It came down to a last second-shot, but No. 1 Ohio State was finally able to chalk up their 22nd consecutive victory over Northwestern on Saturday night.
The game was a thrilling back-and-forth affair, ultimately ending with the Buckeyes on top, 58-57. Freshman star Jared Sullinger put the Buckeyes (22-0, 9-0 Big Ten) ahead for good by knocking down a late free throw. Northwestern’s (13-8, 3-7 Big Ten) desperation heave bounced wide off the top of the backboard as time expired.
Although Ohio State was heavily favored, Northwestern did not concede. The Wildcats fell behind early in the second half, but came storming back with a 21-7 run capped by Michael Thompson’s 3-pointer that put NU up, 55-54, with 3:43 remaining. Thompson was the star performer for Northwestern, leading the team with 16 points and eight assists.
Thompson could not single-handedly carry the Wildcats to victory, though, as Ohio State senior guard Jon Diebler hit a 3-pointer that gave the momentum back to the Buckeyes right before Sullinger’s free-throw put the Wildcats away for good.
Sullinger, as he’s done all season, led the way for Ohio State with 21 points and eight rebounds.
Dwight Hardy’s 26 points spurred St. John’s to a 93-78 blowout win over No. 3 Duke on Sunday afternoon. The outcome was never in doubt, as the Red Storm jumped out to a 46-25 lead at the half.
St. John’s (12-8, 4-5 Big East) controlled the game with an aggressive trapping defense, which forced 17 turnovers and prevented Duke’s 3-point shooters from getting in sync. Despite hitting shots at a 48.1 percent clip this season, the Blue Devils (19-2, 6-1 ACC) converted five of 26 total 3-point attempts. In contrast, St. John’s knocked down 58 percent of their attempts from the field, while committing just 11 turnovers.
In addition to Hardy’s scoring, the Red Storm got major contributions from seniors Justin Brownlee and Paris Horne. Brownlee filled the stat sheet with 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Horne added 15 points and six assists.
Duke senior guard Nolan Smith was the lone bright spot for the Blue Devils as he paced the team with 32 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a block.
Ben Lambert can be reached at [email protected].
