Here are 3 takeaways from Penn State men’s basketball’s 55-50 win over Maryland
Penn State men’s basketball got back in the win column Friday night with a 55-50 home win over the Maryland Terrapins. The victory moves the Nittany Lions to 7-8 overall and 4-7 in the Big Ten.
Here are three takeaways from the win.
1. The offensive cold spell continued early
The Nittany Lions went into the second half Tuesday night against Wisconsin down two points but lost by 16 due to an abysmal offensive performance that led to only 25 second-half points. That poor showing continued into the first half of their Friday night matchup with the Terrapins. They struggled to generate open looks and that, unsurprisingly, led to plenty of misses from all over the court. The Nittany Lions finished the first 20 minutes with only 23 points and even worse efficiency. They made only 10 of their 29 field goal attempts, along with only three of their 14 3-pointers.
That performance led to a 23-23 tie, as Maryland was just as bad offensively. Penn State was fortunate to be in the game at the half and wouldn’t have been if not for a 9-0 run in its last 2:34.
2. Wheeler gets hot from deep
Jamari Wheeler’s usual impact doesn’t come on the offensive end. The senior guard is a defensive menace and disruptor who makes life difficult for opponents on even the simplest of plays. He lurks in the backcourt before an inbound pass, waiting patiently to take a swipe, whether it’s on the release of the pass or as the opponent’s lead guard tries to take his first dribble, unaware of the lurking Nittany Lion. He jumps passing lanes and walls off drivers, swipes at crossovers and takes charges, but Friday night it was the guard’s offense that helped his team most.
Wheeler hit only three shots from the field in the game but all three of them were from 3-point range — one of which came just as the shot clock was about to expire in the middle of the second half to salvage a difficult possession. He won’t frequently swing a game when his team has the ball, but Wheeler showed Friday night that he can on occasion help his team on both ends of the court.
3. Penn State dominates the offensive glass
John Harrar once again played a key role for the Penn State offense in a victory this season. The senior center has been dominant as a rebounder this season on both ends of the court and Friday night he gave his teammates several extra offensive possessions. Harrar finished with 12 total boards and four offensive rebounds against the Terrapins — all of which came in the second half — and earned himself scoring opportunities because of it.
He was able to crash the glass and put up his own shots around the rim, drawing plenty of fouls in the process. He earned nine points, five of which came from the free throw line on six attempts. Harrar continues to show his value on an undersized team and has proven to be a force when shots go up.
This story was originally published February 5, 2021 at 9:25 PM.
