Ohio State Buckeyes Beat Penn State Nittany Lions 79-75 To Make Big Ten Quarterfinals

The seventh-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes secured a 79-75 victory over the No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions in Indianapolis, Indiana on Thursday night. The Buckeyes will now move on to face Michigan State in Friday’s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

Ohio State Buckeyes Beat Penn State Nittany Lions 79-75 To Make Big Ten Quarterfinals

With the win, coach Thad Matta’s Ohio State team now has another 20-win season.

The Buckeyes (20-12) were still behind at halftime, but regained an early lead in the second half thanks to a 14-0 run, although it was not enough to pull away.

Marc Loving scored a game-high 24 points, including a few free throws to give Ohio State the lead after the score was tied at 67 with 3:48 left. This was Loving’s third straight game with 20 points or more. He also blocked a layup by Penn State’s Payton Banks with just over a minute remaining.

JaQuan Lyle added 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State struggled to keep up with Penn State’s inside-out game in the first half. Penn State in total shot 7 for 12 from deep, including shots from the Nittany Lions’ Brandon Taylor, Shep Garner, and Donovan Jack to build a 37-34 halftime lead.

Penn State finished the game 3 for 10 from the field.

The Buckeyes will next face the Michigan State Spartans in Friday’s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. They lost to the Spartans twice in the final three games of the season by an average of 17 points.

Caption: INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 10: Isaiah Washington #21 of the Penn State Nittany Lions grabs a rebound in front of Daniel Giddens #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 10, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ohio State defeated Penn State 79-75. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)