For the better half of Tuesday evening, Northwestern looked like it would snap its 30-game losing streak in Columbus. Then Ohio State woke up.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 26 | 45 | 71 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 33 | 30 | 63 |
Thad Matta's club overcame a hapless first half offensive showing to survive against the Wildcats, 71-63, and snap a two-game losing skid.
Keita Bates-Diop's floater gave the Buckeyes a 52-50 advantage with 5:58 remaining, their first lead since the 15:28-mark of the opening half. Northwestern tied it two minutes later on a Scottie Lindsey 3-pointer, but JaQuan Lyle answered with one of his own to give the Buckeyes back a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Ohio State made 14 straight free throws over the game's final 5:01 and 16-of-17 in the second half to seal the win.
Ohio State's 1-2-2 three-quarter-court press gave Northwestern fits late, and the Buckeyes found just enough offense to survive falling to the Wildcats in Columbus for the first time since an 83-72 decision Feb. 24, 1977.
Bates-Diop scored nine of his 11 points in the second half, but Lyle led Ohio State (15-10, 7-5 Big Ten) with 16 points. Marc Loving added 15 and Jae'Sean Tate 10. Trevor Thompson led his team with nine rebounds and added 12 points.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | NORTHWESTERN |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | POINTS | 63 |
| 23-56 (41) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 21-54 (39) |
| 6-18 (33) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 12-27 (44) |
| 19-23 (83) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 9-12 (75) |
| 5 | TURNOVERS | 14 |
| 34 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 38 |
| 10 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 12 |
| 24 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 26 |
| 7 | BENCH POINTS | 26 |
| 5 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 4 | STEALS | 2 |
| 8 | ASSISTS | 15 |
Northwestern rode a strong display of outside shooting to surge ahead in the early. Six of the Wildcats' nine made field goals in the first half came from beyond the arc.
A woeful offensive performance by Ohio State State in the first half led to the Buckeyes trailing, 33-26, at intermission. The Buckeyes shot 35 percent from the field and fell behind by as many as 10. Northwestern didn't fare much better shooting-wise, connecting on 37 percent of its shots in the opening half, but the Wildcats held a 25-15 rebounding advantage.
Northwestern led deep into the second half, but only scored 15 points in the game's final 10 minutes. The Wildcats (16-9, 4-8) finished 12-of-27 from deep and out-rebounded the Buckeyes, 38-34.
Northwestern has lost six of its last seven games.
Ohio State visits Rutgers Saturday at 4 p.m.
