Ohio State took its first step to rebound from a brutal past month on Sunday night.
Behind a team-high 17 points from DJ Carton, the Buckeyes headed on the road to Evanston, Illinois, and beat Northwestern, 71-59, to bounce back from a two-game skid. The much-needed win marked just the second in the past eight games.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 38 | 33 | 71 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 35 | 24 | 59 |
With the victory, Ohio State improves its record to 13-7 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten. This was the team's first conference win on the road this season.
The Buckeyes trailed by three points early in the second half then grabbed the lead with 14:38 remaining in the game, slowly extending it. The advantage reached double digits on a CJ Walker 3-pointer with 3:55 remaining.
Four Ohio State players scored in double figures. Kaleb Wesson and Andre Wesson each had 11 points.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | NORTHWESTERN |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | POINTS | 59 |
| 26-59 (44.1%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 22-58 (37.9%) |
| 11-29 (37.9%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 7-23 (30.4%) |
| 8-10 (80%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 8-13 (61.5%) |
| 13 | TURNOVERS | 13 |
| 37 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 35 |
| 11 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 11 |
| 26 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 24 |
| 39 | BENCH POINTS | 10 |
| 5 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 6 | STEALS | 2 |
| 16 | ASSISTS | 12 |
Justin Ahrens, finally feeling healthy after slowly working his way back from an offseason back injury, drained a season-high four 3-pointers en route to scoring 12 points.
As has happened all too often, Ohio State opened the game unable to produce many points, missing nine of its first 10 shots while also turning the ball over four times during that eight-minute stretch. Northwestern took advantage of the opportunity, pulling ahead by nine points less than seven minutes into the game.
But with two 8-0 runs and a 7-0 run, the Buckeyes powered back to go ahead by 10 points on a 3-pointer from DJ Carton with 3:57 remaining. The Wildcats chopped the lead down to three points for Ohio State going into halftime, though, setting up a tight second half.
Andre Wesson, who had 11 points and four rebounds in the first half, played a key role in the away team's ability to come back from the early deficit.
Next up: Ohio State heads back to Columbus, playing host to Indiana on Saturday. The game will tip off at noon at the Schottenstein Center, and it'll be shown on ESPN.
Other Notes
- Northwestern head coach Chris Collins got a technical midway through the first half when protesting a foul on Pete Nance.
- In a search for a more efficient offense with fewer turnovers, Duane Washington Jr. spent some time at point guard in the first half, with DJ Carton playing off the ball.
- Duane Washington Jr. wrote a message to Kobe Bryant on his shoes. He knew Bryant, who died on Sunday, because his uncle is former Lakers guard Derek Fisher.
- Andre Wesson started on Sunday, wearing his usual No. 24 jersey, a number he chose years ago to honor Bryant.
