Men’s Basketball: Buckeyes Extend Win Streak to Seven with 62-51 Win over Northwestern – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After scoring a career-best 32 points Thursday in a win at Illinois, Ohio State’s Jamar Butler went scoreless for the first time in more than a full season. The senior pont gaurd found other ways to contribute, dishing 11 assists and pulling down a career-best 10 rebounds in leading the Buckeyes past Northwestern, 62-51, Sunday in Value City Arena.
Butler distributed the basketball to a balanced scoring attack from Ohio State that featured 17 points from Kosta Koufos, 16 from Evan Turner and 15 off the bench from Jon Diebler. Koufos led all rebounders with 12 to record his fourth double-double of the season. Butler has accounted for 29 assists in his last three games.
Craig Moore led the Wildcats with 16 points while Kevin Coble added 10.
Northwestern (5-6, 0-2) rebounded from a 12-point halftime deficit to pull to within 43-39 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Coble and Moore and a basket and free throw from Sterling Williams.
But Diebler pushed the Buckeye’s lead to eight with a four-point play, making a free throw after being fouled by Michael Thompson on a 3-point shot. Diebler had 10 in the second half.
The Buckeyes pushed the lead to a dozen again before the Wildcats rallied to cut the deficit to seven, 51-44. But Othello Hunter slammed an inbounds pass from Butler with 6:10 remaining and Koufos followed with another dunk.
The seven-foot Koufos took advantage of a four-inch height advantage over his opponent for a near-perfect first half. He hit his first five field goals – including a 3-pointer from the right corner – and all four free throws while also grabbing eight rebounds, one less than Northwestern’s total.
He didn’t miss until a 10-foot jumper with 1:25 left in the first half. Koufos followed the shot with a tip-in attempt that didn?t go in but David Lighty was there for the rebound basket to give the Buckeyes their biggest lead of the half at 34-19.
The Associated Press contributed to this recap
