It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't easy, but the Ohio State Buckeyes managed to get the job done and advance in the Big Ten Tournament on Friday afternoon.
The Northwestern Wildcats put up one heck of a fight, but just didn't have enough down the stretch, as the Buckeyes outscored them in the overtime, 15-9, and took home a 67-61 victory to advance to the semi-finals.
Jared Sullinger had a monster game for the Buckeyes, finishing the afternoon with 20 points and 18 rebounds for Ohio State in the victory. Aaron Craft chipped in with 17 points as well. For the Wildcats, John Shurna led the way with 23 points, and Michael Thompson followed up his Big Ten Tournament-record performance from yesterday with a 15-point effort this afternoon.
Northwestern never had the lead in the overtime period, as the Buckeyes scored the first four points of extra time, and the Wildcats couldn't get any closer than a one-point deficit in the final five minutes of play.
The Buckeyes will now move on to battle the winner of the upcoming game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini. That game should be getting underway in about 20 minutes or so on ESPN.