Back to .500 NU 52 OSU 61

If the Key to playing Ohio State is to get out front and keep them from making 3 point shots, then the Northwestern Wildcats did it right for a while Saturday afternoon, leading by as much as 12 points early in the game. The Buckeyes just couldn't get the ball to fall, and the Cats couldn't miss. But suddenly, the Bucks found the inside, grabbing offensive rebounds off the missed 3 pointers, and putting the ball back up to score.

NU did a good job keeping Ohio State from hitting 3 point shots

but the other part of that equation is to get the rebound. The problem was Ohio State knew that answer too.

I thought the whole game was offensive rebounds, even to the last missed foul shot, they get the ball, so.

Again I though we played hard, and came back, but the drought that we had there in the first half, was something to overcome.

After Mohamed Hachad's layup put NU up by 10, 17-7 at 9:14, the Cats got a 3 pointer from Craig Moore and a layup from Tim Doyle, while Ohio State scored a 14-3 run on jumpers, free throws, and layups [with a couple of 3's thrown in] to end the half up by 1 21-20. NU missed 3 from outside the arc in the final 1:20 too.

It didn't help that OSU went on a 17-5 run to start the 2nd half also before the Cats found the paint. First Vukusic made a layup at 8:42, followed by 14 straight points by Mohamed Hachad. It was a 14-4 run by the Cats and they were right back in the game 50-48 with 5:31 left.

Mo was fantastic there, he wanted to come out at one point and I said, "Mo you just scored the last 14 points, what do you want me to do, you're staying in there."

On offense, it was mostly at the top of that zone, and we were just running stuff for him, just a high pick and roll, and he was - kept getting to the rim and I thought Evan of gave us a lift there defensively too, the zone seemed to pick up when he was in there.

We just don't seem to be able to get over the hump - a couple of minutes to go and a two point game and one of these games we're going to have to make the basket, and see how they react when they're down and that's the thing and we weren't able to do that this afternoon.

After Cote's jumper at 3:44 with the score 52-50, OSU slammed the inside door closed, and Terence Dials, and J.J. Sullinger continued making 2nd chance shots as the Cats again couldn't buy a basket from outside.

Yes, that big body in there, against the 1-3-1 he sort of posted up and Craig was stuck behind him - he's supposed to be in front of him - but its a big guy down there so it was difficult.

And it just seemed like he was on the receiving end of a couple of penetrations, some penetration from their guards and he was the garbage man in there, [we] just weren't there.

Bernard Cote's shooting troubles continued with the score 56-50, when he got a wide open pass at the top of the key just inside the arc, but missed.

I just wish he'd taken a little more time. The pass was a little low but he could have gathered himself .

And when we were down 2, we turned it over, then they missed, and Evan had a nice looking 3 - its a long shot, but it was dead on - a good shot for him [but missed] and one of these has to drop for us to get a win at a place like this.

The Cats did hold #13 Ohio State to 3 of 23 [13%] from the arc. The problem is that to win you have to make your 3 pointers, and while Craig Moore did hit 2 [of 6], Vedran Vukusic only made 1 of 7, while Bernard Cote`, Michael Jenkins, Evan Seacat and Sterling Williams all went 0 fer from the arc.

Mohamed Hachad wound up NU's leading scorer with 19 points and 9 rebounds [4 offensive], 2 assists and 2 steals. Vedran Vukusic finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 4 assists. Craig Moore scored 8 along with 3 rebounds, Bernard Cote`, playing with 4 fouls late, still finished with 6 and 6 boards.

Tim Doyle got 4 fouls early in the 2nd half and finished the game on the bench with 2 points, and 2 boards. Evan Seacat finished with 2 assists, two rebounds and 2 steal [that both led to NU points]

NU's 31 rebounds, 8 offensive, were high for NU, but the Buckeyes finished with 45, including 18 offensive rebounds. Add 19 2nd chance points and the Cats just couldn't get out front even when the Bucks missed the first shot.

J.J. Sullinger led the Buckeys with 16 points and 7 rebounds, Ron Lewis scored 15 with 9 boards, Terence Dials recorded another double-double with 14 points and 15 boards, Jamar Butler scored 12.
One big question in this game was Vedran Vukusic, today you couldn't tell if he was hurting, but he was definitely rusty.

Yeah, he played fine. He was missing in the first half a few shots,

I always think...I played some basketball, and any time I was hurt and I came back, I made every shot that day. It was just like something happened, and then 2 days later you couldn't hit a thing so I told him that at half time - Start making it.

You don't want any excuses, he gave a pretty good effort, you know, a lot of minutes for a guy who hasn't played for about a week.

And the final question was how well the Wildcats are progressing as they head into the end of the Big 10 season and towards the tournament. Is the team "gaining on it?"

Yeah, I think so.

Its evidenced in the scores, and if you watched the games, you know we're in there, and at Illinois and Ohio State, two pretty hostile places to play, but to make it work, you have to win one of those, right?

So you guys know, you don't become a good shooter until you gain your confidence and it starts going into the basket and the same thing here, you have to win one of these before you start building.

The building towards the Big 10 Tourney for NU continues on Thursday, when we entertain Wisconsin in a national game on ESPN2.

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Bill Carmody's Post Game comments [in italics] are taken from the WGN Post Game Show with Dave Eanet & Nate Pomeday and may have been edited for clarity.
Official Statistics from nusports.com

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Story (c) 2006 by PurpleWildcats.com/Purple Reign
Interview comments (c) 2006 by WGN Radio