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Penn State Basketball beats Butler 68-62 behind Jalen Pickett’s historic night

By Keenan DiPasquale

UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 15: Jalen Pickett #22 of the Penn State Nittany Lions handles the ball against the Michigan State Spartans at Bryce Jordan Center on February 15, 2022 in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 15: Jalen Pickett #22 of the Penn State Nittany Lions handles the ball against the Michigan State Spartans at Bryce Jordan Center on February 15, 2022 in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Penn State basketball is off to a 3-0 start after a strong performance from Jalen Pickett

Senior guard Jalen Pickett’s historic triple double was enough to push Penn State basketball past Butler, 68-62, in this battle between two teams on the rise.

It is the second triple double in program history and the first since program legend Calvin Booth in 1998. Pickett tailed 15 points, 10 boards, and a stunning 11 assists that gave life to a struggling offense at times.

Pickett only had 6 points in the first have while missing a lot of good looks, but he caught fire in the second half. After two beautiful assists for a Kebba Njie slam and a Myles Dread three he hit a mid-range jumper to give PSU a 14-point lead with just under four mins left that they would hold to the end. He was not the only positive on offense tonight, however.

Once again, the shooting showed up for the Nittany Lions. They hit 10 threes as a team on 41.7%. Senior G/F Andrew Funk led the team from distance hitting 3 threes and scoring 11 points overall. 6 Nittany Lions hit a three tonight to keep the offense moving along when they could not find buckets inside.

The defense tonight looked like what you we have come to expect from a Micah Shrewsberry coached team. They held Butler to 34% shooting from the floor and 22% from 3. Micah’s squad played hard all night, swarming the ball with traps off the pick and roll and closing out hard to prevent good open looks.

Butler center Manny Bates was able to take advantage of PSU’s small and inexperienced center rotation of junior Caleb Dorsey and freshman Kebba Njie, scoring 16 on 10 shots, but the Lions overcame that by sending heavy pressure at the Butler guards any time they stepped inside the arc. This worked perfectly, holding the Butler starting backcourt Eric Hunter Jr. and Chuck Harris to a combined 5 for 21 and 1 three on 9 attempts.

Besides Bates, most of Penn State’s problems were self-induced. They had 11 turnovers, four of which coming in the final 3:30 which allowed Butler to storm back and make it a game. Additionally, the offense went on dry spells to end both halves that saw a lot of forced shots and not a lot of good off-ball action we have grown used to seeing early in this season. Centers continue to give Penn State problems, but it seems something they are willing to trade for the flexibility Dorsey and Njie give them on offense.

Penn State basketball will look to fix some on these issues and continue their hot shooting against 2-0 Furman on Thursday 11/17 at 11:30 AM in the first round of the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic tournament.

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