Northwestern is trying to make history this season as it chases the school’s first-even NCAA tournament bid. On Sunday, the team erased some history, too.
The Wildcats made 11 of 12 free throws down the stretch to beat Ohio State 74-72 and notch their first win in Columbus since 1977.
Scottie Lindsey scored 21 points and Bryant McIntosh 17 as Northwestern overcame often cold shooting and foul trouble. It marked the third win in a row for the Wildcats and their fourth on the road in the Big Ten this season.
Here are our three pointers on the win that raised Northwestern record to 16-4, 5-2 in the Big Ten:
Northwestern won this game at the free-throw line: In a game marred by 45 total fouls, it was fitting that the Wildcats’ performance at the charity stripe was the key. Northwestern made 19 of 24 free throws (79.2 percent) in the game, including 14 of 16 in the second half and 11 of 12 down the stretch. The Wildcats didn’t make a field goal over the last 3:07, but McIntosh made 5 of 6 free throws, and Vic Law, Sanjay Lumpkin and Lindsey all went 2 for 2 to close out the win. The Wildcats battled foul trouble all day, as Law, Lumpkin and Dererk Pardon all finished with four fouls. Northwestern outscored Ohio State 19-12 at the line as the Buckeyes hit just 12 of their 23 free throws (52.2 percent).
The Cats overcame poor early shooting in both halves: Northwestern has started games red hot or ice cold all season, and in this one the Wildcats were frigid. Northwestern came out and hit just 1 of its first 7 shots but stayed in the game thanks to offensive rebounds (6 in the first half) and points off of turnovers (10). The Wildcats eventually mounted 10-0 and 9-0 scoring runs to forge a 36-31 halftime lead. The second half was a repeat performance as Northwestern hit just 1 of its first 9 shots. The Wildcats made just 10 baskets in the entire second half (they had 14 in the first), but free-throw shooting and defense bailed them out.
It may have been ugly at times, but it was a total team effort: Northwestern came up with just enough plays to capture the historic win and it took contributions from just about everyone. McIntosh carried the team early but shot just 1 for 7 in the second half. Pardon was just 1 for 7 shooting for the game but contributed 8 rebounds and, believe it or not, a team-high 4 assists. Lumpkin battled through foul trouble to score 8 points and, more importantly, snag a team-high 11 rebounds. Isiah Brown and Gavin Skelly came off the bench to score 7 points apiece and a combined for 6 rebounds and 5 assists. It took all of those efforts to grit out a road victory on a day that the Wildcats’ normally efficient offense struggled, shooting just 7 for 24 from beyond the arc (29.2 percent).
