If Ed Dechellis' strategy for beating the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes was to slow the pace, limit the number of possessions and keep things close until the end, his team is executing it to perfection.
Ohio State, which put over 80 points on the Nittany Lions when they last met, has more or less struggled to impose their will on the lesser talented PSU squad, and have not had the normally crisp offense they have had throughout the regular season. Jon Diebler has been the difference for Thad Matta's team though, scoring 10 points in the first half, including a halftime buzzer beating three to push the lead to 29-23.
Talor Battle, the senior leader of Penn State, has 10 points thus far, but if his games against MSU and Wisconsin are any indication, he will probably get most of his points here in the second half.
While not exactly a high flying affair, Penn State is going to do all it can to keep Ohio State from breaking away in this game, and if they can manage to keep the game within a possession or two into the last minute, it could make for a very exciting conclusion to this tournament.