Survive and advance. It’s never too early to start adopting the mantra.
That’s what the Buckeyes did Monday night at home against Penn State, seeig an 18-point halftime lead become just a single point-lead midway through the second half. Led by John Mobley Jr.‘s 25 points and five threes, though, the Buckeyes regrouped and held off the Nittany Lions, 84-78, to improve to 14-6 overall and 6-4 in the Big Ten.
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First Half
It was an incredibly efficient first half for the Buckeyes, shooting 20-of-30 from the floor and 6-of-11 from three-point range. The Buckeyes closed the first half hitting their last five shots, keeping the lead at a wide margin going into halftime.
John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum each had 13 points to lead the Buckeyes. Mobley was 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the perimeter, and he also had four assists and two steals. Devin Royal’s 10 points joined Mobley and Bynum in double figures.
The Buckeyes’ defense held Penn State to just 9-of-22 shooting and forced 10 turnovers.
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Coming off a tough loss at No. 3 Michigan Friday night, it was crucial for the Buckeyes to come out of the gates with a sense of urgency and play with confidence. They did that, and the game was out of reach after the first 20 minutes.
Second Half
Things got a little dicey and nerveracking midway through the second half, with Penn State pulling to 60-59 with just under 11 minutes remaining.
The Buckeyes, though, held their ground and broke the game open to double-digits just over four minutes later.
Penn State entered Monday night 0-8 in Big Ten play. But in conference play, records do not matter. Games aren’t played on paper. While this win was anything but easy, some games are going to be like that even against teams like Penn State. The Nittany Lions came into Monday night on the short end of several close calls in Big Ten play.
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Despite not making a shot in the final 2:44, the Buckeyes knocked down enough free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
MVP: John Mobley Jr.
Mobley was in top form on a night the Buckeyes needed him to be. He had 13 points in the first half and 12 points in the second half, and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Big Picture Takeaway
A win is a win. Wins like this won’t boost your NCAA Tournament résumé, but it prevents what would be a big black mark on it.
Every game matters, and Ohio State handled its business Monday night.
Next Play
The Buckeyes play at Wisconsin on Saturday, a 2:00 p.m. ET tipoff on FOX.
Wisconsin is currently 14-6 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten, and they play at home against Minnesota Wednesday night.
