Penn State men’s basketball knocks off No. 4 Maryland for its first top-5 win since 2016
The Penn State men’s basketball team pulled off its first upset over a top-five team since 2016 Tuesday night by taking down the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins at the Bryce Jordan Center, 76-69.
The last time the Nittany Lions took down a top-five opponent was on Feb. 17, 2016, when they defeated No. 4 Iowa in the Bryce Jordan Center, 79-75.
Tuesday night’s win pushes Penn State to 8-2 on the season and 1-1 in the Big Ten.
The win is the 15th ranked win for Pat Chambers since he came to Penn State in 2011, the most ever for a Penn State men’s basketball coach.
Tuesday’s win began with a bang for the Nittany Lions. Senior center Mike Watkins threw down an alley-oop from junior guard Jamari Wheeler, bringing the Bryce Jordan Center crowd to its feet and fueling the Penn State players. Wheeler flexed with his arms at his sides, letting out a scream, mirroring the crowd’s energy.
Senior forward Lamar Stevens said the opening play wasn’t necessarily designed to get an easy dunk, but the sequence fueled the Penn State offense nonetheless.
“The play, I don’t think, is really designed to get an alley-oop, but he was wide open,” Stevens said. “We were just playing. When the crowd gets behind us it’s just an extra energy boost. Guys are really ready to go. We definitely needed that. The crowd was amazing tonight.”
The Penn State defense used that energy to suffocate the Terps throughout the game. It was the Nittany Lions’ play on that end of the floor that ultimately pushed them to a victory.
“The guys really bought in,” Chambers said. “They knew what (Maryland) was going to run and who they were going to go to...Then you start to think, when you’re the opponent, you start to think when you’re turning the ball over like that. You’re not as aggressive.”
Penn State forced 20 turnovers and scored 22 points off Maryland’s miscues. It was the group’s emphasis on the defensive end that Stevens said played a big role in its success Tuesday night.
“It’s something we take pride in, defending and really keeping them uncomfortable,” he said.
The Nittany Lions were led on that end by Watkins, who had 15 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks.
He was the anchor in the dominant defensive effort that suffocated the Terrapins.
“When Mike is engaged he’s one of the best bigs in the Big Ten, if not the country,” Chambers said. “Especially defensively. ... He needs to play that way. It’s a work in progress. He’s getting better. This is crazy, he still has room for growth in his ball-screen defense and his low-post defense.”
The Terrapins’ head coach also acknowledged how big of an impact the senior center had on the game, as well as the rest of the Penn State frontcourt.
“They’ve got really good big guys,” Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon said. “They’re good. They’ve got good players.”
The win puts the Nittany Lions at 8-2 after the early Big Ten slate, and it doesn’t appear to be a fluke. In years past, they would rely on what Stevens called a “hero performance” from an individual player. This time around, Stevens has noticed a discernible difference.
“Tonight it was everybody,” Stevens said. “Everybody really contributed in big moments. I think that’s (how) you know you have the making of a good team. ... Everybody who played really played their role and did it to the best of their abilities. This one definitely felt a little different. Just a total team win.”
Stevens has been that hero in the past, but he no longer has to be. That’s put the senior forward in a better space mentally.
“It feels great,” he said. “It takes a huge burden off my shoulders, I guess. Just knowing that I can trust everybody and other guys will step up if I’m not feeling it that night. For me, it’s allowed me to play freely and just play my game.”
Turgeon intimated the game wasn’t a fluke several times.
“They deserved to win,” he said. “The better team tonight won.”
With a win over a top-five team in tow, the Nittany Lions must carry their momentum through the rest of non-conference play. Their schedule eases up to end 2019, but they still have a power conference opponent looming.
They’ll try build on the win when they take on Alabama at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bryce Jordan Center.
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 9:07 PM.
