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LGHL Ohio State crumbles in second half at Penn State, falls 83-80 to end winning streak at seven
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Ohio State crumbles in second half at Penn State, falls 83-80 to end winning streak at seven
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State flipped the switch from “on” to “off” in the second half, giving up almost twice as many points in the second half as it did in in the first.
Winners of seven straight, the Ohio State Buckeyes (8-2, 1-1) traveled to Happy Valley Saturday night looking to extend that winning streak to eight, as well as hand the Nittany Lions (5-5, 1-1) their sixth-straight loss. First-year head coach Mike Rhoades led the ‘Nits to a 4-0 record to start the season, but since then lost five in a row, with an average margin of defeat of 9.8 points.
Ohio State, on the other hand, had won each of its last seven games by double-digits. OSU had jumped up to No. 24 in KenPom leading into this game, while Penn State was the lowest-ranked Big Ten team at No. 122.
Chris Holtmann went with the same starting lineup he’s used all season long: sophomores Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Evan Mahaffey, and Felix Okpara, next to senior forward Jamison Battle. For Mahaffey, it was a homecoming to the school he was recruited to and played at his freshman year, before transferring to Ohio State this summer.
Penn State with a starting five of Kanye Clary, Ace Baldwin, Puff Johnson, Zach Hicks, and Qudus Wahab.
Ohio State led 23-20 by the under-12 timeout, with Zed Key, Scotty Middleton, and Battle all chipping in multiple early buckets. With Thornton tightly guarded by Ace Baldwin and Gayle on the bench with two early fouls, the Buckeyes’ bench came through with clutch early baskets to hold the Nittany Lions at arm’s length. Penn State, meanwhile, was being carried by Leo O’Boyle — a graduate transfer who was averaging 2.3 points per game before tonight’s contest. O’Boyle knocked down two triples — and was fouled on another — to rack up nine early points for Penn State.
The Buckeyes continued to stretch its lead out after Penn State briefly led by one point, holding a 30-22 lead by the under-eight media timeout. Key was impactful below the basket, Battle kept Penn State’s defense extended, and Middleton continued to make plays on both ends. It very much felt like a game where if the Nittany Lions went on a cold stretch for several minutes, Ohio State was going to run away with it.
Despite Thornton and Gayle both spending time on the bench in the first half with two fouls apiece and comining for just nine first-half points, Ohio State still led 41-29 at halftime. The Buckeyes held Penn State to 34.4% shooting in the first half. There were no Buckeyes in double digits in the first half, but Key, Middleton, Okpara, and Battle all had multiple baskets in the first half to pick up the slack.
Thanks to an Evan Mahaffey turnover followed by yet another O’Boyle three-pointer, Penn State was able to get back within 10 points by the under-12 media timeout, 59-49. The Nittany Lions were outplaying Ohio State through the early stages of the second half, and were especially impactful with its help defense whenever a non-primary ballhandler began dribbling for the Buckeyes. Clary also turned out to be a big problem for Roddy Gayle, as he was able to get downhill off switches and either draw fouls or score at the bucket.
Penn State took advantage of a brief, three-minute scoreless spell by the Buckeyes and went on a 13-1 run, getting Penn Stte back within one point with 6:30 left in the game before a Gayle three-pointer pushed it back to four. The Nittany Lions were scorching the nets in the second half, knocking down six of their first eight three-pointers after going 2-for-9 in the first half.
As if it was written in the stars, overnight hero Leo O’Boyle knocked own his fourth three-pointer of the game with 2:33 left in the game, tying things up at 74-all. The BJC was rocking for the first time all afternoon. Two possesions later, Okpara missed a layup but was able to grab his own miss and drop it back in, putting the Buckeyes back up, 76-74.
After Baldwin tied things back up with one minute remaining, Okpara was called for a moving screen, giving Penn State a chance to take the lead. Baldwin did just that, knocking down a step-back three from the far wing to put Penn State back up, 79-76.
After Hicks split a pair of free throws, Ohio State had the chance to win the game, but Battle’s three pointer rimmed out, and that was all she wrote. Penn State completed the comeback and snapped the Buckeyes’ winning streak, 83-80.
If you weren’t able to catch tonight’s road loss to the ‘Nits, here are a few of the key moments and played that ultimately led to Ohio State’s winning streak being snapped in Happy Valley:
Both teams were off and running in this one, with the Buckeyes playing at a 100-point pace over the first several minutes of the game. Ohio State scored on each of its first four possessions of the game, including a three-pointer from Thornton and two threes from Battle. Penn State hit five of its first nine shots as well, which meant that despite the Buckeyes’ knocking down some early shots, they weren’t able create any separation.
Sophomore guard Roddy Gayle spent a good chunk of the first half on the bench in foul trouble, picking up his first just three minutes into the game, tapping Clary on a made basket, which he then turned into a three-point play. After sitting for roughly minutes, Gayle re-entered the game and fouled O’Boyle on a three-point attempt two minutes later, leading to three free points for the graduate transfer. Gayle went right back to the bech after the free throws.
Leo O’Boyle is a Pennsylvania native who transferred to Penn State this past summer after four years at Lafayette, where he averaged double digits in just one of his four seasons there. Throwing shade is not the intention here, but the facts are the facts.
Coming into this game, the 6-foot-7 forward was averaging 2.3 points per game over roughly 12 minutes per contest. In Saturday’s game, he had nine points over the first 10 minutes.
O’Boyle, a 21% three-point shooter to this point in the season, knocked down two three-pointers early on, and was fouled by Roddy Gayle on another. The crowd was getting into it too, begging him to shoot every time he touched the ball. O’Boyle was a big-time contibutor in the first half — if it weren’t for him, Ohio State might’ve wrapped this thing up before the halftime buzzer.
Freshman guard/wing Scotty Middleton was showing up on draft boards before the season began, but that was before Mahaffey was somewhat surprisingly named a starter over him. The talent is clearly there, but the development may not be the same as a Malaki Branham or Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State fans might love that, actually).
