Freshmen Craft, Sullinger help keep Ohio State undefeated with 69-66 win over Penn State

The best game of freshman Aaron Craft's career helped Ohio State escape Penn State, with the No. 1 ranking in sight.

View full sizeTerry Gilliam / Associated PressAaron Craft fires over Penn State's Tim Frazier for two of his 19 points as the freshman guard helped the Buckeyes remain undefeated in a 69-66 victory over Penn State Saturday evening in Columbus.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Point guard Aaron Craft was two things Saturday -- the shooter that Penn State was going to leave open while double-teaming Jared Sullinger, and the defender Ohio State was tasking with slowing down Talor Battle, one of the most dynamic guards in the country and the Big Ten's leading scorer.

Only because Craft stymied Penn State's plans and followed Ohio State's almost perfectly did the No. 2 Buckeyes emerge with a 69-66 win over the Nittany Lions that kept them undefeated. It will almost certainly push them to No. 1 in the polls on Monday.

Battle shot just 5-of-17 from the floor and missed a 3-point attempt to tie on the final possession with Craft all over him. Meanwhile, Craft scored a career-high 19 points, making four of six 3-pointers and slowing down the Penn State double-teams, thereby helping create space for Sullinger to convert two huge 3-point plays in the final minute.

"Aaron today was really, really special, effective on both sides of the basketball," OSU coach Thad Matta said. "He and Jared obviously didn't play like freshmen today, that's for sure."

Combined, the big and little of Ohio State's 2010 recruiting class combined for 38 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds and just two turnovers. The way they played off each other, with Sullinger getting most of his five assists on kickouts to Craft, caused Matta to compare them to Utah Jazz legends Karl Malone and John Stockton.

"I kicked it out because they doubled off Craft, and they stopped doubling because he was hot tonight," Sullinger said. "That gave me a chance to go to the middle. ... I can take my time on the moves."

Those moves were needed after the Buckeyes (18-0, 5-0 Big Ten) lost the 10-point edge they held early in the second half, continuing their trend of letting teams rally after stretching leads.

Matta was angry about the first-half defense that let Penn State shoot 61 percent from the floor and tie the game at 32 at the break. The Buckeyes got that message ("I wouldn't say that I totally lost my mind as I have before," Matta said) and responded, but after taking a 44-34 lead, Ohio State gave ground.

When Battle picked off a Craft pass with 2:52 to play, Craft's only turnover of the game, and turned it into a fast-break layup, Penn State led 61-60, the Nittany Lions' first lead of the half.

"We were excited, but it only lasted a couple seconds," Battle said, upset with allowing Ohio State's William Buford to answer immediately with a 3-pointer. "We believed the whole game."

But Penn State (10-7, 3-3) couldn't stop Sullinger when it mattered, his 3-point play with 14 seconds left providing the final margin. And Battle couldn't shake Craft. Averaging 20.9 points and shooting 43 percent coming in, Battle was held to 15 points while shooting 29 percent.

Asked if he played a part in Battle's rough night, Craft said, "I might have been the reason, I might not have been."

It was more than coincidence.

"He plays his role and he doesn't try to do too much," Battle said. "He's a very good defender. He did a good job on me and we tried to double off him and he made us pay."

Source: http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/01/freshmen_craft_sullinger_help.html

Frank Lampard Food & drink Google City breaks Motoring Gay and lesbian travel