No. 15 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball held off Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball for a 70-66 victory Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena in the Nashville Hoops Showdown.
Malik Thomas and Sam Lewis each scored 13 points as Virginia (22-3) extended its winning streak to six games. Bruce Thornton led Ohio State (16-9) with 28 points and recorded the 500th assist of his career, while Amare Bynum added 15 points and six rebounds.
The game was tied 37-37 at halftime after Virginia erased an early Buckeyes lead. Ohio State built a six-point advantage with under 10 minutes remaining, but the Cavaliers responded with a 6-0 run to even the score.
In the closing minute, Lewis forced a turnover and converted a layup to give Virginia a 65-61 lead. He then sank two free throws with 11 seconds left to secure the win.
Ohio State played without John Mobley Jr., sidelined indefinitely with a hand injury sustained in Wednesday’s game against Southern California. Mobley had started the Buckeyes’ first 24 games, averaging 15.1 points.
Virginia improved to 10-2 in games away from home, including a 3-1 mark in neutral-site contests.