Middleton’s season-high in points was 13 against Oakland, and he also chipped in eight against Minnesota. The freshman had eight points in the first half alone against Penn State Saturday night, dropping in two three-pointers as well as a baseline jumper from about nine feet. Middleton also had a spectacular defensive play in the first half, jumping to block D’Marco Dunn’s three-point attempt in the corner before jumping to grab the loose ball and throwing it back in to Thornton to start the break.
With Ohio State leading 59-46 and 12:18 left in the game, Mahaffey was called for a travel, and on the ensuing Penn State possession that gosh-darn ginger-haired fellow knocked down his third three-pointer of the game, getting the ‘Nits back within 10 points for the first time since the 4:08 mark of the first half.
O’Boyle had four made three-pointers through the first nine games of the season.
With the Buckeyes on a three-minute long scoreless streak, the Nittany Lions quickly put together an 8-0 run starting at the 10:22 mark to cut the lead from 17 points all the way down to five. With 8:38 left in the game, Hicks knocked down a three from the far wing — his second of the game — to make it 64-59, Ohio State.
Overnight hero Leo O’Boyle knocked down a three from in front of the Penn State bench with 2:33 to go to tie things up, 74-74. The Nittany Lions were unconscious from downtown in the second half after struggling mightily from distance in the first half.
After he tied it at 76, Baldwin went back down on the very next possession and knocked down a step-back triple to put Penn State up, 79-76. It was Baldwin’s first three-point make on five attempts to that point.
Ohio State (8-2, 1-1) now gets six days off before traveling to Atlanta, where it will take on UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena. The Bruins are 5-2 this season, with a game against Villanova having tipped an hour after Ohio State’s game against Penn State Saturday night. The Buckeyes lost to North Carolina in overtime at the CBS Sports Classic last season.
Ohio State’s game against UCLA will tip of at 3:00 p.m. on CBS.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State flipped the switch from “on” to “off” in the second half, giving up almost twice as many points in the second half as it did in in the first.
Winners of seven straight, the Ohio State Buckeyes (8-2, 1-1) traveled to Happy Valley Saturday night looking to extend that winning streak to eight, as well as hand the Nittany Lions (5-5, 1-1) their sixth-straight loss. First-year head coach Mike Rhoades led the ‘Nits to a 4-0 record to start the season, but since then lost five in a row, with an average margin of defeat of 9.8 points.
Ohio State, on the other hand, had won each of its last seven games by double-digits. OSU had jumped up to No. 24 in KenPom leading into this game, while Penn State was the lowest-ranked Big Ten team at No. 122.
Chris Holtmann went with the same starting lineup he’s used all season long: sophomores Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Evan Mahaffey, and Felix Okpara, next to senior forward Jamison Battle. For Mahaffey, it was a homecoming to the school he was recruited to and played at his freshman year, before transferring to Ohio State this summer.
Penn State with a starting five of Kanye Clary, Ace Baldwin, Puff Johnson, Zach Hicks, and Qudus Wahab.
Ohio State led 23-20 by the under-12 timeout, with Zed Key, Scotty Middleton, and Battle all chipping in multiple early buckets. With Thornton tightly guarded by Ace Baldwin and Gayle on the bench with two early fouls, the Buckeyes’ bench came through with clutch early baskets to hold the Nittany Lions at arm’s length. Penn State, meanwhile, was being carried by Leo O’Boyle — a graduate transfer who was averaging 2.3 points per game before tonight’s contest. O’Boyle knocked down two triples — and was fouled on another — to rack up nine early points for Penn State.
The Buckeyes continued to stretch its lead out after Penn State briefly led by one point, holding a 30-22 lead by the under-eight media timeout. Key was impactful below the basket, Battle kept Penn State’s defense extended, and Middleton continued to make plays on both ends. It very much felt like a game where if the Nittany Lions went on a cold stretch for several minutes, Ohio State was going to run away with it.
Despite Thornton and Gayle both spending time on the bench in the first half with two fouls apiece and comining for just nine first-half points, Ohio State still led 41-29 at halftime. The Buckeyes held Penn State to 34.4% shooting in the first half. There were no Buckeyes in double digits in the first half, but Key, Middleton, Okpara, and Battle all had multiple baskets in the first half to pick up the slack.
Thanks to an Evan Mahaffey turnover followed by yet another O’Boyle three-pointer, Penn State was able to get back within 10 points by the under-12 media timeout, 59-49. The Nittany Lions were outplaying Ohio State through the early stages of the second half, and were especially impactful with its help defense whenever a non-primary ballhandler began dribbling for the Buckeyes. Clary also turned out to be a big problem for Roddy Gayle, as he was able to get downhill off switches and either draw fouls or score at the bucket.
Penn State took advantage of a brief, three-minute scoreless spell by the Buckeyes and went on a 13-1 run, getting Penn Stte back within one point with 6:30 left in the game before a Gayle three-pointer pushed it back to four. The Nittany Lions were scorching the nets in the second half, knocking down six of their first eight three-pointers after going 2-for-9 in the first half.
As if it was written in the stars, overnight hero Leo O’Boyle knocked own his fourth three-pointer of the game with 2:33 left in the game, tying things up at 74-all. The BJC was rocking for the first time all afternoon. Two possesions later, Okpara missed a layup but was able to grab his own miss and drop it back in, putting the Buckeyes back up, 76-74.
After Baldwin tied things back up with one minute remaining, Okpara was called for a moving screen, giving Penn State a chance to take the lead. Baldwin did just that, knocking down a step-back three from the far wing to put Penn State back up, 79-76.
After Hicks split a pair of free throws, Ohio State had the chance to win the game, but Battle’s three pointer rimmed out, and that was all she wrote. Penn State completed the comeback and snapped the Buckeyes’ winning streak, 83-80.
If you weren’t able to catch tonight’s road loss to the ‘Nits, here are a few of the key moments and played that ultimately led to Ohio State’s winning streak being snapped in Happy Valley:
Buckeyes score on first four possessions of the game
Both teams were off and running in this one, with the Buckeyes playing at a 100-point pace over the first several minutes of the game. Ohio State scored on each of its first four possessions of the game, including a three-pointer from Thornton and two threes from Battle. Penn State hit five of its first nine shots as well, which meant that despite the Buckeyes’ knocking down some early shots, they weren’t able create any separation.
