Written by David Regimbal

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Ohio State traveled to Penn State for its final road game of the regular season Tuesday night and destroyed the Nittany Lions behind a record setting performance by Jon Diebler. The Buckeyes posted an 82-61 victory, but Diebler overshadowed every storyline by hitting an Ohio State record 10 3-pointers in the game.

Diebler finished with a game-high 30 points, all from behind the arch, while chipping in three rebounds and five assists. The senior guard attempted just 12 threes (shooting 83% from the 3-point line), making his record setting performance even more impressive. The previous record, originally set by Jay Burson when he hit nine 3-pointers in a game 22 years ago, was matched by Diebler earlier this year against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. His performance against Penn State last night pushed him over the top, and the Big Ten’s greatest 3-point shooter  just added to the history he’s making in Columbus.

When asked about the record after the game, Diebler said, "I just found out. It's cool, I guess it's something I'll look back on later down the road." He later added, "I'm just happy we won. It was a great team effort."

While Diebler was enjoying a career-game, the other members of the Buckeyes’ squad were putting in work as well. The team as a whole shot 55% from the field against Penn State and assisted on 21 of their 31 made field goals. Buford finished the game with 21 points and four assists, Sullinger recorded a double-double scoring 10 points with 10 rebounds and David Lighty chipped in six points, four rebounds and four assists.

The Buckeyes were just as impressive on defense, especially in the first half. The Buckeyes limited Penn State severely through the first 20 minutes of action, holding them to just 18 points on 26% shooting (6-23). Penn State only managed two assists against six turnovers, and the 18 points scored was a season low for the Nittany Lions.

It was a dazzling performance that clinched Ohio State at least a share of the Big Ten regular season championship. With 15 league wins, the Buckeyes could lose to Wisconsin on Sunday and still tie Purdue (assuming Purdue beats Iowa on Saturday) with a 15-3 conference record. When this was brought to Jared Sullinger’s attention, he wanted none of it, "We don't like to share. It's like sharing your girlfriend. You don't want to do that."

Other players seemed to have a similar attitude, not forgetting their first loss of the season at the hands of Wisconsin. But on Tuesday night, the Buckeyes had to keep their minds focused on Penn State, a team that was expected to come out with high energy on Senior Night. Nittany Lion fans packed the seats in Jordan Center Arena, and the 15,403 in attendance was the largest crowd for a basketball game in more than 10 years.

The energy in the building did not translate to the court for Penn State. Buford got things going for Ohio State early by connecting on three of his first four shots, scoring six of the Buckeyes’ first eight points with a variety of low-post, off the glass buckets. After trading baskets, the Buckeyes entered a media timeout with a slim 11-8 lead. When play resumed, Ohio State kicked it in gear and tore off a 16-4 run. Sullinger, Diebler and Buford were the catalysts, and when the dust settled, the Buckeyes were leading 27-12. The energy in the building had completely evaporated, and the Buckeyes cruised into the locker room with a 33-18 advantage.

The second half began with an unbelievable stretch of offensive efficiency for Ohio State. The Buckeyes connected on 14 of their first 19 shots and seemingly couldn’t miss from the field. 10 of those 14 made buckets came from at least 18 feet or deeper from the field. It was a performance that baffled Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis, and after the game, he said Ohio State is unbeatable when they shoot the ball like that.

"You don't see that very often," DeChellis said, "We didn't have any answers for them."

In the end, with Ohio State pulling away and securing its fourth regular season conference championship in six years, all anyone could talk about was Jon Diebler. Each time the senior came off a screen or broke free behind the arch, the 15,403 in attendance prayed for him to finally clang one off the rim. It eventually happened with two minutes left in the game, but by that time it was way too late. The Buckeyes had already secured the victory while Diebler was carving his name in the history books.

Who’s Next?

The Buckeyes will close out the regular season at home against the Wisconsin Badgers. The game will tip-off at 4:00 PM EST and will be televised by CBS.