Although junior forward E.J. Liddell led all scorers with 25 points, No. 6 Ohio State could not withstand a second-half surge from No. 11 Penn State — falling 71-68 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Nittany Lions (13-16, 8-13 Big Ten) scraped their way past the Buckeyes (19-11, 12-9 Big Ten), holding Ohio State to 44 percent shooting in the second half. Ohio State was held without a field goal for more than six minutes in the frame.
Penn State was aided by a trio of double-digit scorers. Senior guards Sam Sessoms, Jalen Pickett and Myles Dread combined for 46 points of the Nittany Lions’ scoring output.
Sessoms and Dread helped the Penn State bench outscore Ohio State’s reserves 32-9.
Senior center John Harrar added 12 points and nine rebounds in Penn State’s win. Harrar’s paint presence boosted Penn State to a 32-14 advantage in the lane.
The Buckeyes led the whole way until a 3-pointer by Penn State senior forward Seth Lundy lifted the Nittany Lions to a two-point lead with 5:57 remaining in regulation.
Although Ohio State took a nine-point lead into halftime, the Nittany Lions found their offense in the first five minutes of the second half — scoring on six of their first seven possessions to cut their deficit to as little as three.
While Ohio State pushed its lead back up to nine with 10:43 to go in the frame, the Nittany Lions stormed back with a 6-0 run over the course of 2:08 to cut the Buckeyes’ lead back to a possession.
Ohio State led for the entire first half, primarily thanks to a team-oriented attack predicated on ball movement. The Buckeyes dished out eight assists in the frame, led by four from freshman guard Malaki Branham.
While Branham dished the ball at a high rate in the first half, he put on his scorer’s cap in the final 20 minutes — scoring 10 of his 16 points in the second half.
Liddell gave the Buckeyes their first five points en route to his 12-point opening frame. The Belleville, Illinois, native buried a pair of 3-pointers, helping lift the Buckeyes to a 56 percent mark from distance in the first half.
Ohio State’s defense started hot in the first half, but cooled in the later stages of the game. The Nittany Lions shot 61.5 percent in the second frame.
Graduate guard Jamari Wheeler was all over the floor on the defensive end, scrapping for a steal and a blocks.
Ohio State was without forwards graduate Kyle Young and sophomore Zed Key, who were out with injuries.
The Nittany Lions will advance to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, where they’ll meet third-seeded Purdue. Tip-off is set for approximately 9 p.m. Friday.
