"He took that first three and I was like, 'Oh gosh,' " Nittany Lions point guard Dan Earl said. "He took the second one, and if he would've missed that one, he wouldn't have been healthy for the Big Ten Tournament. And I mean that sincerely. I would've killed him."

Instead, Crispin killed the then-No. 10 Buckeyes' (22-7, 12-4 Big Ten) hopes of fighting off the Lions' 98-85 upset at The Bryce Jordan Center. Crispin scored a game-high 29 points, including the first eight points scored by either team in overtime. After missing that first attempt, he scored the eight points in just 59 seconds. He nailed a 3-pointer off an assist from Calvin Booth, tossed in a layup on the ensuing possession and followed that up with another 3-pointer.

"He's made some big plays this year, and certainly he played very big today and particularly in overtime," Lions coach Jerry Dunn said.

The sophomore shooting guard made the shots when they counted most, with 24 of his points coming after halftime. His seven 3-pointers tied Pete Lisicky's Jordan Center record. He attempted 14 3-point shots on the afternoon.

While Crispin has been streaky shooting from the field all season, he has been consistently solid from the foul line, coming into the game with a 94.4 free-throw percentage. But Saturday, he uncharacteristically missed three key free throws near the end of regulation. Because of his failure to convert at the line down the stretch, Crispin took the blame for having to go to overtime, even though Earl's missed jumper at the end of regulation would have won the game for the Lions.

But Crispin was able to rebound from his missed foul shots to lead the Lions to victory in the extra stanza.

Crispin's performance Saturday was a stark contrast to the game he played when the teams met earlier this season in Columbus, Ohio. The Lions opened the Big Ten season on Nov. 20 and Crispin went scoreless, going 0 for 10 from the field.

"He's a funny player, because at times you look at him and it's like a Russian roulette situation," Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien said. "We play him the first time at home and he goes 0 for 10 from the floor, and we win and today he has a great game."

Heading into the Big Ten Tournament, which kicks off Thursday in Chicago, Crispin is one of the major catalysts behind the Lions' three-game winning momentum streak.

And with Earl sparing his life, he may have a chance to continue that momentum into the postseason.