INDIANAPOLIS — When Ohio State needed a boost Thursday night, Marc Loving and JaQuan Lyle stepped forward. They made shots. They got to the free throw line. Eventually, they sealed the game. Loving scored 24 points, Lyle had 22 and they teamed up to score all seven points in a late run to finally pull away from Penn State 79-75 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. “I was trying to explain to these guys this week that if you hang onto something in this tournament, you’re going home,” coach Thad Matta said. “You’ve got to really play forward. And fortunately for us, I thought probably the last 24 minutes with a few blips, they did a pretty decent job of that.” This was not just another game for the Buckeyes (20-12). They desperately needed it to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive, and Loving and Lyle played like it. On a night the Buckeyes struggled from the free throw line, going 26-of-39, Loving was 13-of-15 and made key free throws during the closing minutes. He also went 3-for-5 from 3-point range. Lyle, a freshman guard, finished 8-of-16 from the field, had 10 rebounds and five assists. And they were good enough to give Ohio State another chance to impress the NCAA selection committee with today’s quarterfinal game against No. …
Continue Reading: College Basketball: Ohio State gets past Penn State, stays alive in Big Ten Tournament
