Garner’s free throw lifts Penn State to win over Nebraska

Penn State guard Shep Garner pointed at teammate Brandon Taylor as he backpedaled down the court.

Garner had just swished a 3-pointer off a bounce pass by Taylor, pushing Penn State ahead by 12 points with 6:55 left in the game. Thirty seconds earlier, Garner assisted on a 3 by Taylor in the left corner as Nebraska’s Tai Webster flew out of bounds trying to contest the shot. Fifty-nine seconds before Garner’s 3, Andrew White III hit his first 3 of the game to pull Nebraska within six.

It was the first time Nebraska threatened in the second half as the Nittany Lions had been up by as many as 18 points. Garner’s 3 appeared to give Penn State control again, but it instead turned out to be the Nittany Lions’ final field goal.

A five-plus minute scoring drought allowed Nebraska to pull even in the final minute, but Garner knocked down a free throw with 7.2 seconds left to lift Penn State to a 56-55 win Thursday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. It was Penn State’s third straight win and fourth and five games.

“It is a win and we’re going to enjoy it,” Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said. “And it is our third in a row and I want those guys to enjoy it because they worked so hard all week.”

Garner and Taylor carried the Nittany Lions (15-13, 6-9) offensively, combining for 41 of the team’s 56 points. Garner finished with 22 points and went 5 for 10 from 3-point range. Taylor added 19 points and 10 rebounds and finished 5 for 8 from deep, part of an 11 for 25 performance from 3-point range by the team.

After missing the previous four games, Nebraska’s Shavon Shields scored a game-high 25 points.

After Michael Jacobson hit a pair of free throws to tie the game 55-55, Penn State came down the court and the Huskers (14-15, 6-10) were whistled for a foul. The Nittany Lions took a timeout with 23.4 seconds left, and Garner drove to the basket and drew a foul on Webster.

“I just wanted to be aggressive, try to make a play, try to get fouled, just try to get something out of whatever the defense gave me,” Garner said.

He hit the first to break the tie and missed the second.

Shields left a game-winning shot attempt short at the buzzer.

The Huskers got back in the game as a result of Penn State turnovers and missed shots. After Garner’s 3 with 6:55 left, the team missed its final six shots and turned it over three times. Isaiah Washington’s free throws with 5:25 left accounted for the team’s only points in that team before Garner’s game-winning free throw.

The Nittany Lions committed nine of their 13 turnovers in the second half.

“They turned us over,” Chambers said. “We did a really good job in the first half with our turnovers and in the second half, not so much. And that created a great spark for them and a great run for them and they hit some timely shots. They really picked up their defensive intensity.”

But the Huskers couldn’t complete the comeback and couldn’t stop Garner and Taylor for much of the night.

The pair combined for 23 points at halftime, giving Penn State a 28-20 lead. The sophomore guard and senior forward combined to score the Nittany Lions final 15 points before the break. They picked up where they left off in the second half, scoring the team’s first eight points to push its lead to 12 points.

Taylor swished a 3 over Nebraska’s Shavon Shields to open the second half. Garner drilled a 3 from the top of the key, firing before Nebraska’s Andrew White III could get a hand in his face.

Taylor’s hook shot in the paint pushed Penn State ahead by 12 and capped the 23-point run by the Penn State teammates.

At that point, Taylor and Garner had accounted for 31 points. Nebraska had 24. The Nittany Lions rode that early momentum to an 18-point lead.

“We were getting beat by two guys as a team,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. “Shep Garner and Brandon Taylor had outscored us at that point I think. We were down 18 points.”

The Huskers made it a game with their defense, leading to the Penn State miscues down the stretch.

But the Nittany Lions held on.

“I think turnovers from myself and a few other players is what got them back in the game,” Taylor said. “I think that’s a great win for us because we grinded it out.”

Notes: Chambers said Julian Moore was hurt early in the week. Moore did not play, but Chambers said he will be back Sunday when the Nittany Lions play at Michigan State. … It was Penn State’s sixth Big Ten win, matching the most in a season under Chambers. … Isaiah Washington grabbed eight rebounds. Garner had a team-high five assists. … White, who had a career-high 35 in the first game against Penn State, finished with eight points.

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 9:02 PM with the headline "Garner’s free throw lifts Penn State to win over Nebraska."