COLUMBUS, Ohio – A young boy leaned over to his mom at halftime of Saturday’s men’s basketball game between Northwestern and Ohio State and asked her why the Buckeyes were trailing 35-30 at the break.
“We came in expecting a blowout,” the woman offered as an explanation.
Maybe that’s true. Maybe Ohio State, the Big Ten’s top team, was overconfident. Maybe the Buckeyes, expecting an easy win, did play a little lax.
But although Ohio State eked by the Wildcats with a 58-57 victory, it was a stellar NU effort – not a letdown by the Buckeyes.
With a defense that held the conference’s best shooting team more than five percentage points below its season average, and an offense that shot 47.6 percent from the field – including 50 percent from beyond the arc – NU showed the rest of the conference that it’s no longer a pushover.
Still, the Cats weren’t content.
“I don’t believe in moral victories, coach (Bill Carmody) doesn’t believe in moral victories,” NU forward Tavaras Hardy said. “We came here to win, we didn’t come here just to be in the game.”
The Cats now expect to win each time they step on the court, an attitude they exhibited by remaining calm when things weren’t going their way Saturday.
Amid the clamor before the game’s opening tip – all 19,200 fans in Value City Arena were on their feet and clapping as “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” echoed over the loud speakers – the Cats weren’t fazed. NU center Aaron Jennings won the tipoff to silence the crowd and turn some of the cheers into sneers.
“You suck, No. 55!” an Ohio State fan snarled after Jennings won the jump ball.
But the junior responded by scoring the game’s first points on a baby hook in the middle of the lane.
NU used timely shooting to keep the sea of red shirts in their seats for much of the game. After Ohio State guard Brent Darby cut NU’s lead to two by hitting his second straight three-pointer with 29 seconds remaining in the first half, Cats forward Winston Blake tamed the jubilant Buckeyes fans with a long-range shot of his own to close the first stanza.
And although Hardy missed his game-winning shot attempt, the Cats showed poise in bringing the ball up the court with 16 seconds left on the clock to get him a good look.
NU’s court-savvy was apparent on defense, as well. Following a 9-0 Ohio State run midway through the first half, the Cats came out of a timeout with an improved defense. All five NU players stood under the basket with their arms outstretched, waiting for the approaching Buckeyes.
Despite allowing Darby 26 points, the Cats shut down Brian Brown and Boban Savovic, Ohio State’s other star guards.
“We know we can play with anybody in the league,” Blake said. “We’ve got the confidence. We beat Michigan at Michigan, (and against) Purdue we should’ve won. Coming here we showed that we can play at Ohio State. We know we can go anywhere in the league and play.”
When the final horn sounded and the Ohio State players rushed the court, the Cats had disgusted looks on their faces – they believed they let a win slip through their fingers.
Forward Vedran Vukusic, whose offensive foul gave Ohio State the game-clinching free throws, wrapped his head in a towel as he left the court. Junior Jason Burke tore off his headband, while Blake stared numbly at the floor outside NU’s locker room after the game.
The Cats showed that unlike last year, they don’t plan on making a habit out of losing.
“I think people are going to have trouble sleeping tonight,” Blake said following the game. “The most important thing is that it does stick in the back of our minds. We’re going to be bitter about the loss, and I think that’s going to help fuel us.”
