Reggie Hearn drove the baseline, put up a potentially game-tying lay-up, and watched it sit on the rim for about three seconds before somehow staying out of the bucket. It’s just been that type of year for Northwestern.
But they continue to fight.
Depleted by injuries and going on the road into a tough environment, the Wildcats (13-12, 4-8 Big Ten) nearly pulled off an unthinkable upset against No. 13 Ohio State (18-6, 8-4) before eventually falling 69-59 in a game that was much closer than the score indicates.
Northwestern wasn’t given much of a chance coming in. After losing two starters, senior forward Jared Swopshire (knee injury, out for season) and freshman center Alex Olah (concussion), the ‘Cats were left with just seven scholarship players. It seemed like it would be a runaway victory for the Buckeyes.
So as expected, the Wildcats came out like a team with nothing to lose. Ohio State scored the first four points against Northwestern’s 2-3 zone, but the ‘Cats responded with a 10-0 run sparked by threes from Hearn and freshman guard Tre Demps, who led the team with 16 points.
The ‘Cats were able to get open for threes because of the perimeter passing and screens from freshman center Mike Turner. The Buckeyes did not adjust, and they continued to go under his screens. As a result, Turner had 5 assists and the Wildcats had 6 three-pointers in the opening half.
Ohio State continued to grab offensive rebounds and get second chances against the zone, but star forward DeShaun Thomas struggled early. The Wildcats were able to stay ahead by shooting 50 percent from the field in the half.
Late in the half, Ohio State climbed back, and it looked like the Buckeyes would head into the half with a lead. But with under three seconds to go, Tre Demps dribbled down court and banked in a long three at the buzzer, sending the ‘Cats to the locker room tied 30-30.
The hot shooting continued in the second half. Freshman forward Kale Abrahamson hit three three-pointers in the first six minutes, the last of which was a very difficult fall-away from the left wing, giving the Wildcats a 44-41 lead.
After a pair of Thomas free throws, Northwestern responded with a backdoor lay-up by Hearn and a transition lay-up courtesy of sophomore guard Dave Sobolewski, extending the lead to 48-43.
Ohio State responded with a quick run of its own, capped off with a three from sophomore Shannon Scott to give the team back its lead.
It then became a back-and-forth battle. Abrahamson hit a bucket and got fouled, only to be matched by an and-one from Thomas. Ohio State sophomore Sam Thompson got a tip-in for a 57-54 Buckeye lead, but Demps responded with a three to tie it.
Thomas came down and hit a shot, fouling Abrahamson out of the game in the process. Turner was slapped with his fifth foul just moments earlier, leaving the ‘Cats to play the last 3:02 with five scholarship players.
The ‘Cats were poised to respond before Hearn’s lay-up found a way to roll off the rim. A two-pointer by Buckeye junior Aaron Craft made it 61-57, and the ‘Cats couldn’t come back.
Northwestern was out-rebounded 41-21 on the night, but the team made up for it by knocking down 11-of-26 threes. Of Northwestern’s 23 total field goals, 17 were assisted, led by eight set-ups from Turner.
Though we didn’t see a change in the win column, we were definitely shown that these Wildcats are going to fight until the finish, no matter how many players are left on the court.
Northwestern will try to complete a regular-season sweep of Illinois on Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Player Ratings (1-10, 10 being best)
Dave Sobolewski, 7: The point guard facilitated the offense effectively, turning it over just once against the nonstop pressure from Craft. He was also a key participant in the first half three-point barrage.
Tre Demps, 7.5: He did what he is put out there to do: give the Wildcats an offensive spark. He hit several big threes throughout the game to keep them in it. His buzzer-beater was a huge momentum-shifter going into halftime.
Reggie Hearn, 7: As usual, was a consistent scorer and hit some shots early to help build the lead, and he worked hard on the boards, which the ‘Cats desperately needed. He also played through a painful-looking ankle injury in the second half.
Kale Abrahamson, 8: He showed exactly why Northwestern fans should expect big things out of him for years to come. He got really hot at the start of the half, but as it the game continued, he showed that he can also be very crafty in getting to the hole.
Mike Turner, 7.5: Easily his best game of the year. He worked hard down low as the center of the 2-3, even though he got into some foul trouble. He did his best work along the perimeter, freeing teammates up for threes and dishing them eight assists.
Bench, 5.5: Nikola Cerina was asked to step in and do a lot, but he held his ground and was tough down low. Alex Marcotullio was off his shooting game today, but still showed that he is an effective zone defender.