Ohio State was on the wrong side of a single-digit decision yet again.
Despite not trailing by more than nine points in the second half, the Buckeyes (11-13, 3-10 Big Ten) dropped their 10th conference game for the first time in five seasons after falling 69-63 Thursday to Northwestern (17-7, 8-5 Big Ten).
Redshirt senior forward Justice Sueing scored five-consecutive points to chisel Ohio State’s 61-52 deficit down to four with 3:37 left following a jump shot.
The Buckeyes sank just one bucket from that point forward.
Wildcats redshirt senior guard Chase Audige made a 3-pointer to end Sueing’s run with 2:04 left, and junior center Matthew Nicholson hammered home a dunk with 44 seconds left to keep the Buckeyes at bay.
Ohio State lost for a for a 10th time in its past 11 games, and nine of those have been decided by nine points or fewer.
The Buckeyes couldn’t figure it out from 3-point range, going 1-of-14 to post their worst mark of the season beyond the arc.
Sueing’s 19 points tied for the most among all scorers and served as his most since posting 21 at Maryland Jan. 8. He went 7-of-11 from the field.
Freshman guard Bruce Thornton, one game removed from recording a career-best 22 points, followed with 12 points while junior forward Zed Key had 10 rebounds.
Northwestern guards senior Boo Buie and sophomore Brooks Barnhizer had 19 points apiece, and Audige had 12 points.
The first half saw a tilt between both teams, as the Buckeyes scored 18 of their 25 points in the paint while Northwestern made five 3-pointers. Ohio State went 0-of-9 from distance to begin the game.
Behind a score-flipping jumper by first-year forward Nick Martinelli at the buzzer, the Wildcats led 28-27 after the opening period. Ohio State made five-consecutive buckets more than midway through the first half to lead 25-19 with 3:58 left.
Ohio State finished shooting 50 percent from the field and with a 35-24 rebounding edge but turned it over 15 times off which the Wildcats scored 16 points.
Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans will next venture to Columbus and contest the Buckeyes, as Ohio State rounds out a two-game home stretch at 1 p.m. Sunday. CBS will broadcast.
