Men’s Basketball Wins its Final Home Game – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/24/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
February 24, 1999
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Box Score%^$
By RUSTY MILLER%^$
AP Sports Writer%^$
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien has run out of ways to%^$describe his team’s remarkable turnaround from Big Ten doormat to the%^$second-best team in the league.%^$
“At the risk of keeping on saying the same thing over and over and over%^$again, they just refuse to lose,” O’Brien said Wednesday night after Scoonie%^$Penn scored a career-high 30 points to help the No. 10 Buckeyes beat No. 16%^$Wisconsin 63-54.%^$
Ohio State (22-6), which was 1-15 and last in the conference last year,%^$improved its league record to 12-3 and locked up the No. 2 seed behind champion%^$Michigan State in next week’s Big Ten tournament.%^$
The Buckeyes closed the game with a 14-3 run to win their seventh straight%^$and ninth in their last 10. Penn, whose previous career high was 27, scored%^$nine points in the run.%^$
“It looked bleak there for a while, but Scoonie just willed us to come%^$back,” O’Brien said.%^$
Penn was 9-of-14 from the field, including a career-best six 3-pointers in%^$nine tries. He was 6-of-6 from the line and added six rebounds and three%^$assists.%^$
“That was just one guy taking over and whipping us,” Wisconsin coach%^$Dick Bennett said.%^$
Wisconsin (21-7, 9-6) outscored Ohio State 34-15 to build a 39-30 lead in%^$the second half, but Ohio State quickly rallied to tie it 42-42 on a free throw%^$by Jon Sanderson.%^$
Penn, whose previous career high was 28, hit two free throws, a 3-pointer%^$and a jumper during the spurt.%^$
Wisconsin took a 51-49 lead on Sean Mason’s free throw with 6:28 remaining,%^$but Ohio State then took command with a 14-0 run.%^$
“We didn’t hang our heads,” Penn said. “I felt it was time for me to step%^$up. I hit a couple of shots and after that the guys followed.”%^$
After Jason Singleton hit a foul shot, Penn made two free throws to give the%^$Buckeyes the lead for good. While Wisconsin continued to misfire from the%^$outside, Redd hit a foul shot and Penn sank a 3-pointer to push the lead to%^$59-49 with 1:27 left.%^$
Bennett said Penn made the difference for Ohio State.%^$
“We simply didn’t have anyone who could play with him,” Bennett said.%^$
Andy Kowske and Mason each scored 13 points for the Badgers, who lost to the%^$Buckeyes in overtime on Jan. 2.
