Ohio State couldn’t hold Penn State star Jalen Pickett forever.
Penn State’s had two fouls and two points in the first half, but took over in the second half, ending with 23 points— 21 in the second half— to lead Penn State to a much-needed 75-71 win at Ohio State.
GRITTY NOT PRETTY #WeAre pic.twitter.com/y2ZidM3lZR
— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) February 24, 2023
Pickett’s 23 points were a step down from what he did last week, combining to score 73 points in wins over Illinois and Minnesota. Those two performances earned Pickett multiple National Player of the Week honors, and he’s the No. 1 reason Penn State is alive in the NCAA Tournament picture.
Penn State shot well early, starting 3-for-4 from 3-point land and leading Ohio State 11-8 at the first media timeout. The team kept playing well for the next four minutes. Despite Jalen Pickett picking up two early fouls, Penn State led Ohio State 19-15 at the under-12 media timeout.
The game stayed back-and-forth for the whole first half and the teams went into halftime tied at 37.
Brice Sensabugh led Ohio State with 14 points in the first half, and Penn State’s Seth Lundy matched that. Cam Wynter added 11 for Penn State, and Bruce Thornton added 10 for Ohio State. Sensabaugh led all scorers with 20 points. Lundy ended with a team-high 19 for Penn State. Thornton and Wynter finished with 19 and 18, respectively.
Penn State shot well from beyond the arc in the first half, making 6 of 11 3s. Lundy (3-for-5) and Wynter (3-for-4) combined to go 6-for-9 from 3, and their contributions were extra valuable because of Pickett’s lack of production. Hindered by foul trouble, Pickett scored just two points in the first half.
The team’s stayed even in the second half. Penn State led 48-46 at the first media timeout and at the U11, the teams were tied at 57. At the next media timeout, Ohio State led 65-64.
At the final media timeout, with 2:11 left, Penn State led 70-67. Penn State never lost the lead, and a pair of Pickett free throws with 28 seconds left made it 75-71, which ended up being the final.
The game had five ties and 20 lead changes, and neither team led by more than six points.
Penn State’s next game is back home at the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday evening against Rutgers.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30.
