Different game, same result. This time, the loss came at the hands of Ohio State in the comfort of Columbus’ Value City Arena. The Nittany Lions led for all of one minute and twenty-one seconds of the first half when Eli Rice nailed a three-pointer to put them up 5-4 at around the 18:05 mark. […]
Different game, same result. This time, the loss came at the hands of Ohio State in the comfort of Columbus’ Value City Arena.
The Nittany Lions led for all of one minute and twenty-one seconds of the first half when Eli Rice nailed a three-pointer to put them up 5-4 at around the 18:05 mark. The Buckeyes’ Amare Bynum then scored a bucket to give OSU back a lead which they would never relinquish, as the Buckeyes torched a Penn State defense that was softer than a chocolate fondue fountain, taking a 50-32 lead in the locker room while shooting a scorching 63 percent from the floor.
The second half saw PSU gradually cut into the deficit, as the defense tightened up some and Rice caught fire from downtown. A Josh Reed “and-one” play made it a one-point deficit at 60-59 at the 10:46 mark, but OSU’s Bruce Thornton answered with a basket of his own, and that was the closest PSU would get until the final minute, when another Rice trey cut it to 80-76 OSU with 23 seconds left. The Buckeyes were able to close the game out though with some free throws and secure the victory.
Player Of The Game
Eli Rice – 20 points (6-for-11 3 PT FG)
Ivan Juriċ – 14 points, 14 rebounds
Rice had a career-best scoring night as his three-point shooting helped spark PSU’s rally that made things interesting in the second half. Ivan meanwhile, continues to show marked improvement as a post player, not afraid to get physical in the paint, as he put up a double-double.
Random Observations
- What Snowstorm? Columbus residents received a foot of snow yesterday, but that didn’t stop approximately 3,000 fans from showing up to the game. It sounded like a Bryce Jordan Center game with the student section being the ones making any real noise.
- Kayden’s Scoring Slump – This is now back-to-back games where Kayden Mingo has been held to single digits scoring, putting up only four points on 1-of-4 shooting tonight, after only putting up six against Wisconsin last week. To his credit, he did dish out eight assists, but if PSU is going to get over the hump and get a Big Ten win, it will require Kayden to get back into double figures scoring.
- A Reliable Perimeter Threat?? – This was Rice’s fourth time in five games reaching double figures in scoring. A big part of that has been his emergence as a reliable three-point shooter, which was on full display tonight. If he keeps this up, the Lions might be able to notch a conference win or two down the stretch.
Up Next
The Nittany Lions (9-11, 0-9 Big Ten) continue their week-long road trip to Evanston, Illinois where they will take on the Northwestern Wildcats (9-11, 1-8). If you’re feeling sadistic enough, you can catch the game streaming on Peacock at 8:00 PM EST this upcoming Thursday.
Category: General Sports
