Ohio State junior guard Musa Jallow (2) shots a floater during the Ohio State-Illinois State game on Nov. 25. Ohio State won 94-67. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Despite a visit from No. 3 Michigan looming Sunday, the red-hot Buckeyes must take down a scrappy Penn State team first.
No. 4 Ohio State (17-4,11-4) takes on a dangerous Penn State (7-10, 4-9) squad that’s looking to avenge its Jan. 27 83-79 loss to the Buckeyes Thursday. With a top-five matchup on the horizon, head coach Chris Holtmann said it hasn’t been hard to keep the team focused on the Nittany Lions.
“I think our guys are well aware of how good this Penn State team is,” Holtmann said. “We have a great understanding based on what they’ve done to us there the last couple years and also our absolute battle with them here (this year).”
The last time Ohio State won 12 conference games in a season was Holtmann’s first season at the helm for the Buckeyes. Finishing 15-3 in the Big Ten in the 2017-18 season, all three conference losses were dealt by the Nittany Lions.
In order to hit 12 conference wins for the second time in his four-year tenure in Columbus, Holtmann will have to do what he was unable to do three years ago: beat Penn State.
Holtmann said the Buckeyes will have to play their best game Thursday to win.
“I think our guys understand that we’re gonna need to play well. We’re gonna need to really play well. We’re gonna need to play one of our better games,” Holtmann said.
In their first matchup this season, Penn State gave the Buckeyes a scare, as Ohio State needed a 6-0 run to close the game in order to secure the win. Sophomore forward E.J. Liddell hit four straight free throws to close the game and ice the Nittany Lions’ upset attempt.
The Illinois native’s second-half performance lifted the Buckeyes against the Nittany Lions — dropping 14 of his 22 points on flawless percentages from the field and free-throw line in the game’s final 20 minutes.
“I was just emphasizing in the last four minutes that it’s winning time, and there’s no better feeling than getting up there and winning it for the team,” Liddell said Jan. 27. “I iced the game, put us up by 4, and I was just up there thinking, ‘Let’s finish the game. Let’s win. Let’s go home.’”
While Liddell kept the Buckeyes steady throughout their first bout with Penn State, Nittany Lion sophomore forward Seth Lundy tried to knock Ohio State off course. Lundy produced 26 points on 7-of-16 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc — including a go-ahead 3-pointer in the late stages of the game.
Since his scoring outburst against the Buckeyes, Lundy has struggled to produce on the offensive end. Lundy has totaled just 18 points in his last five games while shooting just 19.4 percent in a diminished role.
Against the Buckeyes, Lundy was supported by his backcourt partner, junior guard Izaiah Brockington — who added 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
To counter the Nittany Lion backcourt onslaught, Holtmann employed redshirt junior guard Musa Jallow as a defensive weapon on the perimeter in the game’s final two-and-a-half minutes. Penn State went scoreless for the final two minutes of the game.
Holtmann said Jallow will need to be prepared in the event that Penn State’s guards have an encore performance against the Buckeyes.
“I think their physicality and scoring prowess at the guard and wing spot is a huge challenge for us,” Holtmann said.
The Nittany Lions enter Thursday’s contest on a two-game skid against Big Ten bottom feeders Michigan State and Nebraska.
Despite Penn State’s recent struggles, Holtmann said their trip to the Bryce Jordan Center will be one of Ohio State’s toughest this season.
“I think it’s our biggest challenge of the season in a lot of ways,” Holtmann said. “They’re really gifted. They’re disruptive defensively, (they) lead the league in turnover percentage. They’re great on the glass. They’re terrific offensively and (interim head coach) Jim (Ferry) has done a great, great job.”
While Penn State limps into Thursday’s bout, Ohio State has been surging in both Big Ten and national rankings since their first meeting — winning its last six games and nine of its last 10.
As the Buckeyes have garnered national attention, Holtmann said the coaching staff has been upfront about any potential complacency that may creep in as Ohio State enters a five-game stretch in which they play three top-15 teams.
“You just address it head on. You address it when you see it,” Holtmann said. “You try to keep an edge to your group and to your team. I thought we played with a real edge last week. We’ll see if we can play with that edge on Thursday.”
The game in State College, Pennsylvania, is set to tip Thursday at 8 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
