Ohio State graduate guard Cedric Russell (2) guards Penn State player during the Ohio State-Penn State Big Ten Tournament game Thursday. Ohio State lost 71-68. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
After 11th-seeded Penn State took its first lead of the game late in the second half, freshman guard Malaki Branham drove through the paint and pulled the Buckeyes within two.
No. 6 Ohio State pulled no closer as Nittany Lions senior forward John Harrar pulled down an offensive rebound with 1:23 to go, laying the ball in the basket in what symbolized the second half of Thursday’s Big Ten Tournament game.
Penn State outrebounded Ohio State 29-28 and swiped six steals compared to the Buckeyes’ two. Junior forward E.J. Liddell said the Nittany Lions played hard en route to overcoming a 13-point deficit.
“We knew what type of game this was going to be,” Liddell said. “They’re a gritty team. They just played harder.”
Last season, Ohio State won three conference tournament games, two by four points or fewer and one in overtime.
The Buckeyes battled to the 2021 Big Ten Tournament championship game. This season, injuries and fatigue marred Ohio State to an early exit, and head coach Chris Holtmann said physicality overcame the Buckeyes Thursday.
“I thought we wore down a little bit,” Holtmann said. “I had to play Joey (Brunk) 30 minutes. That’s a rough assignment for the amount of minutes that he needs to play going against a guy that physical. Probably played E.J. and even Malaki a few too many minutes.”
The Nittany Lions scored 47 points in the second half, keyed by shooting 61.5 percent in that span.
Defensive woes struck the Buckeyes down the stretch of the regular season and plagued them in the final 20 minutes against Penn State.
Despite losing four of their last five games, Holtmann said he thought the Buckeyes played harder against the Nittany Lions in their recent stretch.
“I thought we played as physical tonight as we’ve really played in a couple weeks,” Holtmann said. “I thought we were, really, a pretty connected group, which was really good to see. We’ve got to be able to make a few tougher plays.”
Four Nittany Lions scored in double figures, led by 18 points from senior guard Sam Sessoms.
Senior guards Jalen Pickett added 16 points and Myles Dread scored 12. Holtmann said Penn State’s perimeter players pressured Ohio State.
“They were really physical getting us off our spots,” Holtmann said. “We knew they were going to back us down. The size of their guards bothered us a little bit.”
Penn State made 10 of its last 24 shots in the final 11:34 while Ohio State went 5-of-15 in that span.
Graduate guard Cedric Russell, who scored six points on a pair of 3-pointers Thursday, said executing on the defensive end of the court will be an emphasis for the Buckeyes as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s just being a consistent effort on that end and being tough,” Russell said. “When we do that, it’s a different outcome, so just being able to be more consistent on that end. We’ve shown it in games this year, so it’s not like we can’t do it.”
For the fifth time in their last six games, the Buckeyes allowed their opponent to shoot at least 45.3 percent from the field.
Now less than a week before the national tournament, Ohio State has a bit more time off than it has recently. Liddell said he hopes the Buckeyes can get healthier before they retake the court.
“We got a week to figure something out,” Liddell said. “Honestly, I’m not going to make any excuses. We need to play harder.”
