GAME NOTES: Big Ten Conference rivals mix it up on Thursday, as the Northwestern Wildcats play host to the Ohio State Buckeyes at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Ohio State had spent the majority of the season among the nationally-ranked, but since Dec. 20, the team has lost four games, three of which have been in conference. The Buckeyes, who sit at 14-5 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, dropped a 76-67 decision at Iowa last Saturday for their second loss in the last three games, both of which occurred on the road.

Northwestern enters the fray at 10-8 overall and just 1-4 in Big Ten play, and the team is hoping to put the brakes on a four-game slide with a win over the Buckeyes. The Wildcats suffered a 56-54 setback at Michigan last Saturday in their latest venture, and they've lost their last two games in Evanston to fall to 7-4 at home this season.

Ohio State owns a commanding 114-45 lead in the all-time series with Northwestern, and has won seven of the last eight meetings played in Evanston. Since the start of the 2004-05 season, the Buckeyes are 16-1 vs. the Wildcats.

Poor play at both ends of the court cost the Buckeyes in their recent clash with Iowa, as the team shot just 38.3 percent from the floor while allowing the Hawkeyes 51.1 percent success. Iowa also won the battle on the boards (37-31), while logging a 25-14 advantage in points at the foul line. D'Angelo Russell certainly did what he could to keep Ohio State in contention by scoring 27 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Other double-digit scorers for the Buckeyes included Jae'Sean Tate and Marc Loving with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Russell (18.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.8 apg) has really shined in this, his freshman season, as he leads OSU in scoring and rebounding, while also doing all he can to get his teammates involved in the action. Loving (11.6 ppg) and Sam Thompson (10.2 ppg) round out the double-digit scorers for the Buckeyes, who net 80.5 ppg behind impressive shooting displays of 50.2 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3-point range. The team's defensive effort allows the opposition to net just 61.2 ppg, as they knock down 39.1 percent of their total shots, which includes a 30.5 percent performance out on the perimeter. Turnovers have also played a huge role in the team's overall success, as OSU goads its enemies into nearly 17 miscues per contest.

Northwestern outshot Michigan in its most recent outing, but the Wildcats still came out on the short end in dropping their fourth straight decision. Alex Olah went 9-of-12 from the field to tally a game-high 22 points, while JerShon Cobb scored 13 points thanks to three 3-pointers in the losing effort. NU made good on only 5-of-20 long-range launches, while the Wolverines went 9- of-23. The 'Cats won the rebounding battle, 38-29, but were outscored off turnovers by a 19-4 margin.

Boasting three double-digit scorers, one would think Northwestern would be putting up more than the 64.6 ppg it is at the moment, but Bryant McIntosh, Tre Demps and Olah are only averaging between 11.9 and 10.9 ppg, which are figures few opposing coaches lie awake at night game planning against. The Wildcats' effort at the defensive end has been what has kept them competitive for the most part, as they yield just 62.1 ppg with foes shooting 40.9 percent from the field. The club is converting 73.1 percent of its free throws, while also logging a favorable margin on the glass (+2.9).

Despite what will likely be a spirited effort in front of the hometown faithful, expect the Wildcats to lose for the fifth straight time against the Buckeyes, who are hoping to go on a run and get back in the national spotlight.