Nittany Lions Fall 79-75 to Ohio State in Big Ten Tournament
Shep Garner’s team-high 25 points wasn’t enough for Penn State as they fell 79-75 to Ohio State at the Big Ten Tournament Thursday night in Indianapolis. This year’s Big Ten Tournament was a historic one for Penn State, who got a first-round bye for the first time in tournament history.
In the first half, Penn State played it close to the Buckeyes with senior Brandon Taylor jumpstarting the offense while the team played a strong defensive game in the opening minutes. Garner kept the energy alive on the offensive front by scoring a few game changing baskets and dishing it off to Taylor and Jordan Dickerson. Towards the middle of the first half, Penn State went on a 10-0 run to gain a 25-18 lead over Ohio State. Going into halftime, the Lions had a 37-34 lead despite Ohio State going on a 9-0 run in the closing minutes of the half.
The second half saw a surge of energy from Ohio State and the Nittany Lions quickly lost their lead due to Buckeye players Marc Loving and JaQuan Lyle who both scored over 20 points. While Penn State remained close behind, the Lions were unable to complete a comeback.
Throughout the majority of the game, Penn State was in foul trouble, which led to a loss in momentum. ''We lost our aggressiveness because we were in foul trouble most of the day. I mean 39 free throws says it all,'' Head Coach Patrick Chambers said in a post-game press conference. ''We've got to get better, we've got to get bigger, we've got to get stronger.
In addition to Garner’s 25 points, senior Donovan Jack added 18 points and Brandon Taylor contributed with 14. With the loss, the team is eliminated from the tournament after just one game. With that result, it looks as if this season is over for the 2015-2016 Nittany Lion basketball team.
Penn State basketball fans have much to look forward to next year, as the best recruiting class in program history is headed to campus. With the likes of Tony Carr, Nazeer Bostick, Joe Hampton, and Lamar Stevens, the program is headed in the right direction.
In the first half, Penn State played it close to the Buckeyes with senior Brandon Taylor jumpstarting the offense while the team played a strong defensive game in the opening minutes. Garner kept the energy alive on the offensive front by scoring a few game changing baskets and dishing it off to Taylor and Jordan Dickerson. Towards the middle of the first half, Penn State went on a 10-0 run to gain a 25-18 lead over Ohio State. Going into halftime, the Lions had a 37-34 lead despite Ohio State going on a 9-0 run in the closing minutes of the half.
The second half saw a surge of energy from Ohio State and the Nittany Lions quickly lost their lead due to Buckeye players Marc Loving and JaQuan Lyle who both scored over 20 points. While Penn State remained close behind, the Lions were unable to complete a comeback.
Throughout the majority of the game, Penn State was in foul trouble, which led to a loss in momentum. ''We lost our aggressiveness because we were in foul trouble most of the day. I mean 39 free throws says it all,'' Head Coach Patrick Chambers said in a post-game press conference. ''We've got to get better, we've got to get bigger, we've got to get stronger.
In addition to Garner’s 25 points, senior Donovan Jack added 18 points and Brandon Taylor contributed with 14. With the loss, the team is eliminated from the tournament after just one game. With that result, it looks as if this season is over for the 2015-2016 Nittany Lion basketball team.
Penn State basketball fans have much to look forward to next year, as the best recruiting class in program history is headed to campus. With the likes of Tony Carr, Nazeer Bostick, Joe Hampton, and Lamar Stevens, the program is headed in the right direction.