Gayle’s costly fouls
Sophomore guard Roddy Gayle spent a good chunk of the first half on the bench in foul trouble, picking up his first just three minutes into the game, tapping Clary on a made basket, which he then turned into a three-point play. After sitting for roughly minutes, Gayle re-entered the game and fouled O’Boyle on a three-point attempt two minutes later, leading to three free points for the graduate transfer. Gayle went right back to the bech after the free throws.
O’Boyle rules!
(Say it like the line from Billy Madison)
Leo O’Boyle is a Pennsylvania native who transferred to Penn State this past summer after four years at Lafayette, where he averaged double digits in just one of his four seasons there. Throwing shade is not the intention here, but the facts are the facts.
Coming into this game, the 6-foot-7 forward was averaging 2.3 points per game over roughly 12 minutes per contest. In Saturday’s game, he had nine points over the first 10 minutes.
O’Boyle, a 21% three-point shooter to this point in the season, knocked down two three-pointers early on, and was fouled by Roddy Gayle on another. The crowd was getting into it too, begging him to shoot every time he touched the ball. O’Boyle was a big-time contibutor in the first half — if it weren’t for him, Ohio State might’ve wrapped this thing up before the halftime buzzer.
Middleton showing flashes
Freshman guard/wing Scotty Middleton was showing up on draft boards before the season began, but that was before Mahaffey was somewhat surprisingly named a starter over him. The talent is clearly there, but the development may not be the same as a Malaki Branham or Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State fans might love that, actually).
Middleton’s season-high in points was 13 against Oakland, and he also chipped in eight against Minnesota. The freshman had eight points in the first half alone against Penn State Saturday night, dropping in two three-pointers as well as a baseline jumper from about nine feet. Middleton also had a spectacular defensive play in the first half, jumping to block D’Marco Dunn’s three-point attempt in the corner before jumping to grab the loose ball and throwing it back in to Thornton to start the break.
O’Boyle strikes again
With Ohio State leading 59-46 and 12:18 left in the game, Mahaffey was called for a travel, and on the ensuing Penn State possession that gosh-darn ginger-haired fellow knocked down his third three-pointer of the game, getting the ‘Nits back within 10 points for the first time since the 4:08 mark of the first half.
O’Boyle had four made three-pointers through the first nine games of the season.
Hicks cuts the deficit to just five
With the Buckeyes on a three-minute long scoreless streak, the Nittany Lions quickly put together an 8-0 run starting at the 10:22 mark to cut the lead from 17 points all the way down to five. With 8:38 left in the game, Hicks knocked down a three from the far wing — his second of the game — to make it 64-59, Ohio State.
O’Boyle (suprise!) ties it at 74
Overnight hero Leo O’Boyle knocked down a three from in front of the Penn State bench with 2:33 to go to tie things up, 74-74. The Nittany Lions were unconscious from downtown in the second half after struggling mightily from distance in the first half.
Baldwin puts the Nittany Lions ahead with 31 seconds to go
After he tied it at 76, Baldwin went back down on the very next possession and knocked down a step-back triple to put Penn State up, 79-76. It was Baldwin’s first three-point make on five attempts to that point.
Number 1
Up Next:
Ohio State (8-2, 1-1) now gets six days off before traveling to Atlanta, where it will take on UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena. The Bruins are 5-2 this season, with a game against Villanova having tipped an hour after Ohio State’s game against Penn State Saturday night. The Buckeyes lost to North Carolina in overtime at the CBS Sports Classic last season.
Ohio State’s game against UCLA will tip of at 3:00 p.m. on CBS.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State fans are siding with Lincoln Kienholtz to be the Buckeyes’ 2024 starter
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Ohio State fans are siding with Lincoln Kienholtz to be the Buckeyes’ 2024 starter
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Fans also want to bring on the youth movement in the Cotton Bowl.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
There are a lot of things changing with the Ohio State football program right now. With more than a dozen players in the transfer portal, upperclassmen declaring for the NFL Draft, recruits flipping or committing elsewhere, Ryan Day’s program is not heading in the direction that he likely would have planned.
So, earlier this week, we asked Buckeye Nation to vote in our weekly fan survey about two areas that are of the utmost concern for OSU right now: the undecided quarterback situation and the upcoming Cotton Bowl.
As you undoubtedly know, starting quarterback Kyle McCord will not be returning to Columbus next season, so Day and company have a decision to make when it comes to the most important position on the field. They can stick with one of the guys currently (or soon to be) in the QB room or dive into the portal themselves.
They also have to maximize the progress possible from the next few weeks of bowl practices in an effort to get a new group of inexperienced players as much playing time as possible for them to become major contributors in the fall.
So, check out the results of our survey below, and if you have other thoughts about either question, feel free to share them in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
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These results are interesting to me because there is a very loud contingent of folks on social media and various message boards who seem to believe that Devin Brown is done dirty by Day and should have been the starting quarterback all along. There are also some folks in the Ohio State media who seem to be banging a similar drum, either from what they’ve seen or what they have been told. Now, I have no idea if they are right or not, but just going on what I saw on the field this season, I am not incredibly confident in the future prospects of No. 33 as OSU’s starting QB. Would I be happy to be wrong? Of course, but I’m just not there.
All that aside, the seemingly vocal minority on social media led to me expect a bit of a better showing from Brown in the results. Of the guys that we know (or at least expect) to be on the roster come January, I personally would slot Brown in behind Lincoln Kienholtz and ahead of Air Noland. While Noland is clearly an incredibly talented QB, I just can’t see Day turning over the keys to this offense to a true freshman. Kienholtz on the other hand has gotten some playing time — thanks primarily to Brown’s injury — and by next fall would have been in the program for over a year. So, if we are sticking just with guys we already know, I’d go with the South Dakota Slinger first.
