When a team loses four of its five starters heading into a season, usually a balanced scoring attack is necessary to make up for the departures in order for that team to be successful.

Unfortunately for the Penn State men's basketball team, three players are carrying the scoring load. And the team lost again last night at Ohio State, 76-57.

While the Buckeyes boasted an evenhanded attack and got double-digit scoring from five different players, Sharif Chambliss, Brandon Watkins, and Tyler Smith scored 41 of the Nittany Lions' 57 points. This game follows the effort Jan. 9 against Wisconsin, when the trio scored 43 of Penn State's 51 that night.

And it is no surprise that -- other than Chambliss, who is a sophomore but still ranked fifth among returnees in minutes per game last year -- the players leading the way in scoring in 2001-02 are the Lions with the most experience.

"There are some guys who don't have any idea what it's like, especially in this league," Penn State head coach Jerry Dunn said on his postgame radio show. "It will take a little more time."

While having your team rely on its most experienced players may be predictable, perhaps more alarming to Dunn is the trend of having the team's guards carry the team. After Smith picked up his second foul early in the first half, Chambliss and Watkins became the only scoring threats. Penn State scored only 14 points in the paint all night, as opposed to the Buckeyes' 38. Another area in which Penn State's weakness in the frontcourt was exposed was on the boards. Ohio State out-rebounded the Lions a staggering 38-18 for the game, including 17-5 in the first half.

"I didn't particularly like our effort at all on the offensive glass and I told our team that at halftime," Dunn said.

Dunn's complaints in the offensive rebounding department weren't unfounded.

Penn State had no offensive boards in the first half and did not pick up its first one of the game until late in the second.

Part of the lack of balance problem last night was the loss of sophomore Jamaal Tate.

The 6-foot-5 guard/ was forced to miss the game with a shoulder injury.

But logic would then dictate that the frontcourt would be almost mathematically forced to pick up the slack for a loss of a guard. It didn't happen.

The Lions still were dependent on the three-point shot to keep them in the game, like they have been for much of the season.

Nine of the 21 field goals Penn State made were from behind the arc.

Despite the offensive domination the backcourt had on the stat sheet for Penn State, the guards were not without blame for the loss.

On the defensive side, Watkins, Chambliss and senior guard Ken Krimmel allowed Ohio State's guards to consistently drive to the basket for easy scores.

"I though (Ohio State) did a really good job getting into the paint off the dribble," Dunn said. "We just had a problem with that."