Penn State Basketball takes down Rutgers on THON Night

Penn State Basketball picked up a crucial Big Ten Conference win Tuesday night over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, in blowout fashion at the Bryce Jordan Center

Penn State Basketball (8-6, 3-3) defended home court as favorites vs Rutgers, running away from the Scarlett Knights on THON night by a score of 66-49.

Nittany Lions head coach Micah Shrewsberry finally tweaked the starting lineup, inserting Myles Dread for Jaheam Cornwall, who hadn’t hit a three in 5 weeks.  Cornwall did not play the entire game. Joining Dread was Lundy, Pickett, Lee, and Harrar.

The game started pretty ugly, as one would expect between two defensive-minded teams. Rutgers settled for mid-range jumpers for the first ten minutes and missed … well almost all of them.

Rutgers, shooting 3-13 from the field, was down 15-6 with 10:47 to go. The Lions were shooting 7-15 and stunningly, only one combined foul the entire half!

Jevonnie Scott then checked in for his first action as a Nittany Lion and Pickett bombed another fadeaway end of the shot clock three as their student heavy crowd on THON Night started to get rocking.  S

cott missed two free throws but more cold Scarlet Knight shooting allowed the Lions to open a 21-8 lead after a Lundy three.

Rutgers slogged their way back bit by bit but the Scarlet Knights’ poor shooting continued all half, shooting just 30% as the Lions led 27-19.

The second half was more of the first, Rutgers missing shots and Penn State not putting them away. A White missed dunk but Lundy follow lay-up made the score 35-26 with 12:49 left, forcing Greg Pikiell to call timeout.

Back-to-back threes from Sessoms and Lundy answered a Rutgers run that got them as close as four and a Harrar put back gave the Lions their biggest lead at 12.

Rutgers simply didn’t have the offense to try to come back, finishing 33.9% (19/56) from the field, 26.3% (5-19) from three, and 50% (6-12) from the stripe.  This was one ugly Scarlet Knights performance mixed with some solid PSU defending.

A classic end of shot clock three (this one by Sessoms) pushed the lead to 14 with 3:20 go and Pickett’s following fadeaway end of shot clock jumper pretty much ended that.  You didn’t miss much by not watching this game.  But it brought the Lions back to .500 in conference playand perhaps hopes of an NIT (National Invitational Tournament) berth.

Penn State was led in scoring by Sessoms (17 points) and Pickett (16), Harrar’s 15 and 5 rebounds and Greg Lee’s (14!) rebounds.

The Nittany Lions travel to Columbus on Sunday to play Ohio State at 12 pm on the Big Ten Network.