Penn State men’s basketball drops close road game to No. 11 Wisconsin, 51-49
Penn State men’s basketball was unable to close out a chance at a comeback victory on the road against the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday night in Madision, Wisconsin.
The Nittany Lions lost the game, 51-49, after arriving for the game just over an hour before tip-off due to travel delays.
Neither team could get its offense going early in the game: Only five points being scored in the game’s first five minutes, with Penn State taking a 3-2 lead.
But the Badgers were able to get a few more shots to fall in grabbing a 14-3 lead with the Lions struggling from beyond the arc. They were able to get open looks but began the game by making only one of their first 11 3-pointers, while Wisconsin also struggled from deep, missing their first six from that range.
The Lions only made one of their first 20 field goals overall, beginning the game by shooting 5% from the floor. The team’s defense on the Badgers kept the game close, but it couldn’t get its offense going, missing shots from in close that would normally fall at a high rate.
The defense continued to stay strong and allowed Penn State to go on a 10-4 run to end the half and keep the game tight. The Lions trailed the Badgers at the midpoint, 18-13, and were led by junior forward Seth Lundy, who scored three points. Wisconsin was led by Chucky Hepburn who had seven points.
Neither team could make anything from deep, combining to make only two of their 22 3-pointers in the first half.
That changed to begin the second half with 12 of the first 16 points coming from beyond the arc, including two made 3-pointers from Dallion Johnson for Penn State, who made his second career start.
The Lions continued to cut into the lead, bringing it down to a one-point game at 30-29 with 10 minutes, 43 seconds left in the second half. They began to make some of their shots, while staying tight on the Badgers defensively and forcing them into compromised positions where the Lions could get turnovers.
Penn State took the lead at 37-36 for the first time since the team had a 3-2 lead and even extended it to 40-36.
But a 13-0 Wisconsin run quelled the Lions’ lead and put the Badgers back in control of the action.
The Nittany Lions responded with a run of their own from down 49-40, scoring nine unanswered to tie the game back up at 49-49. They were unable to stop Tyler Wahl on his way to the rim, however, allowing the Badger to get a layup and go up 51-49.
Penn State was able to get a shot off late with a chance to win from deep, but senior Myles Dread was unable to make a potential game-winning 3-pointer, dropping Penn State to 9-10 overall and 4-7 in the Big Ten.
Penn State guard Sam Sessoms led the game in scoring with 14 points, while Wisconsin center Steven Crowl led the Badgers with 13.
Player of the game
Wisconsin center Steven Crowl: The Nittany Lions were able to slow down Brad Davision and Johnny Davis, the Badgers’ two best players, but that strategy included giving up more open looks to Crowl — a 30.2% shooter from beyond the arc entering the game. Crowl made the Lions pay, connecting on three of his five attempted 3-pointers in the game and making shots in crucial times. He hit open looks when Penn State led 40-38 and when Wisconsin’s lead was only three at 43-40. Crowl isn’t a great shooter, but his timely shot making and efficiency against the Nittany Lions made all the difference. He finished the game with 13 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Stat of the game
13: That’s how many points Penn State scored in the first half. The Nittany Lions were able to generate open looks from beyond the arc and from in close, but they couldn’t convert on most of those attempts in the game’s first 20 minutes. Lundy’s three points led the half, but five other players scored two points to get to the 13 point total. Wisconsin’s offense wasn’t much better, but Penn State had an opportunity to take a lead into the half against a good conference opponent in a difficult environment. Sometimes the opponent tightens up and makes it difficult to get open shots, but Saturday evening, it was the Nittany Lions’ lack of shooting ability that prevented them from taking the lead early. That’s an indictment of the talent level on the roster more than its effort or coaching.
Up next
vs. Michigan: The Nittany Lions will return home for a Tuesday night game when they take on the Michigan Wolverines at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Wolverines are 11-9 on the season and 5-5 in the Big Ten, losing two of their last three games, including on Saturday to Purdue.
They’re the No. 43 team in KenPom’s rankings and are 2-4 in conference play on the road. The Wolverines have been up and down this season, and will give Penn State an opportunity to win its third straight home game.
