Penn State gets back on winning track
Although foul trouble kept him on the bench for nearly 20 minutes on Saturday, Penn State forward Lamar Stevens channeled his frustration to play efficient minutes.
Stevens scored 14 of his 24 points in the second half and Penn State defeated No. 21 Ohio State 90-76 to keep pace in the Big Ten.
Myreon Jones scored 20 points, Seth Lundy added 12 and Myles Dread had 10 for the Nittany Lions (3-4 Big Ten, 13-5 overall) who snapped a three-game losing streak and led by double digits for most of the afternoon.
Penn State lost to Ohio State by 32 on Dec. 7. The Buckeyes (2-5, 12-6) have lost five of their last six games.
“I don’t think we made any adjustments,” Stevens said. “When we went there, they punched us and we weren’t able to respond. They had one of those games where they weren’t missing anything.”
The tables were turned on Saturday. The Buckeyes made just 23 of 54 field goals and endured long scoreless droughts in the first half.
Duane Washington Jr. had 20 points, Kaleb Wesson scored 19 points and Andre Wesson added 12 for the Buckeyes, who trailed by 15 at halftime and by as many as 20 with 15:10 to play.
Kaleb Wesson’s 3-pointer pulled the Buckeyes within 12 with 2:39 left, but they didn’t get closer.
“Our effort wasn’t quite what it needs to be for sure,” Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said. “I thought it was our worst defensive effort of the year, but give them credit, they hit a lot of difficult shots.”
Ohio State’s lone lead came in the opening minutes before Penn State used an 11-0 run to take control midway through the first half.
Kansas State 84, West Virginia 68: Kansas State needed career highs from Cartier Diarra and Dajuan Gordon to knock off No. 12 West Virginia.
Diarra tied a career high 25 points, Gordon scored a career high 15, including 13 in the first half, and Xavier Sneed had 16, moving into the top 15 in school history in scoring to lead the Wildcats to the 84-68 win.
The Wildcats secured their first Big 12 win of the season after losing the first four in conference play.
“I felt like all year we had it in us,” coach Bruce Weber said. “But we really needed someone to step up for us.”
Gordon went 6-for-7 from the field, had four steals and three rebounds in the win.
“I think as long as I come and play with some energy and be willing to play defense I’ll make a big impact,” Gordon said. “As long as we win, that’s all that matters.”
Kansas State (1-4 Big 12, 8-9) went up by as many as 23, but a 15-0 run by the Mountaineers cut the lead to eight in the second half, thanks in part to seven turnovers in four minutes by the Wildcats.
West Virginia (3-2, 14-3) would get as close as six, but the Wildcats held on and won by 16 for their third straight win against the Mountaineers.
“They were desperate,” West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins said. “They did whatever they wanted to do.”
Miles McBride and Chase Harler paced the Mountaineers with 11 points each, Gabe Osabuohein had 10 as West Virginia lost their first game when the trailed at halftime.
Turnovers proved costly for West Virginia as they committed 18 and Kansas State scored 28 off those mistakes.
“I’m getting used to the turnovers,” Huggins said. “We average 20 a game, but we didn’t guard. We just didn’t.”
Kansas State held a 17-point lead at halftime and shot 58% in the first 20 minutes of play.
Every player except for one scored at least four points for the Wildcats and they scored the second most points in a game this season.
Merrimack 53, Robert Morris 49:
Jaleel Lord registered 14 points and eight rebounds as Merrimack narrowly defeated Robert Morris, 53-49.
Juvaris Hayes had 12 points for Merrimack (5-1 Northeast Conference, 11-8), which earned its fourth consecutive win. Idris Joyner added seven rebounds.
AJ Bramah had 16 points for the Colonials (4-1, 8-10), whose four-game winning streak ended with the loss. Yannis Mendy added eight rebounds. Dante Treacy had seven assists.