Bill Carmody still hasn’t beaten those pesky Buckeyes.
Ohio State remains the only Big Ten team the fourth-year Northwestern coach hasn’t defeated, thanks to the Wildcats’ 72-64 loss Wednesday night at the Value City Center in Columbus, Ohio.
The game marked Carmody’s seventh-straight loss to the Buckeyes (11-10, 3-5 Big Ten). Ohio State has won its last 10 games against NU. The result moves NU, Ohio State and Penn State into a three-way tie for second-to-last in the conference.
The Cats trailed for most of the game, leading for just a few minutes midway through the first half. Once Tony Stockman hit a three-pointer with six minutes left in the second half, giving the Buckeyes a 56-44 advantage, Ohio State appeared ready for an easy victory.
But the Cats weren’t ready to let the game go. NU sank four straight three-pointers — three of them by Vedran Vukusic — to climb back into it. With nearly three minutes remaining, Vince Scott capped NU’s long-range binge with a three from the top of the key, pulling the Cats to within three points.
Still, NU wouldn’t get any closer, dropping its 25th straight game in Columbus. Stockman put NU away with two minutes left in the game, hitting another three to give Ohio State a 66-60 advantage.
“Stockman got hot and they began making key shots,” Vukusic said. “We could not find our shots until the end. But by then it was too late.”
The Cats (8-11, 3-5) couldn’t shut down Stockman, who finished with 22 points, 18 from beyond three-point range. Center Velimir Radinovich and forward Terrance Dials each added 14 for the Buckeyes, with most of their points coming in the paint.
The Cats had some trouble guarding the big men, drawing 22 fouls. At the free throw line, the Buckeyes had plenty of chances to pad their lead but didn’t follow through, making just 10-of-21 attempts.
Vukusic scored a game-high 24 points, but fouled out a few seconds before the final buzzer. Guard Mohamed Hachad recorded 11 points — nine before the intermission — but played much of the second half with four fouls.
With Hachad leading the way, the Cats held their own in the first half, trailing by just three, 31-28, at the break. Although both squads erupted for 9-0 runs, neither captured much momentum.
An early second-half run by the Buckeyes, however, helped Ohio State take control of the game. The Buckeyes emerged from the locker room on an 11-2 run, taking a 42-30 lead four minutes into the second half.
Ohio State never trailed after the intermission, making 14-of-25 second-half shots. The Cats couldn’t outshoot the Buckeyes, making just 38 percent of their attempts after the break.
“We didn’t shoot the ball at all until the last five minutes of the game, but they did,” Carmody said. “They were very active on defense. We let them beat us.”
NU — usually a sure-handed team — committed 13 turnovers, giving Ohio State chances to score easy baskets. The Buckeyes outscored the Cats 19-13 off turnovers.
Jitim Young, who scored a career-high 31 points Saturday against Minnesota, couldn’t find his rhythm on offense, finishing with 13 points.
Backcourt mate T.J. Parker recorded just three points, leaving him one away from 500 for his career.
The sophomore guard has struggled recently, scoring six points in his last two games.
