Penn State Rally Falls Short As Ohio State Holds On

Penn State basketball fans were on the edge of their seats Monday night as the Nittany Lions mounted a furious second-half comeback, only to fall short against Ohio State, 84-78, at Value City Arena in Columbus. For a team still searching for its first Big Ten win, the loss stung—but the fight they showed after a disastrous first half gave a glimmer of hope for what’s to come.

Heading into the matchup, Penn State (9-11, 0-9 Big Ten) was desperate to snap a seven-game losing skid and break into the conference win column. The Buckeyes (14-6, 6-4 Big Ten), on the other hand, were looking to solidify their spot in the upper half of the standings. The stakes were clear, and from the opening tip, Ohio State wasted no time setting the tone.

By the first media timeout, the Buckeyes led 9-5, with John Mobley Jr. already making his presence felt, tallying five early points. Penn State’s Eli Rice answered with a corner three, but the Nittany Lions quickly found themselves in trouble. Ohio State capitalized on Penn State’s early turnovers—ten in the first half alone, surpassing the Lions’ season average—and used a blistering 14-2 run to build a double-digit lead midway through the half.

"We just kept giving them extra possessions," Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades said after the game, frustration evident in his tone. The Buckeyes, relentless on the boards and efficient in transition, stretched their lead to 22-11 with ten minutes remaining in the first half. Dominick Stewart and Ivan Jurić tried to spark the Lions with back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to 33-23, but Ohio State always seemed to have an answer.

As halftime approached, the Buckeyes poured it on, out-rebounding Penn State and converting second-chance opportunities into points. Ohio State’s 7-0 run late in the half ballooned their lead to 46-28, and by the break, the Nittany Lions were staring at a daunting 50-32 deficit. It was the third consecutive game in which Penn State had allowed at least 50 first-half points—a troubling trend that’s haunted their Big Ten campaign.

Ohio State’s first-half dominance was powered by Mobley, Amare Bynum, and Devin Royal, who each reached double figures before intermission. The Buckeyes shot a sizzling 66.7% from the field in the opening period, while Penn State struggled to find any rhythm, hampered by giveaways and cold shooting.

But if anyone thought the Nittany Lions would roll over, they were in for a surprise. Emerging from the locker room with renewed energy, Penn State came out swinging in the second half. Stewart drilled a three, and a 7-0 run capped by a Kayden Mingo assist to Jurić for a thunderous dunk cut the Ohio State lead to 54-44 just over four minutes in. Suddenly, the Buckeyes looked rattled, and the Value City Arena crowd grew restless.

"We knew we had to come out with more fire," said Eli Rice, who was in the midst of a career night. Rice caught fire from deep, draining his fifth triple of the game to bring Penn State within four at 58-54 with 11:58 left. The Nittany Lions were on a remarkable 22-6 run, and when Josh Reed converted an and-one at the 10:46 mark, the deficit was just one—Ohio State 60, Penn State 59. The comeback was on.

But just when it looked like the Nittany Lions might pull off a miracle, Mobley took over. He hadn’t scored yet in the half, but rattled off five straight points to push the lead back to six. Then, with the clock ticking under seven minutes, Mobley drilled a deep three, capping a 14-4 run and restoring Ohio State’s cushion to 74-63. Every time Penn State threatened, the Buckeyes responded.

Mobley finished the night with 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc, along with two rebounds and five assists. “He’s our engine,” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said. “When we needed a bucket, he delivered.” Bynum chipped in 15 points, Royal had 14, and Taison Chatman added 11, rounding out a balanced Buckeye attack.

Penn State’s own stat sheet had its bright spots. Rice’s career-high 20 points came on 7-of-14 shooting and a blistering 6-of-11 from three-point range. Jurić notched a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Reed and Melih Tunca each scored 13. Tunca’s 11 second-half points kept the Lions in it, and Stewart’s timely shooting gave them a fighting chance.

Yet, the Nittany Lions’ season-high 18 turnovers proved too much to overcome. Ohio State turned those miscues into 12 points, and while only two of those came after halftime, the damage was already done. “We can’t keep digging ourselves these holes,” Rice admitted. “It’s tough to come back when you’re giving the ball away like that.”

Penn State’s starting lineup—Mingo, Stewart, Rice, Reed, and Jurić—remained unchanged for the third straight game, but Coach Rhoades continued to search for the right mix, rotating in Freddie Dilione, Tunca, Mason Blackwood, and Justin Houser early. Saša Ciani saw his first action with just over 15 minutes left, while Tibor Mirtič missed his fifth straight game with a knee injury, and Reggie Grodin remained out for the season as a redshirt.

Despite the loss, the Nittany Lions nearly completed a remarkable comeback. Rice’s sixth three-pointer trimmed the deficit to four in the final 30 seconds, and Penn State pressed full-court, scrambling for a miracle. But Ohio State held firm, and Penn State’s hopes of a Big Ten breakthrough would have to wait.

After the game, Rhoades reflected on his team’s resilience. “The effort in the second half was exactly what we need. Now we just have to put it together for a full 40 minutes.”

Looking ahead, Penn State travels to Evanston, Illinois, for a Thursday night clash with Northwestern. The Wildcats, also struggling in conference play, present one of the Nittany Lions’ best chances to finally notch a Big Ten win. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the game will be streamed exclusively on Peacock.

For Penn State, the road remains tough, but if Monday night’s second half is any indication, this group isn’t done fighting. The breakthrough may be just around the corner.