One of the nation’s premier point guards Scoonie Penn may be, but on Thursday night he shot more like William Penn.
“I got a ton of looks,” said Penn, Ohio State’s reknowned 5-foot-10 senior. “I just did not finish.”
Penn scored 19 points, but he also had 18 bricks — a curious double-double — as Kansas blunted the Buckeyes, 80-67, in Allen Fieldhouse.
Penn missed 18 of 23 shots, including seven of 10 from three-point range while playing all 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, backcourt partner Michael Redd missed 10 of 17 shots, including six of nine from three-point range. Yet Redd, a 6-6 junior, scored a game-high 20 points.
Combined, the Buckeyes’ ballyhooed backcourt duo made 12 of 40 shots. That’s 30 percent.
“Me and Scoonie couldn’t make our shots,” Redd said.
Fatigue was a factor. While Penn went the route, Redd missed only two minutes. Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien was loathe to go to his bench and it showed. Non-starters contributed a mere two points and two rebounds.
“It just can’t be Mike and me,” Penn said. “The other guys have to step up.”
O’Brien wasn’t so much concerned about his bench as he was about his other three starters contributing.
“We just had a tough time getting anybody else involved,” O’Brien said, “and they (Penn and Redd) got tired at the end. “
Ohio State never did find an answer for Kansas’ relentless defense.
“It was one of the best defensive jobs done on us,” O’Brien said. “They just take you right out of what you want to do. Their pressure was very hard to play against. You have to improvise a little bit because they do such a good job of cutting off the passing lanes. We struggled just to make passes and catches.
“Then they have all those big bodies, and all that that has a tendency to wear you down a little bit.”
Although it’s mid-December, this was Ohio State’s first game outside of Columbus.
“This is enough road,” Penn said, smiling. “I’ve heard about this arena. You have to play a perfect game here. It was wild, but I think this will get us ready for the Big 10 on the road.”
Redd, too, was impressed how the Jayhawks fed off the home crowd.
“They played inspired on their homecourt,” he said. “They were prepared and their pressure really hurt us. Give them credit.”
Kenny Gregory, an old Redd antagonist from their days as preps in Columbus, led the Jayhawks with 17 points. Redd was hardly surprised.
“He’s been playing like that all year long,” the OSU guard said. “It’s no secret he’s a good player. He was pumped up, but he’s been like that all year long.”
Despite the poor shooting and in spite of 19 turnovers, Ohio State was within six points at halftime (35-29). Then Kansas scored three quick baskets — two by Eric Chenowith — to begin the second half.
“You’re down by 12 points,” O’Brien said, “and the whole second half you’re battling uphill.”
Ohio State closed to within five with about eight minutes remaining, then hit another sinking spell and never recovered.
“I’m not discouraged at all,” O’Brien said. “Our kids showed some character. This might be as difficult a place to play in the country as there is.”
— Chuck Woodling’s phone message number is 832-7147. His e-mail address is cwoodling@ljworld.com.
