Feb. 3, 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Evan Turner scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half and Jon Diebler hit a critical 3-pointer to lead No. 13 Ohio State to a 75-62 victory over Penn State on Wednesday night.
The Buckeyes (17-6, 7-3 Big Ten) closed the game on a 10-0 run and handed the Nittany Lions their 10th straight loss.
Diebler had not scored until he hit a shot from behind the arc with 1:29 left to give the Buckeyes some breathing room after Penn State (8-14, 0-10) had cut the lead to 65-62.
William Buford added 19 points and David Lighty had 12 for the Buckeyes, who have won their last six conference games and have beaten the Nittany Lions in their last 12 meetings.
Talor Battle had 24 points and David Jackson 12 for Penn State.
Ohio State improved to 14-0 at home this season, where it is shooting 54 percent from the field.
The Buckeyes scored eight of the first 10 points and never trailed, getting big buckets from Turner time and again in the second half whenever the Nittany Lions threatened to slice into the lead.
But Penn State, down 12 at halftime, never really went away. The Nittany Lions cut the lead to seven points four times before finally getting as close as 65-62 on two free throws by Jackson with 1:53 remaining.
Ohio State worked the ball around before Turner - who added 10 rebounds and six assists - found Diebler open in front of the Buckeyes bench. He hit nothing but net.
Turner then added three free throws and Buford four to close out the game.
Battle and Turner were teammates on the U.S. World University Games team this summer. They guarded each other off and on throughout the game and seemed to enjoy attacking each other.
Battle, like Turner, also flirted with a triple-double, adding nine rebounds and seven assists.
The Buckeyes built an 8-2 lead on a 3-pointer by Lighty, three points from Turner and a vicious tomahawk dunk by Buford - and never trailed again.
Penn State's Bill Edwards, an Ohio native coming off a career-best 10-point, 13-rebound effort in a loss at No. 10 Purdue on Sunday, limped off the court at the 11:26 mark with Ohio State on top 15-8. He twisted an ankle and did not return.
The Buckeyes hit 5 of 9 shots behind the arc to take a 36-24 halftime lead. Battle had 10 points for the Nittany Lions but hit only 3 of 9 from the field. Buford was perfect in four shots from the field, including a 3, and hit both foul shots for 11 points. He added four assists and a rebound.
The Ohio State football team which went 11-2 including a win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl was honored at halftime.