Ohio State went to Penn State and got a 76-64 win businesslike win on the road to open Big Ten play.
The Buckeyes started out down 12-5 early in the game but then woke up and took control of the game late in the first half. After some solid defense and rebounding, and some good perimeter play by the Buckeyes, they went into halftime up 31-20 and never relinquished control.
Penn State never really got close enough to threaten Ohio State in the second half but did cut the deficit to single digits late. It wouldn’t be enough though, and the Buckeyes hit free throws and more or less took care of the ball to salt away an important first conference victory of 2021.
Kyle Young led all scorers with 16 points, going an efficient 4-of-5 from the field that included 4-of-5 from 3-point range. He also led the team with seven rebounds. Liddell also played solid in the second half in the face of a game plan that was tailored to double him and take away his effectiveness. The OSU forward still finished with 14 points, though he struggled a little from the floor, going just 4-of-9. He made up for it from the free-throw line by hitting 6-of-8.
There wasn’t one player that was dynamic all game long from the perimeter, but the guards did spread things around and collectively score 40 points. Malaki Branham led the effort with 11 points in an encouraging sign as the young kid continues to gain confidence and develop.
Buckeyes win! Buckeyes win! Tell your friends!#Team123 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/MkzwcpvZ6t
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 6, 2021
With the win, Ohio State improved its overall record to 6-2 and started its Big Ten journey off with a 1-0 start. The Buckeyes will next step back out of conference to take on the Towson Tigers Wednesday at 9:00 pm EST.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.
