Eric Boggs
Ohio State endured a disheartening performance on Thursday night, suffering a lopsided 70-49 defeat at the hands of Northwestern. From the opening tip, the Buckeyes struggled to generate any offensive rhythm, leading to a frustrating night for both the team and its supporters. By the under-eight media timeout in the second half, fans had begun exiting Value City Arena, a clear reflection of the disappointment surrounding the game.
The Buckeyes, now 15-12 overall and 7-9 in Big Ten play, shot just 32.7% from the field and committed nearly as many turnovers (16) as made field goals (17). Northwestern, a team that had previously failed to secure a road win all season, capitalized on Ohio State’s inefficiencies and took control of the game early. The Wildcats, led by Nick Martinelli’s 18 points along with 15 each from Ty Berry and K.J. Windham, outperformed the Buckeyes in nearly every facet of the game. Bench scoring was particularly lopsided, with Northwestern holding a 25-8 advantage in that category.
Micah Parrish and Bruce Thornton were among the few bright spots for Ohio State, contributing 16 and 13 points, respectively. However, their efforts were not enough to overcome the team’s overall struggles.
The first half was particularly dismal for the Buckeyes, setting the stage for what would become one of their most frustrating outings of the season. After taking an early 5-2 lead, Ohio State endured a brutal six-minute, 21-second scoring drought, missing six consecutive shots while committing a slew of turnovers. Northwestern took full advantage, using an 8-0 run to go up 10-5. Thornton attempted to inject some energy with three straight made floaters, but another shooting slump allowed Northwestern to extend its advantage. A brief spark from Parrish, who converted a four-point play, was quickly answered by Berry and Windham, with the latter’s three-pointer pushing the deficit to double digits. By halftime, the Buckeyes trailed 31-24, hampered by 11 turnovers and a dismal 35.7% shooting percentage, including just 18.2% from beyond the arc.
Any hopes of a second-half turnaround were quickly extinguished as Ohio State’s offensive woes only deepened. Nearly seven minutes passed before the Buckeyes managed a field goal, as Northwestern rattled off a 12-0 run to build a commanding 43-24 lead. Martinelli’s dominance inside fueled an extended stretch of Wildcat scoring, ballooning the deficit to 54-29 by the under-12 timeout. The margin grew as large as 28 points before Ohio State strung together a modest 7-0 run, but the outcome was never in doubt. Northwestern maintained at least a 20-point cushion for the remainder of the contest, sealing a decisive victory.
Looking ahead, Ohio State now turns its focus to a challenging road matchup against UCLA on Sunday, with tipoff set for 3:45 p.m. on CBS. The Buckeyes will need to regroup quickly if they hope to salvage momentum as the regular season winds down.