However, I think that it is imperative for Day to go into the portal and find a difference-maker. Let’s be honest, 2024 is essentially do-or-die for Ryan Day. If he loses to Michigan for a fourth-straight year and fails to make a run in the new, expanded 12-team playoff, his time in Columbus very well might be over. And while I am sure that he has varying levels of confidence in the other three guys in the room, I don’t know that it makes a ton of sense to run any of them out there unless he has to.
Now, there are only a small handful of quarterbacks that are — or could be — available in the portal that would be improvements over Kienholtz et. al. If Day could land Duke’s Riley Leonard, Tulane’s Michael Pratt (who is not yet in the portal), or Kansas State’s Will Howard, I think that would be a major positive — I’m partial to Pratt, but he might wait until after the Green Wave’s bowl game against Virginia Tech on Dec. 27 to decide (or at least announce) between staying, entering the NFL Draft, or putting his name in the portal.
If you don’t get one of these three guys, I would ride with Kienholtz. I know some fans are excited about Washington State’s Cameron Ward, Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel, and/or UCLA’s Dante Moore, but all of those guys have downsides to me; whether that is being turnover-prone, injury-prone, or so young that by joining OSU’s quarterback room, they could seriously hurt the future depth of the position for the Buckeyes.
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This is the only option for me. With all of the depth guys in the transfer portal, the Buckeye staff is going to be forced to give younger players significant minutes; and even if that leads to mistakes, I am excited to see what their potential could add to the team.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Fans also want to bring on the youth movement in the Cotton Bowl.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
There are a lot of things changing with the Ohio State football program right now. With more than a dozen players in the transfer portal, upperclassmen declaring for the NFL Draft, recruits flipping or committing elsewhere, Ryan Day’s program is not heading in the direction that he likely would have planned.
So, earlier this week, we asked Buckeye Nation to vote in our weekly fan survey about two areas that are of the utmost concern for OSU right now: the undecided quarterback situation and the upcoming Cotton Bowl.
As you undoubtedly know, starting quarterback Kyle McCord will not be returning to Columbus next season, so Day and company have a decision to make when it comes to the most important position on the field. They can stick with one of the guys currently (or soon to be) in the QB room or dive into the portal themselves.
They also have to maximize the progress possible from the next few weeks of bowl practices in an effort to get a new group of inexperienced players as much playing time as possible for them to become major contributors in the fall.
So, check out the results of our survey below, and if you have other thoughts about either question, feel free to share them in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
Question 1: With Kyle McCord in the transfer portal, who do you want to be the Buckeyes starting quarterback in 2024?
These results are interesting to me because there is a very loud contingent of folks on social media and various message boards who seem to believe that Devin Brown is done dirty by Day and should have been the starting quarterback all along. There are also some folks in the Ohio State media who seem to be banging a similar drum, either from what they’ve seen or what they have been told. Now, I have no idea if they are right or not, but just going on what I saw on the field this season, I am not incredibly confident in the future prospects of No. 33 as OSU’s starting QB. Would I be happy to be wrong? Of course, but I’m just not there.
All that aside, the seemingly vocal minority on social media led to me expect a bit of a better showing from Brown in the results. Of the guys that we know (or at least expect) to be on the roster come January, I personally would slot Brown in behind Lincoln Kienholtz and ahead of Air Noland. While Noland is clearly an incredibly talented QB, I just can’t see Day turning over the keys to this offense to a true freshman. Kienholtz on the other hand has gotten some playing time — thanks primarily to Brown’s injury — and by next fall would have been in the program for over a year. So, if we are sticking just with guys we already know, I’d go with the South Dakota Slinger first.
However, I think that it is imperative for Day to go into the portal and find a difference-maker. Let’s be honest, 2024 is essentially do-or-die for Ryan Day. If he loses to Michigan for a fourth-straight year and fails to make a run in the new, expanded 12-team playoff, his time in Columbus very well might be over. And while I am sure that he has varying levels of confidence in the other three guys in the room, I don’t know that it makes a ton of sense to run any of them out there unless he has to.
Now, there are only a small handful of quarterbacks that are — or could be — available in the portal that would be improvements over Kienholtz et. al. If Day could land Duke’s Riley Leonard, Tulane’s Michael Pratt (who is not yet in the portal), or Kansas State’s Will Howard, I think that would be a major positive — I’m partial to Pratt, but he might wait until after the Green Wave’s bowl game against Virginia Tech on Dec. 27 to decide (or at least announce) between staying, entering the NFL Draft, or putting his name in the portal.
If you don’t get one of these three guys, I would ride with Kienholtz. I know some fans are excited about Washington State’s Cameron Ward, Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel, and/or UCLA’s Dante Moore, but all of those guys have downsides to me; whether that is being turnover-prone, injury-prone, or so young that by joining OSU’s quarterback room, they could seriously hurt the future depth of the position for the Buckeyes.
Question 2: What are you most looking forward to from the Cotton Bowl matchup with Missouri?
This is the only option for me. With all of the depth guys in the transfer portal, the Buckeye staff is going to be forced to give younger players significant minutes; and even if that leads to mistakes, I am excited to see what their potential could add to the team.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Penn State: Game Preview and Prediction
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Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Penn State: Game Preview and Prediction
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes hit the road for the first time in Big Ten play this year, traveling to State College to battle Penn State.
After playing their last three games at home, Ohio State hits the road tonight for the first time since they played in the Emerald Coast Classic two weeks ago. The Buckeyes will head to State College to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have bested Ohio State in each of the last two meetings between the schools. Following a loss to the Nittany Lions in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, Penn State came to Columbus last year and beat Ohio State 75-71 in their only meeting during the 2022-23 season.
The Buckeyes head into tonight’s game riding a seven-game winning streak. The last time Ohio State was on the court they beat Miami (OH) 84-64 on Wednesday night. Roddy Gayle Jr. was one of six Buckeyes to reach double figures in scoring, netting a team-high 15 points against the RedHawks. Zed Key notched his second double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Bruce Thornton added 14 points, and Jamison Battle followed up his performance against Minnesota with 13 points.
