Ohio State 63, Northwestern 53: Lenzelle Smith Jr. scored a season-high 24 points and made a career-best six 3-pointers as the No. 15 Buckeyes staved off the host Wildcats in Big Ten play.

Deshaun Thomas added 21 points for Ohio State (21-7, 11-5 Big Ten), which closed the game with a 15-4 surge to beat Northwestern for the eighth consecutive time.

Tre Demps scored 14 points and Drew Sobolewski added 13 for Northwestern (13-16, 4-12), which has lost six straight games and eight of its last nine.

The Wildcats trailed by 11 early in the second half before using a 19-7 surge to take a 41-40 lead on a 3-pointer by Kale Abrahamson with 10:14 to play. Northwestern was up 49-48 with four minutes left before Smith drained the go-ahead 3-pointer and Thomas scored back-to-back baskets during the decisive spurt that allowed the Buckeyes to prevail.

Ohio State had a 22-10 advantage after a basket by Evan Ravenel midway through the first half. Smith had 14 points and was 4-of-5 from 3-point range in a half that ended with the Buckeyes holding a 29-22 lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ohio State has won 19 of the past 20 meetings. … Northwestern has scored fewer than 60 points in 12 of its 16 Big Ten contests. … The Buckeyes were 13-of-23 from the free-throw line while the Wildcats made all nine of their attempts.