The lost 79-68 to the Cincinnati Bearcats on Wednesday in an outdoor exhibition at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. The 3 PM tip-off in the 2026 CareSource Invitational was Jake Diebler’s first public look at his group before November. Ohio State led 35-30 at halftime and still held a 56-49 edge with about 10 minutes left, then watched Cincinnati close with a 49-33 second half.
A midday outdoor tip brought wind and glare the Buckeyes will not face in the regular season. Ohio State shot 40.7 percent from the field, 17.4 percent from three and only 20 of 36 free throws. The three-point line was the clearest miss, with the Buckeyes finishing 4-for-23.
“We are a much better shooting team than four for 23 with, I don’t know how many air balls we had, if anybody was keeping track,” Jake Diebler said.
He said Ohio State still created open looks the group usually makes in practice. The Cincinnati Bearcats, in their first game under first-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun, were cold from the jump shot early as well. They found a rhythm after the break, and Ohio State, shooting into the sun in the second half, could not answer.
Ohio State started returners Amare Bynum, John Mobley Jr and Ivan Njegovan with transfer guard Curtis Givens III and freshman Anthony Thompson. Justin Pippen was not in the first five. Diebler was testing combinations, not locking a lineup.
Ivan Njegovan started and still played fewer than eight minutes. Diebler said consistency is the priority as he sorts minutes before November. Justin Pippen’s day ended early too. With 2:16 left, he drew contact, hit the floor hard on a drive and had his left ankle and foot checked before watching the finish from the bench.
Seven Buckeyes scored at least five points despite the cold shooting. John Mobley Jr led Ohio State with 15 points and four assists, though he was only 2-for-9 from three. Amare Bynum added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds. Freshman LJ Smith also scored nine and had two steals. Justin Pippen and Jimmie Williams each finished with eight.
Center Josh Ojianwuna had four points in 17 minutes in his first extended game action. Diebler said the nerves showed.
He still wanted those minutes. Josh Ojianwuna has been a defensive anchor in practice, and Diebler treated the outing as a chance to get him into a real game rather than a polished box score.
The shooting can be partly blamed on the outdoor court. The paint numbers are harder to dismiss. The Cincinnati Bearcats outscored Ohio State 48-32 in the paint and outrebounded the 45-35. Senior guard Tylen Riley scored 23, with 18 after halftime, and senior forward Tyler Tejada added 17, including 15 in the second half. Jayden Hastings chipped in 16.
A Tyler Tejada putback sparked the run that wiped out a seven-point Ohio State lead. Diebler still called the second-half trouble the more useful film. Falling behind while the sun sat in the shooters’ eyes told him more than the first half, when the Ohio State Buckeyes were in front.
Ohio State will host Butler in an exhibition on October 25 at the Schottenstein Center, then open the season at Brigham Young on November 2.
