WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Buckeyes were not supposed to be here.

Come early February, a game at No. 3 Purdue was not supposed to matter, at least for Ohio State. But OSU walked into Mackey Arena on Wednesday night 20-5 on the season heading into a battle for first place in the Big Ten.

Much of the surprise success this year has come thanks to the play of the elder players, Keita Bates-Diop and Jae'Sean Tate, but at times the Scarlet and Gray needs other guys to step up. The team got that from others in the 64-63 upset win over the Boilermakers.

Playing without three-point threat Kam Williams, who is suspended indefinitely, head coach Chris Holtmann inserted forward Andre Wesson into the starting five. The sophomore scored just two points in his first career start in Sunday's win over Illinois, but came up huge for Ohio State on Wednesday.

"They just told me to keep shooting," Wesson said of the message from his coaches. "They knew I was going to have some open shots and some chances to score, so they just said keep shooting."

Wesson followed the advice. While still playing smart and picking his spots, the second-year player knocked down four of his six attempts from the floor, including going 3-of-5 from three-point range, for 13 points.

His biggest moment came with 1:14 to play with the Buckeyes down two. Wesson received a pass from Bates-Diop, hesitated for a second and then fired a three pointer that banked off the backboard and in.

The emotions in Mackey quickly changed as the three pointer gave OSU its first lead since the 6:52 mark in the first half.

"When it left my hand, last second I thought that (it was going in)," Wesson said postgame.

Purdue retook the lead, but the sophomore's shot, one of the biggest of his basketball career, and his confidence to step up and take it, changed the game.

But perhaps the bigger story is how Wesson reacted following the shot. For many young players, a big shot such as that one might make them a temporary defensive liability as they bask in the glow of an important basket. Not for Wesson.

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"Get a stop," Wesson said of his first thought after he saw the ball go in. "We hit the shot, now we’ve got to get a stop. The game’s gotta keep going."

This is just who Wesson is. Despite not scoring more than three points in the last 12 games, the forward still averages nearly 16 minutes per contest. The reason Holtmann trusts Wesson with that much playing time, and had the confidence to start him the last two games with Williams out, is because what he gives Ohio State defensively.

On Wednesday, Wesson's defense was challenged in a way it had not been in his college career.

With his brother, center Kaleb Wesson, picking up three first half fouls and his fourth with nearly 17 minutes to play, and big men Micah Potter and Kyle Young each on two fouls, Holtmann again trusted Wesson. This time, it was Purdue center Isaac Haas that Wesson was assigned to guard.

"He’s huge. That’s a big guy," Wesson said of Haas. "So just staying lower than him, trying to switch it up on him. Fronting, being behind him. Just doing that.

"Obviously it wasn’t planned. Having both of our big guys in foul trouble wasn’t the plan, but I just had to go and make the most of it."

Despite giving up eight inches and 70 pounds to Haas, Wesson was the Buckeyes' best defender on the 7-foot-2 center.

With Wesson on Haas late in the first half, the Buckeyes went on a 6-0 run that helped cut the halftime deficit to two. Because of the foul trouble, Wesson was again on Haas for a good portion of the second half, holding the big man to just two of his 18 points.

Ohio State's upset, its second against a top-three team, continues this magical run for the Scarlet and Gray. The Buckeyes now have control over their destiny in the Big Ten, with wins over the other top two challengers, Purdue and Michigan State.

While Wesson won't get a ton of credit for the OSU's drastic turnaround this year, he should get recognition for his part in this win in West Lafayette, one he's not going to soon forget.

"It’s amazing," he said postgame. "The best feeling right now. I’m going to enjoy it.

"It's a huge win for us. People were talking that there was a huge gap between the top teams in the Big Ten and us and I think we proved that we’re on that side with them."

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