Ohio State couldn't afford a loss to Northwestern, and Kaleb Wesson ensured that wouldn't happen.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE (17-9) | 24 | 39 | 63 |
| NORTHWESTERN (12-14) | 20 | 29 | 49 |
With just six regular-season games remaining, the Buckeyes needed a win to bounce back from their two-game losing streak to stay in contention for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, and they got what they needed Wednesday night. Behind a 22-point, eight-rebound, four-assist and two-block performance from Wesson, Ohio State defeated Northwestern, 63-49, at the Schottenstein Center on Wednesday night.
The Buckeyes improved their overall record to 17-9 and now have a 7-9 record in the Big Ten.
Despite a rocky first half that featured ugly basketball by both teams, Ohio State pulled it together and shot 46.3 percent from the field and assisted on 18 of 25 field-goal makes. Northwestern, on the other hand, made just 31.6 percent of its shots.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | NORTHWESTERN |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | POINTS | 63 |
| 25-54 (46.3%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 18-57 (31.6%) |
| 4-20 (20.0%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 5-29 (17.2%) |
| 9-10 (90.0%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 8-12 (66.7%) |
| 8 | TURNOVERS | 8 |
| 35 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 36 |
| 30 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 25 |
| 5 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 11 |
| 27 | BENCH POINTS | 19 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 0 |
| 3 | STEALS | 4 |
| 18 | ASSISTS | 8 |
Wesson was the only Buckeye in double figures. Kyle Young added eight points and four rebounds, while Duane Washington Jr. had eight points and five rebounds.
Ohio State had 27 bench points.
Next up: Ohio State heads to College Park, Maryland, to take on the No. 24 Terrapins (19-7, 11-5 Big Ten) at 2 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.
Game Notes
- Andre Wesson exited the game while holding his forearm with 1:23 remaining in the first half. He left the bench with trainer Jeff Deits and headed to the locker room. He returned for the second half, though, after x-rays were negative and it was ruled that he suffered an elbow contusion.
- C.J. Jackson hit the ground after an illegal screen early in the second half and took some extra time to get up. He went to the locker room with Deits but soon returned to the game.
- For Black History Month, every Ohio State player wore black shirts with the name of an African-American inventor on the front and the invention on the back. Among those represented were Charles Drew (blood plasma bag), Henry Blair (seed planter), Sarah Boone (ironing board), Lonnie C. Johnson (hair curler), Alexander Miles (elevator), Osbourn Dorsey (door knob) and George F. Grant (golf tee).
- Ohio State rocked old-school scarlet jerseys that were first worn when it played against Cleveland State at St. John Arena in the fall.
