Penn State falls to Texas Longhorns 66-71 in 2nd round of NCAA Tournament
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March Madness
Penn State men’s basketball is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Read below for all of our coverage.
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The Penn State men’s basketball team had its season come to an end Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions and head coach Micah Shrewsberry fell to the Texas Longhorns, 66-71.
They were able to keep the game close early thanks to their defense, despite not having a good start from the floor. They were swarming the Longhorns, forcing them to pick up their dribble when double teams came before scurrying back to the open man.
That led to a two-possession game for most of the game’s first 20 minutes, but a late run by Texas changed the trajectory of the game. The Longhorns went on an 8-2 run to make it a 31-23 game at halftime and did so by making difficult shots. The story early was their ability to make those looks while the Nittany Lions couldn’t hit their wide open shots from beyond the arc.
They were better offensively in the second half, but so was Texas. The Longhorns did a good job of making difficult shots, pulling up from the mid-range and sinking contested jumpers.
Penn State kept getting close but when it seemed like they may be able to turn the tide, the Longhorns made those shots to keep them at arm’s length.
The Nittany Lions kept pushing, however, and eventually took the lead thanks to timely shot-making from Cam Wynter and Myles Dread.
It wasn’t enough thanks to the Longhorns’ timely shot-making. They closed out the win to advance to the Sweet 16.
Player of the game
Penn State guard Cam Wynter: Wynter was the team’s one source of consistent offense throughout the game. He played much like he has late in the season, getting to his spots and sinking shots off the dribble. He consistently got to the mid-range and in the paint where he could create just enough space to make a shot over Texas’ defenders. Wynter was an ideal secondary creator late in the season and helped propel the Nittany Lions on the run they went on.
What the loss means
The Nittany Lions now turn to the futures of two key pieces after their season has come to an end. The Nittany Lions will have to retain their head coach after interest from Notre Dame and Georgetown, while waiting for Seth Lundy to decide on his future. The senior has his COVID year left to use if he wants it, but he hasn’t publicly made a decision either way. Shrewsberry was non-committal when asked about his future before the Texas A&M game. Keeping him will be vital for the program to maintain success moving forward.
This story was originally published March 18, 2023 at 10:19 PM.
