Mike Walker crouched alone at the foul line with his head in his hands.

His would-be game-winning shot had just rimmed out, and Ohio State was celebrating while the Nittany Lion bench sat in shock.

Despite Penn State's best efforts to mount a furious comeback in its bid to upset the No. 2 Buckeyes, the Lions fell just inches short -- or long, as the case may be -- and Ohio State escaped the Bryce Jordan Center with a 64-62 victory over the Lions.

"It was a great look," Walker said. "It just didn't go in."

But the dejected look on his face said more than his words could ever hope to convey.

After all the hustle, all the battling, all the clutch shots, how

could their furious comeback fall two measly points short? His expressions alone described all of that after the game.

But the answer was in the first half when the Buckeyes amassed a lead that was simply too much to overcome. Penn State's quick spurt to start the game awakened travel-weary Ohio State, and the Buckeyes closed out the half on a 34-9 run to enter the break with a 40-19 lead.

Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden compiled nine of his team-high 15 points in the first period to go along with 10 rebounds and four blocks for the game as the Buckeyes cruised.

Nothing went the Lions' way. Ohio State out-shot, out-rebounded and out-hustled Penn State up and down the court. The wave of fans flocking for the exits thought the game was over and, apparently, so did Buckeyes.

Out of the locker room, Ohio State turned complacent and slow, while the Lions showed signs of life that were barely evident during the first half.

It wasn't just a change in play -- it was an entirely new attitude and mentality.

"Confidence was the biggest thing in the second half," sophomore forward Jamelle Cornley said. "We really felt we could win."

The Lions were able to scratch and claw their way back into the contest. Rebounds found hands that weren't there earlier, tips went Penn State's way, and the Lions became the aggressors.

"In the second half we pushed the ball," Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said. "At halftime we told the guys, 'We're not making them play against us, we have got to push the ball and if you're open, shoot it and let's see what happens.' "

The Lions forced the tempo, which made Ohio State play on its heels.

Penn State forward Geary Claxton drained 16 of his game-high 19 points in the second half to go along with 10 rebounds for the eighth double-double of the season.

He combined with Walker and senior guard David Jackson to help the Lions believe they could actually win.

Their shooting began to heat up just as the Buckeyes turned frigid -- Ohio State shot 18 percent from three in the second half.

The trio connected on seven of 12 three-point attempts in the closing frame to pull within two.

But it was the three that didn't fall at the buzzer that hurt the Lions the most.

"If you had told me at the start the game that we'd have a wide-open three to beat Ohio State, I'd take it" DeChellis said. "We're singing and dancing if that shot is a half-inch shorter."