Ohio State almost blows big lead, escapes, 64-62

The No. 2-ranked Buckeyes squandered a 24-point lead over Penn State.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Ohio State coach Thad Matta hopes his team learned a valuable lesson after their latest too-close-for-comfort victory.
The inexperienced Buckeyes had a 21-point halftime lead and led by as many as 24 in the second half before letting the win nearly slip away.
It wasn't until after Penn State's Mike Walker missed a desperation 3 at the buzzer that No. 2 Ohio State could relax with a 64-62 win Wednesday night.
"The gist of what I was trying to get them to understand was to stay together during difficult times," Matta said about his postgame talk to his players. "Five guys together."
The Buckeyes (23-3, 11-1 Big Ten) nearly fell apart.
PSU reeled off 29-10 run
Penn State finished the game with a 29-10 run after Ohio State took a 54-33 lead midway through the second half.
Jamelle Cornley finished a break with a layup, Walker nailed a 3-pointer and Geary Claxton hit two free throws to get Penn State (10-14, 1-10) within two points with 11 seconds left. Cries of "Let's go State!" rose from a crowd desperate to see Penn State end its nine-game losing streak.
"Confidence was the biggest thing in the second half," Cornley said. "In the first half, we thought we could win but we weren't sure. I guess you could say it was sure confidence in the second half."
Ron Lewis, one of just two seniors on Ohio State, was fouled but couldn't hit the front end of a 1-and-1 with 10 seconds left, and Penn State took the rebound and drove the length of the court.
Claxton got the ball in the post and kicked out to Walker for the rushed, 22-footer that hit off the back of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
"If you would have told me to start the game that we'd get a wide open 3 to beat Ohio State, I'd take it," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "We're singing and dancing if that shot is a half-inch shorter."
Oden keys win
Ohio State left the court a relieved bunch. Freshman Greg Oden paced the Buckeyes with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while another freshman, Daequan Cook, added 11.
They were keys to a dominating first half for Ohio State. But the Buckeyes lost their touch in the second, shooting 39 percent, while Penn State found offensive flow behind fastbreaks and 3s. The Lions hit 7-of-12 from behind the arc after halftime.
Ohio State needed a late 11-4 run in their previous game last Saturday to hold Purdue 63-56.
"I know you guys get tired of me saying 'We need consistency. We need consistency,' " Matta said. "But that's exactly what this team needs."
Claxton led Penn State with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Cornley added 14.
Ohio State survived after getting to No. 2 this week in the AP poll, its highest ranking since spending a month at No. 2 in 1991.
The Buckeyes looked like they had the game in hand early after Penn State had a seven-minute scoring drought midway through the first half.
OSU streaks ahead, 16-0
Two 3s by Cook started a 16-0 spurt before Oden dunked in an offensive rebound and hit a turnaround shot in the lane. Lewis followed with another trey as the Buckeyes took a 22-12 lead.
Big 3s from Walker and David Jackson paced the Lions' comeback attempt. Walker finished with eight points, while Jackson had nine on 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point territory.
"We weren't ready to play, and they had a lot to do with that," Matta said about the Lions' second-half rally. He said he told his team after the game "What it takes, and really how fortunate we were."
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.