Here we are at Welsh-Ryan Arena, awaiting the tip-off of NU's contest with Ohio State. The visiting Buckeyes come in with a 16-8 mark, including 7-4 in the Big Ten, putting htem in fifth place. NU sits in the Big Ten basement at 0-10 and 7-14 overall. Can the Wildcats pull of a stunning upset. Perhaps. And they might even get a pony while they're at it.
Now on to the starting lineups:
Ohio State: G- Jamar Butler, G- Evan Turner, G- David Lighty, F- Othello Hunter, C- Kosta Koufos
NU: G - Craig Moore, G- Michael Thompson, G- Sterling Williams, F- Ivan Peljusic, F- Kevin Coble
Peljusic gets his first career start, as Carmody looks to mix things up and get his team on track.
The student section, as well as the stands in general, are no more than 1/3 full, so the atmosphere leaves something to be desired. And off we go!!!!
17:44- Othella Huner throws down a big dunk for Ohio State, and on the ensuing possession, Juice Thompson shows his freshman-ness by picking up a 10-second violation. It's a 5-5 game.
16:15: Coming down for a rebound, Sterling Williams just elbowed Othello Hunter in the crotch. For any potential Othello Hunter Jrs out there, I hope he's wearing a cup.
15:22: We're at the first TV timeout, with NU trailing 11-8. The offense looks pretty good so far, as it has recently. But the defense also looks poor, as it has recently. The team's saving grace could be turnovers, as the Cats have done a good job stepping into passing lanes thus far.
14:52: The Cats pick up their second 10-second violation. On the agenda for the next practice: how to effectively break the full-court press.
11:36: NU has pulled to within 16-14 after Kevin Coble got on the board with his first basket, then followed it up with a steal and an assist to Thompson.
10:12: Timeout on the floor. The men's soccer team is being honored. The announcer mentions that the team finished the season No. 9 in the RPI, which only serves to further contrast it from the basketball squad, which currently sits at No. 214 in the RPI, behind such power programs as Morehead State.
10:12: Jeremy Nash gets a breakaway off an OSU turnover.....and he DUNKS it! One of the rare times you see the Cats above the rim. Moore follows that up with a 3 to give NU a 19-18 lead.
5:55: Juice drains a 3 late in the shot clock to make it 23-22 OSU. NU's offense is anything but pretty right now, as it struggles to break OSU's pressure defense, but they're sticking with the Buckeyes.
3:34: REEEEEJECTION! Nash goes above the rim for the second time, this time on the defensive end. Jon Diebler was going up for a sure layup, and Nash swooped in and got his whole hand on the ball. The emphatic swat brought what little crowd there is to its feet.
0:00: It's the end of the first half, with NU trailing 29-25. OSU went on a little run at the end of the period, but Moore's 3 in the closing seconds sent NU into the locker room on a high note. Moore is tied with Thompson for the team lead with eight points, while Jamar Butler leads OSU with nine.
NU's coming out for the second half with the same lineup as the first half. That leaves Spark Plug Jeremy Nash on the bench for the time being. We'll see if he stays there long.
19:35: Moore hits a 3 to start the half, pulling NU to within one. Moore's reliable shooting has been the key in the offense's improved play of late.
15:52: At the first timeout of the half, it's 35-32. So far NU has managed to hold off the big second half run that has plagued them throughout the Big Ten season. Nash is back in the game and continues to do the little things to help the team. Even if he's not filling up the stat sheet, he always seems to be contributing something.
13:35: Nash responds to my kind words by forcing a turnover and converting the layup on the other end. By the way, he's on his way to leading the team in rebounds for the second straight game, with seven thus far. He had 10 against Michigan State.
7:40: This one could be quietly starting to slip away from the Cats, with OSU leading 46-38. NU's going to need a run soon to have a chance.
5:08: And slipping away this game is. It's 54-38 now. It's now almost 100 percent certain that NU will fall to 0-11 in the Big Ten.
Show's over, folks. NU loses again, 65-47. Same story as usual. Have a good night, and stay in school.
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