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Ohio State defeated Penn State 71-70 on Tuesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center to move the Nittany Lions’ record to 6-11 in the Big Ten and 14-16 overall. Trailing the Lions by a point with nine seconds remaining, Buckeyes small forward Jae’Sean Tate took the ball from halfcourt all the way to the bucket and finished with a left-handed layup over Lamar Stevens and Julian Moore.
Penn State’s offense struggled down the stretch, but the Lions appeared poised for victory just moments before Tate’s game-winner when Tony Carr hit a three-pointer from well beyond the arc to make the score 70-69. In what is becoming typical for the freshman, Carr turned in a balanced performance with 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting to go with five rebounds and four assists.
Carr was needed more than usual in this game since Payton Banks sat out with an illness and Josh Reaves fouled out with six minutes remaining in the second half. Reaves and Mike Watkins were on and off the floor due to injuries, which was especially tough to deal with given the short bench.
While Tate played the hero for Ohio State, JaQuan Lyle was the best player on the floor with 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists. The Buckeyes were left open from three-point range in the first half and led 40-36 at the break, but Penn State clamped down and controlled play for much of the second half, leading by as many as seven points.
Four Factors
| Team | Total Possessions | PPP | eFG% | OReb% | TO% | FT Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Total Possessions | PPP | eFG% | OReb% | TO% | FT Rate |
| Ohio State | 72 | 0.99 | 55.9% | 23.1% | 23.6% | 43.1% |
| Penn State | - | 0.97 | 51.8% | 9.4% | 15.2% | 34.5% |
The Lions took advantage of a turnover-prone Ohio State team by grabbing 17 takeaways, but they also allowed the Buckeyes to shoot 49 percent from the field. Ohio State’s advantage in offensive rebounding was negated by the fact that there were just nine total offensive rebounds in the game. Penn State just allowed too many open shots to a team that is not known for its jump shooting.
Player of the Game
This was shaping up to be Shep Garner as the junior sunk five of his whopping 14 three-point attempts to finish with 20 points. However, we have to give the nod to Carr after his clutch jumper and increased control over the offense. His instincts for when to drive, when to pull up, and when to pass are greatly improved from when the season began.
Random Observations
- With Banks out, there was a possibility of Penn State getting zero points from its bench today, but Isaiah Washington stepped up and knocked down a three-pointer and a pair of free throws. The fact that he attempted four three-pointers, on the other hand, is a little outrageous.
- Julian Moore didn’t do much in this game, which is especially disappointing when you consider how banged up Watkins was throughout the game. However, Moore did come up huge with a monster block on Trevor Thompson to keep Penn State within one possession with four minutes left.
- Of Penn State’s 55 field goal attempts, 31 came from three-point range. It’s an interesting stat from a team that’s at its best when it’s attacking the rim.
Looking Ahead
Penn State wraps up its 2016-17 regular season with a date at Iowa on Sunday. Tip-off is at 1:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network!