Buckeyes come up short against Boilermakers

2/17/2010

COLUMBUS — JaJuan Johnson scored 24 points and consistently hit big shots to build the lead and keep No. 9 Ohio State at bay in No. 4 Purdue's 60-57 victory Wednesday night.

The victory helped the Boilermakers (22-3, 10-3) tightened the race for first place in the Big Ten with 11th-ranked Michigan State (21-6, 11-3).

E'Twaun Moore had 15 points and Keaton Grant added 13 off the bench for Purdue, which had lost in all nine of its previous trips to Value City Arena. The Boilermakers won their eighth straight game overall.

Evan Turner had 29 points, William Buford 11, and Jon Diebler 10 for Ohio State (20-7, 10-4), which had won its last nine Big Ten games.

Diebler had a chance to tie the game but his last-second 3-pointer clanked off the back of the rim.