Ohio State's 82-79 loss to Penn State on Thursday night was eye-opening for a few reasons.
For starters, Keita Bates-Diop and Tony Carr – the Big Ten's top two leading scorers – each hit incredible shots in the game's last five seconds in a game that resembled a March Madness classic. However, it was Carr's buzzer-beater that fittingly capped off the upset win for Penn State, considering what he and the rest of the Nittany Lions had done throughout the contest.
Patrick Chambers' squad connected on 11-of-14 shots from behind the three-point arc against Ohio State, breaking a school record for long-range shooting percentage in a single game. No Penn State player missed more than one shot from deep, as Carr and Shep Garner each went 4-for-5 on the night.
Following the game, Chris Holtmann said he was displeased with his team's defensive performance and that it will be a focus of practice moving forward.
"(Carr) was 10-for-14 and 4-for-5 tonight. Their guys just played well," Holtmann said. "We have got to figure out a way to put our guys in better position defensively, and then we have to come out with more presence than what we did."
The start to games has been an issue for Ohio State ever since the Buckeyes defeated No. 1 Michigan State on Jan. 7. In five of their last six games, the Buckeyes have struggled to find offense early, trailing by as many as seven to Maryland, and trailing by 10 to Minnesota, in the opening minutes of what would end up being blowout victories.
Against Penn State on Thursday night, Ohio State allowed the Nittany Lions to open the game on an 18-6 run that saw Penn State connect on its first five three-point shots. Penn State's lead swelled to as many as 13 in the second half with Bates-Diop on the bench with foul trouble, before the Normal, Ill., native nearly pulled off the miraculous comeback almost single-handedly.
“We have got to figure out a way to put our guys in better position defensively, and then we have to come out with more presence than what we did.”– Chris Holtmann on his team's play in a loss to Penn State
Senior forward Jae'Sean Tate went as far as to say he was "pissed" in his postgame comments, and said Ohio State has to do a better job of starting the game with momentum instead of repeatedly digging out of holes.
“We’ve gotten away with coming out a little sluggish, and tonight we couldn’t get back into it. We’ve got to be more assertive when we start off the game," Tate said. "We didn’t lose on that last shot. They played a great game. We have just got to work on coming out with the same edge that we played with late in the second half.”
Ohio State's slow start against Penn State could have been partially attributed to tired legs, as the Buckeyes were playing their fifth game in 11 days, while the Nittany Lions hadn't played since Saturday.
However, when asked about his performance against Ohio State, Carr – who finished with a game-high 28 points in the win – said he felt his team was hungrier from the tip.
"I feel like we outplayed them from the tip. We were more focused and we were more hungry," Carr said. "They were home so they are going to make runs and tough shots. Kudos to Bates-Diop, he made tough shots, but I was glad we were able to come out with the win."
Perhaps playing a role in Ohio State's struggles Thursday night was its physicality, or lack thereof, against Penn State. Holtmann said he noticed a distinct difference in his team's physicality when compared to that of the Nittany Lions, something he said will have to change with eight Big Ten games still left to play.
"They were clearly the more physical team the entire night. Clearly. It wasn't even close," Holtmann said. "It was one of the more physical games I have ever coached in. I can't remember a game this physical that I have coached in to be honest with you. If the game is going to be this physical, and it is going to be allowed to be this physical, then we need to do a better job responding to that."
After a brutal stretch of games in 11 days, Ohio State is set to receive what appears to be a much-needed break. The Buckeyes don't return to action until Tuesday, when they host Indiana (12-9, 5-4). Holtmann said his team will get an NCAA-required two days off before returning to practice to prepare for the matchup against the Hoosiers, adding he is interested to see how his team responds in practice to its first conference loss of the year.
"It’s mandated they get two days off, and they need that physically and mentally. This is not unlike what we thought could happen at some point, we will see how we respond," Holtmann said. "Indiana is really good, playing as well as anyone in the league, so we need to be better and hopefully we will.”
