No. 6 Buckeyes Shut Down Northwestern, 69-49 – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/23/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2000
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%^$%^$Box Score|%^$Quotes|%^$Notes|%^$Interview%^$%^$
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Jerry Lucas Halftime Presentation%^$
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By RUSTY MILLER
%^$AP Sports Writer%^$
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – In a game that No. 6 Ohio State had to win,%^$Northwestern declined to roll over and lose.%^$
Michael Redd scored 25 points and the Buckeyes broke open a close game at%^$the half to beat the Wildcats 69-49 on Wednesday night.%^$
“In the second half our defense really took over and we were very good,”%^$Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien said. “The first 20 minutes wasn’t so much about%^$what we didn’t do, other than make a few more shots. It was all about what they%^$did do.”%^$
The Wildcats had as many shots blocked (five) in the second half as they%^$made.%^$
Redd hit all five of his shots from the field in the second half for the%^$Buckeyes (19-5 overall, 10-3 Big Ten), who stayed within a game of the top spot%^$in the Big Ten with three games remaining.%^$
“I was in the flow of the offense, attacking the rim and getting to the%^$free-throw line,” Redd said. “We played hard in the first half but in the%^$second half we played a lot harder.”%^$
Northwestern coach Kevin O’Neill said it was a mismatch to have Redd guarded%^$by a first-year player.%^$
“You get a pro out there against a freshman and that’s what happens,” he%^$said.%^$
George Reese added 16 points and Brian Brown had 10. Ken Johnson had 11%^$rebounds and six blocked shots along with seven points.%^$
“We didn’t want to be the team that was going to be their first victory,”%^$Reese said.%^$
Ben Johnson led the Wildcats (5-21, 0-13) with 17 points with Steve Lepore%^$adding 11.%^$
Northwestern led 10-6 early and trailed just 29-27 at the half as seven%^$players scored. The 27 points was a dramatic improvement from the Wildcats’%^$last game, when they mustered just six points at the half in a 63-30 home loss%^$to Illinois on Saturday.%^$
“I’m sure Jimmy got after them at halftime, let’s be honest about it,”%^$O’Neill said.%^$
Ohio State opened the second half on a 9-2 spurt with Redd scoring five%^$points. Brian Brown got it started when he rebounded his own miss and Scoonie%^$Penn added a steal and layup.%^$
After Lepore’s 3-pointer drew the Wildcats to 48-40 with 9:15 left, Redd%^$scored the next five points.%^$
Northwestern, which shot just 29 percent, got no closer than 11 points%^$again.%^$
“If you shoot 5-for-29 in the second half, you can’t beat the Little%^$Sisters of the Poor,” O’Neill said.%^$
The loss was the Wildcats’ fourth in a row and 16th in 17 games.%^$
The biggest thing for Ohio State was to keep pace with the Big Ten’s other%^$contenders.%^$
“Any time you can win by double figures in this conference, you have to be%^$very happy,” O’Brien said. “We’re having a good season, knowing full well%^$there’s a lot of games left to be played.”%^$
O’Neill said the Buckeyes deserved their high ranking.%^$
“They’re a good team. They deserve to be the No. 6 team in the country,”%^$he said. “They’ve got a shot at the title if Michigan State stumbles.”%^$
Three-time All-American Jerry Lucas, who won championships in high school,%^$college, the Olympics and the NBA, was honored at halftime when his No. 11 was%^$retired. It was the first time that Ohio State had retired a basketball number%^$and only the second time overall. Two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie%^$Griffin’s No. 45 was retired last football season.
