As E.J. Liddell ran back on defense, he cupped his hand to his ear, listening to the Schottenstein Center come to life. The freshman forward, a native of Illinois, had just slammed the ball through the rim to give Ohio State a two-point lead with 9:02 remaining.
Not too much later, Liddell had plenty more to celebrate. He and Kaleb Wesson helped extend a second-half lead for the Buckeyes, leading to a 71-63 win against Illinois on Thursday night.
With only one game remaining in the regular season, Ohio State now holds a 21-9 overall record and an 11-8 mark in the Big Ten.