Northwestern came here to defy history, but not the kind you’re thinking.
In Chris Collins’ mind, his team ventured to Columbus to crack the streak, rather than The Streak.
The streak, lowercase, was NU’s run of 34 straight losses at Ohio State, dating to Feb. 24, 1977. The Streak, uppercase, is the reason Northwestern basketball was the lead story on ESPN.com Friday.
“March is an eternity away,” Collins said after the Wildcats’ 74-72 victory Sunday. “We still have 11 league games.
“This has been a house of horrors for us, and a motivating force is to win in venues (like this). We said, ‘Let’s be different. Let’s be a Northwestern team that’s tough enough.'”
This win was all about toughness, grit, protecting the basketball (five fewer turnovers than Ohio State), creating extra possessions (three more offensive rebounds) and sinking 9 of 10 free throws in the game’s final two minutes.
It was also about an overlooked aspect of basketball until it fails you, like it did in NU’s stinging loss to Notre Dame in November — inbounding the ball under pressure.
“We got the ball to the right guys,” Collins said, “and we made pressure free throws.”
Northwestern (16-4) improved to 5-2 in Big Ten play — its most successful start in the conference since 1968. Those Wildcats lost their eighth league game, so this team can make more history if it beats Nebraska at home Thursday.
“History doesn’t define us,” Scottie Lindsey said. “We have become a tough team, been through a lot of tough games and we have learned so much that we can go in a hostile environment and pull out a win.”
Lindsey scored a game-high 21, but this was a team effort, as usual. The Wildcats won despite an off shooting night from Vic Law (4-for-13), only one assist from Bryant McIntosh and 37.5 percent shooting from the field.
“Look at the stat sheet,” Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said, “and you would say Ohio State won.”
And that is how Northwestern basketball, to use Collins’ word, has become different.
The Wildcats don’t need miracle performances to win Big Ten road games. They’re already 4-1 in that category.
Ohio natives Gavin Skelly and Dererk Pardon were extra motivated Sunday. Skelly had a throng of 260 friends and family drive down I-71, and Pardon had nearly 70 supporting him from Cleveland.
At one point the 6-8 Pardon outfought the 7-foot Trevor Thompson for an offensive rebound on a ball that hit the top of the backboard.
“That’s my job,” Pardon said. “Be physical, be an energy guy.”
Collins, meanwhile, drew support from football coach Pat Fitzgerald.
“Awesome to have him here,” Collins said. “When I think of Northwestern, I think of Fitz. To glance at him out of timeouts, to see him give me that ‘Let’s go, rah-rah’ look, I knew I had to get my team playing well.”
tgreenstein@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
