Brandon Noel scored 29 points on 13-for-15 shooting and Ohio State won its Big Ten opener with an 86-82 victory over Northwestern on Saturday in Evanston.
Ohio State (7-1, 1-0) used a 18-7 surge in the second half to take a 64-61 lead with 8:41 left before Northwestern’s Arrinten Page tied it with a 3-pointer. Noel then scored the next four points on two free throws and a layup. The Buckeyes later pushed the advantage to 81-73 with 2:10 remaining.
The Wildcats pulled within 82-81 with 21 seconds to play before the Buckeyes sealed it from the free-throw line.
Bruce Thornton added 17 points and 10 assists for Ohio State, which shot 57% (35 of 61) from the floor. Amare Bynum chipped in with 11 points and Devin Royal scored 10.
Nick Martinelli had 32 points and eight rebounds to lead Northwestern (5-4, 0-2). Angelo Ciaravino added 14 points and Page had 13.
Martinelli scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds in the first half to help the Wildcats build a 44-40 lead. Noel scored 10 points to pace the Buckeyes.
Up next
- Northwestern plays at home against Jackson State on Saturday.
- Ohio State hosts No. 14 Illinois State on Tuesday.
