In a game that doubled as the cure for insomnia, Ohio State got 16 points from Sam Thompson and 11 each from Deshaun Thomas (4/13 FG) and Lenzelle Smith Jr. in a 65-51 win over bottom-feeder Penn State this afternoon in a sparsely populated Bryce Jordan Center.
Ohio State marched out to a 29-18 lead at the half and played to the level of the competition over the final 20 minutes.
Thompson reached double figures for the first time in 10 games thanks to 6/7 shooting to go along with six rebounds. His outburst marked just the fourth time in 19 games that Deshaun Thomas was not Ohio State's high scorer.
The Buckeyes committed just eight turnovers and hit 19/23 from the line.
The win improves Ohio State to 15-4 overall and 5-2 in the B1G with a huge game against Wisconsin on tap next Tuesday followed by a trip to Nebraska on Saturday.
Comments
I am so glad Sam had a good game. I dislike all the recent talk of how Ross should be playing ahead of Sam. LaQuinton appears to not give his full effort. This may be how he plays but he is also rather weak with the basketball. I believe other teams have recognized this and intentionally double team him when he has the ball in hand. I just feel that Sam Thompson is a more consistent player with great defensive abilities.
And you just gotta love those dunks!
Still, it's gratifying to get a win against this year's soon-to-be-named B1G coach of the year Pat Chambers. Do you know how courageous it is to coach PSU basketball in the post-Sandusky era?