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Buckeyes forward E.J. Liddell made it rain three-pointers early against the Northwestern Wildcats. Ohio State was out to an early 13-4 lead over their divisional opponent. Liddell quickly scored 14 points and was four out of four behind the three-point line. Northwestern failed to adjust as Liddell would drain another from behind the arc. The Wildcats were forced to double team Liddell due to his hot start, which created opportunities for his teammates. Ohio State was sloppy at one point, as the Wildcats stole some passes. Luckily, Liddell rejected a layup as he rushed back and blocked the shot.
Northwestern hit a wide-open three, which kept them within striking distance. Buckeyes senior guard Jamari Wheeler created offense towards the end of the quarter. Wheeler stole a pass and bolted down the court to make a layup. Northwestern would score at the buzzer, and at the half, Ohio State was leading 51-39. It is worth noting that Northwestern had a 1-18 record at Ohio State coming into this matchup.
Ohio State would start the second half by feeding the ball to E.J. Liddell, who scored the first points of the quarter. Northwestern kept themselves in the game as they scored 11 points off turnovers. E.J. Liddell looked automatic inside the paint, as he could not miss. A deep three by Wildcat guard Ty Berry cut the Buckeye lead to seven with 1:16 remaining in the game. Despite Ohio State looking shaky at different stages in the game, they held on for a 95-87 win over Northwestern. E.J. Liddell turned in a great game, as he scored 34 points, four rebounds, five blocks and two assists. Ohio State improved to 10 wins and three losses while having a conference record of four wins and one loss. Ohio State will travel to Wisconsin and face the Badgers on Thursday night.
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