Penn State and Indiana met up to play their fourth Big Ten game of the season, at the Palestra in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. Indiana entered the matchup without star forward Malik Reneau, but it did not matter for the Hoosiers, as they came out with a 77-71 victory.
The game was competitive in the first half and tied entering halftime. Then, it was all Hoosiers for most of the second half.
Indiana opened the second half on a 29-14 run, garnering a 15-point lead with just over 11 minutes remaining. Penn State stayed resilient despite their shooting woes, getting it to a two-point game on a Zach Hicks three with 1:16 left in the game. However, Penn State was unable to tie or lead the game from there.
Here’s what I took away from the game, why Penn State ended up losing, and what they must improve upon to bolster their March Madness aspirations:
Oumar Ballo got whatever he wanted
Ballo, a transfer from Arizona, showed why he was one of the most coveted portal targets this offseason. He finished the game with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks on 9/15 shooting.
Penn State threw everything at him including many double teams, but they just had no answer. Indiana kept running the pick-and-roll with Myles Rice and Ballo which had Yanic Konan Niederhauser struggling. Indiana head coach Mike Woodson and his staff abused the play all game, and credit goes to them as it clearly flourished.
Penn State needs to improve on the glass
One of my key factors for this game was offensive rebounding. Indiana had a clear advantage entering the matchup, and they gained several second chances by attacking the glass. The Hoosiers finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds, above their average of 11.3 per game on the season. This has been a recurring theme for Penn State all season, and they need to be more motivated and aggressive in this facet of the game.
Free throw and three point shooting cost Penn State a comeback victory
The Nittany Lions made a great near-comeback in the second half, but their shooting kept them out of it. They finished the game shooting 3/21 from three and 10/17 from the free-throw line.
The numbers speak for themselves, and the three-point shooting in conference play has been abysmal, as they’ve shot 29.9% in those four games. The free throw shooting felt like an anomaly, and fans should not be too worried about that for the rest of the season.
In all, Nittany Lions fans should not panic, as they fall to 2-2 in conference games. However, they have a tough next three games, starting with a road matchup with Illinois on Wednesday night.
Other notes and statistics:
- Penn State - 46% FG, 14% 3PT, 59% FT, 6 steals, 5 blocks, 10 turnovers
- Indiana - 45% FG, 39% 3PT, 73% FT, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 14 turnovers
- Kern Jr. - 21 points, 2 steals, 8/13 FG, 31 minutes
- Baldwin Jr. - 12 points, 7 assists, 31 minutes
- Dilione V - 11 points, 2 blocks, 5/8 FG, 25 minutes
- Hicks - 7 points, 4 rebounds, 26 minutes
- Konan Niederhauser - 7 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 30 minutes
- Johnson - 6 points, 3 rebounds, 24 minutes
- Goodman - 4 points, 2/2 FG, 10 minutes