Overview
- Ohio State erased a 57-48 second‑half deficit with an 18-7 surge to go up 64-61 with 8:41 remaining.
- Brandon Noel finished with 29 points on 13-for-15 shooting, scoring 19 after halftime to drive the comeback.
- Northwestern's Nick Martinelli led all scorers with 32 points and added eight rebounds in the loss.
- The Buckeyes shot 57% from the field and dominated the paint 62-38, offsetting Northwestern’s earlier momentum.
- Late free throws from Bruce Thornton and Christoph Tilly closed out the 86-82 win, moving Ohio State to 7-1 (1-0) and dropping Northwestern to 5-4 (0-2).