Buckeyes Down Northwestern – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/20/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
February 20, 1999
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%^$Hear Coach O’Brien’s Post Game Comments%^$
%^$Box Score%^$
%^$ COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Reserve Neshaun Coleman scored a season-high 16 points%^$and Scoonie Penn had 19 and spurred two second-half surges as 11th-ranked Ohio%^$State outmuscled Northwestern 59-49 Saturday.%^$
%^$ Northwestern center Evan Eschmeyer, averaging 20.2 points and 11 rebounds a%^$game, was crowded by defenders all day and finished with a season-low 10 points%^$before fouling out in the final minute.%^$
%^$ The victory was the sixth in a row and the eighth in nine games for the%^$Buckeyes (21-6, 11-3 Big Ten), who maintained sole possession of second place%^$in the conference.%^$
%^$ Penn hit 8-of-9 shots from the field including all 3-pointers and both free%^$throws.%^$
%^$ Northwestern (14-10, 6-8 Big Ten) led 23-22 at the half, scoring the final%^$six points on a pair of 3-pointers by freshman Steve Lepore.%^$
%^$ The Wildcats, who lost their fourth game in a row, built their lead to 28-24%^$before Penn led a 9-0 run.%^$
%^$ Coleman, a frequently forgotten senior, came off the bench and missed four%^$of his first five shots. But he made up for it when the Buckeyes needed him%^$most, hitting five of his next eight shots.%^$
%^$ Coleman had totaled 14 points in Ohio State’s last three games.%^$
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%^$ Julian Bonner led the Wildcats with 14 points, while Lepore had 12 – on%^$4-of-7 3-point shooting.%^$
%^$ Eschmeyer was limited to five shots from the field, hitting three to go with%^$4-of-7 free throws and eight rebounds.%^$
%^$ Jason Singleton, five inches shorter, had primary responsibility guarding%^$Eschmeyer for most of the second half after Ohio State center Ken Johnson%^$picked up his fourth foul early.%^$
%^$ It was a bruising game, with players from both sides frequently knocked to%^$the floor or bounced between defenders as they tried to put up shots. Two%^$players fouled out and three others had four fouls at the finish.
%^$By RUSTY MILLER
%^$AP Sports Writer
