Ohio State bounced back from a tough Friday nightloss, defeating Penn State 84–78 and handing the Nittany Lions their seventh straight defeat. The Buckeyes improve to 14–6 overall and 6–4 in Big Ten play, while Penn State falls to 9–11, 0–9. With the win, Ohio State enters the second half of conference play with a winning record for the first time since 2021–22.

Playing without Christoph Tilly and Gabe Cupps, along with the continued absence of Brandon Noel, the shorthanded Buckeyes opened a big lead in front of a small but lively crowd braving the winter storm. An early 14–2 run helped Ohio State build an 18-point cushion by halftime. Penn State came out firing in the second half, cutting the lead to just one, but the Buckeyes responded with a 14–4 spurt to regain separation and kept the Lions at arm’s length the rest of the way to secure the win.

Ohio State shot 55.6 percent for the game, connecting on 8-of-23 from three, while Penn State finished 50 percent overall and 10-of-25 from long range. The Lions won the rebounding battle 31–21 against the Buckeyes’ short-handed zone, but Ohio State forced 18 turnovers and held off the second-half surge to come away with the home win.

John Mobley led Ohio State with a game-high 25 points and five assists, while Amare Bynum added 15. Devin Royal chipped in 14, and Taison Chatman came off the bench for a career-high 11. Eli Rice paced Penn State with 20 points, including six threes, while Ivan Juric added 14, and both Josh Reed and Melih Tunc contributed 13 each.

 

1^st Half

John Mobley opened the scoring with a 12-foot fadeaway from the left side of the lane. After Penn State answered to tie it, Devin Royal connected on a short leaner just above the right block. The Nittany Lions briefly moved in front with a corner three, but an Amare Bynum spin and finish followed by a Mobley triple put the Buckeyes ahead 9–5 at the first media timeout.

Penn State halted the Buckeyes’ brief surge with a pair of free throws, but Royal split the defense and finished at the rim. The Nittany Lions answered with an offensive rebound and bucket, only to see Bruce Thornton bury a three from the top of the key. Ohio State extended the margin again when Puff Johnson cleaned up an offensive rebound and scored through contact, giving the Buckeyes a 16–9 lead at the under-12 media timeout.

Coming out of the timeout, Johnson missed a chance at an old-fashioned three-point play, leaving the free throw short, but Ohio State responded by forcing a shot-clock violation and extending the lead on a deep Taison Chatman three from the left wing. Penn State briefly stopped the 8–0 run with a short jumper, but Mobley answered on the other end with a long three to double up the Lions, 22–11. Royal split a pair at the line, and after another Penn State miss, Chatman knocked down a floater in transition to push the Buckeyes ahead 25–11 and force a Lions timeout.

Four Penn State free throws trimmed the margin to 10, but Bynum hit a cutting Chatman along the baseline for a dunk. The Lions responded with a jumper, only for Royal to answer with a 15-footer, as Ohio State remained firmly in control, leading 29–17 at the under-8 media timeout.

Ohio State continued to build the lead as Bynum knifed into the lane and finished off the glass, though Penn State countered with a corner three. Bynum answered again with another score at the rim, but the Lions stayed within range with yet another three. Still, the Buckeyes held a 33–23 advantage at the under-4 media timeout.

Royal buried a three from the left wing to stretch the margin, but Penn State answered with yet another triple. Second-chance opportunities led to another Mobley three, and after a Nittany Lion bucket, Bynum connected on a 15-footer from the right wing. Bynum then picked a Lion’s pocket and went coast-to-coast for a three-point play, pushing the Buckeye lead to 16. Ohio State continued to pile on with a pair of Mobley free throws.

Penn State managed two at the line, but Thornton floated a perfect lob to Bynum for a dunk. After two more Lion free throws, the Buckeyes held for the final possession, and Thornton capped the half by spinning through the lane and finishing an acrobatic shot at the buzzer, sending Ohio State to the locker room firmly in control, 50–32.

Ohio State shot 50 percent in the opening half, knocking down 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, while holding Penn State to just 32 percent shooting and 4-of-13 from deep. The Buckeyes also forced an uncharacteristic 10 Nittany Lion turnovers, converting them into 10 points. Ohio State won the rebounding battle 13–11 and dominated the paint 20–8, building a comfortable halftime advantage.

