Penn State Basketball Drops Third Straight Game Against Ohio State in Rec Hall

John Mobley Jr. led a quartet of double-digit scorers with 19 points as Ohio State (13-8, 5-5) defeated Penn State (13-9, 3-8) in its return to Rec Hall, 83-64.

Bruce Thornton scored 17 points (5-for-7 from 3) while Devin Royal (15 points and eight rebounds) and Micah Parrish (12 points) combined for 27 in the win.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser had his best game in the Big Ten with 21 points (five rebounds and one block). Zach Hicks hit three 3s en route to 13 points (five rebounds). Both Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. scored 10 points while the former had a team-high six assists.

Overall, Penn State shot 46% from the field and 32% from 3. Ohio State shot 47% from the field and 36% from deep.

Ohio State has now won three in a row and seven of its last 10. PSU is now 3-8 in the Big Ten and has lost three straight games.

Key First-Half Moment: Mobley (13 points and three 3s) and Royal (1o points) scored a combined 23 points in the first half to grow Ohio State’s lead to as many as 15. However, a quick five-point spurt by Baldwin (six points and four assists) and Konan Niederhauser (10 points) in the final 58 seconds cut the deficit to 10, highlighted by this dunk.

Key Second-Half Moment: Penn State pulled to within six after two consecutive 3s by Hicks but that would be the closest it would be for the rest of the game. Ohio State outscored Penn State 27-17 over the final twelve minutes, growing a 20-point lead by the 5:32 mark.

Deciding Factor: Ohio State grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and converted those into 18 second-chance points. Those second-chance opportunities weren’t helped by the Nittany Lions going 16-for-29 from the free-throw line.

Penn State will stay in State College for its next game against Minnesota. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center.