COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Penn State men’s basketball team managed to turn an 18-point halftime deficit into a one-point game with just under 11 minutes to play, but it wasn’t enough in an 84-78 decision to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday night inside Value City Arena.

Penn State fell to 9-11 overall and 0-9 in the Big Ten while Ohio State is 14-6 and 6-4 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have lost seven in a row.

Redshirt sophomore guard Eli Rice helped push the pace offensively for the Nittany Lions, scoring a career-high 20 points with a career-best five 3-pointers.

Freshman forward Ivan Juric mustered an individual milestone of his own, registering his first double-double at the collegiate level in addition to just the second double-double by a Nittany Lion this season.

The Zagreb, Croatia, native poured in 14 points with a career-high 14 rebounds to reach that milestone. Senior forward Josh Reed added 13 points, freshman guard Melih Tunca scored 13 in the second half alone, and freshman guard Kayden Mingo helped orchestrate things with a career-high-tying eight assists.

The Buckeyes got 25 points from John Mobley Jr. and 15 points from Amare Bynum. Teammate Bruce Thornton, who averages nearly 20 points-per game, was held to just nine points.

Down 50-32 at halftime, Penn State fought back to make it a one-point game at 60-59 with 10:46 to play in the contest. However, the Lions were never able to get as close the rest of the way.

Penn State is at Northwestern on Thursday.

PENN STATE (9-11): Juric 5-9 3-6 14, Reed 4-7 5-5 13, Mingo 1-4 2-2 4, Rice 7-14 0-0 20, Stewart 2-3 0-0 6, Tunca 4-8 4-4 13, Dilione 2-4 4-4 8, Blackwood 0-0 0-0 0, Ciani 0-1 0-0 0, Houser 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-50 18-21 78.

OHIO STATE (14-6): Bynum 7-12 1-1 15, Royal 4-8 5-6 14, Njegovan 3-4 2-4 8, Mobley 7-14 6-6 25, Thornton 4-6 0-1 9, Chatman 4-6 2-2 11, Johnson 1-3 0-1 2, White 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-54 16-21 84.

Halftime–Ohio State 50-32. 3-Point Goals–Penn State 10-25 (Rice 6-11, Stewart 2-3, Juric 1-3, Tunca 1-4, Dilione 0-2, Mingo 0-2), Ohio State 8-23 (Mobley 5-11, Thornton 1-2, Chatman 1-3, Royal 1-3, White 0-1, Bynum 0-3). Fouled Out–Njegovan. Rebounds_Penn State 29 (Juric 14), Ohio State 20 (Bynum 5). Assists–Penn State 12 (Mingo 8), Ohio State 14 (Mobley, Thornton 5). Total Fouls–Penn State 19, Ohio State 19. A–10,358 (18,809).

Men: Wake Forest at Pitt

Tipoff: 6 p.m., Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh

Records: Wake Forest (11-9, 2-5 ACC); Pittsburgh (8-12, 1-6 ACC)

TV: ACC Network (Anish Shroff and Terrence Oglesby)

Notable: This will be Pitt’s 3,000th game in program history … Since beating Penn State, Pitt has lost six of seven games … Wake Forest, under sixth-year coach Steve Forbes, ranks last in the ACC in rebound margin … The Demon Deacons have lost two straight – to SMU (91-79) and Duke (90-69). They have one-point losses to Michigan and Texas Tech, and a three-point loss at North Carolina … Sophomore Juke Harris averages 20.6 points and 6.2 rebounds for Wake, and Purdue transfer Myles Colvin (12.5), Appalachian State transfer Tre’Von Spillers (11.5) and Washington State transfer Nate Calmese (10.4) also average in double-figure scoring … Wake won last year’s meeting in Winston-Salem, N.C., 76-74

Mirror prediction: Pitt 77, Wake Forest 74

Mirror prediction record: 13-7

— Buck Frank

Tide still playing one-time NBA prospect

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama center Charles Bediako will play against Missouri on Tuesday night after a judge delayed a hearing in his eligibility case against the NCAA.

Judge James H. Roberts Jr. of the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court on Monday extended a temporary restraining order regarding Bediako’s request for a preliminary injunction because a winter storm would not allow one of the NCAA’s attorneys to get from Tennessee to Alabama. Roberts ruled that “good cause does exist” to extend the TRO another 10 days. A new hearing date was not set.

Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said Saturday that Bediako will “continue to play as long as he’s eligible to play.”

Bediako had 13 points, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks in his first college action in nearly three years, his return coming in a 79-73 loss to Tennessee on Saturday. He played two days after Roberts temporarily reinstated his college eligibility and blocked the NCAA from retaliating for his return.

Bediako entered the NBA draft in 2023 but was not selected. He has signed several NBA developmental contracts since, including playing for the Motor City Cruise in the NBA’s G League days before his return to the Tide.

Bediako spent two seasons (2021-23) at Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, and helped the Crimson Tide make the NCAA Tournament twice. He sued the NCAA last week in hopes of having his college eligibility reinstated.

The NCAA denied Alabama’s initial petition and has repeated its objection to Bediako’s return. Fellow coaches also have expressed concern about how the situation has played out.

Bediako is the first player with collegiate experience to sign an NBA contract and get the chance to return to college basketball.