Tonight’s game against Penn State will be Ohio State’s second Big Ten game of the year. The Buckeyes won their conference opener on Sunday, beating Minnesota 84-74. Following tonight’s contest against the Nittany Lions, Ohio State will play their final three non-conference games of the season before hosting Rutgers a couple days into 2024. Next Saturday, Ohio State will take on UCLA in Atlanta as part of the CBS Sports Classic, followed by a game at home against New Orleans, and a neutral site game in Cleveland against West Virginia in the Legends of Basketball Classic.
On the other side, Penn State enters tonight’s game on a five-game losing streak after winning their first four games of the season. The latest setback for the Nittany Lions came in their first conference game of the season on Wednesday night when they lost 81-75 in overtime at Maryland. Kanye Clary scored a team-high 25 points in the loss, and is pacing the team in scoring this year, averaging 16.2 points per game.
One player for Ohio State that will be hoping for a big game tonight is Evan Mahaffey, who started his career at Penn State, playing in 34 games for the Nittany Lions as a freshman last year. Mahaffey hit the transfer portal after former Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry took the Notre Dame job. After scoring just 21 points in his first eight games as a Buckeye, Mahaffey had his best game in the scarlet and gray on Wednesday night, netting 10 points against Miami. The Cincinnati native will be hoping he can channel some of the same energy Jamison Battle had last week when the former Minnesota Golden Gopher took on his former team.
Last year Penn State was able to make the NCAA Tournament thanks to some outstanding play from Jalen Pickett, Seth Lundy, and a number of others. Following a win over Texas A&M in the first round of the tournament, the Nittany Lions pushed Texas to the limit before the Longhorns advanced with a 71-66 victory. Penn State finished the season with a 23-14 record, leading to Shrewsberry moving on to Notre Dame following two years in State College.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25144976/usa_today_21976857.jpg "NCAA Basketball: ESPN Events Invitational Seventh Place- Penn State at VCU")
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Replacing Shrewsberry is Mike Rhoades, who coached VCU for six seasons before taking the Penn State job. Rhoades compiled a 129-61 record while at the school, leading the Rams to the NCAA Tournament three times. Along with Rhoades, Penn State also brought in Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. from VCU. Baldwin is currently second on the team with 14.6 points per game, while Kern is averaging 6.8 points per game. Baldwin’s best performance of the season came against his old team during the ESPN Events Invitational when he scored 27 points in a 86-74 loss to VCU.
Baldwin and Kern weren’t the only additions during the offseason in the transfer portal by Penn State. The literal biggest addition for the Nittany Lions was 6’11” forward Qudus Wahab, who started his college career at Georgetown, spent a year at Maryland before transferring back to Georgetown prior to last season. Wahab is averaging nearly a double-double this year, scoring 10.4 points per game and pulling down 9.3 rebounds per game through the first nine games of the season. The Nittany Lions also brought in North Carolina transfers Puff Johnson and D’Marco Dunn.
An interesting matchup in tonight’s game will be between Wahab and Ohio State bigs Felix Okpara and Zed Key. While Key is coming off his second double-double of the season, Okpara has been one of the best shot blockers in the country so far this season. Okpara has now blocked at least one shot in 16 straight games dating back to last season, joining Ken Johnson, Greg Oden, and Dallas Lauderdale as Buckeyes to block at least one shot in 15 straight games since 2000. For the season Okpara has 22 blocks, which is more than half of the 40 swats Ohio State has totaled as a team.
Where Ohio State is going to have to be careful tonight is with their ball control and decision making since Penn State has been great this year at forcing their opponents into mistakes. The Nittany Lions are forcing 16.67 turnovers per game this year, which is tops in the Big Ten and ranks 19th in the country. So far this season the Buckeyes have done a good job at not giving up the basketball, as they have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in five of their first nine games this year.
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
What should help Ohio State snap their recent losing streak against Penn State is the confidence they are playing with right now. Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton has made a big leap after a solid freshman year in Columbus. Along with Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr. has improved greatly, and the additions of Jamison Battle and Evan Mahaffey have been paying early dividends.
While it seems like Penn State always plays Ohio State tough, if there was ever a time to catch the Nittany Lions, this is the time to do so. Right now Penn State isn’t playing with a lot of confidence during their five-game losing streak. Defense has been lacking for the Nittany Lions during their losing streak, as they have allowed at least 76 points in each of those five losses. The subpar defense could be a problem against an Ohio State team that has scored at least 80 points in each of its last five games.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 56.8%
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes hit the road for the first time in Big Ten play this year, traveling to State College to battle Penn State.
After playing their last three games at home, Ohio State hits the road tonight for the first time since they played in the Emerald Coast Classic two weeks ago. The Buckeyes will head to State College to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have bested Ohio State in each of the last two meetings between the schools. Following a loss to the Nittany Lions in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, Penn State came to Columbus last year and beat Ohio State 75-71 in their only meeting during the 2022-23 season.
The Buckeyes head into tonight’s game riding a seven-game winning streak. The last time Ohio State was on the court they beat Miami (OH) 84-64 on Wednesday night. Roddy Gayle Jr. was one of six Buckeyes to reach double figures in scoring, netting a team-high 15 points against the RedHawks. Zed Key notched his second double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Bruce Thornton added 14 points, and Jamison Battle followed up his performance against Minnesota with 13 points.
Tonight’s game against Penn State will be Ohio State’s second Big Ten game of the year. The Buckeyes won their conference opener on Sunday, beating Minnesota 84-74. Following tonight’s contest against the Nittany Lions, Ohio State will play their final three non-conference games of the season before hosting Rutgers a couple days into 2024. Next Saturday, Ohio State will take on UCLA in Atlanta as part of the CBS Sports Classic, followed by a game at home against New Orleans, and a neutral site game in Cleveland against West Virginia in the Legends of Basketball Classic.
On the other side, Penn State enters tonight’s game on a five-game losing streak after winning their first four games of the season. The latest setback for the Nittany Lions came in their first conference game of the season on Wednesday night when they lost 81-75 in overtime at Maryland. Kanye Clary scored a team-high 25 points in the loss, and is pacing the team in scoring this year, averaging 16.2 points per game.
