COLUMBUS — Ohio State fought back furiously from a 10-point deficit in the second half against No. 20 Purdue on Thursday night, but a desperate rally came up just short.
Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan hit a free throw with 5 seconds left and the Boilermakers held off a final Ohio State rush to win 76-75 in a physical Big Ten contest.
Swanigan and Vincent Edwards paced with Boilermakers (13-3, 2-1 Big Ten) with 16 points apiece, and Elida graduate Dakota Mathias added 14 and three rebounds. Isaac Haas had 10 rebounds.
Jae’Sean Tate scored 17 points for Ohio State (10-5, 0-2) and Marc Loving added 14.
Northern Kentucky 83,
Youngstown State 70
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Mason Faulkner had a career-best 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting, Drew McDonald had his sixth double-double of the season for Northern Kentucky (11-5, 2-1 Horizon League) against the Penguins (7-9, 1-2).
Faulkner has established a new career high in three-straight games. McDonald had 15 points and a career-best 15 rebounds, Carson Williams added 12 points and Lavone Holland II scored 11. Lima Central Catholic graduate Tre Cobbs had two points for NKU. LCC alum Dantez Walton had no points for the Norse.
Northern Kentucky closed the first half on a 17-2 run. Faulkner hit a 3-pointer and then took a steal coast-to-coast for a layup to cap the spurt and make it 35-20 at the break. Youngstown State had eight turnovers during that stretch and was scoreless for the final 4:55 of the half. The Norse made 14 of 28 first-half shots.
Cameron Morse scored 13 and Francisco Santiago had 11 points nine rebounds and five assists for the Penguins.
