Ohio State men's basketball defeats Penn State 79-67 as the Buckeyes snap their three-game losing streak. Ohio State went away from the 3-point line today, only hitting 3 of them. They dominated the paint, scoring Penn State 40-24. Ohio State didn't shoot the ball well, and that's still a concern, but they showed a bully ball mentality coming into today's game.
They showed great depth on the bench, with more minutes being spread around. Devin Royal scored eight points in five minutes off the bench. The four-star forward was named Ohio Player of the Year and is a really talented player who is proving he can make an impact. Ohio State only turned the ball over six times; they cleaned up everything after the three-game losing streak.
Roddy Gayle Jr. and Evan Mahaffey both had 16 points today. Gayle also added four rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Mahaffey added five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. It was a great day for Gayle and Mahaffey.
As mentioned in the preview of this game, it was said that Ohio State had to slow down Kanye Clary. Clary only scored 13 points in today's game. Clary has not scored less than 16 points since December 2nd. The Buckeyes had to limit Clary from scoring as much as he is used to, and that is exactly what they did.
This was a must-win game to get back on schedule. Getting in the win column is huge for this young team. The confidence has been lacking in the last four games. This game was huge for the young players off the bench. Ohio State showed they can win without shooting well from the 3, which was their bread and butter coming into the season. The players should be proud of themselves after this home win against a team that beat them a month ago. Great win Go Buckeyes.
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