Preview
One player for Ohio State that will be hoping for a big game tonight is Evan Mahaffey, who started his career at Penn State, playing in 34 games for the Nittany Lions as a freshman last year. Mahaffey hit the transfer portal after former Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry took the Notre Dame job. After scoring just 21 points in his first eight games as a Buckeye, Mahaffey had his best game in the scarlet and gray on Wednesday night, netting 10 points against Miami. The Cincinnati native will be hoping he can channel some of the same energy Jamison Battle had last week when the former Minnesota Golden Gopher took on his former team.
Last year Penn State was able to make the NCAA Tournament thanks to some outstanding play from Jalen Pickett, Seth Lundy, and a number of others. Following a win over Texas A&M in the first round of the tournament, the Nittany Lions pushed Texas to the limit before the Longhorns advanced with a 71-66 victory. Penn State finished the season with a 23-14 record, leading to Shrewsberry moving on to Notre Dame following two years in State College.
Replacing Shrewsberry is Mike Rhoades, who coached VCU for six seasons before taking the Penn State job. Rhoades compiled a 129-61 record while at the school, leading the Rams to the NCAA Tournament three times. Along with Rhoades, Penn State also brought in Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. from VCU. Baldwin is currently second on the team with 14.6 points per game, while Kern is averaging 6.8 points per game. Baldwin’s best performance of the season came against his old team during the ESPN Events Invitational when he scored 27 points in a 86-74 loss to VCU.
Baldwin and Kern weren’t the only additions during the offseason in the transfer portal by Penn State. The literal biggest addition for the Nittany Lions was 6’11” forward Qudus Wahab, who started his college career at Georgetown, spent a year at Maryland before transferring back to Georgetown prior to last season. Wahab is averaging nearly a double-double this year, scoring 10.4 points per game and pulling down 9.3 rebounds per game through the first nine games of the season. The Nittany Lions also brought in North Carolina transfers Puff Johnson and D’Marco Dunn.
An interesting matchup in tonight’s game will be between Wahab and Ohio State bigs Felix Okpara and Zed Key. While Key is coming off his second double-double of the season, Okpara has been one of the best shot blockers in the country so far this season. Okpara has now blocked at least one shot in 16 straight games dating back to last season, joining Ken Johnson, Greg Oden, and Dallas Lauderdale as Buckeyes to block at least one shot in 15 straight games since 2000. For the season Okpara has 22 blocks, which is more than half of the 40 swats Ohio State has totaled as a team.
Prediction
Where Ohio State is going to have to be careful tonight is with their ball control and decision making since Penn State has been great this year at forcing their opponents into mistakes. The Nittany Lions are forcing 16.67 turnovers per game this year, which is tops in the Big Ten and ranks 19th in the country. So far this season the Buckeyes have done a good job at not giving up the basketball, as they have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in five of their first nine games this year.
What should help Ohio State snap their recent losing streak against Penn State is the confidence they are playing with right now. Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton has made a big leap after a solid freshman year in Columbus. Along with Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr. has improved greatly, and the additions of Jamison Battle and Evan Mahaffey have been paying early dividends.
While it seems like Penn State always plays Ohio State tough, if there was ever a time to catch the Nittany Lions, this is the time to do so. Right now Penn State isn’t playing with a lot of confidence during their five-game losing streak. Defense has been lacking for the Nittany Lions during their losing streak, as they have allowed at least 76 points in each of those five losses. The subpar defense could be a problem against an Ohio State team that has scored at least 80 points in each of its last five games.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 56.8%
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
LGHL Score Prediction: Ohio State 77, Penn State 70
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LGHL Five Storylines: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 25 Penn State
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Five Storylines: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 25 Penn State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions open up Big Ten campaigns with teams coming off opposite weeks.
It’s time for Ohio State women’s basketball to dip its collective toe into conference play. Up first are the Penn State Nittany Lions, a team that’s sat in the backseat of the conference for most of the last decade. Now, the matchup between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions features a Penn State side that’s showing glimpses of its dominant form of years past.
Before Sunday’s 1:00 p.m. ET tipoff at the Schottenstein Center, here are five storylines to watch for in the conference clash.
There are three matchups to watch especially close when these two teams take to the court. The first is a two-on-two guard battle. For Penn State, First Team All-B1G guard Makenna Marisa leads the Nittany Lions alongside guard Shay Ciezki.
The two share similar traits, albeit on different ends of their college careers. Marisa is the lifelong Nittany Lion. The sister, daughter and granddaughter of Penn State basketball players, Marisa is a graduate senior who's everything for this Lions team.
Marisa leads the Nittany Lions in scoring (16.0 points per game) and has for the past three seasons. The guard is dangerous from deep and will attack the basket. Last season, the Buckeyes thought they neutralized Marisa in their lone meeting with the Nittany Lions. After three quarters, the guard had four points. In the fourth quarter, with Ohio State up 51-31, Marisa went off.
The guard scored 18 points in the final 10 minutes, outscoring the scarlet and gray by two points. It didn’t end in a Penn State comeback victory, still losing by 12 points, but it showed that Marisa can’t be underestimated at any point in the 40 minute contest. Plus, now she has a strong supporting cast.
Ciezki is a high scoring sophomore. In the last four games before Penn State’s defeat to the West Virginia Mountaineers, Ciezki averaged 19.3 points per game, averaging 3.5 shots made from three-point range. The Buffalo, New York native is the second most dangerous shooter on the Nittany Lions, but has shown traits of an underclassmen scorer.
Monday, against West Virginia, Ciezki was completely shutdown by the Mountaineers. Picking up four fouls, Ciezki played only 22 minutes, scoring no points on four missed shots. That was against a WVU side that defended similarly to how the Buckeyes will defend: On the press.
Marisa and Ciezki have their work cut out for them going up against guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor. The pair of graduate seniors are fifth and sixth respectively in steals in the Big Ten so far this season. It’s not only the number of times they change possession, but how ruthless they can be on defense.
It’s likely that Marisa and Ciezki won’t have much room to breathe when they get into the half court. That means the Nittany Lions will try their best to use screens to create mismatches. It’s not going to be easy to do though with Taylor especially.
