Road, closing State Route 44 near South Street.
Wires were reported down on a house near Irma and South Hambden.
Fire crews said a tree was reported down on a home at 306 North Hambden.
The department also said alarms went off at UH Geauga Hospital.
Downed wires also closed Auburn and Twing roads.
The department said power was out on the south side of Chardon City.
Another tree was reported to have fallen into a house at 109 Burlington Oval, but no injuries were reported.
Fire crews said an incident involving a tree in a house and electric lines was reported at 11396 Aquilla Road, but no injuries were reported.
Fallen tree takes out power line in Independence
The city of Independence said a downed tree took out a live power line on lower Stone Road.
The city asked the public to avoid the area because of the danger posed by live wires.
The city said FirstEnergy had been notified and both police and firefighters were on scene.
Downed wires prompt closures across Hambden
The Hambden Fire Department said Friday night it was dealing with multiple storm-related incidents.
Crews said Claridon Troy Road was closed between Route 608 and Chardon Windsor Road because of downed poles and wires.
Kenny Drive was closed south of Leaders Mobile Home Park because of downed wires across the road, according to fire crews.
Multiple wires were reported down on Route 6 near Cutts and Grant Street along the north side of the road.
The department said the public should use caution in areas with downed wires and poles and should not attempt to move any of the wires.
Anyone with an electrical emergency or who encounters downed wires is asked to call 9-1-1.
Hambden Fire said people should not call 9-1-1 to report an outage.
The department said FirstEnergy is aware of these issues and is working to fix them.
Check FirstEnergy’s, AEP’s, and Cleveland Public Power’s websites for the latest outage numbers.
These outages come after severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for multiple Northeast Ohio counties this evening and were extended until 10:45 p.m.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Friday, July 3
Downtown Columbus: Billed as the Midwest’s largest fireworks show, Red, White & BOOM! takes place along the Scioto Mile. The fireworks show starts at 10:00 p.m. More information can be found on the event’s website.
Bexley: Festivities at Capital University begin at 6:00 p.m., with a fireworks display starting at 10:00 p.m.
Buckeye Lake: The Buckeye Lake Area Star Spangled Tradition (BLASST) fireworks display will take place at approximately 10:00 p.m. The primary viewing area is at Fairfield Beach, Lake Shore Drive NE, Thornville.
Canal Winchester: First Friday at Loose Rail Brewing will feature a fireworks show at approximately 9:00 p.m. The brewery will also show Red, White & BOOM! on big screens.
Gahanna: Activities start at 5:00 p.m. at the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course and the fireworks show is at 10:00 p.m.
Newark: Central Ohio Technical College and Ohio State Newark campus will host festivities with live music and food trucks at the Martha Grace Reese Amphitheatre, culminating with a fireworks display at dusk (approximately 10:00 p.m.).
Pickerington: The city’s fireworks show starts at 10:00 p.m.
Reynoldsburg: Festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. at Civic Park, with fireworks starting at 9:45 p.m.
Saturday, July 4
Chillicothe: Fireworks are scheduled to begin at approximately 9:45 PM from the Yoctangee Park Annex.
Circleville: AMVETS Post 2256 will host food trucks, live music, and a fireworks display after dark.
Clintonville: Whetstone Park of Roses hosts a live music event followed by fireworks at 9:45 p.m.
Delaware: Fireworks will launch from the city’s Cherry Street property at 10:00 p.m.
Dublin: Independence Day Celebration activities wrap up with fireworks at 9:50 p.m. at Dublin Coffman High School.
Grove City: Fireworks will launch from Murfin Fields at 9:45 p.m.
Hilliard: Freedom Fest takes place at Roger Reynolds Municipal Park with fireworks starting around 9:45 p.m.
Lancaster: A full day of celebrations culminates with fireworks at dusk at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds.
Marysville: Fireworks at approximately 9:00 p.m. at the Union County Fairgrounds.
New Albany: The July 4th Festival ends with fireworks at 10:00 p.m. at New Albany High School.
Upper Arlington: The annual Party in the Park begins at 5:00 p.m. at Northam Park, followed by fireworks at 10:00 p.m.
Westerville: Evening festivities and food trucks can be found at the Westerville Sports Complex until the fireworks show begins at 10:00 p.m.
Worthington: The city’s celebration concludes with fireworks launched from Thomas Worthington High School at 10:00 p.m.
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