John Mobley and Amare Bynum paced the Buckeyes with 13 points apiece, while Devin Royal added 10. Penn State was led by Eli Rice with eight points.

2^nd Half

Penn State came out of the locker room as the aggressor, outscoring Ohio State 12-4 in the first four minutes with Ohio State’s only points coming from a pair of Njegovan buckets as the once big margin was cut to 54-44 at the first media timeout.  

Ohio State halted the Lions’ 7–0 run when Njegovan knocked down a pair of free throws, and after a Penn State bucket following a questionable goaltending call, Njegovan answered with a runner in the lane. Penn State then scored five straight, prompting Jake Diebler to call timeout with 12:47 remaining as the Buckeye lead was trimmed to 58–51.

Penn State hit a three, but Thornton responded with a contact finish to end the Lions’ 8–0 run, giving Ohio State a 60–54 lead at the under-12 media timeout. Out of the timeout, Thornton missed the free throw, and Penn State scored the next five to pull them to within a single point.

 

Mobley stopped the surge with a pair of free throws, and after a defensive stop, he drilled a three from the right point. Penn State answered with a running floater, but Thornton countered with a short jumper. Royal added two free throws as part of a 9–2 Buckeye burst, giving Ohio State a 69–61 lead at the under-8 media timeout.

Penn State found the bottom with a friendly bounce to cut into the lead, but a pair of Royal free throws answered. The Buckeyes scored in transition when Bynum took a long pass from Royal and touch passed it to Mobley on the left wing for three forcing Penn State to take a timeout with Ohio State’s lead up to 74-63. 

Penn State banked in a three and split a pair of free throws cutting the lead to 7 before Bynum stopped the brief Penn State burst, taking a Thornton lob for a dunk. A Penn State transition layup was followed by a Chatman jumper and the Buckeyes led 78-69 at the final media timeout. 

Two Penn State free throws cut the lead back to 7, but Mobley answered with a long jumper just below the three-point line. Penn State scored the next 5 to slice the lead to 5 and the Lions took a timeout with 23 seconds to play and the Buckeye lead at 80-76.  After a pair of timeouts, Mobley was fouled advancing the ball in the backcourt and he buried both to cement the game for Ohio State. After Penn State missed, Chatman grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled. Walking to the other end, Chatman hit both free throws and Penn State raced to the other end to score just before the horn as the game ended with the Buckeyes securing the win. 

 

 

Game Wrap

Ohio State came out with purpose in front of a sparse, weather-beaten crowd, giving the fans who braved the elements plenty to cheer as they dominated the first 20 minutes. Penn State deserves credit for their second-half surge—coming as close as one point—but the Buckeyes never wavered. The Nittany Lions never had a possession with a chance to take the lead, as Ohio State separated and kept the red-hot shooting Lions from completing a comeback.

It was a tough night for Bruce Thornton, who has led the Buckeyes all season, struggled to find his offense in a season low 9 points. Still, he contributed five assists, and his teammates stepped up in his stead. John Mobley appears to have turned a corner, showing increased confidence in both shooting and defense, while Amare Bynum continues to blossom before our eyes.

The Buckeyes got key minutes from Ivan Njegovan, who made his first career start and scored eight points, grabbed three rebounds, and blocked two shots before fouling out. Taison Chatman provided a spark off the bench with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, along with several key defensive plays. Puff Johnson also came off the bench, and in just 14 minutes provided energy and impact; as he continues to get up to speed, he could become another missing piece the Buckeyes have been seeking off the bench.

Penn State clearly came into the game reeling, but desperate teams can be dangerous opponents. Ohio State deserves credit for withstanding the punch and putting this one in the win column. The Buckeyes now head into the back half of conference play, having completed a successful first half. If they maintain this level of play, they’ll be well-positioned for an NCAA tournament bid. For now, they have the rest of the week to get healthy before another tremendous opportunity on the road to chase a Quad 1 win at Wisconsin.

 

 

Box Score

*Official statistics provided courtesy of The Ohio State University and Sidearm Sports.

 

Ohio State heads back on the road, traveling to Madison for a Saturday afternoon matchup with Wisconsin. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on Fox.

-Jason Harris