Penn State Basketball’s lack of Offense haunts in heartbreaking Michigan loss
By Evan Smith
Penn State Basketball dropped a one-point loss to the Michigan Wolverines, on a night the Nittany Lions’ offense went ice cold
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State Basketball had every opportunity to beat an incredibly cold-shooting Wolverine team but a complete lack of offense prevented the upset as the Nittany Lions fell 58-57.
The Lions held Michigan to 31.5% shooting from the field and 23.8% from three. Penn State Basketball also led by 11 with 3:50 to go in the first but a double-digit scoreless streak allowed Michigan to lead almost the entire second half.
This is another painful loss in a game that was there for the taking but that continues to be the story of the season as Penn State falls to 9-11 (4-8 in conference).
Penn State Basketball, without Greg Lee, started Harrar, Lundy, Johnson, Pickett, and Dread and it couldn’t have been different than the game at Wisconsin. Penn State started 4 for 6 from the field including a Dread three for an early 9-7 lead.
The teams continued to shoot well with Penn State Basketball taking a 20-19 lead after a White putback, playing with two fouls. A Lundy three pushed the lead to 6 with PSU shooting a blistering 69% (11-16, 3-5 from three). Jalen Pickett hit a three off a literal floorboard by Sam Sessoms pushed the Lions lead to ELEVEN (34-23 with 3:55 to go) forcing Juwan Howard to call his second timeout of the half.
However, in typical PSU fashion this year, they failed to score the rest of the half, capped off by an atrocious unforced turnover after a timeout. Michigan tied the game with a layup at the buzzer. Despite shooting 58% (to Michigan’s 40%), an 11-0 Wolverine run to end the half left the Nittany Lions very disappointed going into the halftime tunnel tied.
Sadly, the halftime pep talk from head coach Micah Shrewsberry did little as the Lions didn’t score in the first four minute segment. Fortunately, Michigan only got one score to lead by 2. A Myles Dread three ended an almost TEN MINUTE scoring drought spanning two halves to cut the lead to one with 13:50 to go.
Michigan extended the lead to 6 but a Dallion Johnson three helped cut that lead to 46-44 with 7:38 to go. Teams traded just one bucket each as the game slowed to a snail’s pace, right where Penn State likes it. Michigan shooting just 32% (16-50) from the field was keeping PSU alive but could they capitalize?
Harrar made both free throws to tie the game at 48 with 3:40 to go but Dickinson answered with two of his own. PSU continued to come up empty settling for tough shots but they were able to force an inbound turnover to get the ball back with 1:35 to go, down 4.
Sessoms missed another contested layup after some more PSU isoball but PSU forced another Michigan miss with 52 seconds left. Penn State wasted 13 seconds doing really nothing, forcing a Shrewsberry timeout with 39.7 to go, down 52-48. What would Penn State draw up needing a bucket?
A nice play got a good look from deep for Lundy over a charging Dickinson, but the shot fell off. However, a Michigan foul on the following play sent Lundy to the line for two shots.
Lundy made just one of two and Michigan made both to extend the lead to 5. Harrar got a tough bucket underneath with 11.4 seconds left, 54-51 Michigan. Michigan made both but stupidly fouled Sessoms attempting a three-pointer, which made all three to cut the lead to 56-54. Needing to make both free throws with 3.4 seconds left, Eli Brooks calmly sunk both to end the Lions’ hopes.
Penn State heads to Minnesota Saturday for an 8:30 pm matchup on the Big Ten Network