Brandon Noel scored 19 of his 29 points in the second half, when Ohio State rallied and then held on for an 86-82 win Saturday over Northwestern in a Big Ten Conference game in Evanston, Ill.

Bruce Thornton, who had four points in the first half, finished with 17 for the Buckeyes (7-1, 1-0).

Noel increased a 73-70 lead to 78-70 with five consecutive points on a traditional 3-point play followed by a dunk with 2:50 remaining. He was 13 of 15 from the floor as the Buckeyes pounded the ball inside, scoring 62 points in the paint to 38 for Northwestern (5-4, 0-2).

Noel's career high in points is 32, while playing for Wright State on Jan. 12, 2023, vs. Green Bay.

Nick Martinelli scored 32 points for the Wildcats on Saturday.

Ohio State led 81-73 with 2:10 left, but a pair of foul shots by

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