COLUMBUS, Ohio – Moriah Murray, Gracie Merkle and Kiyomi McMiller each scored 20-plus-points, but their efforts were not enough as the Penn State Lady Lions (7-11, 0-7 Big Ten) fell to the No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes (16-2, 6-1 Big Ten), 108-84, on Wednesday evening.

Murray led the offensive output for Penn State by notching eight threes and a free throw on the night for 25 points, while adding three rebounds and a trio of steals.

Merkle, the redshirt junior, continued her case as the most efficient center in the country by shooting an astounding 91% from the field off 11 attempts. She also secured 11 boards, including four on offense, for her 38th double-double of her career.

McMiller, the third 20-point scorer for the Lady Lions, also dished out seven assists on the evening. Tèa Clèante posted 10 points to round out the PSU double figure scorers, in addition to four assists, three rebounds and a steal.

The Buckeyes jumped out to a fast start, grabbing the first 14 points of the contest before McMiller stopped the drought with a long range three and one in the paint immediately after, with Merkle adding another basket off an offensive putback.

Following a rebound by Nyla McFadden, Murray hit one from behind the arc and assisted on a Merkle bucket in the paint to cut the lead to five. The Kentucky native, Merkle, hit her third straight in the paint, again after an offensive rebound, to close out the first frame down, 16-21.

Merkle started off the second stanza with her fifth bucket of the night and secured double-digit scoring for the 17th time this season. McMiller, directly after a Buckeye three, made a basket from deep for her second of the night.

After a pair of layups from Ohio State, McFadden hit her first bucket of the evening. Another quick basket from McFadden and one from Clèante off a fast break narrowed the Buckeye lead to four, before seven straight from Ohio State forced a Lady Lion timeout.

Merkle stopped the opposition run at nine points after a layup in the key. Back-to-back contested threes from Murray and another jumper from beyond the arc for McMiller forced the first Ohio State timeout.

Murray continued her hot streak with another corner three followed by a McMiller floater. The redshirt junior, Murray, hit one from the charity stripe after a steal and hard foul to get her first double-digit point effort since December.

Her efforts finished out a 9-2 run for the Lady Lions over a two-minute period. The Buckeyes would lead headed into the second half, 54-46.

Penn State struck first in the third frame thanks to a jumper from McFadden. The Lady Lions would add a Cleante layup off a fast break to cut the disadvantage to eight.

After seven-straight from Ohio State, Murray added her fifth three of the contest, her highest count since December. McMiller put up the next three points for the Lady Lions off a free throw and a layup.

Assisted by Murray, Merkle scored her seventh basket of the night in the paint. Murray’s sixth three of the game were the final points for Penn State in the third quarter as the Lady Lions found themselves down, 63-82.

Viktoria Ranisavljevic drew first blood in the final frame off a bucket in the paint. After a pair of missed threes, Merkle grabbed her first bucket of the quarter off an offensive board.

Clèante picked up another layup for the Lady Lions after two made free throws from Ohio State. After a defensive rebound to secure her sixth double-double of the year, Merkle sunk an and-one.

A pair of jumpers for McMiller and a Merkle layup put the pair above 20 points each on the evening. Murray secured her seventh and eighth threes during the last two minutes of play, but it wasn’t enough as Ohio State secured the win, 108-84.