E.J. Liddell's Career-Night Lifts Buckeyes Past Northwestern

The Buckeye star forward had his first career 30-point game, including 17 points in the first five minutes of the game.

Ohio State's mettle has really been tested these last few weeks. 

After a three week layoff that included a pair of canceled home games and on the heels of their first Big Ten loss of the season, Sunday's game felt like a must-win.

Mix in the fact that Ohio State announced just a few hours before tipoff that head coach Chris Holtmann and top assistant coach Ryan Pedon wouldn't be available tonight because of the program's CoVID health and safety protocols, the Buckeyes' first game in a month back inside Value City Arena had major ramifications for the direction this team could go.

They needed to reestablish the rhythm they had at the beginning of the season.

Mission accomplished.

The Buckeyes followed up its worst offensive performance of the year with arguably its best. The Buckeyes held off a late Northwestern push and prevailed, 95-87. The Wildcats came to Columbus with just a 1-17 record all-time at Value City Arena, but they took Ohio State down to the wire.

E.J. Liddell hit five 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the game and added another jumper to race the Buckeyes out front 19-11. Considering he finished the last two games a combined 5-for-26 for 21 points, his scorching hot start was a welcome site.

He finished the night with a career-high 34 on 12-of-20 shooting. The Buckeyes' star forward previously had five 20-point games this year, including a then-career-high 29 against Niagara back in early November.

But it wasn't just the Liddell-show. The rest of the Buckeyes closed the first half a combined 10-of-16 shooting.

In fact, five players in the game scored at least 20 points in the game.

The Scarlet and Gray got off to a much slower start to the second half and allowed the Wildcats to pull back within four points at 55-51, just over four minutes into the second half. The Buckeyes led by as many as 15 in the first stanza.

But a nice response over the next several minutes negated a real Northwestern run. Meechie Johnson Jr. buried a deep 3-ball to put the Buckeyes up 73-63 with 7:35 to go.

Malaki Branham had another big night, finishing the game with 24. It's the second time in three games that the reigning Ohio High School Mr. Basketball showcased an impressive skillset in his first year at the college level.

The Buckeyes finished the game a nearly perfect 26-for-27 from the free throw line, marking their best performance of the season. Remarkably, on a night in which the team made 11 3-pointers, Justin Ahrens was held scoreless from deep.

Ohio State's season continues on Thursday night when the Buckeyes take on Wisconsin up in Madison.

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