Article published March 05, 2008
Butler scores 25 as OSU tops Purdue
Buckeyes add to their resume
Othello Hunter (45) blocks a shot attempt by Purdue's Robbie Hummel. OSU's Kosta Koufos was in good position too.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
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By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
COLUMBUS - The Ohio State Buckeyes came into last night's game against Purdue with a serious resume problem. Their "body of work" for this basketball season was a little thin on quality wins - supermodel thin.
Now the Buckeyes can only hope that last night's 80-77 overtime victory will demonstrate to those scrutinizing their qualifications for an NCAA tournament opening will put a lot of weight in a conquest of Purdue, the Big Ten co-leader coming into the game.
Ohio State has to bank on getting some style points for showing the guts and guile many assumed it lacked as the Buckeyes floundered through a four-game losing streak, and dropped six of their last eight. Senior point guard Jamar Butler, who led the winners with 25 points last night, said the focus was on just playing, and not concerning themselves with the NCAA tournament ramifications.
"We tried to ignore it, but of course, a win like that can help us," Butler said. "It feels like things finally went our way for once."
Ohio State (18-12, 9-8) had to scrap to get the game to overtime after trailing by three at the half, and then falling behind by six midway through the second half.
Butler, who had just two points at the half and was without a field goal, said the win over Purdue (23-7, 14-3) should give the Buckeyes the confidence they need to close the season strong against Michigan State here on Sunday, and then make a splash in the conference tournament next week."We just couldn't make plays down the stretch [during the losing streak], but we knew we had it in us," he said. "Hopefully, this gets us started on a run."
Purdue, the winner of 13 of its last 14 games before last night, was up six for the biggest lead of the evening after Scott Martin's baseline jumper made it 51-45 with just under nine minutes left. When Butler peeled off a defender on a screen and hit an open 3-pointer with six minutes left, Ohio State was within 55-53. Martin knocked in a fade-away shot along the baseline for a 58-53 Purdue lead a minute and a half later.
Ohio State surged back and Evan Turner's 3-point play cut the lead to 59-58 with just over three minutes left. The back-and-forth continued, and Ohio State's Matt Terwilliger's jumper tied it at 62 with two minutes left. Butler put Ohio State ahead with a pair of free throws with 49 seconds left in regulation, and Purdue's E'Twaun Moore forced overtime with two free throws with 32 seconds left.
Butler asserted himself in the overtime, hitting a 3-pointer and scoring on a drive to put the Buckeyes up 70-69 with three minutes remaining.
David Lightly scored in the lane to make it 72-69, but Moore drilled a 3-pointer at the 1:50 mark to knot it back up at 72.
When Othello Hunter got fouled inside and then converted a pair of free throws, the Buckeyes were up 74-72 with 1:28 left. Hunter tipped the ball on a Purdue inbounds play to put it back in Ohio State's hands, and a baseline runner by Turner with 25 seconds left created a 76-72 edge.
"I felt like I could take people off the dribble," Turner said.
After Purdue's Robbie Hummel buried a 3-pointer to cut the lead to one, Butler made a couple free throws with 16.7 left, and after rebounding Moore's miss on a 3-point try, Ohio State sealed the win with two more foul shots from Turner.
"We didn't hang our heads," OSU coach Thad Matta said. "We made the plays we had to make."
Hunter and Turner had 15 points each for the Buckeyes, while Lighty scored nine. Butler finished 6-of-8 from the field, hitting five of his six 3-point
attempts.
Contact Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com or 419-724-6510.
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