The effort was there. The offense was there. For a while, the defense was, too. But when it came to the final moments, when Ohio State needed one more stop and one more bucket, the answers weren’t there. And with a chance to secure their first win in 33 days, the Buckeyes (11-17, 3-14 Big Ten) instead took a 75-71 defeat at the hands of Penn State (17-11, 8-9). Unlike three straight double-digit blowout losses, this one was there for the Buckeyes in the final minutes. When Bruce Thornton hit a jumper with 6:52 left, it put Ohio State ahead 65-63. But that was when the nation’s reigning player of the week got going. Jalen Pickett’s bucket two possessions later gave Penn State the lead on the 20th lead change of the game and it would continue a personal run of nine straight points for the fifth-year senior guard. His…
Continue Reading: Ohio State battles but comes up short to Penn State in ninth straight loss
