Evan Mahaffey shines, Ohio State bounces back against Penn State

COLUMBUS — Evan Mahaffey delivered his best game in an Ohio State uniform, and of his blossoming college career, against his former team Saturday afternoon.

Mahaffey did so the same week news about his father Jamie’s fight against advanced heart failure became widespread as a GoFundMe page was shared across Buckeyes social media.

Money is being fundraised to help support the costs of Jamie’s left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and his wait for a heart transplant.

Mahaffey has been dealing with the reality of his father’s heart issues since the beginning of the season. But he’s not used to it by any means.

“It still is hard because in the back your mind you’re like, ‘any second,'” Mahaffey said, referencing the seriousness of the situation. “God allowed my dad to see me play, so I’m just blessed to be able to do it.”

And Mahaffey made Jamie — a former Miami (Ohio) player in the ’90s and then coach of Division III North Hill College — proud in a big way.

The sophomore’s impact often shows up everywhere but the points column in the box score. Except, during his second crack at Penn State this season, Mahaffey didn’t just make a dent on the score card, he tied for the team lead with 16 points.

His admirable performance also featured five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Mahaffey’s defensive intensity permeated throughout the Buckeyes, who held Penn State scoreless the first seven minutes and never fully let the Nittany Lions back in the game.

Mahaffey shined, and Ohio State snapped its three-game losing streak with a 79-67 win over Penn State.

Roddy Gayle Jr. hadn’t made more than four field goals in a game since his 32-point outburst against West Virginia in Rocket Mortage FieldHouse on Dec. 30.

He had three in the first three minutes and change Saturday. That was the start of Gayle’s 10-point first half. The sophomore kickstarted what became a 16-0 Ohio State run.

Mahaffey also chipped in a quick six points during that surge. The run wasn’t just about offense. The Buckeyes (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) forced Penn State (9-10, 3-5) into a horde of contested shots, as the Nittany Lions — coming off an upset win over No. 11 Wisconsin — missed their first 11 shots. Additionally, Ohio State forced six Penn State turnovers, the most notable of which resulted in a Dale Bonner steal that eventually turned into a Mahaffey up-and-under basket.

“I thought we’d be really excited to play, and it sure didn’t look like that,” Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades said postgame. “We looked like we were in quicksand early on, and they looked like they were on fire.”

The first Penn State make came from Jameel Brown, a reserve guard for the Nittany Lions who stepped into an awkward, late shot clock 3-pointer that banked in off the glass.

Brown also sank the second Penn State field goal. That one was from the wing with a hand in his face. Perimeter shooting kept Rhoades’ team in it, and it prevented the Buckeyes from pulling away.

The Nittany Lions shot 5-of-13 from deep in the opening frame, accounting for 15 of their 19 first-half points beyond the arc. Ohio State, on the other hand, came into the day having shot 22.9% from 3-point land during its skid and continued to struggle from outside, missing all eight of its triples in the first half.

Buckeyes big man Felix Okpara logged six points, six rebounds, an assist and a block in the opening period. He continued to show his offensive growth, at one point staking Ohio State to a 24-11 lead while catching a lob from Gayle in traffic, setting his feet and then elevating for a two-handed flush.

Point guard Bruce Thornton had to take a seat late in the first half after getting swiped in the face by Penn State’s Ace Baldwin Jr. Thornton returned to the game, however, and finished with only three points but had six assists and five rebounds.

Long-range makes from Baldwin and the other half of Penn State’s dynamic backcourt, Kanye Clary — as well as a layup from Nick Kern Jr. — cut the Nittany Lion deficit to 10. But baskets from Jamison Battle and Gayle gave the Buckeyes a 33-19 advantage at the break.

Mahaffey tied his career high in scoring early in the second half, slamming home an alley-oop from Gayle and then straight line driving past the Penn State defense soon after. He also added a block and a steal in the first three minutes of the frame.

A Gayle floater and Okpara putback answered a pair of Kern layups. Then what Ohio State had been waiting for: a 3-pointer.

Gayle, returning to his playmaking ways with five assists, penetrated and flung a pass to Battle, who got the crowd going in the Schottenstein Center with a 3-pointer. Ohio State was previously 0-of-11 from deep.

Then backup center Zed Key got his moment in the spotlight with seven straight points, the last three of which came on an and-one that he converted over Penn State stretch forward Leo O’Boyle. That gave the Buckeyes a 53-33 lead.

Key passed the baton to Ohio State’s up-and-coming low-post scorer Devin Royal. The freshman forward scored the next six Buckeyes points and cashed in on a pair of free throws after drawing a foul on another Gayle lob.

Puff Johnson fueled the Nittany Lions’ offense during that stretch, even hitting back-to-back 3-pointers. Johnson actually connected on a third 3-pointer off the bench later in the half, but only after Thornton knocked down a triple and Mahaffey scored four more points, giving Ohio State a game-high, 23-point advantage.

Johnson’s final 3-pointer, though, was the start of an 18-4 Penn State run that saw three more Nittany Lions triples go through the net. Clary hit two of them. That said, Penn State couldn’t dig itself out of a double-digit hole this time like it did when it came back from 18 points down in the second half of the teams’ Dec. 9 meeting in State College.

Gayle, who declared Saturday a “must-win” game the day before, closed out Penn State with a turnaround jumper, bookending his efficient 16-point, four-rebound, five-assist and one-turnover outing.

Gayle bounced back. So did Ohio State.

But Evan Mahaffey shined, as he continues to play with an added motivation for his father Jamie.

“I just think he’s growing into a young man who can really help us on both ends,” Holtmann said of his second-year, Swiss Army knife guard. “And that’s really what we need.

“I told you guys, I’m really bullish on our sophomore class, and he’s a part of that.”