Ohio State’s defense is stronger this year and its due in part to the work put in by the former Duke guard. Taylor, likely going up against Marisa, isn’t going to give the star much of anything. Every game, Taylor presses on the half court, barely giving opposition time to think. Plus the steals and at least one highlight block per game.
However, there’s strong defense in other areas of the court, especially in the third matchup to watch between two staunch defenders.
While the experience of Sheldon and Taylor gives a distinct advantage around the arc, the most intriguing clash might be inside the paint between guard/forwards Taylor Thierry and Leilani Kapinus.
Both part of the coaches Big Ten All-Defensive Team in the 22-23 season, the two play a similar style of basketball.
Each are tall and athletic, and can crash the boards. In two games that the junior Kapinus faced the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lion has two double-doubles, with 12 and 11 rebounds in the two contests. While offensively Kapinus won’t stretch the half court like Theirry who will take a shot from deep, the Penn State guard will make driving to the paint difficult for the likes of Buckeye forward Cotie McMahon. Here’s a good example:
Also, Thierry’s on a slower run of rebounding, with two quieter games in a row. Against the Tennessee Volunteers, the guard/forward hybrid who averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds going into the game scored nine points with four rebounds. Against the Ohio Bobcats Tuesday, Thierry had another four-rebound game, but had a better scoring game with 15 points.
Will Thierry’s early game form return over more of the 40 minutes with Kapinus providing more of a challenge?
A name seen frequently off the bench last season for Ohio State was guard Emma Shumate. Appearing 31 times, the guard brought promise of big shooting which didn't manifest. Although Shumate led the team in blocks, the offense was behind the defense.
This season, the sophomore is a new person, thanks to increased confidence instilled in her by her teammates. Now, Shumate is leading the Buckeyes from deep. With 15 made three-point shots on the year, the guard who averages the ninth lowest number of minutes per game on the 15-player roster is in the best form.
However, she hasn’t had the chance in the biggest games. Against the USC Trojans, Shumate didn’t dress with an injury. Then, on Sunday, after going 5-for-11 from deep in the previous two games, only saw two minutes of game time against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Shumate responded against Ohio, having her best shooting game of her career, going 6-for-10. It’s what head coach Kevin McGuff wants to see more of if Shumate wants to see minutes against tougher competition.
“We’ve seen her do this a lot in practice and this,” said McGuff. “Now she’s starting to do it in games, and just to have confidence in herself. Because I’m confident in her right now, I want her to have confidence in herself.”
Does that mean she’ll have that chance against the Nittany Lions on Sunday?
Monday, Penn State was back in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in almost 10 years. The Nittany Lions were 7-1, with one close loss to the USC Trojans, and riding strong momentum. Then they ran into the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The Nittany Lions were mauled in Morgantown. The Mountaineers played with a full court press that stretched into the half court and forced Penn State’s worst game of the season. Head coach Carolyn Kieger’s Lions gave up season highs in turnovers (26) and steals allowed (18).
Ohio State averages 21.9 turnovers forced per game. Penn State isn’t going to have a break following its 83-65 defeat against the Big 12 side. Does that mean the Nittany Lions know what they did wrong and can adjust to a team whose defensive identity is tied up in the full court, havoc-inducing, press or will Ohio State continue a nightmarish week for the Lions?
Arguably one of the biggest mysteries in college basketball is the status of guard Ashley Owusu. The former AP All-American, who started her NCAA career in the Big Ten with the Maryland Terrapins, has had an interesting two seasons in college basketball.
Following her junior year, Owusu transferred to the Virginia Tech Hokies, making it to the Final Four. However, it wasn’t with Owusu contributing on the court. After starting six games for the Hokies, Owusu was out with an injury. Then, after she returned, she never started or made the same impact. Questions surrounded head coach Kenny Brooks and if Owusu fell out of favor after returning to the team.
Owusu averaged five minutes per game in her final six games as a Hokie, and no appearances in the NCAA Tournament. So, when the guard transferred back to the Big Ten and the Penn State Nittany Lions, it looked like a chance for the graduate senior to find her previous form.
However, Owusu hasn’t played a minute this season. Coach Kieger says Owusu is out with an undisclosed injury, although the guard is warming up for the Nittany Lions before games. It’s a situation shrouded in secrecy. If healthy, getting minutes against the Buckeyes would be a surprise and potentially game-changing.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25145609/usa_today_17536551.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The guard has 55 points in her last two games against the Buckeyes, in the 20-21 and 21-22 seasons. It’s also unknown how her presence could increase the effectiveness of the likes of Marisa, Ciezki and Kapinus.
While it doesn’t seem likely that Owusu plays, based on no concrete information shared by the team, if she does, Sunday could be much more interesting.
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions open up Big Ten campaigns with teams coming off opposite weeks.
It’s time for Ohio State women’s basketball to dip its collective toe into conference play. Up first are the Penn State Nittany Lions, a team that’s sat in the backseat of the conference for most of the last decade. Now, the matchup between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions features a Penn State side that’s showing glimpses of its dominant form of years past.
Before Sunday’s 1:00 p.m. ET tipoff at the Schottenstein Center, here are five storylines to watch for in the conference clash.
Guard Battle
There are three matchups to watch especially close when these two teams take to the court. The first is a two-on-two guard battle. For Penn State, First Team All-B1G guard Makenna Marisa leads the Nittany Lions alongside guard Shay Ciezki.
The two share similar traits, albeit on different ends of their college careers. Marisa is the lifelong Nittany Lion. The sister, daughter and granddaughter of Penn State basketball players, Marisa is a graduate senior who's everything for this Lions team.
Marisa leads the Nittany Lions in scoring (16.0 points per game) and has for the past three seasons. The guard is dangerous from deep and will attack the basket. Last season, the Buckeyes thought they neutralized Marisa in their lone meeting with the Nittany Lions. After three quarters, the guard had four points. In the fourth quarter, with Ohio State up 51-31, Marisa went off.
