PSU Hoops completes second-half comeback over Ohio State, faces Purdue next
Sam Sessoms led a major second-half comeback for Penn State to outduel E.J. Liddell and Ohio State, winning 71-68 and moving on in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Liddell scored a quick five points out of the gates for Ohio State, but both teams were slow to start the game, with just eight total points before the first media timeout, and Jalen Pickett scored Penn State’s first points with 16 minutes to go in the half.
Penn State was 0-for-3 before Pickett’s layup, but Ohio State hit a cold stretch of its own after Liddell’s two scores. The Buckeyes went 0-for-4 over more than two minutes. The Nittany Lions didn’t do much with the opportunity, though.
Ohio State’s Joey Brunk broke the cold streak around 14 minutes. Brunk played well throughout the first half in place of Zed Key, who was available but nursing an ankle injury. Brunk score six first-half points with five rebounds.
Liddell kept his foot on the gas, skyrocketing to 10 points by the 11:32 mark on 4-for-7 shooting. Ohio State went on a 13-3 run before Myles Dread finally broke it with a 3-pointer.
Pickett made a turnaround jumper later, but the Nittany Lions were just one for their last seven. They held Liddell without another point until a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the half, but it was another case of their offense just not being enough to back up their defense.
Penn State shot 32.1% from the floor and 3-for-12 from deep while trailing Ohio State 33-24 at halftime.
Shortly out of the half, Pickett made another layup deep in the paint, and John Harrar converted an and-1 to cut the deficit to one possession. Liddel and Malaki Branham, however, stretched the lead back out near double digits for Ohio State.
Prior to the under-eight media timeout, Sam Sessoms continued a strong night with a turnaround jumper over Brunk. It capped a quick 6-0 that once again cut the deficit to three points.
Near the 6:30 mark, Dread hit his third triple of the night, and Seth Lundy scored from deep right after to give Penn State a 56-54 lead — its first of the night. Penn State had a 20-7 scoring run over nearly 7.5 minutes between the 10 and 2:30-minute marks.
Brunk made a leaner on the other end, but Sessoms came up big once again. He hit a huge and-1 to extend the Penn State lead to three. Brunk and Sessoms traded baskets again the next two possessions.
Harrar pulled down an offensive rebound, his ninth of the night, with a minute and a half to go. He fought through heavy contact to make a put-back layup, the 30th point in the paint on the night for Penn State.
Pickett hit two free throws before Ohio State’s final timeout with 33 seconds to play. The Buckeyes had two chances but couldn’t convert on their next possession.
Pickett missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Liddell couldn’t get it done on the other end. Dread hit two more free throws to ice the win for Penn State.
As has been the story a number of times, Penn State shot significantly better in the second half than in the first half. The Nittany Lions skyrocketed up to 61.5% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range.
Penn State dominated in the paint, 32-14, and only turned it over six times.
E.J. Liddell’s 25 points led all scorers, but Sam Sessoms and Jalen Pickett each had 18 and 16, respectively for three tremendous performances.
Harrar had 12 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double, and Dread tacked on 12 more points.
Branham backed up Liddell with 16 points, and Brunk’s solid night capped off with 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Nittany Lions will face third-seeded Purdue for the second time this season Friday night around 9 p.m. The Boilermakers won the first contest at Penn State.
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