| Mike Walker had several key scores in the Lions' thrilling near-comeback from a 40-19 halftime deficit against No 2 Ohio State. |
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. Feb. 14, 2007 ?C It was a tale of two halves in snowy ??Happy Valley?? Wednesday as No. 2 ranked Ohio State (23-3; 11-1 Big Ten) survived a furious comeback and a last second three-point attempt to down Penn State (10-14; 1-10 Big Ten), 64-62, in the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Nittany Lions dropped their 10th-straight game on the season but not before putting a scare into the Big Ten leading Buckeyes, the first of three-straight top-three ranked opponents Penn State will face in the most difficult three-game stretch in Big Ten history.
??Hopefully we can build on this,?? Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. ??I told them, I??m proud of them. They played hard. They played to win. We were just going out there in the second half to make plays and win the game??
Penn State was led by Geary Claxton (West Haven, Conn.) who posted his eighth double-double on the year with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Columbus native Jamelle Cornley added 14 points and five rebounds playing all 40 minutes for the sixth time this season. Freshman Greg Oden led Ohio State with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Buckeyes also had three guards in double-figures as Ron Lewis posted 12 and Jamar Butler and Daequan Cook 11 apiece against the Nittany Lion zone.
A pair of Claxton free throws chopped a 21-point Ohio State halftime lead to two with 11 seconds to play as the Nittany Lions out-scored the Buckeyes 43-24 in the final 20 minutes. After Lewis missed the front end of a one-and-one the Nittany Lions had the ball with a chance to win with 10 seconds on the clock. Penn State fed the ball to Claxton on the block. He drew the defense and kicked out to an open Mike Walker (Lewisberry, Pa.) at the top of the key. The junior, who hit a similar game-winner this season over Bucknell, had his 21-footer sail just long and carom off the back iron.
??If you told me at the start of the game that we would get a wide open three to beat Ohio State, I think I would take it,?? DeChellis said. ??Mike Walker is a great shooter, and I cannot think of anyone else at that time of the game that I would rather shoot the basketball. He was feeling good and was in rhythm. It was a good shot.??
The teams swapped halves being able to make shots from the perimeter as Ohio State shot 7-of-14 (50%) from three in the first half to take a 40-19 halftime lead over a Penn State team that made just 3-of-13 (23%) from the arc and managed a season-low 19 points.
The tide turned in the second 20 minutes as Penn State mounted a furious rally by hitting 7-of-12 (58%) from the arc while the Buckeyes went as cold as the weather outside making just 2-of-11 (18%).
??That is the best 10-14 basketball team I have ever seen, with the players they have,?? Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. ??We said that going in. He (Ed DeChellis) is a phenomenal coach and a phenomenal person and I think he does a great job.??
Penn State jumped out to an early 10-6 lead in front of an excited student section that was granted free admission after snow engulfed the area and the University closed due to a storm that dumped nearly 12 inches on the University Park campus. A pair of three-pointers by Ben Luber (Richboro, Pa.) and Danny Morrissey (Cleveland, Ohio) and a two handed dunk from Claxton had the home fans screaming.
However, Ohio State quickly silenced the crowd going on a 16-0 run to take a 22-10 lead and outscored Penn State 34-9 the rest of the half. Penn State equaled its worst shooting half of the season posting 27.6 percent (8-29) from the floor.
Oden, Butler and Cook all scored nine for the Buckeyes with Butler making a pair from three and Cook 3-of-5 from the arc in the half.
A pair of threes from Cook triggered the 16-0 run in which Oden also scored four points. The 7-1 center barely got a touch through the first 10 minutes, but a dunk off an offensive rebound got him going and he scored all nine of his first half points in the final 11 minutes of the half in which Ohio State held as much as a 25-point lead.
Penn State quickly established it wouldn??t lay down in the second half as Claxton buried a three, one of his career-high tying three on the night, and Cornley scored in the lane to cut the lead to 16.
Ohio State responded with seven straight points, including a three from Butler, to build a 47-24 lead. Claxton scored Penn State??s next five, hitting another three, and the Lions trailed, 52-29, with 14:30 to play.
The Nittany Lions then went on a 14-4 run over the next three minutes to slice the lead to 13 points, 56-43, with 11:12 to play. Cornley scored four to start the run and back-to-back threes from David Jackson (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Claxton capped it.
Ohio State went cold from the perimeter missing its last eight three-point attempts of the game while Penn State made five of its last seven.
Buckets by Oden and Ivan Harris rebuilt the Ohio State lead to 60-43, but Penn State would out-score the Buckeyes 19-4 the rest of the way as it nearly pulled off the upset.
A Walker three at the 5:33 mark cut the lead under 10, 60-52, for the first time since 9:37 to play in the first half. Jackson hit another trey three minutes later to cut the lead to six, 61-55. Penn State got it to four, 61-57, after a Cornley bucket following four Ohio State misses on the other end.
Mike Conley hit a jump shot to push the lead back to six, but Walker buried another three for Penn State and the Lions trailed, 63-60, with 51 seconds to play. Penn State fouled Butler on the next possession and he made one-of-two free throws. Walker made a nice pass to Claxton on the other end and Oden fouled him sending him to the line where he made two and set up the tense final 10 seconds.
Penn State will hit the road to take on No. 3 Wisconsin Saturday in a 12:15 p.m. (ET) in Madison, Wisc. The game will be broadcast by ESPN Regional and can be heard live on the Penn State Sports Network.