Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes Battle Back, Win 71-63

Ohio State pressure defense was the key.

Northwestern had not won a game in Columbus since the 1977 season, but for much of the game it looked liked they were going to do just that. With the offense sputtering, the Ohio State basketball team turned to their defense to provide a spark, and they found plenty of it.

Northwestern controlled the majority of the game. A team that lives and dies by the three ball, they were very much alive tonight. They hit 6 of them in the first half, part of just 9 made shots for the Wildcats in the first half.

The Buckeyes could not buy a bucket in the first half, shooting just 35 percent in the opening period. Despite their distinct advantage in length, they were also getting beat on the boards. The result was a 7 point deficit as they went into the locker room.

Northwestern continued their hot shooting from three in the second half, hitting two in their first three possessions to push the lead to 9.

A Keita Bates-Diop three pointer got the Buckeyes back to within two at the 14 minute mark, but Northwestern immediately responded with a 7-0 run to get the lead back to 9. It was reminiscent of Ohio State’s previous game against Wisconsin, a game that saw every Ohio State run answered by a Wisconsin run of their own.

The Buckeyes kept battling, though, and just as they did in Evanston earlier in the year, they dialed up the

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defensive pressure to change the entire flow of the game.

In the previous matchup of these two teams, the length of Ohio State forced Northwestern into a miserable shooting night. Tonight it was that length that again got the Buckeyes over the hump, this time in the form of a zone-press.

With Ohio State pressuring the basketball in the full court, Northwestern struggled to advance the ball and get into their sets. At one point they turned the ball over on three straight possessions. The Buckeyes turned them into 4 points and had cut the lead down to a single point.

With the Northwestern lead at 3, and the clock under 7 minutes, Marc Loving hit a three ball to tie the game up at 50. On the next possession Bates-Diop hit a jumper off of a Trevor Thompson offensive rebound, giving the Buckeyes their first lead since there was 15:28 left in the first half.

While Northwestern refused to go away, Ohio State would not relinquish the lead.

In a very welcomed sight to Thad Matta and all Buckeyes fans alike, they hit on 14 straight free throws down the stretch. For the game they were 19 of 23 from the line. With the clutch shooting down the stretch, the Buckeyes were able to put away the Wildcats and earn their 15th win of the season.

Despite shooting just 41 percent from the field, and 33 percent from three, Ohio State had all five starters score double figures. They were lead by JaQuan Lyle, who put together his second straight strong performance. Lyle found himself back in the starting lineup after a 27 point outburst at Wisconsin last week. He had been coming off of the bench in the past four games.

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Consistency continues to be the name of the game for this Buckeyes team. They suffer through periods where they appear to be sleep walking through the game. But when they are active and engaged, especially on the defense end, their size is a lot to handle.

Tonight they took care of the basketball, turning the ball over a season-low 5 times. For a basketball team that is still learning how to close games out, tonight provides the perfect blueprint for how they can will themselves to wins. Defensive pressure, taking care of the basketball, and making free throws will propel any basketball team to more wins. With a team that struggles to score the basketball consistently, they have to be the backbone.

With just 6 games remaining in the regular season, the Buckeyes find themselves in a tough spot in regards to the NCAA tournament. Their next three games come against teams that are in the middle to bottom end of the Big Ten standings. Their final three come against teams that are in the top half, though.

They have the talent to close out this season strongly, and possibly earn an NCAA tournament birth. Taking care of the fundamentals will have them in position to win games more often than not, and if they can replicate tonight’s second half performance, this Ohio State basketball team might just be able to keep their streak of tournament appearances alive.

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Ohio State will be back on the floor on Saturday afternoon when they take on Rutgers on the road. That game is scheduled for a 4:00 tip.

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