Bates-Diop scores 22, Ohio State handles Penn State
Ohio State’s A.J. Harris drives past Penn State’s Payton Banks Monday during the second half.
Associated Press Ohio State’s Jai’Sean Tate shoots over Penn State’s Brandon Taylor Monday during the second half.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Keita Bates-Diop scored 22 points and Ohio State beat Penn State 66-46 Monday night.
The Buckeyes (5-3, 13-8) led for all but 36 seconds of game action.
Bouncing back from a scoreless game at Purdue four days earlier, Bates-Diop found his shooting stroke early against the Nittany Lions. He scored 13 points in the first half, including a 3-pointer less than three minutes in that put Ohio State on top for good.
Bates-Diop finished the night 8 of 14 from the field, including 4 of 7 from long range.
Jae’Sean Tate scored 15 points for Ohio State, while Marc Loving added 11.
Brandon Taylor led Penn State (2-6, 11-10) with 11 points.
Ohio State harassed the Nittany Lions into a 33 percent shooting night. The visitors particularly struggled from 3-point range, going 4 of 25 (16 percent).
The Buckeyes outscored the Nittany Lions 8-0 while holding them scoreless for more than seven minutes midway through the first half.
That was part of a 12-minute span in which Ohio State outscored Penn State 22-8 to extend a 7-6 lead to 29-14.
But the Nittany Lions recovered, enjoying a 12-4 advantage in the last five minutes of the first half to go to the locker room trailing by only seven.
Ohio State’s 33-26 halftime lead could have been larger if not for 10 turnovers that Penn State converted into 10 points.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions lost their second in a row and for the fourth time in their last five games.
Ohio State: Freshman point guard A.J. Harris made the first start of his career and scored four points while handing out four assists in 20 minutes.
Penn State hosts Michigan Saturday night.
Ohio State plays at Illinois Thursday night.