EVANSTON -- In an effort to avoid a 1-2 start to Big Ten play, Northwestern (13-3, 1-2 Big Ten) used a late-second-half flurry to keep the game close against Ohio State (11-5, 3-0), before ultimately falling 65-56.
What started as a relatively boring game – punctuated by a Thad Matta technical foul just three minutes into the game – ended in a fast-paced affair just before halftime. A back-and-forth contest for the first 12-or-so minutes of the game, the Buckeyes, who had won six in a row coming in, caught fire, pushing a 17-all game to a 26-17 lead with 4:10 remaining.