Northwestern’s Patrick Baldwin came to watch. Ohio State’s Lawrence Funderburke came to play.
From his seat on the bench, the injured Baldwin watched Funderburke play the best game of his collegiate career in leading the Buckeyes to an 81-70 victory Wednesday night in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The 6-foot-9-inch junior finished with a game-high 27 points, making 10 of 11 shots from the field and seven of eight from the foul line. He also had a team-high seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
“Lawrence is our most talented player,” said Ohio State coach Randy Ayers. “He got involved early and was more assertive. When he plays the way he can it takes us to another level.”
The defending Big 10 champions still have a long way to go after falling into the second division. But their records-4-6 conference, 11-8 overall-look great when stacked up against the Wildcats’ vital statistics of 0-9 and 5-13.
Funderburke is the first to admit he often has been underachieving. He scored only eight points in the Buckeyes’ losses to Indiana and Purdue and contributed a scant three when they ended a six-game losing streak by edging Penn State in the previous contest.
“My mental processes have been very stagnant,” said Funderburke. “I’ve been lackadaisical. I’ve been thinking about other things when it’s time to play basketball.
“I try to maintain as high a grade-point average as I can. Tonight I studied before the game and it seemed to settle me down.”
It was the Wildcats who got rattled.
“Our defense generated a lot of offense for us tonight, particularly in the last few minutes of the first half,” said Ayers. “We got some easy baskets.
“Baldwin not being out there had to help our situation. He’s one of the better point guards in the conference.”
It was the second straight game that Baldwin has been on the disabled list after suffering a sprained right toe in the waning minutes of last Wednesday’s game at Wisconsin.
He also may miss Saturday night’s home game against Penn State, according to trainer Pat Beckmann. “It’s day-by-day,” said Beckmann.
Baldwin’s absence creates more than one void. In addition to averaging 13.7 points in Big 10 play, he is second in the conference in assists with a 5.1 average and second in steals with a 2.29 average.
In Northwestern coach Bill Foster’s opinion, where Baldwin was needed the most was in choreographing the game plan. “Their pressure hurt us,” said Foster. “Even when we didn’t turn the ball over we labored. We missed him in setting up the offense and slowing it down. Pat could possibly have blown by them.
“But it’s not the fault of the guards (Eric Simpson, Dion Lee and Kip Kirkpatrick). This was a team effort. We played a great first eight minutes; we played together and we shot well. The last 32 minutes I got painfully sick. I’m very disappointed.”
Sophomore forward Cedric Neloms, returning from a one-game suspension for fighting in the Wisconsin game, didn’t start because of a bruised right knee he suffered against the Badgers. But he entered the game with 12 minutes remaining in the first half and went on to lead NU in scoring with 25 points (hitting eight of 12 from the field and 9 of 12 from the foul line).
Helped by turnovers by Kevein Rankin, Kirkpatrick and Lee, the Buckeyes scored the first seven points of the second half and the Wildcats never recovered.
