Buckeyes Knock Off Wisconsin In A Close One – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/13/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2000%^$
%^$%^$Box Score%^$%^$
%^$By GREG BEACHAM
%^$AP Sports Writer %^$
%^$
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Ken Johnson had 13 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots as No. 17 Ohio State won its first%^$road game of the season, beating Wisconsin 53-51 Thursday night. Scoonie Penn’s driving layup with 1:09%^$left turned out to be the game-winner, but Ohio State had to survive two missed 3-pointers by the Badgers in%^$the closing moments, including Kirk Penney’s airball with two seconds to play. %^$
The Buckeyes forced four%^$turnovers and held Wisconsin to four points over the game’s final 5:32. Johnson was the focal point on%^$defense, limiting the Badgers’ inside game with four second-half blocks.
Wisconsin beat the first three ranked%^$teams that came into the Kohl Center this season. But unlike Texas, Temple and Illinois before them, the%^$Buckeyes (10-3, 2-1 Big Ten) didn’t wilt under the Badgers’ trademark defensive pressure. Penn and%^$Michael Redd each had 14 points for the Buckeyes in a matchup of the Big Ten’s best defensive teams. Mark%^$Vershaw led the Badgers’ struggling offense with 16 points. Ohio State was criticized for loading its schedule%^$with eight preseason home games against weak opponents. %^$
After losing their only previous road games at%^$Kansas and Illinois, the Buckeyes outlasted Wisconsin (9-6, 1-2). Corey Koskie’s layup with 2:17 to play put%^$Wisconsin up 51-49, but Johnson rebounded Penn’s miss and scored. After Roy Boone missed a wide-open%^$3-pointer for Wisconsin, Penn drove the baseline and hit a layup to give Ohio State a two-point lead.%^$
Wisconsin then turned the ball over, but Penn missed a jumper with 10 seconds to play. The Badgers got the%^$ball to Penney, who faked a drive and shot a 3-pointer that was well short of the rim. Koskie’s tip attempt at%^$the buzzer also missed. %^$
The Badgers led most of the game and had a 28-25 halftime lead, but they missed 12%^$of their first 15 shots to start the second half. Ohio State’s star guard tandem of Penn and Redd continued its%^$shooting slump, going a combined 5-of-17 in the first half before recovering to hit big shots in the second.
