Penn State men’s basketball defeats Iowa in double overtime Monday night, 90-86
Penn State men’s basketball had its first home game since it played Rutgers Jan. 11 on Monday night and defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 90-86 in a matchup that was close throughout in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State (9-9, 4-6 Big Ten) started off its first home game in nearly three weeks with a good run offensively, partially sparked by a new starter. Sophomore guard Dallion Johnson took the court with the starting lineup for the first time in his career. He moved the ball effectively and scored four points before heading down the tunnel to get looked at by athletic trainers.
He did not re-enter the game, ending his first start with four points and a solid contribution offensively thanks to his ability to collapse the defense on drives and find teammates on the perimeter.
The Nittany Lions found offensive success in the first half and even stalled the Iowa offense when it had the ball. They kept up that strong stretch of play early in the half, but the Hawkeyes found offensive output from unlikely sources.
Connor McCaffery made four 3-pointers in the half, tying the total number he’d made on the season entering Monday. That helped the Hawkeyes take the lead before the half, 34-32. McCaffery led them in scoring in the first 20 minutes with 12 points, and Penn State forward Seth Lundy did the same for the Lions with 12 of his own.
The two teams traded blows early in the first half with the score going back in forth.
McCaffery’s brother, Patrick, took the helm as the team’s best shooter in the second half, making back-to-back 3-pointers to keep Penn State from going on a run while tying the game at 51.
The Lions held a four-point lead with 1:32 on the clock and the ball when senior guard Sam Sessoms hit a turnaround jumper from the post to extend the lead to six. The Hawkeyes responded quickly, getting the ball to the team’s best player, Keegan Murray, who hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to three with 53.8 on the clock.
The Hawkeyes (14-7, 4-6) got a stop on the other end and the ball back with 22.9 on the clock in need of three points to tie.
They were able to cut it to two points after a layup and a missed Sessoms free throw. Senior guard Jordan Bohannon air balled a 3-pointer with time winding down, but Murray was near the rim at the buzzer to tip it in to send the game to overtime tied at 66.
The back and forth battle continue into overtime as the teams traded shots until the Nittany Lions were down three with under 30 seconds left. Senior Myles Dread hit a stepback fadeaway 3-pointer to knot it back up at 78. Iowa missed its buzzer beater opportunity, sending the game to a second overtime.
The Nittany Lions were able to take over late in the second overtime, hitting clutch free throws and big shots to ice the game and earn the 90-86 victory over the Hawkeyes.
Center John Harrar led the Lions with a career-high 19 points, while Murray contributed 21 for Iowa.
Player of the game
Penn State forward Seth Lundy: The Nittany Lions needed to find energy after three straight losses and Lundy brought plenty of it from the opening tip. He consistently fought on the boards to haul in rebounds, finishing with 11 in the game, including three on the offensive glass. He carried that energy over to defense where he was consistently checking Iowa’s best players. Lundy has taken that task much of the season and has performed well, much like he did Monday night. He added production offensively, scoring 17 points and maintaining a role on that end and producing while not dominating the ball and making correct passes. Lundy has been one of Penn State’s best players this season and he was again against Iowa.
Stat of the game
31:58: That’s how much game time elapsed before Iowa star forward Keegan Murray made his first field goal of the game. The Hawkeye made a dunk with 8:02 left in the second half but was previously stifled by the Nittany Lions from the field. He’s been one of the best scorers in the country this season, averaging 22.4 points per game while scoring from beyond the arc, in the mid-range and in the post. The Lions had answers for him most of the game and players like Lundy and senior forward Greg Lee were able to make life difficult for him whether they were defending him on the ball or helping off their defender to slow him down.
Up next
at Wisconsin: Penn State heads back on the road for the fourth time in five games when it heads to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers are 17-3 on the season and 8-2 in the Big Ten. They boast one of the best players in the country in Johnny Davis, who is projected to be a lottery pick if he enters the 2022 NBA Draft.
Davis will present another challenge for the Lions and Lundy, who has generally taken on the best opposing wing each game.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 10:06 PM.
