Wisconsin Game Quotes and Notes – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/24/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
February 24, 1999
Quotes from Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
%^$Wisconsin head coach Dick Bennett
%^$”Scoonie was the difference in this game. He’s a great player. We had no one who could play against him.”
%^$”They were relentless on defense, making it hard for our guys to connect.”
%^$”I’m a little disappointed in the effort our seniors gave. We need to get more leadership toward the end of the game.”
%^$[Referring to the arena] “This place is a lot like the Kohl Center where the crowd really gets into it.”
%^$”Jim has turned this program around and I expect them to go far.”
%^$Wisconsin guard Mike Kelley
%^$”I felt like the crowd got into it and we couldn’t get into it. We were missing shots-a lot of shots. They play off their emotion and once they got the ball rolling, they were hard to stop.”
%^$Wisconsin guard Ty Calderwood
%^$”We’ve got to step up. We need to be mentally tough. We think we are, but I think we’ll be all right.”
%^$”We came out ready, but things just changed. It’s a tough place to play. We missed open shots – we just couldn’t shoot.”
%^$Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien
%^$”This was a terrific college basketball game. Our guys played well to come back from a ten-point deficit and go ahead by 10 points in the second half.”
%^$”Defensively we pressured them. They only scored eight baskets in the second half.”
%^$”Scoonie has to be considered one of the top players in this conference. His performances over the past several weeks have been amazing.”
%^$”I think it is nice for your seniors to be able to start their last home game. They really give you a lot of emotion.”
%^$”It is nice to wrap up the number-two seed. A lot of times when you win 12 games in this conference, that’s enough to win it. That just gives more credit to the Big 10.”
%^$
Game Notes Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
%^$* Ohio State now holds a 76-53 series edge over Wisconsin after the 63-54 win over the No. 16 Badgers. With the win, OSU swept both games of the season series over the Badgers. OSU last won both games of the season series over Wisconsin during the 1991-92 season. In addition, the Buckeyes are now 8-2 against ranked teams this year, setting a record for wins against ranked teams. The Buckeyes previously had never defeated seven ranked teams in the program’s history.
%^$* Ohio State finished their inaugural season at Value City Arena with a 14-1 record, while winning their last five games in the friendly confines of their home arena. Overall, the Buckeyes have won seven straight games and nine of 10.
%^$* OSU, ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press poll, is now 185-46 all-time when ranked in the AP’s Top 10. The top 10 ranking for OSU is their first since March 29, 1992, when the Buckeyes were ranked No. 3.
%^$* The win is Ohio State’s 12th in Big Ten play this season, their most since the 1992 season when OSU went 15-3 en route to the Big Ten title. It marks just the fourth time in the last 14 years that OSU managed double-digit wins in the league.
%^$* Scoonie Penn scored a career-high 30 points in the contest. His previous high was 27, which he first set against Seton Hall (1/14/96) while he was at Boston College, and then repeated against Iowa earlier this year (2/13/99). His 30 points also represents a new Value City Arena record, breaking Michael Redd’s 29, set in the opener against Oakland (11/13/98). Penn also set a career-high with six three-point goals.
%^$* Penn has shot 16-of-22 over his last two games, including 9-of-14 in the win over Wisconsin. Penn shot 7-of-8 in the win Saturday over Northwestern.
%^$* With the win, Ohio State (22-6) now has made a 14-game turnaround from last season’s eight-game win total, tying the school record set from the 1958-59 (11-11) to 1959-60 (25-3). The Buckeyes’ 11-game turnaround in Big Ten play (at OSU) is also a record.
%^$* Penn’s three-pointer early in the first half extended Ohio State’s streak of consecutive games with a made three-point goal to 212. The last time an OSU team missed all attempts from three-point range was Feb. 2, 1992, when the Buckeyes went 0 for 5 against Michigan.
%^$* Penn’s second three-pointer of the first half enabled the Buckeyes to break the single season record for three-pointers made and attempted in a season. After hitting 7-of-18 three-pointers, the Buckeyes have now hit 166 of 476 this season, breaking the record for three-pointers made (160 in 1994-95) and attempted (458 in 1997-98).
%^$* Penn notched his 300th career assist in the second half. He currently has 114 this season. In addition, Penn has 59 steals this season, which ranks him fifth on the all-time single season list, just behind Michael Redd’s 61 of last season.
%^$* Ken Johnson swatted another shot in the contest, bumping his career blocked shot total to 134, two behind fourth-place Granville Waiters. Johnson has already blocked 76 blocked shots this year, which is the seventh-best single season total in OSU history. Brad Sellers holds the single season blocked shot record with 97 in 1986.
%^$* Neshaun Coleman drilled one-of-four three-pointers in the contest. The Buckeyes senior stands in second place just behind Jamie Skelton in career three-pointers made (141) and attempted (420). Skelton finished 144-of-422 in his career.
%^$* With his 14-point performance, Michael Redd moved past Lawrence Funderburke into 24th place in all-time scoring at Ohio State. Redd currently has 1,185 points after just 58 career games. He has notched double figure scoring in all but two of those games.
%^$* Ohio State is now 9-1 when Redd (30) and Penn (14) combine for 40 or more points. The Buckeyes are 5-0 in Big Ten play when this feat is accomplished.
%^$* The Ohio State defense held Wisconsin to 27.6 percent shooting in the second half and 37 percent shooting in the game. OSU is holding teams to 40 percent shooting this season.
%^$* OSU out-rebounded Wisconsin 36-27. The Buckeyes are now 13-3 when out-rebounding their opponents. OSU out-rebounded the Badgers 24-13 in the second half.
