Evanston, IL – Success on the court continues to allude the Ohio State University men’s basketball team as they lose their fourteenth straight away game, at Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena getting blown out by double digits last night.
“We’ve got to figure out how to have some success and help them feel some confidence,” said Ohio State coach Chris Holtman. “It’s clear that we’re struggling with our confidence.”
The Northwestern Wildcats welcomed the Buckeyes to Illinois on Saturday night by handing them a 24-point loss in a game that had Ohio State looking lost. Shooting just 34 percent from the field, the Buckeyes scored 56 points representing their lowest point total for the season.
“I thought our defense was probably the best it’s been,” Northwestern coach Chris Collins said. “We made minimal mistakes in that regard. Our communication was really good, [and] our physicality was good.”
As the Buckeyes continue to struggle, fans question former Athletic Director, Gene Smith’s decision to sign Holtman to an eight-year contract and then offer him an extension. Buckeye fans have all but given up hope of any post-season opportunities including the reality that they may not get a bid to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).
“We need to provide our players with a little bit of a better plan as coaches,” said Holtman.
The Wildcats had six players scoring in double digits; Boo Buie lead the team in scoring with 19 points. Buie moved into third place on the Wildcats all-time scoring list.
Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle, Jr. were the only Buckeyes offering double-digit points; Thornton led the OSU squad with 18 points hitting 11 of 12 from the “charity stripe.”
The Wildcats (15-5) take their two-game winning streak on the road to play number two-ranked Purdue on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The Buckeyes (13-7) return home to figure out their game against the tenth-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m.
Mandatory Photo Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
