Thornton hits late winner as Ohio State rallies to beat No. 18 Maryland

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Bruce Thornton banked in a 3-pointer from the right wing with 7.4 seconds left and Ohio State overcame a 17-point deficit to beat No. 18 Maryland 73-70 on Thursday night.

Thornton had 31 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Buckeyes (14-9, 6-6 Big Ten). Micah Parrish added 13 points and six rebounds.

Julian Reese had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Maryland (17-6, 7-5). Rodney Rice added 18 points, and Derik Queen had 13. The Terrapins had won four straight.

Takeaways

Maryland: The Terrapins seemed headed to their seventh win in their last eight games. But after shooting 59% in the first half, they shot 25% in the second.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes need every win they can get to improve their NCAA resume, and this Quad 1 would certainly qualify. Ohio State played without 7-foot-1 center Aaron Bradshaw, who was out with illness. This was a reversal from the Dec. 4 meeting in the Big Ten opener, when Maryland led by 40 points in an 83-59 victory.

Key moment

After Maryland’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie tied it at 70 on a drive with 35.5 seconds left, Thornton patiently held the ball and made the winner.

Key stat

Thornton had 17 of his points in the final seven minutes as the Buckeyes outscored the Terrapins 23-9 in that stretch.

Up next

Both teams play Sunday. Maryland hosts Rutgers, and Ohio State is at Nebraska.

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