The guard scored 18 points in the final 10 minutes, outscoring the scarlet and gray by two points. It didn’t end in a Penn State comeback victory, still losing by 12 points, but it showed that Marisa can’t be underestimated at any point in the 40 minute contest. Plus, now she has a strong supporting cast.
Ciezki is a high scoring sophomore. In the last four games before Penn State’s defeat to the West Virginia Mountaineers, Ciezki averaged 19.3 points per game, averaging 3.5 shots made from three-point range. The Buffalo, New York native is the second most dangerous shooter on the Nittany Lions, but has shown traits of an underclassmen scorer.
Monday, against West Virginia, Ciezki was completely shutdown by the Mountaineers. Picking up four fouls, Ciezki played only 22 minutes, scoring no points on four missed shots. That was against a WVU side that defended similarly to how the Buckeyes will defend: On the press.
Marisa and Ciezki have their work cut out for them going up against guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor. The pair of graduate seniors are fifth and sixth respectively in steals in the Big Ten so far this season. It’s not only the number of times they change possession, but how ruthless they can be on defense.
It’s likely that Marisa and Ciezki won’t have much room to breathe when they get into the half court. That means the Nittany Lions will try their best to use screens to create mismatches. It’s not going to be easy to do though with Taylor especially.
Ohio State’s defense is stronger this year and its due in part to the work put in by the former Duke guard. Taylor, likely going up against Marisa, isn’t going to give the star much of anything. Every game, Taylor presses on the half court, barely giving opposition time to think. Plus the steals and at least one highlight block per game.
However, there’s strong defense in other areas of the court, especially in the third matchup to watch between two staunch defenders.
Power Around the Perimeter
While the experience of Sheldon and Taylor gives a distinct advantage around the arc, the most intriguing clash might be inside the paint between guard/forwards Taylor Thierry and Leilani Kapinus.
Both part of the coaches Big Ten All-Defensive Team in the 22-23 season, the two play a similar style of basketball.
Each are tall and athletic, and can crash the boards. In two games that the junior Kapinus faced the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lion has two double-doubles, with 12 and 11 rebounds in the two contests. While offensively Kapinus won’t stretch the half court like Theirry who will take a shot from deep, the Penn State guard will make driving to the paint difficult for the likes of Buckeye forward Cotie McMahon. Here’s a good example:
Also, Thierry’s on a slower run of rebounding, with two quieter games in a row. Against the Tennessee Volunteers, the guard/forward hybrid who averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds going into the game scored nine points with four rebounds. Against the Ohio Bobcats Tuesday, Thierry had another four-rebound game, but had a better scoring game with 15 points.
Will Thierry’s early game form return over more of the 40 minutes with Kapinus providing more of a challenge?
Does Emma Shumate Continue Her Tear?
A name seen frequently off the bench last season for Ohio State was guard Emma Shumate. Appearing 31 times, the guard brought promise of big shooting which didn't manifest. Although Shumate led the team in blocks, the offense was behind the defense.
This season, the sophomore is a new person, thanks to increased confidence instilled in her by her teammates. Now, Shumate is leading the Buckeyes from deep. With 15 made three-point shots on the year, the guard who averages the ninth lowest number of minutes per game on the 15-player roster is in the best form.
However, she hasn’t had the chance in the biggest games. Against the USC Trojans, Shumate didn’t dress with an injury. Then, on Sunday, after going 5-for-11 from deep in the previous two games, only saw two minutes of game time against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Shumate responded against Ohio, having her best shooting game of her career, going 6-for-10. It’s what head coach Kevin McGuff wants to see more of if Shumate wants to see minutes against tougher competition.
“We’ve seen her do this a lot in practice and this,” said McGuff. “Now she’s starting to do it in games, and just to have confidence in herself. Because I’m confident in her right now, I want her to have confidence in herself.”
Does that mean she’ll have that chance against the Nittany Lions on Sunday?
Can Penn State Handle Defensive Heat?
Monday, Penn State was back in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in almost 10 years. The Nittany Lions were 7-1, with one close loss to the USC Trojans, and riding strong momentum. Then they ran into the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The Nittany Lions were mauled in Morgantown. The Mountaineers played with a full court press that stretched into the half court and forced Penn State’s worst game of the season. Head coach Carolyn Kieger’s Lions gave up season highs in turnovers (26) and steals allowed (18).
Ohio State averages 21.9 turnovers forced per game. Penn State isn’t going to have a break following its 83-65 defeat against the Big 12 side. Does that mean the Nittany Lions know what they did wrong and can adjust to a team whose defensive identity is tied up in the full court, havoc-inducing, press or will Ohio State continue a nightmarish week for the Lions?
Ashley Owusu Premiere?
Arguably one of the biggest mysteries in college basketball is the status of guard Ashley Owusu. The former AP All-American, who started her NCAA career in the Big Ten with the Maryland Terrapins, has had an interesting two seasons in college basketball.
Following her junior year, Owusu transferred to the Virginia Tech Hokies, making it to the Final Four. However, it wasn’t with Owusu contributing on the court. After starting six games for the Hokies, Owusu was out with an injury. Then, after she returned, she never started or made the same impact. Questions surrounded head coach Kenny Brooks and if Owusu fell out of favor after returning to the team.
Owusu averaged five minutes per game in her final six games as a Hokie, and no appearances in the NCAA Tournament. So, when the guard transferred back to the Big Ten and the Penn State Nittany Lions, it looked like a chance for the graduate senior to find her previous form.
However, Owusu hasn’t played a minute this season. Coach Kieger says Owusu is out with an undisclosed injury, although the guard is warming up for the Nittany Lions before games. It’s a situation shrouded in secrecy. If healthy, getting minutes against the Buckeyes would be a surprise and potentially game-changing.
The guard has 55 points in her last two games against the Buckeyes, in the 20-21 and 21-22 seasons. It’s also unknown how her presence could increase the effectiveness of the likes of Marisa, Ciezki and Kapinus.
While it doesn’t seem likely that Owusu plays, based on no concrete information shared by the team, if she does, Sunday could be much more interesting.
Continue reading...