Nittany Lions First Hurdle In Buckeyes’ Big Ten Title Quest – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/10/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 10, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio State is poised to finally come up big in the Big Ten tournament.%^$
The first step of the journey begins Friday at the United Center against%^$Penn State in the quarterfinals.%^$
The fourth-ranked Buckeyes (22-5) have had little success in the two%^$previous Big Ten tournaments, winning just one game. However, this is the first%^$time in the tournament’s three-year history Ohio State enters as the top seed,%^$and it faces a Penn State team it has already beaten twice this season.%^$
The Buckeyes took down the Nittany Lions 88-75 at home, and last week in%^$Happy Valley, 79-73, giving Ohio State an 11-10 advantage in the all-time%^$series. The latter win snapped a five-game losing streak on the road against%^$Penn State.%^$
After reaching the Final Four last year, Ohio State earned a piece of the%^$conference’s regular-season title this season, tying fifth-ranked Michigan%^$State. With a Big Ten tourney title, Ohio State could all but assure itself of%^$an all-important No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.%^$
“If you can go through this league and co-champ it and then go through your%^$postseason tournament and win that, how much more can you do as a member of one%^$of the elite conferences?” Buckeyes coach Jim O’Brien said. “I think that in%^$itself should give us some consideration.”%^$
But Ohio State can ill-afford to look past Penn State, which is seeded%^$ninth. Last year, 11th-seeded Illinois arrived in Chicago and upset three Top%^$25 teams before losing to Michigan State in the title game.%^$
The Nittany Lions advanced to the quarterfinals with a 76-66 win over%^$Michigan on Thursday, behind Joe Crispin’s 22 points.%^$
Gyasi Cline-Heard added a season-high 18 as Penn State benefited from%^$Michigan’s overly aggressive play. For the seventh time this season, Michigan%^$had more personal fouls (27) than field goals (23).
