Penn State Basketball not done yet: Lions advance to Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals
By Evan Smith
Penn State Basketball upset Ohio State Thursday night to advance to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals
Third time is a charm as Penn State Basketball takes down Ohio State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, on Thursday night in Indianapolis.
As unlikely as can be, Penn State Basketball (14-16) finds itself just three wins away from an NCAA Tournament berth, thanks to a 71-68 victory over the undermanned Ohio State Buckeyes.
Despite trailing by 13 in the first half, the second half was a different story for the second consecutive night.
Sam Sessoms’ 18, 16 more from Jalen Pickett, and 12 points and 9 rebounds from John Harrar led the Nittany Lions past the Buckeyes and into the quarterfinals.
Penn State Basketball will play Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals Friday night at 9:00 pm on Big Ten Network.
Micah Shrewsberry’s team reinserted Greg Lee into the starting lineup (over Myles Dread), joined Harrar, Seth Lundy, Pickett and Dallion Johnson.
For Ohio State, F Kyle Young was ruled put before the game and F Zed Key was listed as questionable (and never played) as former Nittany Lion transfer target Joey Brunk got the start for Ohio State.
Penn State Basketball’s first bucket came almost five minutes into the game but thanks to three missed Jamari Wheeler three’s only trailed 5-2 at the under 16 media timeout.
B1G Freshman of the Year Malaki Branham injured his ankle, adding to the Buckeye injury woes. Branham checked back in just minutes later, however, draining a three to push the Ohio State lead to eight.
First-Team B1G performer E.J. Liddell followed with a three, his 10th point of the game already, forcing a Penn State timeout down 15-4.
Sessoms, wearing #12 because his jersey got ripped at Rutgers and Penn State wasn’t able to get a replacement (sigh), ended the run with a huge three with a man his face but Ohio State answered with a bucket and an insane Jamari Wheeler block on his former roommate John Harrar. Another Buckeye three pushed the lead to 13.
Penn State Basketball cut the lead to six on a Harrar layup just before the under-four media timeout and a Pickett end-of-shot clock fadeaway three brought the Nittany Lions within five but a Wheeler step-back three over Lundy stopped the Penn State momentum.
Two Liddell free throws made it 33-24 Ohio State at the half. Five first-half turnovers, just three assists, and 32.1% shooting explained the typical lack of Nittany Lion offense.
After Shrewsberry stated his team did “nothing” well in the first half, a Harrar and-one cut the lead to five and was the third foul on Buckeye starting Center Joey Brunk. A Pickett possession capped a 10-2 Nittany Lion run as they found themselves trailing by just three but a brutally difficult Liddell jumper over Lundy and the foul halted the momentum.
Fouls became an issue, especially when Harrar was on the bench as Lee and Pickett struggled to contain Ohio State under the basket but the gritty not pretty (isn’t that basically #Attitude 2.0?) cut the lead back down to 3 after a Sessoms fade away, forcing an Ohio State timeout with 7:50 to go.
A Myles Dread three tied the game and a Lundy three gave Penn State their first lead of the night at 56-54 as Ohio State looked flustered offensively. Unbelievably, Penn State held a three-point lead with 3:49 to go!
Pickett made one of two, Liddell made two and Harrar made two in consecutive possessions before a Buckeye basket and timeout cut the Nittany Lion to two. Sessoms missed a fadeaway but Harrar got the follow-up layup and Liddell finally missed a free throw. Penn State ball up three with a minute left!
Pickett made two clutch one-and-one free throws and the Buckeyes missed back-to-back threes to end any chance of a comeback.