If a book delved into the themes applicable to sports, the author would surely discuss how difficult it is to beat a team three times in one season.

After the Lady Lions dropped their first two matchups against No. 2 Ohio State, they had no choice but to subscribe to such a mentality.

The theory did not hold water last weekend as Penn State fell out of the Big Ten Tournament to the Buckeyes, the eventual champion, by a score of 64-46 in the quarterfinals on March 3 in Indianapolis.

The biggest game of the year against the tournament's No. 1 seed, coupled with a chance to avenge a last-second loss from a week earlier, should have provided enough motivation to play a competitive game. Instead, the Lady Lions delivered a lackluster performance characteristic of their season.

The game got out of hand early, with Penn State regularly trailing by 20 points by the midpoint of the second half, thanks largely to 15 first-half turnovers.

"The energy was simply not the same as last night," Penn State coach Rene Portland said, referencing the first-round win over Wisconsin the afternoon before. "Ohio State came out aggressive and played stifling defense. Our offense never got going and we didn't take care of the ball. It didn't help turning it over 21 times."

Ohio State used the final minutes as an opportunity to extend playing time to the habitual benchwarmers, and Penn State took advantage by cutting into the deficit.

The Lady Lions managed to contain junior forward Jessica Davenport, who had just six points, but junior guard Brandie Hoskins picked up the slack. She had 14 points in 29 minutes, pacing the Buckeyes.

"Coverage-wise, we didn't get over to her," Penn State assistant basketball coach Annie Troyan said on the Penn State Sports Network. Hoskins went 6-of-11 from the field.

Troyan said Penn State had simply gotten tired down the season's stretch, thanks largely to the 10-person roster. Portland, who had just secured her first losing season in her 26-year coaching history, echoed those sentiments.

In one thought, she addressed the fall from the conference's pedestal just a year ago to the No. 8 seed this year. She and her teams have grown so accustomed to the first-round byes that this year's fatigue became that much more magnified.

"People aren't used to us in this position, and I don't want them to be," Portland said. "Next year we will be able to rely on a deeper bench, which will help with substitutions and provide the girls more confidence and motivation to play well."

Although this loss was an unsatisfying ending to an atypical season, it was not full of the normal tearful goodbyes. Portland returns her entire team next season, meaning that there is at least one chapter left to write in this book.