Penn State Basketball: Heartbreaker in Ann Arbor as Lions fall to Michigan 62-58

Penn State Basketball overcame a 15 point 1st half deficit and held a late second half lead but fell in their B1G opener to the Michigan Wolverines 62-58.

Penn State Basketball was competitive throughout Sunday’s game, but ultimately dropped the Big Ten Conference opener to Michigan.

Michigan led 31-16 with just over two minutes to go in the first half, but a late Nittany Lions push cut the lead to nine points at the half.

Unlike the start of the second half vs Seton Hall, the Lions cut the lead to one less than three minutes into the half, forcing Juwan Howard to call a timeout. The rest of the second half, neither team led by more than six.

The Lions had three consecutive possessions with a chance to tie or take the lead under 90 seconds but a Brockington missed jumper, a Brockington missed shot in the paint and a Sessoms missed contested layup spelled a consistent theme for the Lions of missing shots inside the arc and Michigan was able to survive, 62-58.

This game looked to be a blowout early, and the Big Ten Network announcers seemed stunned that Penn State was able to fight their way into the game.  Michigan didn’t figure out to pound the paint until early in the second half, akin to Seton Hall finally figuring that out (and Virginia Tech never figuring that out).  Wolverine Hunter Dickinson (a freshman, ugh), had his way down low, especially when guarded by the overmatched Trent Buttrick.  He finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.